Looking for a Good GPS Geotagger
August 2, 2008 5:36 AM Subscribe
Any one has great suggestions for inexpensive GPS photo finders / photo trackers / geotaggers?
I'm not sure what is the generic term for this kind of device.
To track my photos via GPS, I bought an ATP Photo Finder. I gave it a try and I was extremely disappointed. It was losing its signal all the time. It couldn't write to any of my SDHC cards, even though the manual clearly states it can. When I generated a KML of a walk I took downtown, Google Earth implies that I've walked through buildings and jumped over bridges. When I've set the device for 10 minutes on a bench right outside of my home, the KML file it generated made it looked like if I attached the device on a boomrang and managed to make it swing and fly across four blocks from my place.
I looked at the Merax PhotoFinder GPS too, but since I have a Mac, I cannot use their software to tag my pictures with GPS coordinates.
Any suggestions for a better GPS geotagger that is within the same price range as the two devices I mentioned above?
I'm not sure what is the generic term for this kind of device.
To track my photos via GPS, I bought an ATP Photo Finder. I gave it a try and I was extremely disappointed. It was losing its signal all the time. It couldn't write to any of my SDHC cards, even though the manual clearly states it can. When I generated a KML of a walk I took downtown, Google Earth implies that I've walked through buildings and jumped over bridges. When I've set the device for 10 minutes on a bench right outside of my home, the KML file it generated made it looked like if I attached the device on a boomrang and managed to make it swing and fly across four blocks from my place.
I looked at the Merax PhotoFinder GPS too, but since I have a Mac, I cannot use their software to tag my pictures with GPS coordinates.
Any suggestions for a better GPS geotagger that is within the same price range as the two devices I mentioned above?
How old is your Mac (ie - will it run Windows)?
I would probably use a good GPS datalogger and then manually use the WWMX Location Stamper to tag the photos after my trip/walk.
The key is to find reviews of how well a device performs in an urban area - then, find out if that same chipset is used by a datalogging unit. I recently got a non-data logger, Bluetooth-enabled device and it performed amazingly well in the dense alleys/streets of Brussels. Once it had aquired signal, I stuck it in my back pocket or top of backpack and it would always manage to quickly re-aquire even as I went in and out of shops. I found this datalogger which uses the same chipset.
(No, I am not a shill for GPSCentral - but, they are local to me and I love being able to browse both online and in-store.)
posted by jkaczor at 8:21 AM on August 2, 2008
I would probably use a good GPS datalogger and then manually use the WWMX Location Stamper to tag the photos after my trip/walk.
The key is to find reviews of how well a device performs in an urban area - then, find out if that same chipset is used by a datalogging unit. I recently got a non-data logger, Bluetooth-enabled device and it performed amazingly well in the dense alleys/streets of Brussels. Once it had aquired signal, I stuck it in my back pocket or top of backpack and it would always manage to quickly re-aquire even as I went in and out of shops. I found this datalogger which uses the same chipset.
(No, I am not a shill for GPSCentral - but, they are local to me and I love being able to browse both online and in-store.)
posted by jkaczor at 8:21 AM on August 2, 2008
I thought I'd need dedicated hardware, but I find that any regular GPS, combined with GPSPhotoLinker does the job. I'm currently using my Garmin Edge 305 which, of all things, is a cycling GPS.
posted by neilkod at 9:06 AM on August 2, 2008
posted by neilkod at 9:06 AM on August 2, 2008
Sorry, in my above comment, I failed to mention that GPSPhotoLinker runs on Mac.
posted by neilkod at 9:07 AM on August 2, 2008
posted by neilkod at 9:07 AM on August 2, 2008
I just started getting into this geotagging sort of thing and right now I'm using Sony's latest model (which is now Mac compatible since it mounts as a USB mass storage device as long as you're running at least 10.5.3), the GPS-CS1KA, after wading through tons of information, most notably, Science Library Pad's entry on GPS loggers and Macs. I was going to use the automator scripts I mentioned previously on Ask MeFi, but instead opted to use HoudahGeo. It is far from perfect and I did put together an automator script to fix up their not 100% perfect reverse geotagging.
Let me know if you want me to send you a KML or whatever of a log I did with my GPS unit.
(I'm not associated with Sony or Houdah software, just a pretty pleased customer, but judging by the number of people who I recommend their stuff to, I think I should be entitled to some sort of finders fee.)
posted by Brian Puccio at 11:56 AM on August 3, 2008
Let me know if you want me to send you a KML or whatever of a log I did with my GPS unit.
(I'm not associated with Sony or Houdah software, just a pretty pleased customer, but judging by the number of people who I recommend their stuff to, I think I should be entitled to some sort of finders fee.)
posted by Brian Puccio at 11:56 AM on August 3, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by remi at 5:40 AM on August 2, 2008