Anybody geotagging?

[David Mackie]

Hi all

Geotagging with Mac OS X - also can use Image Ingester

Here is how I do my geotagging on my Intel duo core iMac and it works well

Hardware: Garmin eTrex Vista HCx (USB connection)

Software:

1) Download tracklog from my GPS using Image Ingester new beta version
2) Ingest the photos with ImageIngester (there is a slight difference btn LoadMyTracks .gpx files and II .gpx files)
4) The rest of the DAM workflow

The iMac and LoadMyTracks recognizes the eTrex Vista (although none of the Garmin map software works on the Mac).

Hope this helps someone

David

[AndreasWalbert]

I use a small outdoor-gps unit from Garmin, the etrex.

Advantage: Regular GPS-functionality is built-in (just in case you get lost  )

To transform the native-format into gpx and read it from the unit, I need
1. Serial Cable
2. http://www.gpsbabel.org/ (open-source and very useful for GPS-file-operations)

Geocoding:
Also there is a useful (and free) tool from Google available: http://code.google.com/p/gpicsync/

It can do the transformation on RAW and DNG (of course also with jpg).
It writes either just in EXIF or in EXIF and IPTC

One word regarding precision:
This is over-estimated.
How precise is the reading you get from a TOPO50-map?
In the field 50 m are just nothing, especially as e.g. streets are not shown in their real size.

Also precision of the GPS-units is going to increase, once Galileo (European version of GPS) is activated, as you will be able to get a reading from both systems: GPS and Galileo. This will be helpful especially in narrow city-canyons.

In my opinion, time-stamping is precise enough.
With the eTrex you are able to adjust the tracking mode to either a time-difference or a movement (coming back to the plane).
But how long does it take you to take a picture? How far do you really move within 30 s in the field?
I actually work with steps of roughly 60 s. When I synchronize, I find out, that about 90 % of all pictures fit into this scheme...

There are lists available which show Countries in dependency from GPS-coordinates.
We use this on www.castogo.com for indetifcation of the Country of uploaded and geo-tagged media.

Hope, this was useful.

Greetings
Andreas

[Don B]

Adobe Online Forums has a good discussion about geotagging:  http://www.adobe.com/support/forums/?ogn=EN_US-gntray_comm_forums
Click on "Lightroom" in the second column> 4th line from the top--click on "forum search"> and type in "geotagging" in the box "What to search for".

[gsvenningsen]

Hi,

For those of you who would like to geotag your RAW-files through XMP sidecar files, I would recommend to take a look at the GeoSetter software http://www.geosetter.de/en/ (Freeware, Windows only). Just remember to check the "Save data in XMP sidecar files" for your RAW-file type.

One can set the location manually from Google Maps/Satelite images, or from a GPS-tracklog synchronized with the image Exif time. The software has a very nice interface with Google maps, on which it can show track-logs and waypoints. Furthermore it can automatically fill inn the IPTC location fields (Country, State, City, etc), available from certain public databases, when the geotag has been set.

Best Regards
Gaute

[billcheal]

I capture the GPS Data using a small logger and then add it to the image when I import them. I use a Canon 40D and capture both the RAM and JPG images.  I have found Downloader Pro by Breeze allows me to rename the files, add keywords and add the GPS data all in one step. Best of all it adds XMP sidecar files to the RAW images and doesn't touch the RAW file, other than to change the file name.
Downloader Pro wants the GPS data to be in the GPX format. If your logger does not have the option for this format, you will need to convert it using someones software.

Bill

[gsvenningsen]

I capture the GPS Data using a small logger and then add it to the image when I import them. I use a Canon 40D and capture both the RAM and JPG images.  I have found Downloader Pro by Breeze allows me to rename the files, add keywords and add the GPS data all in one step. Best of all it adds XMP sidecar files to the RAW images and doesn't touch the RAW file, other than to change the file name.
Downloader Pro wants the GPS data to be in the GPX format. If your logger does not have the option for this format, you will need to convert it using someones software.

Bill

Bill, I have tried Downlowader Pro, and I agree that it is a simple and fast way to geotag. However, there are certain issues that Downloader Pro doesn't handle very well. What if you forgot your GPS, or it didn't have satellite fix? What if the tracklog is not correct?

This is where Geosetter has a strong advantage. One may use the tracklog, or geotag manually with Google Maps. And you may even change the geotag on images that was erroneously tagged from the tracklog. One can choose to save the geodata as a seperate XMP sidecar file (RAW) or in the image file (RAW, JPEG).

[Don B]

Canon Wireless Transmitter & Garmin gps: Expensive, but works great!
I have two 40d's, and attached the WT to one, with a short usb from it to the Garmin.  The gps is powered by the WT's battery.  The only caution is to set the "Power Off" to "Never".  Otherwise, the gps will run off of its batteries, and the camera has to spend time reconnecting in order to take a photo.  I leave the units on all day, with no issues.  (Extra batteries would be a good idea, though.)

After importing into Lightroom (1 & 2), clicking on the gps metadata area takes me directly to Google Earth, to the precise location.  The camera's metadata shows the coordinates and the altitude, but I've not found the altitude listed in LR's metadata.  If anyone has any ideas, it would be appreciated, as I remember some discussion elsewhere about complete gps information being included in LR's list.  Even if the gps is set to feet, the altitude still appears in the camera in meters.  If anyone has a fix for this, it would be appreciated.

Don