The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, a recording method, a recording medium, and an electronic camera for recording an index file which hierarchically stores index data of files recorded on the recording medium to the recording medium. The recording apparatus comprises creating means for creating an index file having a plurality of areas assigned unique identifiers respectively and recording means for recording the index file to a recording medium, wherein the creating means is configured to correlatively store a plurality of files recorded on the recording mediums and a plurality of pieces of excerpted information thereof to the plurality of areas, and wherein each of the areas contains attribute information having first information and second information, the first information identifying whether the area is a folder for storing a collection of pieces of the excerpted information or stores a piece of the excerpted information, the second information representing a folder to which the area belongs.