 For all of the all-in-one devices that come on the market, one out of every 10 has merit. Photography and GPS integration is one collaboration that was expected to change the game, and so far the technology is living up to the hype.
Major camera manufacturers like Panasonic, Samsung and Nikon have now included a GPS module in their digital point and shoot and D-SLR models. Canon seems to have missed the boat on this, relying instead on an external GPS device that connects with their 5D.
The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10 is surpassing all expectations with their geotagging, manual controls and SDXC card compatibility. Geotagging is the fast-growing art of saving the GPS coordinates on the photo file. This allows the user to download their photos to a map, sharing the location and image quickly and easily with anyone they choose. Not only will the GPS tag the photo in the EXIF data, it will also display real-time location details on the LCD screen.
The addition of manual controls bumps this Panasonic up into a different category than previous models, as it is now more comparable to the Digital SLR models from their competitors. One such competing brand is Nikon, who introduced their Coolpix P6000 with GPS capability that automatically geotags the photos. These files can be uploaded to Nikon's software Picturetown for instant organization, based on time and location of where the photo was taken.
One other camera manufacturer that has joined the GPS world is Samsung. They decided to go a little softer and released a GPS enable point and shoot, the ST1000. It is considered a connected device, boasting not only location awareness but WiFi and Bluetooth. These features included in the camera reduce the need for external devices such as cables, GPS devices, Bluetooth dongles or Eye-Fi SD cards.
Amateurs and professional photographers will all enjoy these new features, whether it is to help with organization of photos online, or to accurately compose panoramic photos. We look forward to the many more advancements sure to come with photography and GPS.
|
