File naming
File naming is how a camera or workflow names each photo — a prefix and counter such as IMG_0042 — and the rules that keep names unique and traceable across copies.
Cameras name files with a short prefix and a four-digit counter: Canon uses IMG_0042, Nikon DSC_0042 and Sony DSC00042, and the counter rolls over after 9999. Some cameras change the prefix to show the colour space — an underscore at the start often marks Adobe RGB. Most bodies let you set a custom prefix.
Later in the workflow, files are often renamed to something meaningful, such as the client name and a sequence number.
How it works
The camera keeps a running counter, which can continue across cards or reset with each new card or folder. RAW and JPEG files from the same frame share a name with different extensions. Renaming usually happens on import, in Lightroom, Photo Mechanic or Capture One, using templates with the shoot name, date and a sequence. If copies of a file get different names, it becomes hard to trace a delivered JPEG back to its RAW.
An example: two bodies, one folder
Two Canon bodies on a wedding both reach IMG_4521 within the same hour. Copied into one folder, one file would overwrite the other. Setting one camera's prefix to R5A_ and the other's to R6B_ before the day prevents it.
File names in CloudTether
CloudTether delivers the camera's own file names by default, so a file in Dropbox matches the one on your card. Per destination, What gets sent › Fine-tune offers “Shoot name + number” (Bennett-Cole-0042.JPG) or “Shoot name + file name” (Bennett-Cole_IMG_0042.JPG) instead. See original file names, and for two cameras into one folder, give each body its own prefix.
Naming conventions
Pick one convention and stick to it: date first (2026-11-15_Smith_0042) sorts well; client first is easier to read. Avoid spaces and special characters that some servers dislike.
Tips and common mistakes
- Set a unique file prefix on every camera you own.
- Keep the camera's name somewhere in renamed files so you can find the RAW.
- Don't let the counter reset per card if you shoot several cards a day.
See also
Put it into practice
CloudTether tethers your camera to your phone and delivers every shot to the cloud, live as you shoot — no laptop.