Importing Duplicate File Names Into Lightroom?

[snerkler]

Today I tried importing some files into lightroom and it wouldn't allow me to as it said they were already in the catalogue/folder. I discovered that this was because I've taken that many photos that the files names have gone round again, and I assume that this was the issue. However, if I untick the box in the import section that says "don't import suspected duplicates" it doesn't do anything and all the photos are greyed out, this doesn't matter if I choose add, move or copy. Clicking Check All and Uncheck All does nothing.

I know this is a bit long winded these days, but I drag and drop photos from the SD card onto a designated folder on my computer and then import into LR from there.




If I double click one of the photos in the grid view it just comes up saying already in the catalogue




I've managed to import them in the end by changing the file name of the raws in the folder on my computer, but why is it not letting me to import them without changing the name first, and why does it not alter if I tick/untick the "don't import selected duplicates" box?

This is lightroom classic (CC) 12.3 running on Mac OS Monterey 12.6.5 on an M1 Max MBP.

 

[Deleted member 95743]

By default Lightroom imports into folders by shooting date, so theoretically if you shoot less that 9,999 images per day you will NOT get any duplicates.

So the problem has to be your method of importing the images.

My advice: when importing let Lightroom create a folder by shooting date, and DON’T rename anything.

 

[snerkler]

By default Lightroom imports into folders by shooting date, so theoretically if you shoot less that 9,999 images per day you will NOT get any duplicates.

So the problem has to be your method of importing the images.

My advice: when importing let Lightroom create a folder by shooting date, and DON’T rename anything.

View attachment 389433

Thanks, the issue with that though is that I’d have no idea what I shot when?

Also, I’ve always imported this way and been able to import ‘duplicates’ if I’ve untucked the box.

 

[Deleted member 95743]

Thanks, the issue with that though is that I’d have no idea what I shot when?

Also, I’ve always imported this way and been able to import ‘duplicates’ if I’ve untucked the box.

That's where keywords and Smart Collections are really useful.
In the import window I add generic keywords which apply to all the images, and after import I will then spend a few minutes adding keywords to groups of images.
Any image that meets the criteria of the Smart Collection is automatically added to that Smart Collection. And a single image can be added to many different Smart Collections.

 

[Faldrax]

That's where keywords and Smart Collections are really useful.
In the import window I add generic keywords which apply to all the images, and after import I will then spend a few minutes adding keywords to groups of images.
Any image that meets the criteria of the Smart Collection is automatically added to that Smart Collection. And a single image can be added to many different Smart Collections.

I was just writing the same thing

 

[ecoleman]

I rename my images on import to YYYYMMDDHHMMSS so it’s not possible to get duplicate names. On the odd occasion where I may shoot a number of frames per second then LR will add a sequence number -2, -3, -4 etc.

 

[snerkler]

I don’t know how you guys can remember what shots were in what date folders, even with keywords I don’t think it would help as I’d have to have an idea what was in them to search the keyword

 

[ancient_mariner]

Can lightroom import them if you alter the naming convention?

 

[Jungli]

By default Lightroom imports into folders by shooting date, so theoretically if you shoot less that 9,999 images per day you will NOT get any duplicates.

So the problem has to be your method of importing the images.

My advice: when importing let Lightroom create a folder by shooting date, and DON’T rename anything.

View attachment 389433

Snap

 

[snerkler]

Can lightroom import them if you alter the naming convention?

I’m not sure what you mean/ how to do that?

 

[Bebop]

This happened to me once. I cannot remember the ins and outs of it now, but I think it was when my camera went round the clock, and I did let LR put my images into date folders. Now when I import my photos, I always add the reverse date to the front of the file name, so every filename is unique. It has the advantage that you always know where to find the original photo too.

I use Photo Mechanic these days and not Lightroom for importing photos. It’s utterly brilliant for finding your photos as long as you have keyworded them. I can search across all catalogs at once.

 

[Craikeybaby]

I don’t know how you guys can remember what shots were in what date folders, even with keywords I don’t think it would help as I’d have to have an idea what was in them to search the keyword

I don't even look at the folder structure within Lightroom, the files are stored in folders YYYY/YYYY-MM-DD, but I just view them all together in the catalog and filter as necessary using keywords/collections.

 

[ancient_mariner]

I’m not sure what you mean/ how to do that?

A1003607a.ARW - not sure if you can ask LR to automatically alter the file name on import.

I would just save the image to a new folder and then find the image again through keywording (i.e. A1, Betty,)

 

[snerkler]

A1003607a.ARW - not sure if you can ask LR to automatically alter the file name on import.

I would just save the image to a new folder and then find the image again through keywording (i.e. A1, Betty,)

You can rename, but it won't select files that it thinks have already been imported to be able to do this.

I'll just rename them on the computer if it happens again

 

[ecoleman]

A1003607a.ARW - not sure if you can ask LR to automatically alter the file name on import.

I would just save the image to a new folder and then find the image again through keywording (i.e. A1, Betty,)

There is an option on the import dialog to rename the file with various variables that you can pick to build the file name such as YYYY MM DD HH MM SS sequence and tons of other stuff you can pick

 

[snerkler]

There is an option on the import dialog to rename the file with various variables that you can pick to build the file name such as YYYY MM DD HH MM SS sequence and tons of other stuff you can pick

Thanks, yeah there is but as I've mentioned it won't let me select those files in the first place to be able to rename them, it appears that you can only rename them if they're not thought to be already in the catalogue.

 

[Mr Perceptive]

I don’t know how you guys can remember what shots were in what date folders, even with keywords I don’t think it would help as I’d have to have an idea what was in them to search the keyword

Just rename the folder afterwards - I leave the date and add where I was/event etc and often the camera I shot with.

 

[Bristolian]

Thanks, the issue with that though is that I’d have no idea what I shot when?

Also, I’ve always imported this way and been able to import ‘duplicates’ if I’ve untucked the box.

You can rename the folder once the files have been imported. I do this with mine and end up with a folder structure where each folder is names YYYYMMDD - location