GoBandit GPSHD camera with GPS

[TimO]

I'm not sure how useful an idea this is, but GoBandit are due to release a camera with a built in GPS.

I've got a small IgotU GPS which is meant to be used with a stills camera, the synchroniaation of the GPS and the pictures being achieved with a supplied software package which embeds the Latitude and Longitude into the image's EXIF data.

The GPSHD looks like it's software will output the video in various forms, having combined the GPS information with the video footage.  I guess at the simplest things like speed can be overlayed onto the film, and possibly more complex map tracks could also be combined.

It looks interesting, but whether the price will be worth what is really just gluing the two devices together and adding on some software to merge the data.  The only unique feature over two distinct devices, is that the time of the film footage can be exactly aligned with the GPS totally automagically.

[frankly frankie]

There's a lot to be said for not having to reconcile the clocks offset from 2 separate devices, I find it can be quite a fiddly job. Also an integrated device can also (in theory) record the direction the camera is pointing.
I'm sure integrated GPS in cameras will be very normal very soon.  Though I'm not sure how it works at switch-on - given it always takes at least 5 secs for the GPS to get a first fix, and a lot of photos are grabbed more quickly than that.

[TimO]

...Also an integrated device can also (in theory) record the direction the camera is pointing. ...

Only if the GPS also has an integrated compass or the device is in motion, and you know the physical relationship between the direction of motion and the GPS.

You can use GPS to determine the orientation of a stationary device, but you need two receivers, and enough space between them to be able to measure their physical separation and relative positions (and in space even that isn't entirely sufficient for the complete attitude).

I looked at this briefly for CubeSats (nanosats, whose biggest dimension is generally 30cm), and it's not practical.  Even with large satellites it's challenging using just bog standard C/A mode (and unless you're a military user, you aren't going to get access to P Mode).  You need to put GPS antennas at two extreme points on the satellite structure, or even better on the end of booms.  Booms are a nuisance, they're heavy, expensive, complicated to deploy, they flex (and cause movement in the entire satellite structure when induced by thermal effects), and do not provide a very benign environment for devices mounted on them.

[frankly frankie]

Yes I was assuming a compass as well (using the term 'GPS' much too loosely).  I think the high-end Nikon stills cameras can record orientation into the exif, as well as position.

I've done a lot of geo-tagging of photos from long cycle tours, over the last year or so - ie matching GPS tracks to exif datestamps - in theory it seems easy enough if you can find one photo that can nail the offset - in practice results are very variable, makes me wonder how good the camera clock is, across multiple power cycles.

[TimO]

I think the implication with the IgotU is that you reset the clock of the camera before going out, presumably everyday, although this could be a bit tedious.

I've never actually bothered to use the time stamping feature of the I-gotU/camera, but maybe I should try on this weeks FNRttC.  Sometimes it is a bit of a mystery where you've stopped along the route, since it's well marked by the waymarkers, and you don't "need" to know where you are.  Being able to match the track up to the images could be interesting (although I'm fairly familiar with the Brighton route now, having done it quite a few time).

[Kim]

There's a lot to be said for not having to reconcile the clocks offset from 2 separate devices, I find it can be quite a fiddly job.

Surely it's just a matter of taking a photo of the GPS receiver's screen (okay, that's assuming it has one) displaying the time, and applying the necessary fudge-factor later.  There must be software to do that?

[TimO]

The IgotU doesn't have a screen, it's a tiny GPS logger, intended to be fitted to things like the strap on a camera bag.  It has one push-button, two LEDs, and four electrical contacts which mate with a cradle to connect them to a USB port (for charging and data comms).

Click image for bigness (sorry it's a bit fuzzy)

I actually bought it to experiment with tracking Talisker, but I haven't worked out a way to attach it to him that won't end up with him stuck in a fence somewhere.  I think I need one with an integrated GSM module, so I can track him down if he doesn't come home, but those aren't as small yet.

[Kim]

The IgotU doesn't have a screen, it's a tiny GPS logger, intended to be fitted to things like the strap on a camera bag.

