[JrPentax]

OK
I am a BRAND NEW camera user. Yes not just new to Pentax or the K10D or anything else, the only camera i had before was the 'camera' on my mobile phone... so you can imagine that i am undergoing a HUGE learning curve....

loving it :-)

What i am wondering about is if there is a way to auto-magically embed certain details in the filenames that the image is...

So i can SEE what happens when they are changed...

Also i am very keen to see the file names on the bracketing pictures named decently...

i understand that my raw photos are named _IGP NUMBER .DNG

what i would love but cant find is a way to put NUMBER -B1 B2 B3 for my bracketing pictures... so i can see the bracketing pictures as file groups...

It would be awesome to have _IGP00011-B1.DNG _IGP00011-B2.DNG _IGP00011-B3.DNG is this option avaliable in my K10D and if it is, where do i find it ???

Along the same principle - i would am trying to find somewhere that filename structure is editable... i am looking for the option that will allow me to choose which items i want in the filename and which options i dont want in the file name... so i can select <ISO> or <A> or <S> or anything else that i might like in the filename... and then i can set the order.... ie _IGP NUMBER <ISO> .DNG so maybe _IGP00011-100.DNG

thanks in advance

Jr Pentax
K10D

[Lowell Goudge]

With resppect to the questions, you need to look in the EXIF data in a good imaging editor, and it can help by showing all the camera settings when you take a shot. That should explain the impact of bracketing and other setings. There are also programs that allow you to view even more of this data.

With respect to file names, I have been after pentax since I got my K10D to allow user modifyable file names (specifically the first 4 characters) since I was concerned about duplicate image names with my *istD. SO far no luck, but the more people that complain to pentax through their support center, perhaps the more chance of change.

[roscot]

I suppose that would be nice to have. I'm not sure how it would be best implemented though.

I have not found it necessary,because as part of my work flow I change the file numbers anyway.

What I do is file the shots in a designated folder, named for the shoot, either the clients name or something recognizable to me. I then use Adobe Bridge's batch rename tool to rename the files to something like this:

ClientName_Date_IndexNbr.

So a typical file might look like this:

SmithJoe_20080106_001.pef

The process is automated so I just start it and go have a cup of coffee till it's done. This process plus the Exif data tells me all I need to know about the file. I believe Adobe Elements also has this functionality, as well as several freeware image viewerssuch as InfranView and Faststone.

[Canada_Rockies]

All your bracketing photos will be one after the other, and will show up beside each other in your Pentax Photo Browser.

I set my bracketing sequence to - 0 + so that the brackets go from under to over exposure, rather that that weird camera recommended, under, over, under under, over over or whatever it is. It is much easier to compare when the exposure increments follow one another in some logical order. + 0 - might even be better in some circumstances, such as shooting in bright snowy scenes when the probability is that the "over" is the better exposure.

[JrPentax]

great idea that about changing the order - i went to the C menu and did it - but it sure would be nice to be able to see them named in the file names... I have basically just been using iPhoto to import the pictures from the camera and have not taken even a half decent shot yet... I see some of the info like the ISO is in iphoto and i am sure i will install pentax photo browser just as soon as i can get a cd drive attatched to my laptop...

thanks for the hints roscot - ill look into that as well although really dont think i need more software like that at this time... but i sure do get the idea anyway :-)

[Canada_Rockies]

great idea that about changing the order - i went to the C menu and did it - but it sure would be nice to be able to see them named in the file names... I have basically just been using iPhoto to import the pictures from the camera and have not taken even a half decent shot yet... I see some of the info like the ISO is in iphoto and i am sure i will install pentax photo browser just as soon as i can get a cd drive attatched to my laptop...

thanks for the hints roscot - ill look into that as well although really dont think i need more software like that at this time... but i sure do get the idea anyway :-)

As the files are one after another, and identical (when using a tripod, very nearly identical otherwise) they are pretty easy to see. I rename after import, myself.

[JrPentax]

yea canada_rockies - i understand your comment re ientical - the issue i got is nearly 100 OTHER nearly identical shots.... it was all a single sunset... and i wanted to play with the bracketing a bit - it was a nice sunset but working out which bracketing was part of which bracketing when i did so many... i am sure you understand the situation soooo many soooo similare.... sooo difficult... and the under and over didnt vary that much either...

but i am learning and loving it :-)

[Lowell Goudge]

yea canada_rockies - i understand your comment re ientical - the issue i got is nearly 100 OTHER nearly identical shots.... it was all a single sunset... and i wanted to play with the bracketing a bit - it was a nice sunset but working out which bracketing was part of which bracketing when i did so many... i am sure you understand the situation soooo many soooo similare.... sooo difficult... and the under and over didnt vary that much either...

but i am learning and loving it :-)

I think I can understand why you have the problem about bracketing and the susnets.

