PV-GS400 Photoshot

[Ray1951]

Hi,

First post here. I checked the Panasonic sub-forums, but this looked like a more appropriate place. If this should have been posted in a different forum, please let me know and my apologies.

I\'ve recently received a PV-GS400 from a friend who purchased himself a new video camera. I\'ve check the service menu and it has 12 hours on the heads. It\'s a very nice video camera and much better then the small z65 Canon video camera I was using before.

One of the many features with the PV-GS400 is it\'s ability to take still images. While not as good as a standalone digital still camera, the PV-GS400 does take decent enough still pictures and certainly takes much better images then my old Canon video camera.

After taking a couple pictures to test the camera, in card playback mode the displayed showed in the upper left-hand corner 101-xxxx (with the x\'s being the current number) and No. 6 in the lower right-hand corner.

As I used the camera and read the owners manual (could a manual be written any poorer :angry:) it became clear that the No. 6 represented the six test pictures I had just taken. But no where in the owners manual did it explain what the 101-xxxx was until I looked at the card and realized that the 101 represented the 101CDPFP directory on the SD card. According to the manual, the directory on the card should have been 100CDPFP.

Later when I called Panasonic I learned that the directory increments by one number when the card is placed in a different Panasonic camera. However, checking with my friend, this particular card has never been in a different Panasonic camera - he doesn\'t even own a different Panasonic device. So, the directory on the card should been 100CDPFP and not 101CDPFP. The Panasonic tech could not explain why, if the card had never been in a different Panasonic device, why the directory wasn\'t 100CDPFP.

With the SD card empty, I re-formatted the card and that created the 100CDPFP directory. Likewise, now in playback mode the display shows in the upper left-hand corner 100-xxxx instead of the previous 101-xxxx.

Probably one of the most annoying things about the PV-GS400 is that it constantly creates file names in series. That is, even if the SD card is empty the next picture will receive a file name with a number one higher than the previous picture. Regardless of when that previous picture was taken.

The Panasonic tech stated that the file name numbers increase to prevent the copying of files onto the hard drive with the same file name to the same directory and over-writing existing files. This is not a default behavior of many different Operating Systems. I can\'t even remember the last Operating System that I\'ve used whereby the default settings would allow an existing file to be clobbered without prompting first. Plus, the PV-GS400 should know the highest file name number already written to the card, so that can\'t be it either.

Anyway, I asked the Panasonic tech about resetting the Series counter and he said to use the \"Initial\" option.

So, I go into the options and say \"Yes\" to the \"Initial\" option and proceed to take two test pictures and the file names are as they were before, only now two increments higher. SIGH!

As I look at the display today, it shows me 100-0151 in the upper-left and No. 1 in the lower-right. Currently I have one image on the SD card and the next picture will have a file name of IMGA0152.JPG.

I don\'t find the Series file naming at all helpful, particularly when there is no way to reset the counter. My old Sony digital camera could be switched between Normal or Series. By selecting Normal mode it would reset the Series counter.

However, the PV-GS400 doesn\'t seem to have anyway to reset the counter. I\'ve used the reset on the side to reset the entire camera. I used the \"Initial\" option in the menu. I\'ve even re-formatted the SD card. Nothing.

Thought I was onto something when I read \"Progressive Photoshot Mode\". There is a \"P\" displayed on the screen, but the horrible manual is of no use. Doing searches on the web seem to indicate that it\'s for something different and can\'t be manually switched on or off. It\'s just there. :huh:

Between the directory issue (which was fixed with the format of the SD card) and the file name issue, this would be (in my opinion) one very nice still camera. And, I understand that still images are a secondary function to the primary video camera functionality. But still, there should be some way to reset the counter.

So, I ask. On my knees. Hands folded. Please. Please, is there some way to reset the Series counter on a PV-GS400?

[gbruner]

No.  Sorry, but you can\'t reset the picture increment.

[Ray1951]

Hi,

Sorry about posting in the general questions forum. When I looked at the Panasonic DV forum I didn\'t think it was relevant.

With regards to the incremental numbering, that\'s a bummer. I had hoped it might be something like removing the internal battery, however that would happen.

Thanks,

[gbruner]

No probs on the post location.  We\'ll get it to the right spot.B)

I believe the increment is saved in firmware.  You would have to disassemble the GS400 to remove the internal battery, which is soldered in.  Lots of little screws and parts to break and lose. :ohmy:

[Ray1951]

Hi,

Yeah, I\'m not quite at the point of dealing with tiny screws, soldered button batteries, or missing parts. The manual is so poorly written I figured maybe I was missing the relative section. Then again, I\'m not a photographer, so perhaps constant Series naming is important and I\'m missing a bigger *picture*.

Oh the other hand, it will only take me an additional 9,848 images and the file name should rollover and back to 0001.

Thanks,

[dakkar]

You should rename your files once transfered to your computer.  A numbered picture does not really help if you need to find a specific event.  I choose to rename files with date location event.  Makes it easier to keept things organized!

[Ray1951]

On average I take about 75 pictures. I organize my pictures by placing each event into specifically named and dated directories. While the purpose of the file names is to help keep the pictures in their original order, having an event start at 0152 looks silly.

It takes no time at all to find a particular picture with a thumbnail viewer since I\'m looking for a picture, not a title, which I probably can\'t remember or would be too vague anyway.

Having the file name start one number higher then the last picture shot in a previous event and have no way to reset the numbering from the camera is, well to be quite honest, idiotic of Panasonic. I have a 10 year old Sony digital camera which has file name options. The Panasonic video camera has higher resolution then my old Sony, but no file name options. File name options would have been trivial for Panasonic to have added to the GS400.

As it turns out, I already have a program that can correct Panasonic\'s oversight with one click. But that doesn\'t mean that I have changed my opinion of Panasonic\'s omission, just that I can easily overcome the limitation.