GPS Logger for DSLR or GPS enabled P&S?

[off-roader]

Been wanting to incorporate GPS data with my pics. I've been considering a few options and am looking for any insights from others..

1) Stand Alone GPS data matched w/ pictures
I know you can match your stand alone gps log data to your camera's pictures via software.
Pros: Nice because I don't have to have another device.
Cons: Having to ensure the time on both devices are synchronized and the GPS is around & running when you're shooting.

2) GPS enabled P&S
They are offering these now which is nice.
Pros: An all inclusive solution. Plus when you turn on the camera, the gps is turned on at the same time. No complications...
Cons: I guess one downside is ensuring the gps chipset in the camera is a decent sirfstar III or better chipset otherwise I have to deal with mediocre reception. The other downside is the lens you have is pretty much the lens you get. Plus the cost involved of a new camera.

3) GPS logger for my D300
Pros: SLR performance & lens flexibility. Lots of alternatives for a gps device using either a bluetooth gps units with a bluetooth receiver (Foolography, etc) or a wired hotshoe mounted gps unit.
Cons: Cost of hotshoe gps or bluetooth gps and receiver. Size of SLR system. Power for bluetooth gps.

Are any of you already running a gps enabled shooting setup or also considering one?

For those running one, what are you running and can you share any experienced insights?

For those considering one, what are the pros/cons I may have missed & what are you considering for your solution?

 

[mikelite80]

Here is what I've been using for a couple years now.

http://www.amazon.com/AGL3080-Driverless-Windows-Software-included/dp/B000WO6HJW

I like it. I've used it for many things. I just attach it to the back of what every bag I'll be carrying that day and go. Use it hiking and biking to record times and tracks. When on vacation you can just start it in the morning and go all day. Only downside is the batteries. If you set it to only record your position every 10 seconds they last for a fair amount of time. They say up to 2800 hours! I run in 5 second mode and get at least a month or so out of it. If they do die, they are just AAA so you can find them anywhere. No special battery or rechargeable thing. Only real downside is you have to remember to turn it on!

To sum it up my only complaints are all related to the user.

Any good app that you use to sync your GPS log to photos will let you offset the time to get a good location match.

But with all that said the day Canon comes out with GPS built into an SLR I'll buy one in a heart beat. I think seeing a map with all your photos spread out on a map is just so cool.

Mike

 

[Bogo]

Get a good GPS made for hiking like the Garmin GPSmap 60CSx. Put a 2G Micro SD card in it. Make sure the camera's time is set to the GPS's time. Then use a program or Lightroom plugin to match them up.

On the GPS, look for one that handles messy environments well. The 60CSx is one that does. With it's external antenna often my unit can keep a fix in a parking ramp and has absolutely no problems keeping a fix using the internal antenna while under heavy tree cover. To top it off it runs longer than 24 hours on 2 AA batteries. I set mine up to log fixes ever second. With the 2G card it can do that for months without getting near running out of space. Also there is room to put some extensive topo maps on it.

 

[off-roader]

Thanks you two. Wow, 70 views and 2 replies. I guess nobody's doing this on the forums except the two of you.:Wow1::sombrero:

That's fine. I don't mind being one of 3 to break trail on this. I think I'll start with what you've suggested but I'll ultimately buy a P&S that has the GPS integrated and also a separate gps unit for my DSLR. I don't want to perform the extra step of integrating the data because I simply don't trust that the data will always be there. I may screw up and accidentally delete it, etc. Plus I already have a lot to do for the post processing and would rather minimize steps if possible.

But then again, who knows... I may elect to continue doing it rather than buy more stuff.

 

[dhackney]

I put together our photo geolocation system and workflow back in 2006 prior to leaving for a few years of full time overlanding, so things have progressed quite a bit since then.

However, this system definitely works, so it might form a baseline / foundation you can adapt using better options available now.

