Q: iPad photo sort order changed with iOS 5

To ChristofBaer:

The link that explains the sort order was valid till iOS came out, after that the Exif did no longer work.

BTW I had an iPad 3 on order but cancelled it, also because of this: The retina display would make lots of sense for photo viewing, but it does not if the sorting is pure chaos. Till they fix it, I will not even think about an iPad3.

Also the mentioned 1000 photo apps do not have the same easy user interface. Even iPhoto does not...

Bernie

I have had the same problem with incorrect thumbnails for some images, I normally find that happens when you have 2 syncs going on to 2 different iDevices at the same time. You can fix it if it's happened by deleting the ipod photo cache folder and resyncing the devices.

The various fixes that people are posting about filenames are working in the same way that mine did, you are reordering the photos on the file system to be in the same order as the exif data or the file name, this however is not a permanent fix as files are not guaranteed to be stored in the same order on the disk as they are named.

Please make sure that you are not removing the exif data from your photos as when Apple fix this properly it will be important again.

To Bernie: you are right, if photos are imported directly from the camera, the sort order is OK. It is only when they are uploaded from a computer that the order is messed up. I also use my computer  for editing and storage and the iPad for viewing and showing. Ranaming the photos and/or stripping the from the EXIF data does not work, and as Tim pointed out, this data should not be erased because some day (maybe, hopefully..) Apple is going to fix this problem. Besides, if you erase the EXIF data, you loose a lot of information about your photos.

Believe me, I am as angry as everybody else, but the the Photo Sort Pro does work nicely and the interface is as good as in the Photos App. You do not have to erase the EXIF DATA to order the photos anyway you want. Try it, and some of your frustration might subside.

yep, they killed a couple of my posts as well.

all these ideas are fine if you want to have the albums in alphabetical order, I don't.  I want to have them in user defineable order...like how it worked in OS4.  I could arrange my folders/pictures in a particular order in iphoto and that order would transfer to my ipad and it would stick after sync'ing.  you can arrange folders on the device, but it reverts back after syncing.  I'm a professional photographer and keep 6K+ images in 50+ folders.

I don't want to change EXIF data, I don't want to re-name all my images, I don't want to give my folders stupid names so they will sort in the order I want, I don't want to hand arrange my folders everytime i sync, I don't want use a 3rd party app (and i own most of them and none of them are as seamless and smooth as the built in app)...I just want it to work like it did before iOS 5.

Here's another place where the erroneous sort order rears its ugly head.  On the iPad, in settings, pick the picture frame option.  You will then see the option to display all photos or choose specific albums.   Choose the album option and the list of albums will display.....in the incorrect order.  

@ ChristofBaer:

Do you mean Photo-Sort for iPad by ROmain Henry? I could not find "Photo Sort Pro" in iTunes. And "Photo- sort" does not get very good ratings, users complain about lots of issues.

http://itunes.apple.com/app/photo-sort-for-ipad-organize/id369610590?mt=8

Not that 1,99 bucks is the problem, but I have already tried loads of apps that do not work as I would like them to....

Thanks

Bernie

Bernie, Photo Manager Pro by Linkus. Let us know what you think of it if you buy it.

@ TimJDFletcher

"The various fixes that people are posting about filenames are working in the same way that mine did, you are reordering the photos on the file system to be in the same order as the exif data or the file name, this however is not a permanent fix as files are not guaranteed to be stored in the same order on the disk as they are named."

I totally agree. But at least for now, my photos are in order.

"Please make sure that you are not removing the exif data from your photos as when Apple fix this properly it will be important again."

I totally agree.

@ alba63

My camera sorted from IMG_001 up to IMG_999 and those photos were in order when I uploaded them directly to the iPad. Only when I messed with the file names the order turned out to be silly. Naming and ordering them as "year_month_day_hour_minute" did it for me. Amok simply helps to rename.

Christof, I found photo managr pro a while ago. I'd say it is half way there. Functionality is very good, you can custom sort the photos inside galleries, import them individually etc.,  everything a photographer would need, however the user interface is not as fluent and elegantly simple as photo app. When scrolling down or up through the thumbnails, it has small hickups, and to close a single photo or a gallery, you have to tab and then hit the smallish button on the upper left, on the photo app all is fluent and smooth, and all you need is pinching in and out with 2 fingers in order to access the next level. Also, one thing that is bothering me with photo mgr pro is that when swiping through individual photos is that every 2 images the button bar keeps showing up. I haven't yet found a way to delay that bar long enough to stay hidden.

All those small details are not really big showstoppers, but the sum of it makes the whole user experience way less smooth and pleasing as with photo app. If they could add open & close by pinching plus delaying the annoying button bar showing up, plus optimizing their code in order to get more fluent movements, that would be the one app to have.

Bernie

@ angry_phil: yes ok when imported directly from camera to iPad, but this isn't how I mostly import photos on the ipad. It is mostly galleries from iTunes, after editing and processing them on my PC. And this what does not work!

Bernie

I am not impressed. With over 4000 photos how is someone supposed to find anything. Events are fine but the main library is not and is scrambled and in no order. both the iPhone 4S and the iPad 3 are the same. I also import thru iTunes from my Apeture libraries. I hope they fix this soon and will not buy any apps to resolve something Apple broke and is fully aware off. Renaming is also not a solution I want to do. PLEASE APPLE FIX THIS.

@ChristofBaer

I have also tested several alternative photo apps. But the problem in my eyes is, that all (at least the one I have tested) do copy all the pictures. And for me I can not do this. There are around 8000 photos on my iPad 64 GB, and I simply dont have the space.

And in addition, the copy process takes a lng time.  How is this with the photo manager pro?

"have also tested several alternative photo apps. But the problem in my eyes is, that all (at least the one I have tested) do copy all the pictures."

What about Photo Shack Pro?

Apple's iPhone app definately doesn't copy the photos, and does appear to follow Apple's rules posted earlier for photo sorting in iOS.

@sethach

Photo Manager Pro allows for FTP Transfer (over wifi), which makes it possible for the user to upload entire folders from the computer to the iPad, or the other way around. Additionally, there are HTTP and P2P transfer options. And on top of that, you can import and export files through iTunes.

Regarding the memory issue, I also have a lot of pictures and a 32GB iPad. Therefore, what I did was simply to stop sync'ing my pictures, therefore leaving the Photos App empty. I don't see any point in keeping pictures in an App that simply doesn't work.

When and if Apple fixes the problems with the Photos App I'll CONSIDER re-sync'ing the photos and eliminate Photo Manager Pro. I don't think I will though, because even if the do fix the problem, the Photos App is still unable to create folders and subfolders, move/copy pictures from one folder to another, sort the pictures and folders in any way I want, delete pictures, select images for my folder covers, etc. etc. etc. I think the only thing this App does and the Photos App doesn't is that little pinching gesture for opening and closing folders. I hope Photo Manager Pro will incorporate that feature, which I bet they will do before the Apple bug is fixed.