Setting the image number on 400D

<p>I've got a Canon 400D (XTi) body. I try to keep the image numbers sequential so that I can easily track how many exposures I've taken. Last week, without thinking, I inserted a CF card from another camera to see what was on it. It wasn't blank, and now my camera has started numbering shots based on the number scheme from that other CF card, which effectively added 3500 to my normal count. Is there any way I can get my body to reset its numbering scheme to where it belongs?</p>

<p>I still have my good CF card, and although I had already deleted all the images from my proper sequence, I imagine some recovery software can restore some of the old images to it so that I can pick up more or less where I left off. How do I then tell the camera to back up & use the new numbers?</p>

<p>I'm assuming this is possible, because inserting a card with different numbers is how it got screwed up in the first place.</p>

 

<p>I don't know of any way to do that. You might want to see if there is a version of firmware on the Canon web site. If so try reloading the firmware. That might allow you to reset the number with your CF card.</p>

<p>Rename one of the files on your CF card to IMG_9999.JPG or IMG_9999.CR2. Put the card back in the camera, take a picture or three, rename a file on the card to the number below the one you want your next pic to be, and voila!<br>

...Well, it's a theory at least. I haven't tried it, but it might be worth a try.</p>

<p>This is possible but slightly fiddly. Possibly some of the steps I suggest are redundant, but this does work (assuming that the 400D has <strong>Manual reset</strong> available in File Numbering – if it does not, you may instead need to switch temporarily to <strong>Auto reset</strong>).</p>

<ol>

<li>On your computer, rename your "incorrectly" named files to what you wanted them to be.</li>

<li>Format a CF card in your computer card reader to ensure you have a "clean" card. Use FAT with the default allocation unit size if the card size is no more than 2GB, and FAT32 with allocation unit size 32K if it is larger (use the command line utility <strong>format volume /FS:FAT32 /A:32K</strong>, where <strong>volume</strong> is the drive letter assigned to your card reader CF slot by the system, for example g: ).</li>

<li>Transfer the card from your computer to your camera.</li>

<li>Go to the menu item <strong>File Numbering</strong> and apply <strong>Manual reset</strong>, after which the setting will revert to <strong>Continuous</strong>, which is where you must have had it. Then format the card in the camera.</li>

<li>Transfer the card from your camera to your computer.</li>

<li>Copy your highest-numbered image file, say, IMG_1234.CR2 (this will be the last of the files you have just renamed), to the folder DCIM\CANON100 on the card.</li>

<li>Transfer the card from your computer to your camera.</li>

<li>The next shot you take will be IMG_1235.CR2. Job done!</li>

</ol>

<p>If that works, then I bet my way works too, and is way easier. I don't think there's any way of resetting the numbering in firm/software on a 400D/Rebel XTi, so you'll have to trick the counter by rolling over from 9999 to 0001.</p>

<p>OK, I took care of it tonight. Yes, formatting the card, manually resetting, copying the last image in your desired sequence to the card, re-inserting card into the camera, and taking a picture will make the camera pick up where you left off for the file numbers.</p>

<p>However, there appears to be no way to reset the folder number (CANON100 in the above example). Every time the file numbers are reset -- whether manually or automatically or by roll-over -- the folder number is incremented. The minimum value of this folder appears to be remembered in the camera and not dependent on the card that's inserted, although if you insert a card with a higher folder number, the camera will raise its internal folder number to match, and there's no going back. Mine jumped from 105 to 261 through this fiasco. This isn't an issue for the file numbers, but it is handy for remembering how many times my file numbers have rolled over. Oh well. I can live with it, I guess.</p>

<p>Thanks for your help, folks.</p>