Quite honestly, when you consider a sunset, especially with the big orange ball still in the frame, the bracketing needs to be several stops not 1/3 or 1/2 stop.

I know you have missed the sunset now, but next time, why not try something a little different. With the camera on a tripod (to make all frames the same) shoot in manual, with what you think is the correct exposure in the middle of the apature range, and then work through the entire range of apatures.

You will then begin to see the differences.

[Tom M]

JrPentax - First, let me say that I admire you. It takes a lot of guts to up and buy such a fine camera and have never used one before. Talk about jumping in head first!!

I see you're using iPhoto.. Well, for one I can tell you that you can view the EXIF data from your images once they have been uploaded by clicking on the "i" under the images.. Secondly, there MAY be a way to view the EXIF data right in iPhoto. (I have it but don't use it)

Of course though, since you're on a Mac you can always do the following.. Under Mac OS X, you can view the EXIF data with the Finder. Simply do a 'Get Info' on a file and expand the 'More Info' section.

Lastly, I do know that you can add keywords and such in iPhoto but, I don't think it actually ever 'writes' those keywords to the metadata/EXIF data, etc..

One suggestion.. Since you're not afraid of going head first and spending good m oney while doing so, maybe you should look into Adobe Aperture. I recently got this program and I'm totally addicted to it. It is so damn good at managing my photos it's crazy.. Not only that, it KNOWS when I auto-bracket shots and automatically groups them, IN ORDER! It's an insanely good program.. How does it do that? Well, it looks closely at the EXIF data, time of shots, etc and determines it was a series of shots and auto-groups them.. I've been using it for a week or two now and, it has not missed one auto-bracket group yet and I never tell it to look..

Lastly, it is possible to get the Pentax software to work in Leopard, sort of but, it works fine in Tiger. Expect it to work in Leopard shortly.

[Jodokast96]

One little trick you can try is to put the lens cap on and take a blank shot between brackets. The only downside is that you have to turn the bracketing of, take the shot, and turn it back on.

[Canada_Rockies]

great idea that about changing the order - i went to the C menu and did it - but it sure would be nice to be able to see them named in the file names... I have basically just been using iPhoto to import the pictures from the camera and have not taken even a half decent shot yet... I see some of the info like the ISO is in iphoto and i am sure i will install pentax photo browser just as soon as i can get a cd drive attatched to my laptop...

thanks for the hints roscot - ill look into that as well although really dont think i need more software like that at this time... but i sure do get the idea anyway :-)

For your next bracketing set, try 1 stop X 5 exposures. You have set the bracketing sequence, so a lightest should be next to a darkest. This will help sort out the sequences when you bracket 5 on each of 10 images, all of the same subject.

[SpecialK]

I use FileRenamer (free) to change file names in batches as needed. I use "yymmdd - shot# from camera - short decription.jpg" format, so I change quite a bit by hand as well as automation.

[JrPentax]

i had a tripod in melbourne which i forgot to pack in my car before going on this trip - i got the camera in adelaide and was tempted to get a tripod there, but decided to wait till i got up north - after arriving here i had a dig about and found a good tripod (older velbon) but cant find the quick release plate - so one of the guys at work is going to make me a quick release plate for it - i should have that tomorrow :-)

in the interium i have borrowed a friends tripod and have been taking lots of pictures in the evenings as the sun goes down - i have actually found that taking the computer along and tethering it is the best way to learn as i can see ALL the option on the screen all the time...

it will be very nice when pentax fix up their tethering software so that the viewfinder actually shows the a sample image of the view via the viewfinder not the picture i just took... otherwise its terrific software - naturally i have a gazilion ideas on how to re-work the human interface for the software... its probably because i dont come from a photography background and see things somewhat differently to the professionals...

i am getting rapidly used to framing the shot at the camera and then tweeking the settings on the computer - i really like the way cant accidently FORGET to change one of the settings as they are all in my face...

i gotta say tom i love the way you say that Adobe Aperture will recognise the bracketed shots and mark them up itself... i might have a look at it when i start to get a bit more familare with the camera - but i gotta say i am loving it - you never know - i might even get some pictures into my profile in a week or two...

i did actually accidently take a picture i am really happy with that i might play with somewhat on a friends computer with photoshop and if i can make it look right ill add it sooner rather then later... i guess i have been focusing mostly on the camera latley...

one of the things that amazes me is that i have taken nearly a thousand photos already on this thing - ok - so i chuck out more then 99% but each time i take a picture i get a little bit more of a feeling for the camera and what the settings are what they are doing and what that means to me

thanks muchly for reference to the exif data - as you can see in the thread https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-dslr-discussion/17353-photome-how-...if-data-3.html i have really had a good dig in there and i am going to write a few small scripts for batch re-nameing files based on things like the exif data - when i write them i will make the scripts avaliable here...

if anyone has any other funky ideas in relation to the exif data let me know :-)

cheers