GPS Logger

Pshots · April 6, 2011

Have somebody a tip for me what for a gps logger will be the best to take my travel route ?

Most important information for you I`ve a Canon EOS 550D Camera - then I know there is no GPS logger to put on the flash dock on my camera and I have to take a extern logger with me !

Thanks for your tips ? :deal

canonboy · April 7, 2011

I use a separate GPS handheld unit. Garmin, for example, offers a whole bunch of GPS units that would work. The important thing is to look for a GPS unit that stores your GPS "tracklog".

When I go back to my computer, I connect my Garmin GPS unit to my computer and download the GPS tracklog onto my computer. I then use a separate program that matches the timestamp on my photos with the times in the GPS tracklog, and the program automatically geotags all my photos. There are dozens of different programs that can do this for you. I use Jeffrey Friedl's Geoencoding plug-in for Lightroom (link).

The GPS unit I use is the Garmin GPSMAP 62s (link):

You really don't have to spend a LOT of money for a GPS unit. (I just like having a lot of bells & whistles) The important thing is that the GPS unit (1) is accurate, and (2) can record a GPS tracklog.

Pshots · April 8, 2011

This will do the nearly the same for less of price isn`t it ?

http://www.qstarz.com/Products/GPS%20Products/BT-Q1000X-F.htm

canonboy · April 8, 2011

Pshots wrote: »

This will do the nearly the same for less of price isn`t it ?

http://www.qstarz.com/Products/GPS%20Products/BT-Q1000X-F.htm

Sounds like it would. Again, all you need is a GPS unit that is accurate and that records a GPS tracklog. Sounds like the GPS unit you mention would do both. That's the bare bare minimum you'd need for geotagging.

The reason why I spent lots more on a GPS unit was because I wanted the following "bells & whistles":

an LCD screen, which provides detailed info & graphics
display the GPS error (ie. how accurate the GPS lock is)
show whether there is a GPS lock or not
display the time on the GPS unit, so that I can easily set the clock on my camera to the GPS time
display my GPS location on a map & display my GPS tracklog on a map
ability to mark a waypoint or a point of interest
display amount of battery power remaining
display my GPS coordinates (less important)
display my current altitude (less important)
show the number of GPS satellites in view & where they are (least important) - however, this *does* show the strengths of the GPS signals I'm getting from each GPS satellite

These were things I was looking for in a GPS unit. None of them are necessarily "needed" for geotagging photos, but it makes the GPS experience much more pleasing.

JC · April 9, 2011

One thing to watch out for with a GPS, for some of the Garmins at least, you have to use the active track log for the correlation. On my Garmin, if you save the active track log to a stored track, it doesn't save the time stamp. Absurd bit of programming, imho. So don't save a track for each day, and then go back a week later and try to use the saved tracks to georeference the photos.

I don't have a specific GPS recommendation, my GPS is overkill if all you want to do is georeference your photos, but I use digikam for my photo organizer and it has a plugin for geolocating photos.

canonboy · April 9, 2011

kolibri wrote: »

One thing to watch out for with a GPS, for some of the Garmins at least, you have to use the active track log for the correlation. On my Garmin, if you save the active track log to a stored track, it doesn't save the time stamp. Absurd bit of programming, imho. So don't save a track for each day, and then go back a week later and try to use the saved tracks to georeference the photos.

Oh no! Which Garmin do you have? This hasn't been my experience with either of the 2 Garmin handheld GPS units I've had (the Garmin Colorado 400t and the other Garmin I listed above). In both units, I have been able to save the GPS tracklog, and it also saves the timestamps, too. I have been able to geotag my photos using tracklogs that were saved in my GPS units.

JC · April 9, 2011

canonboy wrote: »

Oh no! Which Garmin do you have? This hasn't been my experience with either of the 2 Garmin handheld GPS units I've had (the Garmin Colorado 400t and the other Garmin I listed above). In both units, I have been able to save the GPS tracklog, and it also saves the timestamps, too. I have been able to geotag my photos using tracklogs that were saved in my GPS units.

Garmin GPSmap 60csx. Older version of yours. Which, now that I look it up online, sells now for half the price of what it used to be. They must have fixed that feature (or lack of feature). On the saved track logs on mine it only saves elapsed time. It works fine for geotagging my photos, I just have to remember to use the active track log before it fills up and starts wrapping around.

I've also used the location data from my SPOT satellite messenger to geocode my photos, but that doesn't work at high enough resolution for work, only for road trips.

Manfr3d · April 9, 2011

If you want only logging I recommend Wintec WBT-202. It runs 10h on a
single charge and takes microSD Cards. You can define the recording interval
and embedd the Positions in your images with a supplier software on your
computer. Its a very affordable device too.

Art Scott · April 9, 2011

I have used for many years the simple Garmin E-trex (original E-trex)......as canonboy stated it is nice to be able to look back at positions...I originally got mine to locate archery tree stands I had up on public hunting land in the dark then i promoted it to geo tagging pics but was not at all impressed with the actual tagging software available 5 or so yrs ago.....may try it again.
A real plus to at least the Garmin's is if needed you can get external antennae for getting better reception if need, or at least you used to be able to.....also any handheld can help you to get out of where you are by following the trail backwards if you should ever get lost or just turned around.....NONE of the tiny loggers can do that....that is what has kept me from buying the plug in type for my Nikon........

knapph · April 11, 2011

I'll second what Scott said about an external antenna. I have an older Garmin GPS76 CS (I think); adding an external antenna has given it a new lease on life. This will improve any GPS unit. I also have a gps unit I can attach to my camera, Nikon, and have not quite decided which I would take on a trip where I want to make sure I have the track recorded. I probably would take both. The on camera unit tends to get knocked off too much.

I added a small metal plate inside my backpack with velcro and mount the antenna to it. This lets me keep the GPS inside my pack when I am just using it for geotagging photos. This also keeps the gps unit and antenna out of view. I don't like to attract more attention than needed.

I use RoboGeo for tagging the photos. I also like to put the track into Google Earth to see where I was.

GPS Logger

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