GPS for logging photo locations and mapping route.... with altimeter? Help please

[bmartin1uk]

Hi All

OK so i dont actually need the GPS for the traditional functions - All i want is to be able to turn it on and it takes a location recording every however many minutes/hours, then i can upload this to the internet, and sync it with Google Maps etc and ideally my photos.
It would be great if it had an altimeter (that worked!)and a bonus if it had a thermometer (but i can get a cheap one of these).
Would be great if it was less than a hundred pounds (but looking at reviews of altimeters - sub 100 quid and it doesnt work) and something i could keep in my bag while im moving about (is this possible for it to find signal).

Any ideas?

Thanks

Ben

 

[lostplanet]

I bought a Garmin etrex H from amazon recently for around £70. Its a great bit of kit, it doe's overlays very easily in google earth, simple to use and robust.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-eTre...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1286294388&sr=8-1

also you will need a USB cable to connect to PC/laptop.

I bought one of these from GPSBitz but they seem to have disappeared.

 

[ganstey]

I've also been looking into buying a GPS. Two of my friends have Garmins (one a Gekko, the other an eTrex) and they're both delighted with them. I can't work out what cable I need to connect to a PC though. The picture on Amazon looks like a USB to RS232 D-Sub cable. Is that right? Do you have a link to a picture so I can see what I'm looking for... IYSWIM

 

[Bigfoot]

From memory there are a couple of Panasonic compact cameras that record your lat and long when you take a piccie, specifically for uploading to Google Earth. I don't think they provide alt information however, nor plottable routing. Not exactly what you are looking for, I don't think but I'm sure there will be a good combo unit as you describe sometime in the near future.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I go with an etrex, really like mine, nice and simple all you need do is hit the way point button each time you take a pic at a different location if you wanted to log it accurately, I bought a dual charger\usb lead direct from garmin, but had a whopping discount at the time so no idea what it would cost in the real world,

 

[iamasmith]

If you do happen to be on a Mac then this is useful. http://www.earlyinnovations.com/gpsphotolinker/

I have a Garmin Oregon and a 60CSx. I usually have one of them tracking if I'm doing a batch of photos. Just make sure to have the clocks synced between the GPS and the Camera - leave the GPSr on for 15 mins or more to be certain of a good time sync.

Incidentally, don't think about turning these devices off and on as you need photos. They have 10+ hours battery life, eTrex is around 20 IIRC so leave it going recording the track.

If you don't have a Mac then there are probably other bits of free software that will do the same on Linux or some other operating system if you have to use that.

 

[DavidJT]

Some specialist geotagging devices are a little cleverer than a normal gps at this task, and cross reference the time you took the shot with your gps location at that time (no need to remember to press buttons on gps). They won't help you navigate though.
Just google slr geotagging device.

 

[iamasmith]

Some specialist geotagging devices are a little cleverer than a normal gps at this task, and cross reference the time you took the shot with your gps location at that time (no need to remember to press buttons on gps). They won't help you navigate though.
Just google slr geotagging device.

But, these devices usually only try to acquire when turned on, don't have the same type of antennae design as a Garmin unit, don't have WAAS/EGNOS to augment the positioning etc. and won't give you a full track if you want that as well. The Camera GPSr device world has a way of catching up to do over the hiking GPS.

You CAN get devices that you take the card from your camera after some photos and it will tag the photos. Do a LOT of searching if you go this way. Many are disappointed. The eTrex (for the money) I would suggest is the way to go.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Just as a note, but in now way a good camera, my BB Storm has the geotag feture, its good to use with a better cam, I take a scene pic with phone which logs my position then take the pic proper with proper camera, its a faf but uses kit i already have, worth a look if you have a smart phone,

 

[Mr Adoby]

I am very fond of my Garmin Oregon 550t. It has a built in camera that is good enough for pics to publish on Google Earth, and the pics are automatically geotagged. The easiest way to store a location is to take a picture. Later you can browse to that picture and start navigation to it.

Here are two pictures I took in my garden: (I hope this works?)

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=56.8...00765,0.002328&t=h&z=19&lci=com.panoramio.all