GPS tagging

[Simpo Two]

Well it's gadget time here at Bloke Hall and as I'm having a short break soon, I thought it might be fun to play with a GPS jobbie so that I can find exactly where the photos was taken using Google Earth.

It's a subject I know nothing about, but doubtless there are options good and bad, cheap and expensive.

What does the panel recommend please?

[14-7]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001GD4M1I/ref=asc_df_B...

The jobo one has just received 4/5 stars in a review in Photography monthly.

Can't really see the point in it myself. Just seems like a gadget and nothing more.

[Don]

Simpo Two said:

Well it's gadget time here at Bloke Hall and as I'm having a short break soon, I thought it might be fun to play with a GPS jobbie so that I can find exactly where the photos was taken using Google Earth.

It's a subject I know nothing about, but doubtless there are options good and bad, cheap and expensive.

What does the panel recommend please?

I use this device: http://www.dawntech.hk/di-GPS/n2.htm .

Plugs into my D2x and also worked on my bro's D300. Works great. I geotag all my images. I believe Nikon now have their own gadget.

I also record GPS tracks using a Magellan Triton 2000. You can link up tracks and images using Robogeo. I prefer the hardware solution but still use Robogeo for output.

http://www.robogeo.com

Robogeo will output KMZ files that you can email around. It can also create KML files for the web.

There is also a useful community at http://www.everytrail.com

[Don]

14-7 said:

Can't really see the point in it myself. Just seems like a gadget and nothing more.

You can only see the point once you've created some output with it. Take a look at http://www.panoramio.com or Google Earth or Flickr Map etc. Sharing tagged images allows the virtual exploration of an area. You either think that's fun/useful or you don't.

One use is, for example, going back over holiday images and being able to tell exactly which lake that was a photo of...etc.

[Simpo Two]

Don said:

One use is, for example, going back over holiday images and being able to tell exactly which lake that was a photo of...etc.

That's the one.

I should also add that ease of use is important. For example if I see something worth photographing, I don't want to have to wait 42 seconds for it to crank up.

I don't really want to get involved with Panoramio or any kind of integration - just to see coordinates in the EXIF data that I can copy/paste into Google Earth if it's of interest.

[14-7]

Simpo Two said:

I don't really want to get involved with Panoramio or any kind of integration - just to see coordinates in the EXIF data that I can copy/paste into Google Earth if it's of interest.

The reviews of the Jobo one say that it normally acquires it's position within seconds of being switched on so would be useful for what you've mentioned.

[Don]

Simpo Two said:

I should also add that ease of use is important. For example if I see something worth photographing, I don't want to have to wait 42 seconds for it to crank up.

This is an issue with any GPS. The problem is cured through habit. Switch the GPS on early. Leave it in "standby". Should have a fix from standby in two or three seconds. This IS an issue, though, and you'll have to get used to it.

[CY88]

I got given a www.trackstick.com earlier in the year. Unfortunately its windows based and I had just moved to Mac, so no use yet.

Apparently you just carry that on your travels, load up the data when you get home with any photos you take along the way in your digital camera of choice, and Trackstick / GoogleEarth will automatically time align all the exif data onto your route, which will be mapped out for you. Or something like that.

[Fordo]

CY88 said:

I got given a www.trackstick.com earlier in the year. Unfortunately its windows based and I had just moved to Mac, so no use yet.

Apparently you just carry that on your travels, load up the data when you get home with any photos you take along the way in your digital camera of choice, and Trackstick / GoogleEarth will automatically time align all the exif data onto your route, which will be mapped out for you. Or something like that.

thats a really nice idea

[Yellabelly]

Simpo Two said:

Don said:

One use is, for example, going back over holiday images and being able to tell exactly which lake that was a photo of...etc.

I don't really want to get involved with Panoramio or any kind of integration - just to see coordinates in the EXIF data that I can copy/paste into Google Earth if it's of interest.

Simpo, I thought that Panoramio was the only way that you can upload to Google Earth?

[Don]

Yellabelly said:

Simpo Two said:

Don said:

One use is, for example, going back over holiday images and being able to tell exactly which lake that was a photo of...etc.

I don't really want to get involved with Panoramio or any kind of integration - just to see coordinates in the EXIF data that I can copy/paste into Google Earth if it's of interest.

Simpo, I thought that Panoramio was the only way that you can upload to Google Earth?

Panoramio is the method by which you provide images to be incorporated into Google Earth's image library.

You can, however, create a KML or KMZ file which can be opened locally by Google Earth. So if you don't want to make your images publically available, for example, you can email a KMZ file to the family that contains your images and location data for Google Earth. A handy program for doing this Robogeo.

If you visit Robogeo's web site you can see some examples...

[Simpo Two]

Yellabelly said:

Simpo, I thought that Panoramio was the only way that you can upload to Google Earth?

I don't want to upload to Google Earth, merely copy/paste Lat/Long into the search window and hit Enter, so the map goes 'Wheeeeee' and spins round and zooms into where I was. I can stick a map pin in from there.


This more complicated than I thought - in fact I'm rapidly going off the idea...

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 9th September 14:53

[Don]

Simpo Two said:

This more complicated than I thought - in fact I'm rapidly going off the idea...

