Hi,
Has anyone used this new gizmo yet for keeping track of where their pictures were taken? How did it work for you? What are your recommendations?

Never heard of it. Can you elaborate?

It's a small device that uses GPS technology to apply a location "stamp" to photographs. Then, when viewing photos on the computer, it shows where on Earth the photo was taken. Here's one link I found... http://photofinder.atpinc.com/what.html

I'm going to a digital camera expo this coming weekend and will check it out there as well but thought, perhaps, some folks on this BB might have heard about it or used it.

Seems like a heck of a lot of effort for relatively little gain. Every time you finish taking pictures in a particular place you have to take the memory card out of your camera and insert it in that gadget, and then put it back in your camera again. Many cameras come with a "voice annotation" feature which allows you to record a sound clip with each picture - that's a heck of a lot easier to use. Or you could even use a notebook .

I can see the attraction of having your pictures automatically appear on a "world map", but is it really worth the expense and effort, do you think?

I don't know. That's why I posted the question here.

I can remember the old days when I used to record photo numbers from my film camera and locations/captions onto my digital voice recorder and then transcribe them to my Palm Pilot notes that night.

I do use the voice recorder feature on the digital but I also find it convenient just to take a picture of a sign, when available.

If I get more information at the digital photography expo I'll follow up. I'm sure the the camera manufacturers will start building this feature in very shortly.

Hi ZeldaSue,

I think this looks interesting

The GPS feature is already incorporated into some top level cameras and I'm familiar with its benefits and how it is built into professional level camera bodies.

A GPS can be a very productive feature to have. With pro (or advanced DSLR amateur cameras), one does not have to "stamp" their memory card or stick in a separate device. On a "pro" level camera the GPS system is commonly an ancillary device that would plug into a "pin" on the camera in the same manner a cable release would plug into a "pin" on the camera (it is also available in a "remote" version). With this type of ancillary GPS device, information is then created at the same time the shutter release is pressed and all gathered information is included in the digital file's "metadata" (the catalogue of technical data recorded by the camera when a picture is taken). Thus, one does not have to take the step of inserting their memory card into a secondary device.

I've seen demonstrations of images that have GPS included in the metadata, and it is stunning to simply "click" on a photo on your computer and be taken exactly to the Google Earth satellite location. Stunning!!! Fun!!! Kind of mind-blowing actually ! Also practical, in that recently a huge series of photographs taken in the vast flatlands of the Canadian Prairie provinces were purchased by our National Archives. Having all GPS information attached to each photo (that some would say looked the same) was a definite advantage.

So, back to the Photo Finder. I've not seen this product before, and it may seem like a "bit" of work to use it, but for people who have fun with Google Earth and technical information, this could be a whole lot of fun. For the person who takes pleasure in this type of information, how great it would be to wander around a neighbourhood in Paris (or anywhere!), take shots and then at home have the GPS locator pinpoint the neighbourhood the images were taken in. It is not always easy to remember where every single shot has been taken, and I've been in a lot of cities where many neighbourhoods "look the same" to an eye unfamiliar with the local area.

I've been impressed with the GPS systems I've seen at the "pro" camera level. I think it is great that people who have more consumer level cameras can now access this type of system if they are interested in doing so. It just opens up the world (and technology) that much more to camera enthusiasts of all levels.

I would be interested in hearing what you learn at the digital photo expo!

best wishes,
travellor

PS I didn't mean to be too technical in my reply

This gadget just keeps track of where you have been. When you insert the memory card in, it geo-tags the image (adds a new EXIF tag) by comparing the image file's timestamp and its own location at that time.

I have never used it, but I have read quite a lot about it when it was still being prototyped.

Certain apps like Picasa, Flickr and Google Earth have the ability to automatically read the geo-info from the EXIF and display the image accordingly on a map.

Theoretically, it should be a breeze. Practically, I am not sure as to how the device should be carried so that it gets a "sky view" at all times. Also, it implies that if you are inside a building, the device MAY not operate as advertised.

