GPS track your photo locations - So Cool
 

This looks so cool. Ten years ago when we flew to Europe, I shot 70 rolls of film and had to keep notes where the photos were taken. Now that I am traveling to Europe again, I was looking at some of the newer digital cameras and wished my digital had either a folder track system or the new built in GPS geocoding for pictures. I have seen a few cameras introduced with this feature but some of the reviews indicated their functionality needed some development.

While I was looking at the technology, I stumbled across this little device. Now for $59US, you can GPS track your photos as well to any camera that has a time device inside. Just thought this was interesting, so I am sharing. I am not advocating this product, just letting you know the technology was out there. I suspect there are other companies out there making similar products.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...tialSearch=yes

What does it track... the coordinates? I completely stupid about this stuff. If so, how do you know what it is that you actually took a photo of? Do you need to look up the coordinates when you get back to identify that the photo was of, say, the belfy in Bruges?

My camera, an inexpensive Canon Power Shot A540, has a voice memo function so you can verbally record what and where the picture is.

But, I'm all for learning new stuff! So, please teach me!

Sorry.... I completely = I'm completely!

Hi Joannyc. Since my post, I looked and there are better versions of this type out there. The GPS picks up where you are at during a point in time. You calibrate your camera to match the time on the GPS before you start taking photos. When you take a photo, you computer adds a time stamp to that photo's data. These gps type devices simply match up the time and date stamps from the photos to the the time stamps recorded in the gps. By pairing up those times, it can show you what photo was taken at those specific gps coordinates.

No, it does not know what specific subject you are aiming at when you take the photo. It simply logs the geographical location where you were at when you took the photo. You can use other programs like google maps to tell you the actual name of the building you were at I suppose. I have not tried it yet.

I am aware that on the flickr site, you can post photos with the geocoding on them to show others the locations of your travel. I have not used flickr yet.

http://www.flickr.com/help/map/#203

Thanks, Bugler!

I think I like my voice memo function better... not as much work or hassle!

I do this all the time and have done for several years. You need to upload the track to a computer and then to your photos. There are plenty of free programs to do this. Most will only write to the Exif of Jpeg photos not RAW which is a pain if you shoot RAW all the time.
Geosetter is one which will write to RAW.
The correct term for it is geotagging not geocoding, since you are adding a tag to the EXIF.

It is important too to have camera and computer synchronised time wise or it can get confused.

I have a different model of the Gisteq and have been using it for about a year.

Besides your GPS location, these devices can export to a format Google Earth can understand. So it will show the path took on a given excursion. Then you can embed thumbnails of your photos along this track.

If you have a Mac, Aperture and iPhoto will display a map with pins where you took photos. Click on the pins and the photos come up. Then you upload to Flickr or Picasa or Panoramio and it will embed the photos on their maps.

I just purchased an Easytagger for my Nikon DSLR. Instead of just storing your path, it will directly write the GPS coordinates on the shot you took (so you don't have to sync the times later on your computer) and record altitude and the direction you were facing. I haven't used it yet but really looking forward to it.

It is true that you can be at some location, like the Eiffel Tower. But you can be taking a picture of the Trocadero across the river and that's your real subject yet the geocoding software will assume your subject is the Eiffel Tower because you're physically right by the Tower. So digital compass info. will show which way you were facing.

If you are into digital photography, these are really neat devices. I bought one for my recent trip to Europe. I take thousands of digital photos, so having the ability to tag each photo with precise GPS location data has a lot of appeal. I primarily use Picassa to manage my digital photos. My typical work flow is to first import the photos to my computer (using Picassa), then use the bundled software to import the GPS log file and append the GPS data to the EXIF data on all my digital photos. Then, Picassa will pick up the GPS coordinates and place the photo on Google maps. When it works, it is great.

Now - here's the word of caution. Look for a GPS tagger that lets you charge off of a standard USB port. I made the mistake in assuming that mine did (thinking that would mean one less charger to pack and haul around). So, I'm at the airport waiting for my departure. I try to turn on the GPS logger, but the battery had run down. No problem, I think, I'll just charge it off of my netbook. No such luck. I even had a USB charger for another device, same problem. Turns out, that even though the logger charges through its USB port, it needs to charge off of its proprietary charger. Needless to say, I didn't get much use out of my logger on our trip.

So, these devices are great, but get one well in advance of a big trip so you have some time to learn to use it ;)

Hi Griz,

I have seen some other devices that use a single A battery. However, many folks state the battery only lasts for one long day of gps tagging.

