Z9 strange Folder and File Numbering Issue after Lockup

[MartyD]

I was shooting an event yesterday and had a strange issue with my Z9. I had taken over 5000 images for the day when I had a lockup, the viewfinder worked but I could not take any photos or access any menus, I powered the camera off, it took about 10 seconds to power down, I powered the camera back on again, and took another 5000 images before the end of the day with no issues. This is the first time I have had any issues with my Z9 but I have only had it since August 2022, shutter count at 125,000+.

I filled my Delkin Black 330Gb card and it overflowed to the second card, a ProGrade Cobalt sometime late in the evening. What is strange is the folder/file numbering issue that occurred at what I believe to be the time of the lockup. I knew it would be a busy day so I did a complete format of both cards in camera before shooting. I noticed a problem when I started to import the images.

Here is the structure on Card Slot 1 the 330GB Delkin Black
Folder 110Z9MRD created at 10:03 contained 5,000 images - 2296 to 7295 - from 10:03 to 3:27 - Nikon created a new folder after 5000 images in the folder
Folder 111Z9MRD created at 3:27 contained 222 images - 7296 to 7517 - from 3:27 to 3:32 -
Folder 112Z9MRD created at 3:32 contained 2704 images - 7296 to 9999 - from 3:32 to 6:55 - Nikon created a new folder at image 9999
Folder 113Z9MRD created at 6:55 contained 1297 images - 0001 to 1297 - from 6:55 to 8:08 - card full - overflow directed to slot 2

The problem is that I have images 7296 to 7517, 222 images, in folder 111 and 112, different images but the same file name. My Z9 created a new folder at 3:32 but somehow set the file number back to 7296. It does not appear that I have any corrupt images, both sets of 222 images are fine but different images.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Do you think it is worth reporting to Nikon as a possible bug?

 

[JamesFarrell]

if you have Thom Hogan’s eBook on the Z9 he covers issues dealing with file names, folders and file name duplication(s) on pages 218 to 237. I cannot pin-point what specifically he says that relates to your problem that you cite. But what points he makes that might be problematic are the same ones you’re having. It’s not clear enough to me, nor do I totally understand it well enough to guide you to a solution as my limited understanding might cause problems for you. All I can say is from what I read in his eBook it sounds like what you experienced is not a bug but is a known issue - as a result of the number of issues you had, including not being able to take more images when a folder gets full. I realize what I wrote here may appear at first glance to be gibberish. But what Hogan writes sounds very much like an example of issues you’d encounter and solutions to the problem as a result of the number of shots you took.

 

[Nimi]

I was shooting an event yesterday and had a strange issue with my Z9. I had taken over 5000 images for the day when I had a lockup, the viewfinder worked but I could not take any photos or access any menus, I powered the camera off, it took about 10 seconds to power down, I powered the camera back on again, and took another 5000 images before the end of the day with no issues. This is the first time I have had any issues with my Z9 but I have only had it since August 2022, shutter count at 125,000+.

I filled my Delkin Black 330Gb card and it overflowed to the second card, a ProGrade Cobalt sometime late in the evening. What is strange is the folder/file numbering issue that occurred at what I believe to be the time of the lockup. I knew it would be a busy day so I did a complete format of both cards in camera before shooting. I noticed a problem when I started to import the images.

Here is the structure on Card Slot 1 the 330GB Delkin Black
Folder 110Z9MRD created at 10:03 contained 5,000 images - 2296 to 7295 - from 10:03 to 3:27 - Nikon created a new folder after 5000 images in the folder
Folder 111Z9MRD created at 3:27 contained 222 images - 7296 to 7517 - from 3:27 to 3:32 -
Folder 112Z9MRD created at 3:32 contained 2704 images - 7296 to 9999 - from 3:32 to 6:55 - Nikon created a new folder at image 9999
Folder 113Z9MRD created at 6:55 contained 1297 images - 0001 to 1297 - from 6:55 to 8:08 - card full - overflow directed to slot 2

The problem is that I have images 7296 to 7517, 222 images, in folder 111 and 112, different images but the same file name. My Z9 created a new folder at 3:32 but somehow set the file number back to 7296. It does not appear that I have any corrupt images, both sets of 222 images are fine but different images.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Do you think it is worth reporting to Nikon as a possible bug?

All issues (not many) I've had with file naming and in some cases camera freezing happened as slot 1 reached capacity. Always resolved by turning Z9 off and back on.

 

[MartyD]

if you have Thom Hogan’s eBook on the Z9 he covers issues dealing with file names, folders and file name duplication(s) on pages 218 to 237.

I reviewed that info but don't find anything that specifically relates to my issue. The file and folder name process in happened as it should except for my Z9 created 222 images with the same file name in two different directories.

 

[MartyD]

All issues (not many) I've had with file naming and in some cases camera freezing happened as slot 1 reached capacity. Always resolved by turning Z9 off and back on.

The issue occurred when the card what about half full but right after a new folder was created because the previous folder reached 5000 images.

 

[SteveSmith]

I was shooting an event yesterday and had a strange issue with my Z9. I had taken over 5000 images for the day when I had a lockup, the viewfinder worked but I could not take any photos or access any menus, I powered the camera off, it took about 10 seconds to power down, I powered the camera back on again, and took another 5000 images before the end of the day with no issues. This is the first time I have had any issues with my Z9 but I have only had it since August 2022, shutter count at 125,000+.

