V1.02
Thom Hogan’s Complete Guide to the Nikon D300
Page 190
Of these options,
On
makes the most sense, and is the one I
use on all my Nikon DSLRs. That’s because file name
duplication is dangerous—you could accidentally erase or
overwrite a file you wanted to keep. If you set the camera to
Off
, you’ll generate a new
DSC_0001.JPG
(or
.TIF
or
.NEF
)
file every time you format the card and start shooting again.
I guess that I and others have been complaining about
Nikon’s choices for file numbering long enough: the D300
sets
On
as the default, whereas almost all previous Nikon
DSLRs have had it set to
Off
.
A few photographers also rename the “DSC” portion of the
filename each time the camera “turns over” from 9999 to
0001 (e.g.
AAA_9999
becomes
AAB_0001
). This allows them
to guarantee that they don’t have duplicate filenames, but the
problem is that you need to watch carefully for the rollover
(hint: if you find that the card you just filled has a really high
number, such as
AAA_9451
, use
Reset
on the
File number
sequence
menu and then increment the three-letter portion
using
File naming
on the SHOOTING menu when you insert
the next card).
Personally, I think this technique of renaming the filename on
rollover is risky behavior. It’s just too easy to lose track of
what you’re doing and if you mess up you could still get
duplicate filenames, which will be a major hassle and
potentially can cause data loss when you do.
To set the file numbering sequence, use Custom Setting #D6
(see “File Number Sequence” on page <553>).