This is all pretty interesting stuff. I do not want to buy another digital SLR right now so I may have to get one of the alternate type devices discussed in this thread. I know more camera manufactures are starting to build this feature into the cameras.

Joannyc, I agree your way will be nice to note the actual subject photographed for current memory purposes, but what do you do with that voice recording to later track the pictures for long term recall? With one of the devices, a person could pull the picture up five years from now and the geotagging data will still be there and it will also be attached if you place the pics on a photo sharing site.

You can also use it to record your actual journey path on trips for memory purposes. Read this guy's discovery about how it tracked his movements, lol.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/re...ssage=33855790

Since Scrb mentioned the Easytagger, I looked it up. This site gives a quick example of the benefits. I wish they had one that directly mounted to a Canon SLR as they do for the Nikon.

Sorry, forgot to attach the site.

http://www.easytagger.ca/

Hetismij, what device do you use to capture the tagging data?

Canon doesn't support GPS like Nikon does. There is a special port that you connect the tagging device to which will write the GPS data to the EXIF file on the camera.

Here's a comparison of models for Nikon DSLRs. Of those, the Easytagger can save tracks so that with software, you can sync photos to the tracks and determine locations that way.

http://terrywhite.com/techblog/archives/5019

http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/f...p?FORUM_ID=128

this is a GPS enthusiast forum, with a board dedicated to these devices.

In addition to geo-tagging photos, these devices can also be used to track movement. For example, I've read that they are very accurate at measuring speed (more accurate than police radar, for example). Need to keep track of a teenage driver? here you go... Or, if you just want to keep track of your travels, these devices are very handy. most support the ability to set way points; basically a button to mark special points in your journey.

http://www.semsons.com/datalogger.html - this website specializes in selling GPS loggers, and they're also available on Amazon.

For GPS photo tracker and logger, I recommend Easytagger. Easytagger works perfectly with my D300. It is my idea GPS devoice, first, easy to install and use, because I don’t like to set complicated things. Second, catch GPS info quickly, and accurately. Third, do not affect any function that my camera has, like hotshoe and 10-pin shutter. And it is really small so I can carry it everywhere freely.
I ordered it online http://www.e-geotag.com/shopping.aspx, by paypal which is safe and convenient. And I received the package after 4 days by express though the shipping fee is a little expensive; anyway, it was really fast. To my great joy, it is much smaller than it seemed on the website, we can say tiny and cute.
I test it by going to the mountain nearby with my D300. The easytagger was easy setting and easy to use it caught satellite signal within 1 minute. Not only it recorded the geo info currently, but also tracked the route that I walked, plotting it along with the photos.
I put them in google map and share it with my family and friends, easytagger made my trip quite meaningful!
While, I also met problem with easytagger, I remember when I tried to use hotshoe flash, I failed, because the easytagger main body was in the way that disenabled the hotshoe to work. It made me quite disappointed. I connect the company, and soon they developed a bracket and sent me one for free. The bracket used to connect the main body and camera, which enables hotshoe to work freely. I appreciate that kind of company which develops continuously to meet customers requires.
Now Every time I go hiking and vocation, I carry them with me. They are my buddy, and I could not live without them. I am updating my flickr, you would see what a great job my buddies have done soon. I put them in google map and share it with my family and friends, easytagger made my trip quite meaningful!

Hey Luisalex, I just got the Easytagger myself for my D5000 (just to be clear, this is for Nikon DSLRs).

First one had a problem with the microSD card retracting properly so they sent me a replacement.

One thing I liked about the Easytagger is that it records altitude and direction. But so far, the only software which seems to display direction data is Google Earth.

thanks for the good info -- tagging for future reference

I will look at the Easytagger if they ever come out for my Canon SLR. For my upcoming Europe trip, I decided to travel lite. I am leaving all the SLR stuff at home. I purchased a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7, which has a built in tagger, a 25-300mm Leica lens and shoots high def video. Combined weights, less than eight ounces and fits in my pocket.

Canon DSLRs do not have the interface to connect to these devices. Nikon screen also displays the GPS data before and after you take a picture and record the GPS.

Also has a little GPS icon indicating if you got a satellite fix or not.

So you will likely have to get a separate device which records your position every 5 seconds. Then you can sync this log of GPS coordinates to the time stamp of the pictures to interpolate your position.

There are a number of devices under $100 which will do that. Easytagger also logs too but it's double the price of the simple loggers.

To log the footprints seems to be their another highlight features, how does that perform?

You slide the switch all the way to the right. Then it will record your positions every 5 seconds to a log file on the micro SD card.