I filled my Delkin Black 330Gb card and it overflowed to the second card, a ProGrade Cobalt sometime late in the evening. What is strange is the folder/file numbering issue that occurred at what I believe to be the time of the lockup. I knew it would be a busy day so I did a complete format of both cards in camera before shooting. I noticed a problem when I started to import the images.

Here is the structure on Card Slot 1 the 330GB Delkin Black
Folder 110Z9MRD created at 10:03 contained 5,000 images - 2296 to 7295 - from 10:03 to 3:27 - Nikon created a new folder after 5000 images in the folder
Folder 111Z9MRD created at 3:27 contained 222 images - 7296 to 7517 - from 3:27 to 3:32 -
Folder 112Z9MRD created at 3:32 contained 2704 images - 7296 to 9999 - from 3:32 to 6:55 - Nikon created a new folder at image 9999
Folder 113Z9MRD created at 6:55 contained 1297 images - 0001 to 1297 - from 6:55 to 8:08 - card full - overflow directed to slot 2

The problem is that I have images 7296 to 7517, 222 images, in folder 111 and 112, different images but the same file name. My Z9 created a new folder at 3:32 but somehow set the file number back to 7296. It does not appear that I have any corrupt images, both sets of 222 images are fine but different images.

Has anyone else seen this issue? Do you think it is worth reporting to Nikon as a possible bug?

I've had exactly the same problem using a Z8 and a Delkin Black 325Gb card.
1st folder fills to either 5000 images or 9999 file name.
2nd folder has approx 166 images in it, say 0001-0166
3rd folder fills to 5000 images or 9999 file name, BUT it re-uses the same file names as in the second folder.
When I import the photos I get duplicate file names of 0000-0166 and 0001A-0166A
Has anyone solved this conundrum?

 

[MartyD]

I've had exactly the same problem using a Z8 and a Delkin Black 325Gb card.
1st folder fills to either 5000 images or 9999 file name.
2nd folder has approx 166 images in it, say 0001-0166
3rd folder fills to 5000 images or 9999 file name, BUT it re-uses the same file names as in the second folder.
When I import the photos I get duplicate file names of 0000-0166 and 0001A-0166A
Has anyone solved this conundrum?

If you take more than 9999 images on the same card you will have duplicate file names, the numbering will reset to 0001. If numbering starts at 2200 on the card and you shoot more than 9999 images, the fille numbering will duplicate 2200 and above again.

My situation was a little different, my file numbering started at 2296 and I had duplicate file names at 7296-7517, so only about 5000 images. The 5000 limit is per folder, so a new folder was created at 7296 and it only stored 222 images in that folder. This is when the camera locked up and I restarted it. On restart it created a new folder but started the file numbering in the new folder at 7296.

 

[ButlerKid]

I had a similar issue with my Z8 recently. As I back up images to an external HD, I write down the file names, so I can ensure I don't miss any. On my last trip, the files names got totally messed up. I seem to have gaps, but also lots of file names that were duplicated. I was using a 512 gb card, and it might have happened at the "5,000" point......
I put the card away and didn't use it again.

Such a pain trying to sort it all out.

 

[SteveSmith]

Hi MartyD,
This is the second time that I have had this problem. I fully understand the vagaries of the Nikon folder and file numbering system when working normally.
My problem is basically the same as yours. The second folder did not fill up to 5000 images or file number 9999, but a third folder was created at file number 0166, however, the file numbering system then reverted back to 0001 and duplicated the first 166 file names.
Did you ever find a solution to this problem? Or, has it happened to you again?
I have put in a bug report to NPS to see if they can help.

 

[SteveSmith]

I had a similar issue with my Z8 recently. As I back up images to an external HD, I write down the file names, so I can ensure I don't miss any. On my last trip, the files names got totally messed up. I seem to have gaps, but also lots of file names that were duplicated. I was using a 512 gb card, and it might have happened at the "5,000" point......
I put the card away and didn't use it again.

Such a pain trying to sort it all out.

Hi ButlerKid,
If you have put the card away and not reformatted it then if you open it in finder or your OS equivalent you should be able to see the different folders and the files contained within. Check to see if a new folder was created at 5000 images or when the last file was numbered 9999. My problem was that whilst my first folder conformed to the numbering rules and started a new folder when file number 9999 was reached. My second folder contained only 166 files from 0001-0166 and then a third folder was created ignoring the second folder numbering system and starting at 0001 yet again. The result was that I had duplicate files from 0001-0166 when the files were imported to my hard drive.
It is interesting to see that others are having a similar problem.

 

[MartyD]

Hi MartyD,
This is the second time that I have had this problem. I fully understand the vagaries of the Nikon folder and file numbering system when working normally.
My problem is basically the same as yours. The second folder did not fill up to 5000 images or file number 9999, but a third folder was created at file number 0166, however, the file numbering system then reverted back to 0001 and duplicated the first 166 file names.
Did you ever find a solution to this problem? Or, has it happened to you again?
I have put in a bug report to NPS to see if they can help.

No, I have not had the problem again, my issue happened in February of 2023 and I don't even remember what firmware version that would have been. I did report my issue to Nikon when it happened.