Panasonic LX3 Changing File Numbering

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The usual way with file numbers is to leave on auto so the file number keeps climbing and every time it gets to xxxxx999 it creates a new folder and starts again at Pxxx0001. When it gets to folder name  999_PANA and file number P9990999 you have a problem. The best way is to go into the setup menu and cause a reset so the file numbers starts again at folder name 100_PANA and P1000001.

But if you have two Panasonic cameras there is often a clash in file numbering, so forcing one of them up to a much higher file number is a nice way to avoid problems, but that turns out to be not straight froward to do.

Here is basically my text from my email to an enquirer who wanted his LX5 at P2xxxxxx and later to a posting in the DPReview forum.

I suspect all Panasonic cameras would behave like this as they all have the same basic firmware.


The only way is to use the 999 boundary.

I reset the camera file system to 100_PANA and P1000001 as the first shot

Then removed the card to the notebook and renamed the P1000001 file to P1000999

Back in the camera I took one shot

That caused the flip to the next folder, so now had 101_PANA and P1010001

Back in the notebook and renamed the P1010001 file to P1010999

Back in the camera took another shot

That caused a 102_PANA folder and a P1020001 file

At this point I realised that if I also played with folder numbers, the camera thinks the extra folders are from another camera and skips over them to make what it thinks is the next folder available.

So back in the computer I now had ....

DCIM
  100_PANA
  101_PANA
  102_PANA (with P1020001 in it)

So renamed the old folders and now had......

DCIM
  103_PANA
  104_PANA
  102_PANA (with P1020999 in it, renamed, ready for next shot)

And the next shot in the camera caused a 105_PANA folder with P1050001 in it.

In my case I wanted to get back above 109_PANA so was safely above where I was before I started experimenting, so did some more folder renaming in the computer and ended up with 110_PANA with P1100001 in it, and I'm happy to stay there.

Now in your case [the email enquirer, that is] to get to 200_PANA from 100_PANA you would have to add a complete set of folders (that all can be empty) to the card so the next time it flipped from a renamed P1000999 to next it would create 200_PANA and P2000001 file.

You would need this on the card, just keep adding new folders to the card using the notebook (or card reader attached to computer or even using the USB cable to the camera), and make sure there are no spelling mistakes........

DCIM
  100_PANA and contains P1000999, renamed from P1000001
  101_PANA
  101_PANA
  103_PANA
  and all the folders up to ...
  197_PANA
  198_PANA
  199_PANA

And all can be empty except the first one with the renamed file in it.

The next shot taken will flip over to 0001 but it will search up the folders until it finds a gap, if none it goes 1 above the highest folder number, so will create 200_PANA and put P2000001 into it.

Then format the card and next shot will put back 200_PANA and put P2000002 in it.

Simple, but exhausting.

So I interpret the LX3/LX5 manual's words "A folder number between 100 and 999 can be assigned." to really mean "A folder number between 100 and 999 will be automatically assigned as the file numbers grow and it creates a new folder at each file name reaching Pxxx0999 but skips folders already there as they may belong to another camera.".
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