Two files named DSC_0001.JPG may be different photographs.

SECTION / 01

Separate three different situations

A filename collision means two destination items want the same name; their contents may be different. An exact duplicate has identical bytes even if name or folder differs. A visually similar photograph may be another exposure, crop, edit or encoding.

Use the test that fits the question. Do not collapse naming, byte equality and visual judgment into one generic duplicate label.

SECTION / 02

Preserve folder boundaries during intake

Keep each original ZIP unchanged and extract separate downloads into separate working folders such as Download A and Download B. These labels are organisational examples, not claims about Nikon’s export layout.

This avoids an irreversible overwrite simply because both folders contain DSC_0001.JPG.

SECTION / 03

Compare content before removing anything

Compare byte sizes and content hashes. Microsoft’s Get-FileHash uses SHA-256 by default; matching hashes for the complete files provide strong evidence of identical content.

Example PowerShell commands should be run against your own exact paths. A hash mismatch means the files differ; a match does not decide which folder context or notes remain valuable.

Get-FileHash -LiteralPath 'D:\Download A\DSC_0001.JPG'
Get-FileHash -LiteralPath 'D:\Download B\DSC_0001.JPG'

SECTION / 04

Keep RAW and JPEG decisions separate

A similarly named NEF and JPEG are different assets, not exact duplicates. The RAW may preserve sensor data and Nikon-specific metadata; the JPEG may reflect camera processing or later editing.

Keep both unless you have evidence and an explicit archival policy for removing one.

SECTION / 05

Retain useful context after exact matching

Even identical bytes can appear in folders that document different albums or events. Preserve the folder or album record before consolidating copies.

Photo Archive Rescue treats content equality and destination naming as separate decisions. It should never overwrite a conflict merely because names match.