DSCF

April 3, 2006 10:27 PM

Why are so many image files named DSCF####.jpg? Is there some specific tool which does that? I've always wondered what it was. (And what does DSCF stand for?)
posted by Steven C. Den Beste to Computers & Internet (22 answers total)

They're files from a digital camera: numbered in the order that the photos were taken.
posted by lalochezia at 10:28 PM on April 3, 2006

There's actually a particular brand of cameras which do that.
posted by bitdamaged at 10:29 PM on April 3, 2006

They're shots from one of the cameras in Sony's DSC-F range, like the Cybershot.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 10:32 PM on April 3, 2006

Best answer: Design rule for Camera File system
posted by vacapinta at 10:32 PM on April 3, 2006

To be more specific, they're from Sony's Digital Still Camera range. The F series is just part of the range.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 10:33 PM on April 3, 2006

Best answer: the DSCF, as mentioned in the link stands for Digital Storage Compact Flash.
posted by vacapinta at 10:33 PM on April 3, 2006

I stand corrected - the letters in Sony's range must be a coincidence (or a deliberate attempt to make everybody think all the pictures on the net were taken with Sony cameras)...
posted by obiwanwasabi at 10:35 PM on April 3, 2006

You can take advantage of the common naming scheme to search Google for random images.
posted by Brian James at 10:37 PM on April 3, 2006

My Fujifilm MX-2700 automaticaly creates files starting with DSCF.
posted by krisjohn at 1:09 AM on April 4, 2006

I also wondered about this and jumped to the conclusion that it has something to do with the camera. My first one was a Sony DSC model, producing files starting with DSC.
Now I have a Canon and it produces pics starting with IMG.
posted by ollsen at 2:46 AM on April 4, 2006

MeTa
posted by cillit bang at 6:07 AM on April 4, 2006

Mod note: a few comments removed, obi, feel free to repost your comment without the metasnark
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:17 AM on April 4, 2006

My Kyocera makes images called KIF_*.JPG, I imagine it's a Kyocera Image Format/File.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:20 AM on April 4, 2006

My old Sony V1 was DSC_###, not DSCF. My Cannon's pictures are IMG_###
posted by delmoi at 7:45 AM on April 4, 2006

Er, I mean DSC### on the sony (no underscore)
posted by delmoi at 7:46 AM on April 4, 2006

I am unconvinced that it stands for "Digital Storage Compact Flash." Is there any other evidence besides an unverified mention in Wikipedia?
posted by grouse at 12:57 PM on April 4, 2006

Blimey, you're right Grouse. The spec says you can put what letters you like there, and from Google it looks like DSCF is limited to Fuji (Sony uses DSC0). So it's likely Digital Still Camera Fujifilm or thereabouts.
posted by cillit bang at 1:23 PM on April 4, 2006

More camera file names from diddly.com random personal picture finder's about page (http://www.diddly.com/random/about.html).

Camera types and filename structure:

"dcp#####.jpg" - Kodak, range of 0 to 4000
"dsc#####.jpg" - Nikon, range of 0 to 4000
"dscn####.jpg" - Nikon, range of 0 to 4000
"mvc-###.jpg" - Sony Mavica
"mvc#####.jpg" - Sony Mavica
"P101####.jpg" - Olympus, Using default camera date of 101
"PMDD####.jpg" - Olympus, M is in hex from 1 to c, DD is 01-31
"IMG_###.jpg" - Some other camera
"IMAG####.jpg" - RCA and Samsung
"1##-####.jpg" - Canon 1TH-TH## thousands, hundreds
"1##-####_IMG.jpg" - Alternate Canon name. MUCH thanks to Donald
"IMG_####.jpg" - Canon
"_MG_####.jpg" - Canon raw conversion. Thanks to Ira
"dscf####.jpg" - Fuji Finepix
"pdrm####.jpg" - Toshiba PDR
"IM######.jpg" - HP Photosmart
"EX######.jpg" - HP Photosmart timelapse?
"DC####S.jpg" - Kodak DC-40,50,120 S is (L)arge, (M)eduim, (S)mall. Thanks to Pholph
"pict####.jpg" - Minolta Dimage. Thanks to Bram
"P#######.JPG" - Kodak DC290. Thanks to Peter
"MMDD####.JPG" - Casio QV3000 and QV4000. Thanks to Fabian
"YYMDD###.JPG" - Casio QV7000 - M is hex. Thanks to Kimble
"IMGP####.JPG" - Pentax Optio S. Thanks to Matthew
"PANA####.JPG" - Panasonic video camera stills. Thanks to DeAnne
"Image(##).JPG" - Nokia 3650 camera phone. Thanks to usmanc
"DSCI####.JPG" - Polaroid PDC2070. Thanks to David
posted by fings at 1:24 PM on April 4, 2006

obiwanwasabi writes "To be more specific, they're from Sony's Digital Still Camera range. The F series is just part of the range."

vacapinta writes "DSCF, as mentioned in the link stands for Digital Storage Compact Flash"

Despite the authority of Wikipedia, Sony has used DSCF on at least one of their floppy models.

FYI: My Konica Minolta Xt uses PICT#####; HP945 uses HPIM#### which is also used by the M517; Nikon Coolpix CF uses DSCN####; Sony CD Mavica DSC#####; and the Canon S2 labels images IMG_#####.
posted by Mitheral at 2:07 PM on April 4, 2006

My Nikons use DSCN. I'm going with cillit and from this moment forward will believe that it stands for Digital Still Camera Nikon.
posted by Carbolic at 2:07 PM on April 4, 2006

The Canon S2 IS also uses ST@_##### for panorama stitch shots where @ is an alphabetical alpha.
posted by Mitheral at 2:21 PM on April 4, 2006

The person who added the info to Wikipedia weighs in. He was not relying on any authoritative sources.
posted by grouse at 12:09 AM on April 5, 2006