-KC

I got one for xmas from my daughter and can't get it to work. Would be nice if I could. I gave it back to them to try and figure out. Haven't heard yet. Mine is from Sony.

At the photo expo I asked questions about the device. Apparently, some of the camera companies are building it into their higher end models - including Sony.

You make sure your camera and the photo finder are set to the same time. The memory card is put into the photo finder and it stamps the picture file with location coordinates for the time that picture was taken. Then, when you are using your computer you can refer the coordinates to a geographic location using Google Earth or other similar programs.

I've decided to wait a year or two until this device has been on the market longer. They are upgrading/revising the models continually at this stage so I figure I should wait until there are a few more improvements and maybe the price will be lower as well although the $150 CDN price doesn't sound extraordinarily high.

In the meantime, I'll just have to keep maintaining good records of where I've been when I've taken my pictures.

Hi ZeldSue, I was in the same show you went to on the weekend. The vendor I talk to has a separate GPS receiver. You can select how often the GPS read your position, for example, every 5 seconds or 5 minutes.

You have to synchronize camera's time with the GPS unit. When you get home, you load your photos to the computer and the software that comes with the unit will match the time stamped on the photo with the GPS unit. When a match is found, it will write the coordinates into the photo's EXIF file.

I asked the vendor how many GPS coordinates can be stored in the unit. His answer was 3 weeks. I then said that would depend on the frequencies of taking and storing the coordinates. I always got a round-about answer that I gave up and left the booth.

I agree with you that this is still in its infancy stage. I am not a technology pioneer and will, like you, wait for one or two years and watch how this technology evolves.

I have another question with the current technology that I did not ask in the show. The GPS only gives me the coordinates of the spot I am standing on. However, the photo can be of a mountain (for example) ten miles from where I stand. My problem is to remember the name of the sight (building name, church name, etc), not the location of where the photo is taken.

I, like you, will keep my notebook around for a while longer.

quote:

Originally posted by Justalex:
...However, the photo can be of a mountain (for example) ten miles from where I stand. My problem is to remember the name of the sight (building name, church name, etc), not the location of where the photo is taken.

Well, thats where Google Earth comes in. Chances are you will always find someone else who has tagged that place before you. The only exception is if you are the first one to either visit a certain place or to post pictures of it online. Only then will you not find any geo-tagged images.

To give you a perspective, I posted my pictures about 1 month after returning from my European Festival trip. I had forgotten the names of quite a few places (I have a bad memory for place names) but I had no difficulty in locating them on Google Earth.

A very specific example would be Brussels. We visited some square (again...dont remember the name anymore) and there were quite a few good/famous buildings in it. I had no trouble not only locating that place in Google Earth but also was amazed at the number of people who had tagged each and every building in that square.

I'm not trying to come off as a fanboy for Google Earth, but all I'm hinting at is that there are ways to get around current hurdles.

As you have rightly said, the technology is in its infancy and the ideal product that you envision may/may not hit the market in our lifetime. We can either shun that technology completely or we need to improvise, adapt to what we got.

I'm just becoming familiar with Google Earth and thanks to your message, Xponent, think I now understand all those little tags that clutter the image.

I agree that perfection takes a while to achieve but I also do not believe in buying into the product during its earliest models. When I spoke with the company rep I was informed that a newer version was imminent. It makes me think that it will be a year or two before things "settle down" a bit - including prices.

I'm not shunning the technology. I just don't like spending big bucks on an item only to have a better model with features I crave, come out a month after my purchase. For example, I had my first digital camera a year when image stabilization come out in the next version. But then, that's what progress is all about. (And, what do we do with the old stuff? Soon we won't be able to see Google Earth or any Earth for all the outdated technological equipment littering the landscape!)

Thanks, Xponent, for pointing out the Google Earth. After I downloaded the 4.3 version, I realized that I had an earlier version already installed. I used the software for about 30 minutes. This will help me identifying sights, buildings, etc. as long as the photos provide detail information.

For example, Hofburg in Vienna is a big place. Tagging a photo as Hofburg is accurate. However, I am looking for the name of the building in the Hofburg complex.

This is another tool I will use in future. Thanks again.

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