Ask Engadget: Best geotagging camera or solution?
By Darren Murph 
posted December 10th 2009 11:31PM
posted December 10th 2009 11:31PM
Short and sweet, precisely how we like it. We're also expanding the question to include geotagging accessories, being that it may actually be best to snag a well-respected standalone camera and then add something like the PhotoTrackr Mini -- besides, this will ensure that you can upgrade cameras whenever you darn well please without losing the geotagging abilities. Shout out your recommendations in comments below!"I am looking for the best geotagging camera currently available. The most important feature for me is the accuracy of the GPS module, so any hard specs on satellite receiver would be really useful. Thanks for your time!"
i'd beware of the EYE FI geotag thing
Geotagging is made possible through Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) technology. Using built-in Wi-Fi, the Eye-Fi Card senses surrounding Wi-Fi networks as you take pictures. When photos are uploaded, the Eye-Fi Service then adds the geotags to your photos.
I haven't tried this yet, but here's what I plan to do on my next photo outing.
I have a BB9700 with GPS. I've installed BBTracker - a small, lightweight app that records GPS positions to KML (Google Earth) or GPX data files. Once I export that data to my computer, I'm going to use Microsoft's Pro Photo Tools 2 to write the GPS data to my camera's RAW files. This should also work for JPEG files.
It's not the cleanest and easiest solution, but it makes do with the tech I already own, freeing money up for other stuff I want / need to buy.
Carry a good camera and carry a good GPS - Geotag later.
Trying to put both gizmos together isn't ideal, especially since the GPS needs to be on for a while to figure out where it is, and it's sorta got to stay awake, too. Cameras don't need to do that.
Accuracy is affected by satellite visibility, so one (silly) way to improve it is to wear the GPS under a hat. Some sew a pocket in there to help. Because a GPS might have a good idea where it is in your pocket or in a camera, but if you can orient it to keep its view of satellites optimal, your results will also be optimal.
Any of the trail versions that Garmin makes will have a "track log" feature that geotagging uses.
For a point and shoot, try looking at the Nikon Coolpix P6000. Here is a review with some GPS info:
http://blog.nelso.com/2008/10/testing-gps-in-nikon-coolpix-p6000.html
I've been using the Wintec WBT-201 for a few years now without a problem. I just charge it up and leave it on dangling from my backpack when I go out and take photos. Then I use GPS Photo Linker for the mac to tag each photo. Its not the most elegant solution but a very effective one.
I did a little digging, after reading some of the comments. If you have a Nikon DSLR, check out offerings from these sites. (Note, some Canon models and others also have products here).
http://www.phottix.net/shop/default.asp?product_id=1448
(near clone of Nikon GP-1)
http://www.dawntech.hk/di-GPS/products.htm
(also have Canon products)
http://www.e-geotag.com/Default.aspx
(Nikon and Fuji-Film)
Solmeta (sorry - only can enter 3 urls)
(two Nikon units, and the pro unit may be used with any camera)
There are a few other makers out there, but these seem to be the most reliable. If you check forums on DPReview an Flickr, you can find some user comments. I also found several blog reviews on the interwebs.
The Ricoh 500 SE is the best geo-tagging camera. It will do both LAT & LONG or MGRS, and also has a DMC.
How about one of Mobile Action i-gotUs? I have this one:
http://global.mobileaction.com/product/product_i-gotU_BT.jsp
Waterproof, doubles as bluetooth/USB GPS, data logger, etc... used it on my vacation this summer without a glitch, all my photos are geotagged. And it looks nice. :)
Nikon P6000. We use it at work and have a library of 150,000 pictures taken across the country with about 75%-80% "passable quality" GIS in the tags. Sucks a bit more battery than a normal camera....But works like a charm.
I really like my QStarz BT-Q1000X. It’s a GPS ‘travel recorder’, and it’s pretty accurate. On the Mac I use third-party (free) software to get the GPX files from the device which I then merge with my photos within Aperture (using Maperture Pro), or when I import using ImageIngester Pro.
I wish things were a bit easier on the computer—most of the time I’m stuck using a Java bomb-site called BT-747 which is not very ‘Mac’ in its interface design. In fact I wish that someone would write some GPX ‘library’ software for the Mac, where you can store loads of GPX files from your travels, and you can then view your routes on maps directly within the application, combine separate GPX files, see everywhere you’ve been at once, and so on. A boy can wish, I suppose. (Any Objective-C developers out there with time on their hands?!)
Standalone GPS recorder combined with whatever camera I got out on the shoot then combine track/photo on my PC.
Use a i-Blue 821 myself, fairly cheap but really good. Lasts for days on on one charge, haven't had any problems with it keeping the satellite lock over oceans, helicopters, airplanes nor mountains or some pretty darn isolated areas.
“raging Ent Posted Dec 11th 2009 1:29AMNeutralI have been looking for a solution to this for a while now. Unfortunately, the only on-camera GPS solutions that appear worthwhile are for DSLRs. While that is great, that is not usually the time when I need GPS tagging. I need GPS tagging when I am hiking or biking with a point and shoot camera. The problem is that from the second you turn on the camera, you need to be able to take a shot. If the gps takes even 10 seconds to lock then it is useless. From what I hear, most of them take as much as a minute. This is unacceptable as a solution, so I think an external GPS logger has to suffice.”
Actually the Easytagger GPS mentioned above is the solution you need. It has its own battery, so it can lock on the satellites all the time. No need to restart. It also has the logger function with a 2GB storage card.
Promote GPS and Nikon D90
http://www.promotesystems.com/
Promote GPS-90 benefits include:
* Immediate geotagging - no computer processing required
* Provides latitude, longitude, elevation and date/time information
* Dependable 20 channel GPS receiver powered by SiRF Star III chip
* Supports WAAS / EGNOS / MSAS
* No batteries required - powered directly from camera
* Easy to use right-angle connector to ensure best fit to Nikon D90/D5000 cameras
* Low power consumption for longer shooting sessions
* Automatically powered on/off along with camera exposure meter
* Satellite almanac is automatically memorized for quick hot start
* Made in USA
the P6000 is a nice solution. yes, takes longer than i wish to get a fix sometimes. but once it does, accuracy is great. plus it's small enough to pack as a compact point-and-shoot, but has more extensive features, including an optical viewfinder and wide 28mm lens (4x zoom).
When i want to geotag pix with a different camera, i use GPSRecorder on my iPhone and HoudahGeo on my Mac. I dislike the two-step workflow, but Houdah's actually pretty cool. If i used this process routinely, it'd be more than simple enough. It's when i haven't used it and go back, takes a bit to sort out what does which to whom. :)
Garmin makes a gps with a 3.2 mp camera. It might not take the same quality pictures as a high end camera, but as far as gps/geotagging capability I'm sure it is one of the best. The oregon 550t is one of the models I'm talking about and it should record you're location to within around 10 feet.