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LRuserXY
Known Participant
July 22, 2011

P: Wrong folder names organizing by date when using camera USB

  • July 22, 2011
  • 78 replies
  • 2457 views

When importing from a camera connected to USB (at least for a Canon EOS 40D Firmware 1.1.1 in my case), lightroom generates wrong folder names when organizing folders by date, at least for the "2011/2011-07-22" format (I guess it's the same for the other formats). 

I use Lightroom 3.4.1 on Windows XP 32 Bit SP 3 and my time zone is CET+DST (Paris, Berlin). I shot six photos an hour apart around midnight CET+DST from 21:30 on Thursday to 02:30 on friday (I changed the camera's time for that) and got the following folder/file structure using a USB connection to the camera: 

2011\2011-07-21\20110721-213022-IMG_0314.CR2 
2011\2011-07-22\20110721-223033-IMG_0315.CR2 <<< wrong folder 
2011\2011-07-22\20110721-233041-IMG_0316.CR2 <<< wrong folder 
2011\2011-07-22\20110722-003049-IMG_0317.CR2 
2011\2011-07-22\20110722-013055-IMG_0318.CR2 
2011\2011-07-22\20110722-023102-IMG_0319.CR2 

Clearly, the two marked files are in the wrong folder. Note that the file naming itself (date and time) is absolutely correct! 

When I import the same six photos using a card reader from the CF card, I get the correct structure: 

2011\2011-07-21\20110721-213022-IMG_0314.CR2 
2011\2011-07-21\20110721-223033-IMG_0315.CR2 <<< now correct folder 
2011\2011-07-21\20110721-233041-IMG_0316.CR2 <<< now correct folder 
2011\2011-07-22\20110722-003049-IMG_0317.CR2 
2011\2011-07-22\20110722-013055-IMG_0318.CR2 
2011\2011-07-22\20110722-023102-IMG_0319.CR2 

This seems to be some "time zone / daylight savings time bug" affecting all photos made from two hours before midnight until just before midnight (my local time is UTC plus two hours) - but why only for camera USB and not for card reader? I didn't test it for a date that has no DST, but I would bet that it would affect photos from *one* hour before midnight, then. 

P.S. The wrong folder structure also already shows in the folder preview in the import dialog. Here is the wrong structure using USB to camera: 

Image is not available

 
...and the correct one using a card reader: 

Image is not available

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    78 replies

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    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    May 5, 2015
    More than anything, it's plain shameful to Adobe that 3(!!!) major releases of lightroom were released since this problem was reported and many more smaller releases and this bug hasn't been fixed. It's lightroom 6 now, people!

    Seems like a relatively easy thing to fix as the problem has been already pinned down to certain circumstances.

    I just can't get why isn't anyone dealing with this.
    R
    rayv56912865
    Participating Frequently
    September 18, 2014
    I have been "watching" this bug for a while and I am pretty sure its not an easy fix and possibly not a LR bug. here are 3 examples.
    1. If I import from and SD card I get different outcome to importing the same stuff from the camera through a USB interface. This suggests an operating system problem rather than an LR problem.
    2. It only happens for windows not Macs - LR picks up data from fields populated by the OS - (same conclusion as for 1 above)
    3. In LR I use a preset to rename images to a date/time format. Sometimes this is wrong. I go in to Edit capture time, change nothing in the dialog since I see the capture time shown is correct (but not the one used by the preset) then still execute the change capture time, then reuse the preset and the time is now right. So different bits of LR pickup different time stamps - I know there are squillions of timestamps to choose from in the metadata associated with a file and I suspect that in Windows these may not be defined as well as they should be - so programs comply with the not clear definitions but the outcome is confusing. So this last one gives me hope that even if LR is not the problem, it could maybe fix things up by working around a windows problem (as it does in getting the time for the edit capture time dialog) - however not sure if such a fix will introduce other problems - or will cause probelms downstream.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    September 16, 2014
    Well, you are right that the time of capture is "not important". The point is that LR is not performing the operation , as intended. The end product that I need is a unique filename.
    When I first tried to import a batch of scans, the hour-minute-seconds piece of the filename that was assigned by LR didn't make sense to me. I thought that I messed up the "filename template editor". So, I came to this forum looking for solutions. And I find that others have been experiencing this issue for a long time.
    I understand it is a bug in Windows but not for the Mac.
    Don't you think Adobe would want to make it right?
    R
    rayv56912865
    Participating Frequently
    September 16, 2014
    Just use the "Metadata > Edit Capture Time" feature using "Shift by fixed number of hours", (In some case you don't have to shift anything - you go in it shows the "right time" - you execute the commard).

    The above will work on batches of photos preserving their date/times relative to each other.

    Then go into "Library>Rename Photo" where you have similar options to "Import" for filenaming.

    I'm not sure why the time of capture of the scan is particularly important or would cause concern (as long as scan times relative to each other are consistent). i can see why the original correct capture time of the photo is useful (as metadata)- but not the scan of the photo.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    September 15, 2014
    I'm a new user of LR v5.6.
    I am auto-importing JPG images from a scanner. The scanned images are placed in a temp folder and LR auto-imports to a "Destination" folder using a file renaming template......
    {Date (YYYMMDD)>>}_{Hour>>}{Minute>>}{Second>>}
    And, of course the hour appears to be off by my timezone offset to UTC. Or something like that.
    So, I don't see how the SDcard work around can help me out.
    Also, waiting for the fix, I guess. Maybe only another year, or so. 8-)
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    August 14, 2014
    Anyone try this in LR 5.6? I ran into this while demoing LR and it has kept me from making a purchase.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    May 5, 2014
    It's Lr 5.4 now, three years later and the bug persists... unbelievable!
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    March 25, 2014
    This really needs to be fixed in the next update.
    As a software developer myself, I know the fix will be relatively simple. Also as this is a workflow/productivity issue, it should really be considered a high severity issue for a core workflow/productivity application like LR.

    Adding an extra step to your workflow is really not an acceptable solution for a product advertised to simplify your workflow.

    Everyone else, please bump this thread if this is also important for you.
    N
    nowade
    Participating Frequently
    February 23, 2014
    Just counting....
    Feb 2014...import files from separate USB connected hard drive. Date starts off okay using the {Import # (00001)>>}_{Date (YYYY)>>} custom field, but after a while the folders and pictures start being saved as 00013_2032-18.JPG with the last 2 digits increasing.
    It's nonesense. I'm not really interested in the 'techy' side of this and other Lightroom problems. I just want to buy a product and find it works without interrupting my process flow.
    F
    FeedbackCommunityMember
    Inspiring
    January 16, 2014
    Is there going to be a fix released for this issue any time soon? It is unbelievable to think this issue has gone unresolved for over two years.
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