Then you take the SD card out, put it in an adaptor (they sent me one with my package) and then you have to get software to convert that log file into a form you can use.

http://www.easytagger.ca/downloads.php

I use GPS Babel to convert from NEMA to KML or Google Earth format. Then when you open the kml file, it will open it in Google Earth (which you can download for free) and it will show your tracks. You can save it in My Places in Google Earth so you can see it later.

Just don't take a photo in front of your house and then post it on the internet... at least not with a caption "and this is my house!"

I find it easier to just take a photo of the name of the town we're coming into so I know where the pictures are taken; also my camera has a date stamp which when downloaded to my computer tells me when the picture was taken. But having the name of the town on the photo says it all.
Som

Well this shows more than a sign:

http://www.panoramio.com/map/#lt=48....&k=2&a=1&tab=1

bookmarking. thanks.

Luisalex on Aug 28, 10 at 05:57 AM
To log the footprints seems to be their another highlight features, how does that perform?


Yes, it is called route tracking function. It works like this: when you are hiking with camera and GPS on, take Easytag as example, easytagger records the geo info every 5S and log the file in its insert SD card. Then you take out the SD card, and put it in an adaptor to convert that log file into a form you can use by a software, then you can see your footprint in the hiking.

As I understand, gps is a way to memorise the photo by location, while the normal way is by time.

I just do some surfing and found some of Canon do support gps, such as Canon 40/50D, 7D, 5D and 5D mark 2, but that need an very expensive device to connect with it.

I visited easytag website www.e-geotag.com now they do not offer any gift now, they just lowered their price to $120. That price is acceptable for me. And seems they will release a new bluetooth product. I also emailed them and got their reply that Canon gps will be their next product.

The bluetooth would be a nice feature. You don't have to have the device on the camera then, tethered by a cord. You just have to have it in a pocket or maybe the camera bag.

That's a good price reduction. I like the Easytagger but find a couple of faults:

1. It drains the battery of the camera. It's suppose to go 10 hours on its own battery (which takes a long time to charge too BTW) and then draw battery from the camera thereafter.

I tend to leave it and the camera on because it takes a long time to acquire enough satellites for a good lock. Turning it off and turning it back on would also cause that delay.

Recent trip to NY, which is a very tough environment for GPS, is that in the mornings, I would turn the Easytagger and camera on at the hotel and then walk a bit and take the subway downtown. Well after I got out of the subway, it would still take 30-60 minutes to get a good lock. My iPhone using assisted GPS (using the cell tower location along with GPS) got a lock right away.

So leaving it on all day, by late afternoon or early evening, both the Easytagger and the DSLR battery would be dead. I can swap out the DSLR battery but not for the Easytagger.

It would probably be better not to have the tagger drain from the DSLR. So there is probably a bluetooth receiver that you connect to the DSLR and hopefully that won't drain the DSLR battery much because the GPS chip is in a separate unit and that's what really eats up the battery.

2. Easytagger gives altimeter readings with a barometric altimeter. That thing is totally unreliable, often giving me -10m readings, depending on the weather. It's good about relative values so if it's -10m at ground level, then when I go up a building, it will register a higher reading.

I'm not sure the directional compass is that accurate or consistent either.

But that's okay, there really aren't that many programs which render the altitude (it stores the data but doesn't depict the altitude) or direction. Google Earth will have little arrows pointing to the direction though and that's about it.

Thanks for the information.

How about turn off the camera and leave the Easytagger on? Would that work?

30-60 minutes? As I understand, that would only cost around 40 seconds. Who can wait for a 60 minutes for a gps lock?

As I understand, barometric altimeter will vary according to the changes of the weather. I got a handheld one, and sometimes I will get -20m. It is just accurate in caculating the height. So now I need a gps altitude.

I'll try that but I figured camera goes into sleep mode anyways. If the Easytagger has no juice left, you'd lose the lock anyways.

Manhattan is tough on GPS. I remember a previous trip with a Garmin Nuvi I used to have and I could never get a lock, either at Times Square or up high in the hotel room, with the window open and the GPS held outside the window. Probably didn't have a view of the southern sky.

Easytagger will tell you GPS altitude is better. Actually, if I cared enough about altitude, I can get it via Google Earth and a GPS program. It locates the GPS coordinates and then finds the known altitude at that position and can write that altitude data in.

But that would defeat the purpose of the direct EXIF write at capture purpose of the product.

The pictures I took while I didn't have the lock, I used GE to locate and set the GPS coordinates via HoudahGeo, a Mac-only program for geocoding.