Trivia Question - image file name prefix

[Tim Dolan (Longwatcher)]

I had a curiousity question come up on another forum and given the larger 1D series base of people here, was just wondering if the file name prefix (at least for the 1DsMKII) had any order to it.

Mine starts with VI0S#### (or _I0S#### for Adobe RGB), but a lot of the others I have seen start with O or 0 (not sure which). I know mine was one of the first (having gotten it in Nov 2004) and either way V comes after O or 0 in alpha characters.

Anyone happen to know how it was sequenced? Or was it?

Just curious.

 

[nicolas claris]

Hi Tim
mine is _G8A...

 

[Tim Dolan (Longwatcher)]

Nicolas,
unless someone knows the answer,
The only way I can figure out is if I have all 4-digits (image needs to be taken in Standard RGB instead of Adobe RGB mode)

and when you (or whoever) bought it new.

and (maybe) country (or Canon region) purchased in.

then I just need enough examples to figure it out with some certainty. I would prefer though if someone else already has the answer.

 

[Sean DeMerchant]

Anyone happen to know how it was sequenced? Or was it?

Not having a 1 series body (and considering such a waste until I have more lenses) all I can point to the the specifications:

http://www.jeita.or.jp/english/standard/html/1_4.htm

Which is not very helpful as you have to buy the files and unless you are engineering a new digital camera or a downloader you are unlikely to want to know the type of stuff in it (engineering standards can be dull).

The Canon internal sequencing numbers should conform to that standard.

enjoy,

Sean

 

[Erik DeBill]

I'm curious why it's different on 1 series than it is on consumer level. My 20d starts them all with IMG (unless it's in Adobe RGB mode, then it's _MG). My 300D was the same.

 

[John Kirby]

Tim,

I think it's a factory embedded, (random or probably secretly date/production-run related?), 4 character alpha/numeric camera body code.

The 1 series bodies I have/have owned always have/had a file prefix of:
D20U (alpha-numeric-numeric-alpha) (a 1Ds)
KB1G (alpha-alpha-numeric-alpha) ( a 1D2)
XU4A (alpha-alpha-numeric-alpha) ( a 1Ds2)

I concur with Eric regarding the non-1-series cameras: The D60 I had prior to the 1Ds always prefixed "CRW".
I think the underscore ( _ ) is an Adobe imposition onto the file name indicating that Adobe has has become "involved", which is also supported by what Eric says.

Maybe someone that knows more than I do can add more or will say I'm wrong.
They can be assured that they won't have been the first to do the latter.

John.

 

[Tim Dolan (Longwatcher)]

So far the indications from this site and the other forum are that it is randomly assigned, but I only have 5 data points and no dates (except mine to go with it)

I am only concentrating on the 1DsMkII because this appears to be the only 1-series camera that it apparently can't be changed on. (Also because I have one). Although having the data points for other 1-series may help.

And also having a D60 and 10D (my current backup cameras) and knowing 20D, and the various rebels, they all have a more generic file name so I am not curious about those.

It is just a curiousity I am trying to solve.

As to the standards, I am fairly sure they just say the file name has to be 8-digits with 3 or 4 alpha/numeric characters and 4 or 5 numbers. And if the color space is Adobe RGB must start the file name with "_" to indicate this. The standard would be highly unlikely to specify how the first 4 alpha/numeric characters would be sequenced.