GPS on cameras !!

jackdaw

a friend of mine and myself were discussing this and he was saying how all cameras should have GPS -- I didn't think so at first but wouldn't it be sweet ... all photos could be linked to google maps etc .. by checking EXIF data ...

5uspect

Sure, why not. There's no reason technically not to add a gps receiver. Then again from a purist stand point why bother?

Thoie

When I first got my SatNav in August I started rooting around in the back end of it to see if I could hook it to my Nikon for that purpose.

Then I got bored. GPS whomps a large amount of battery, so I suspect that's the main reason why it's not standard at the moment. You photos might all be geotagged, but you only get to take 4 photos everytime you go outside

GhostInTheRuins

jackdaw wrote: »

a friend of mine and myself were discussing this and he was saying how all cameras should have GPS -- I didn't think so at first but wouldn't it be sweet ... all photos could be linked to google maps etc .. by checking EXIF data ...

I know my Nikon has a port for a GPS addon but I really don't think I'd be bothered with it.

Surprisingly enough though I was looking through some of these yesterday - http://www.flickr.com/groups/geotagging/

stcstc

quite a few of the slr cameras either have a port for GPS or when using the right grip have a GPS system

its called geotagging

couple of the canon models do it etc

pete4130

I work as a land surveyor and you can link your photos frm your camera via bluetooth/wifi(?) with GPS systems so that the co-ordinates are embedded in the image. GPS won't be accurate in the middle of a built up area with tall building/poor satelite coverage either. Technology is moving in that direction for sure.

PixelTrawler

I always have my garmin 60csx in the bag tracking. At the end of day I take the track log file off the gps.

There is a little piece of software from google that will match all the timestamps of your photos with the tracklog - if it finds a match its writes the geo data to the photos exif

(e.g. you have a photo taken at 13/11/2008 15:42:27 and theres a data location in the track log for that exact time, well the software knows where you were at the exact time the shot was taken and puts the co-ordinates into the exif)

It only takes 2 mins to do this. Very simple way to keep the photos geotagged.

One thing I was disappointed by flickr was that even though the geo data is in the exif, it doesnt plot them to the map automatically.

Was nice for example to have all the logs from australia and be able to check exactly where they were taken (one other nice thing is that google earth can overlay your track logs which is also a nice way to remember where you've been.

sheesh

I do not know which camera has it but there is a gps module that sits on the flash socket and writes it into the image as it is captured. I'm not too sure what it does for raw files.

Also did a final year project on a piece of software that write this data to a photograph. you can get the gps recievers quiet cheaply on ebay (just the receiver) and connect it to your phone via bluetooth so your receiver is in one pocket your phone is in another and is recording the track being produced by the gps. all that is required is a java enabled phone that has bluetooth which is on most basic models
you can get free software off the net that creates the track. hey presto for less than €60 you can geotag your photos

RichyX

sheesh wrote: »

Also did a final year project on a piece of software that write this data to a photograph.

I was just about to mention your project

here.from.day.1

I know its not a proper camera or anything but I have a Nokia N78 and when I take pictures on it, it automatically geotags them (there is GPS on the phone too.) I thought it was quite cool.

Stephen

sheesh wrote: »

I do not know which camera has it but there is a gps module that sits on the flash socket and writes it into the image as it is captured. I'm not too sure what it does for raw files.

Nikon D90 does that. There's a port on the side of the camera for the GPS unit. It just sits on the hotshoe. Pity, it would have been nice if the data could be transmitted through the hotshoe too. That said, I don't think the GP-1 GPS unit is actually available yet, and knowing Nikon it will cost a fortune.

AnCatDubh

i think it will be a natural progression whether people will want it or not. If it were standard then it'd be handy but i'm not sure that i'd pay seperately as an option.

sheesh

there's a marker in the exif data for the geotag information latitude longitude altitude markers in the data so it is actually standardised (the exif standard)

for antone whos interested in the geekery of it there open socuce project creating an app on sourceforge

Burnt

ask and you shall recieve; from nikon.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/02/nikons-geotagging-gp-1-dongle-now-available/

Crispin

http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/16689/17713/nikon-coolpix-p6000-gps-ethernet.phtml
This will see its way onto new SLR's soon I would think