No. No it's not. What you want to do is a total piece of piss to do as any fule no.

Attach device to camera, wait for GPS fix, take picture. Job done.

Later: look at photo. Wonder where it is.

Method 1: right-lick. Examine EXIF, type into Google Earth. Fly to. Wheee!

Method 2: upload to picture service like panoramio or flickr. View on map.

Could not be simpler. Of course - once you've got into geotagging your pics you'll want to do more with it. Or maybe you won't.

[Simpo Two]

Don said:

Simpo Two said:

This more complicated than I thought - in fact I'm rapidly going off the idea...

No. No it's not. What you want to do is a total piece of piss to do as any fule no.

Attach device to camera, wait for GPS fix, take picture. Job done.

Later: look at photo. Wonder where it is.

Method 1: right-lick. Examine EXIF, type into Google Earth. Fly to. Wheee!

Method 2: upload to picture service like panoramio or flickr. View on map.

Could not be simpler. Of course - once you've got into geotagging your pics you'll want to do more with it. Or maybe you won't.

Hmm, I was deterred by talk of Robogeo, KMZ and KML files... may I call you Nigel?

OK, so if I leave the thing on standby all the time I don't have to wait 42 seconds for each shot. But then how quickly do the batteries last? Not long according to some reviews.

And then I click onto other GPS devices, and they all say how brilliant they are, so I'm no further ahead...

[CY88]

Don said:

Simpo Two said:

This more complicated than I thought - in fact I'm rapidly going off the idea...

No. No it's not. What you want to do is a total piece of piss to do as any fule no.

Attach device to camera, wait for GPS fix, take picture. Job done.

Later: look at photo. Wonder where it is.

Method 1: right-lick. Examine EXIF, type into Google Earth. Fly to. Wheee!

Method 2: upload to picture service like panoramio or flickr. View on map.

Could not be simpler. Of course - once you've got into geotagging your pics you'll want to do more with it. Or maybe you won't.

Or use something like Trackstick2. You don't attach it to your camera and its continuously running.

[Don]

CY88 said:

Don said:

Simpo Two said:

This more complicated than I thought - in fact I'm rapidly going off the idea...

No. No it's not. What you want to do is a total piece of piss to do as any fule no.

Attach device to camera, wait for GPS fix, take picture. Job done.

Later: look at photo. Wonder where it is.

Method 1: right-lick. Examine EXIF, type into Google Earth. Fly to. Wheee!

Method 2: upload to picture service like panoramio or flickr. View on map.

Could not be simpler. Of course - once you've got into geotagging your pics you'll want to do more with it. Or maybe you won't.

Or use something like Trackstick2. You don't attach it to your camera and its continuously running.

But then you need to update the image's EXIF using the TRackstick's GPS trace. In software. You have to remember to carry it with you and have it switched on. If it's attached to the camera and switches on and off with the camera it's far more convenient. And convenience is key to actually DOING it. And DOING IT is the only way you'll have those co-ordinates come the time you actually want them!

[Don]

Simpo Two said:

OK, so if I leave the thing on standby all the time I don't have to wait 42 seconds for each shot. But then how quickly do the batteries last? Not long according to some reviews.

Most GPS devices are fairly power hungry. Mine runs off the camera. I can take the thing out for a whole day's walk, switching the camera on and off when I want to take a pic, and blast off probably fifty images - it will use a quarter of a charge to do that.

That, on a D2X, is a MASSIVE energy drain. The camera is supposed to be able to take thousands of images on a charge. Well with the GPS attached it won't.

However you SHOULD be able to go out all day, take all the pics you want, and only need to recharge when you get home. With a different camera and battery your mileage may vary. I do carry a spare...

[Quick silver]

CY88 said:

I got given a www.trackstick.com earlier in the year. Unfortunately its windows based and I had just moved to Mac, so no use yet.

Apparently you just carry that on your travels, load up the data when you get home with any photos you take along the way in your digital camera of choice, and Trackstick / GoogleEarth will automatically time align all the exif data onto your route, which will be mapped out for you. Or something like that.

It would be very impressive if the image were to also have azimuth orientation

[Don]

Quick silver said:

CY88 said:

I got given a www.trackstick.com earlier in the year. Unfortunately its windows based and I had just moved to Mac, so no use yet.

Apparently you just carry that on your travels, load up the data when you get home with any photos you take along the way in your digital camera of choice, and Trackstick / GoogleEarth will automatically time align all the exif data onto your route, which will be mapped out for you. Or something like that.

It would be very impressive if the image were to also have azimuth orientation

With the new Nikons (D3, D300, D3X) and the Nikon gadget I believe it store direction as well as location. My one doesn't do that.

[Simpo Two]

OK, so we seem to have:

a) Devices that are entirely seperate from the camera, use their own power and then you have to crunch all the data together somehow afterwards using another chunk of software.

b) Devices that connect to the camera, take their power from it (the 10-pin connector?) and add the GPS data automatically to the EXIF data on the fly. I like that.

I could take either the D200 or D300 with me. The D300 battery life is more than double, but that's not a deal-breaker as I have five batteries and won't be using it a great deal.