[Dave]

For those at the cutting edge of technology the following addition of GPS support is good news

Press Release:

Breeze Systems adds GPS support to Downloader Pro 2.0

Breeze Systems has released the latest version of its image transfer package Downloader Pro. Features new to v2.0 include the ability to tag images with GPS coordinate information as they are downloaded from camera to computer and thumbnail support. The new software has also been updated to run on Windows Vista and includes support for additional file types.

Breeze Systems' Downloader Pro 2.0 introduces GPS geo-tagging and thumbnail display

28 March 2007 - Breeze Systems today released Downloader Pro 2.0, the company's powerful yet simple program to transfer digital photos from camera to PC. Downloader Pro renames and stores images with file and directory names chosen by the user to automate the process of transferring images from a camera or card reader to PC.

New in Downloader Pro v2.0
View thumbnails of images on a memory card
Identify memory card contents and select groups of images to download to a PC

Geo-Tagging: Automatic GPS geo-tagging of JPEG and raw files as they are downloaded.
Simply connect a GPS tracker device such as the Sony GPS-CS1 GPS Tracker to the computer using a USB cable and Downloader Pro will automatically read the GPS data and store it in the images as they are downloaded

Create track log files from GPS data which can be viewed using Google Earth or Google Maps
Example: Google Maps track log generated using Downloader Pro

IPTC XMP data support for improved compatibility with BreezeBrowser Pro, Adobe Photoshop and other imaging applications
Legacy IPTC IIM data support is still available for working with older applications that don't support XMP

Organize images from memory cards spanning several days and subjects with Downloader Pro v2.0's new date based job codes

Improved support for Windows Vista, new file formats, improved backup plug-in and much more
Downloader Pro runs on Windows and is available on a free 30 day trial from Breeze Systems' website. File formats supported include JPEG, TIFF and DNG images from all digital cameras, plus raw files from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Fuji, Konica Minolta, Pentax, Sony, Kodak, Sigma, Panasonic, Leica and Hasselblad digital cameras.

[Dave]

Anyone use GPS related to photography ?

[Markulous]

I have used my GPSr (Magellan Meridian) to place the location of shots on my recorded route but haven't tried tagging the pic with co-ordinates (and gave up logging locations as it was all a little clunky from the free S/W). But it does presume camera time is accurate as that is what it uses to place on recorded route

[danpen]

I've recently started and, being lazy I needed a solution that was very little effort (or it wouldn't get done reliably).

I already used Downloader Pro so I upgraded that and bought a Sony GPS-CS1 (£45.00 from ebay). It takes AA batteries that I always have on me for the flash so I don't need to remember to charge etc. I've got it really simple now ...

• Plug the camera into the PC and Downloader Pro automatically syncs the time, the time on the PC is accurate as it's sync'd across the internet.
• Turn on the GPS as you set off and it creates a track file, which it writes to every 15 seconds, it syncs it's time to the GPS feed.
• Photograph stuff, lots of stuff.
• Turn off the GPS when you've finished.
• Plug the GPS into a spare USB Socket where it's seen as USB Storage (just another drive)
• Plug card into card reader, Downloader Pops up, finds the GPS automatically reads the files and tags them with the location.
• Read them into Lightroom and click on the location data in the IPTC Browser - it takes you to Google Earth

So apart from remembering to turn the GPS on and off, and plug it into the PC it's all automatic.

What I haven't really sussed is how useful the data actually is, I have very little need for it today but I can see a time when it'd be useful to remember exactly where I was when I saw all those Dragonflies, or that great view which I need to go back to when it's not so misty. It's also great for when my great grandchildren find all those shots of ancient Leeds and can tell that the Anti-Grav station was built where the Market used to be.

Can anyone think of any good uses for the GPS data right now? Any interesting apps using it?

cheers

Dan

[Markulous]

Originally Posted by danpen

Can anyone think of any good uses for the GPS data right now?

I was using my combo to put together my hikes on the 'Net with pics - but the hassle of OS maps on the web and the time it took to put it all together knocked it on the head