******** Setup and Config ********

1. Synch all of your cameras to a specific time zone. Do not change the time on your cameras for the duration of your journey. Set the clocks on all of your cameras to match down to the second. You'll generally have a pocket camera and one or more larger cameras. Make sure to set your spouse's and kids' cameras too.
2. Set your GPSs to match the time zone on your cameras.
3. Take a photo of the GPSs clock display with each camera.
4. Compare the camera time in the GPS clock photo's meta data to the GPS time. Correct the camera time until it matches the GPS exactly. Repeat this loop until the camera's meta data exactly matches your GPS clock time. If you can't get it exact, note any time offset and set the offset in your photo download / GPS tagging software.
5. Set your photo downloading software to correct for any time offset for each camera body. I use Downloader Pro, which will handle each camera body on a unique serial number basis. (If you have multiple cameras, it also helps to put an identifier in the file name for the camera. It is incredibly handy to be able to ID which camera a shot came from by it's file name, i.e. 2010-02-28-1DMKIII-1178.JPG.)
6. We use a Garmin 276c in the truck cab (Fuso FG) and on the big bike (GSA 1150) and Garmin 60 CSx's on the little bikes (CRF150F) and in our camera backpacks. Again, make sure all GPSs are synched to the same time zone. I agree with the advice to use a GPS device that is fully weatherproof. A handheld unit such as the 60CSx is handy because it can function as a fully capable GPS as well as a track logger.
7. Configure the GPS to record a track. You can select a variety of options for how granular you want the track to be. For logging tight single track trails for bikes, you want a lot of granularity.
8. On a Garmin GPS, never, EVER, save a track on the GPS. Saving the track strips out all the detail and you end up with a few hundred data points.
9. Configure your photo downloading / GPS tagging software to point to your GPS track data file location on your laptop.


****** Shooting, Downloading, Etc. *******

10. Turn on the GPS you plan to use while shooting.
11. Shoot.
12. Download the UNSAVED track from the GPS to your laptop. I use Garmin Mapsource to manage (download, save, edit, etc.) our tracks.
13. My workflow included adding the day's GPS track(s) to our overall expedition track (examples at: http://www.hackneys.com/travel/index-GPS.htm ). I used Mapsource to do this editing. I configured Downloader Pro to point to the overall expedition track on every download. That allowed me to be able to download photos from any camera / any memory card / any time and not have to worry about searching out a specific day's GPS track to match those photos.
14. Download the photos. Your download software will automatically add the proper GPS data into the meta data for each photo. Presto: geolocated photos.

****** Handy Utilities *********

A. Time / Date correction. Lightroom can do mass / bulk time offsets, but early versions had a bug in this function. I documented a workaround to fix it you can find on this forum. Breeze Browswer Pro and other photo programs can also do mass / bulk time offsets. Just be aware that digital photography meta data is chaotic in many ways, especially as it relates to the time/date fields, so while your software of choice may reflect the "proper" time you have adjusted, underlying meta data fields used by other programs may still contain the old "incorrect" time/date. It is by far much easier and more accurate to synch all the cameras and GPSs before you begin.

B. GPS tagging / edit / utility. RoboGeo is a very handy utility for adding geolocation data to photos after they have been downloaded.


*********************************

I am in agreement with you on integration of GPS / geolocaiton capability into the camera bodies. I look forward to not having to go through this workflow simply to geotag our photos.

 

[off-roader]

After much analysis, I've elected to use both my laptop &/or my etrex legend gps' instead of buying yet another gps/logger.

Next question... The legend is an older one w/out a USB connection (uses a serial port) & my laptop doesn't have a serial port... Any ideas on how to best connect the two??

 

[SunTzuNephew]

After much analysis, I've elected to use both my laptop &/or my etrex legend gps' instead of buying yet another gps/logger.

Next question... The legend is an older one w/out a USB connection (uses a serial port) & my laptop doesn't have a serial port... Any ideas on how to best connect the two??

My Etrex is older also...I use a USB/Serial dongle. It works, but I tested it at the store before I bought it.

 

[kai38]

I use this one, http://www.gisteq.com/PhotoTrackr/PhotoTrackrDPL900.php
Charges off a USB port on your computer, but you can get another version that runs of of 2 AA batteries.

Simple to use no problems with it yet. I bought a 12v cigarette lighter charger with a USB port in it to recharge it on the road.

 

[off-roader]

I use this one, http://www.gisteq.com/PhotoTrackr/PhotoTrackrDPL900.php
Charges off a USB port on your computer, but you can get another version that runs of of 2 AA batteries.

Simple to use no problems with it yet. I bought a 12v cigarette lighter charger with a USB port in it to recharge it on the road.

See my post 2 messages above your post. I guess you didn't read the whole thread before posting...:sombrero:

 

[john101477]

I use this one, http://www.gisteq.com/PhotoTrackr/PhotoTrackrDPL900.php
Charges off a USB port on your computer, but you can get another version that runs of of 2 AA batteries.

Simple to use no problems with it yet. I bought a 12v cigarette lighter charger with a USB port in it to recharge it on the road.

Hey thanks for posting that. it is a pretty neat little contraption and not to horrid on the price. always nice to see different options with out having to start a new thread to find it.

 

[Michael Slade]

An interesting discussion. I was geotagging my D2x files for a year or so and then realized that it wasn't as cool as I thought it was going to be. Now I kind of like the idea of not knowing exactly where I shot the image.


But, a GPS enabled DSLR would be sweet. My friends at Nikon had me convinced it would be in the D3 series, but alas, it was not to be.