Fair enough.  A photography (and Tesco BSO) enthusiast friend of mine has a similar (though not quite so neat) device that's the size of a roll of 35mm film, powered by an AAA battery, which includes a small LCD that can display coordinates, time, etc.

In the absence of a screen, you're reduced to making sure the camera's clock is accurate.  They should fit them with a precision time source to avoid that problem.  I hear that GPS chipsets are remarkably cheap these days... 

[frankly frankie]

Straying OT a little but I'm been using the free software Geosetter http://www.geosetter.de/en which seems very comprehensive though rather syrupy on my slow broadband connection.  It not only sets the Lat/Long of each image but also writes the location (nearest village, region, country) and the altitude into the exif.  You can also add in viewpoint direction manually.

Never thought of snapping the GPS screen as a clapperboard - good idea (the GPS would need to be moving at the time - run into shot with it, snap, then run out again).  
At cycling speeds its usually simple enough to choose a photo of a clear location (river bridge is good, easy to pinpoint on the map) provided I know there was no hanging around - eg if I just stopped, snapped then moved on, that's ideal.  
I then synch the entire 2-week trip to this in one fell swoop.  Ends up something like this Himalayan album (not my photos NB)

But I have found inconsistencies and its as though the camera clock was not very accurate - as though it maybe rounds to the nearest minute each time it powers up, something like that.  Seems unlikely I know, especially as I've had the same with 3 different cameras.  The software is quite complex so probably just user error.

[sbseven]

There's a lot to be said for not having to reconcile the clocks offset from 2 separate devices, I find it can be quite a fiddly job.

Surely it's just a matter of taking a photo of the GPS receiver's screen (okay, that's assuming it has one) displaying the time, and applying the necessary fudge-factor later.  There must be software to do that?

Exiftool is very comprehensive and includes geotagging using gps traces and offsets.

Exiftool: ExifTool by Phil Harvey
Geotagging: Geotagging with ExifTool

Shaun

[Cunobelin]

I use the AMOD, as it is Mac Compatible.

[TimO]

Interesting gadget.  I would have said the IgotU was cheaper, but I can't find many sites which are significantly cheaper than the AMOD currently.  It looks like the AMOD is larger, but has a greater capacity for logging, plus it runs off of AAAs which makes it easy to get new batteries most places.

The IgotU on the other hand, can log points anywhere at intervals of from second to one hour, which should allow a lot of points for a very small unit and battery (if you don't mind the points being a bit far apart).  It can be configured to change it's logging interval with speed, so when it's moving fast (for example in a motor vehicle) it can log intervals more often than when stationary.  It has a small internal battery, which charges off of the USB, so it's cheap to run.

When I'm using the IgotU for a longer ride, I'll set it up to store a fix every 10 or 15 seconds, and it'll run for well over 12 hours like that.  Other than in the middle of London, you can determine you location when cycling and using a map to find the appropriate road.  Sometimes in environments with lots of buildings, fixes can be a bit iffy (too many buildings obscure satellites and cause multi-path reception), and with lots of small narrow roads it can be difficult to work out exactly which road you are on.

As others have said, having it integrated into the camera, so you don't have to bugger about synchronising things would be best, but small antenna size, and power hungry electronics (even with modern improvements on power consumption) make this more difficult.  I'm guessing you would have to switch such a camera into a special mode, where it ran the GPS in a sort of standby mode so that the GPS stayed fairly well locked to the satellites and could then get a current accurate fix quickly when you hit the shutter release button.

[David Martin]

There's a lot to be said for not having to reconcile the clocks offset from 2 separate devices,

I use trekbuddy to record traces on my mobile phone. I can then just photograph the screen with the HMS clock on it to get a camera/gps concordance.

..d

[andygates]

Exiftool is very comprehensive and includes geotagging using gps traces and offsets.

Exiftool: ExifTool by Phil Harvey
Geotagging: Geotagging with ExifTool

That's ever so clever.  Bookmarked for when I go on a long photo-ramble!

[frankly frankie]

GeoSetter is a mashup front-end that utilises Exiftool, GPSBabel, Google Maps and Openstreetmap, all in an ACDC-like interface.  Dog-slow on my system!