Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: brianrybolt on August 18, 2015, 06:08:08 am
-
I am in the market for a GPS logger and am interested in the Holux RCV-3000. I can not find if they are compatible with mac (OS 10.10.5). All of their drivers are for PC only. I can not find who distributes them in the UK and there is very little technical info on the Amazon site.
This is my first foray into GPS so any guidance is appreciated. Any suggestions as what to buy? I'm shooting with a Fuji X-Ti but their app eats batteries rapidly. I want a device that will log my movements so I can match it up with the time stamp of my shots in Lightroom.
Thanks in advance.
Cheers,
Brian
-
How about a Smartphone?
Tony Jay
-
Not accurate enough.
-
Not accurate enough.
I can't imagine that that devices is much more accurate than a smart phone's GPS system. Most consumer level kit will be in the same ballpark accuracy especially when you have a good view of the satellites. Most of the differences will come when the satellite view is obscured.
I use a Garmin handheld GPS unit for geotagging my photos. The benefits are that it uses easily available AA batteries and has a good battery life, can be used for general navigating as well if I wish, you don't need drivers to get the data of it. It just plugs into a computer and via USB, you browse to the device in the file manager and copy off the gpx files. I just clip it to my bag, set it recording, and start taking photos.
-
Could you tell me what model you are using'
Thanks,
Brian
-
How about a Smartphone?
Tony Jay
Battery drain. I keep my phone for emergency use.
-
Not accurate enough.
What level of accuracy do you need/expect ?
-
According to this, smartphones can be as accurate as the Holux (down to 3m accuracy).
http://communityhealthmaps.nlm.nih.gov/2014/07/07/how-accurate-is-the-gps-on-my-smart-phone-part-2/
-
Battery drain. I keep my phone for emergency use.
Would it not be less expensive to purchase a secondary simple Nokia phone for emergency use?
This link seems to have some relevant info for using the iPhone for GPS tracking while backpacking:
http://adventurealan.com/iphone4gps.htm
"When using an iPhone in shallow grade mountains or flat landscapes, with minor tree cover, the accuracy has consistently been within 15 meters. When using it in deep steep walled canyons, the fix is not as accurate as Garmin, 50 to 100 or more meters off in a deep canyon (Paria Canyon in Utah). Using a Garmin and an iPhone 4 we concurrently recorded tracks on 12 miles of trail in fairly dense conifers on the west slope of California's Sierra Nevada range and could not tell any difference in accuracy. "
"Our daily use of the iPhone includes 5-50 sessions with a mapping app (depending on how ambiguous the route is), 10-20 photos, occasional use of bird guide apps, alarm clock, checking time, reading Wiki Offline, and nightly journal entries. All of our usage is discretionary excepting for the mapping apps and GPS reads. We scale our discretionary use based on how many days remain before the next recharge opportunity. With restrained use, most models of iPhones (especially the iPhone6) will last for a week or even ten days."
-
I have used the Holux 1000C Bluetooth GPS for years and it is very accurate and acquires satellites very quickly and is small and the rechargeable battery lasts for many days without need to recharge. A smartphone will need to be recharged and left on and is not something I want to rely on when traveling. The Holux includes software for downloading up to 1000 data points to a computer. Charging is by the use of a USB cable off a computer port.
Fortunately the Nikon cameras have GPS integration built-in so I add a $30 Aokatec Bluetooth adapter to the camera and the images are automatically tagged with the GPS information including the elevation. Minimal drain on the camera battery and I leave the Holux turned on the entire day with it either in a pocket or in the camera bag and that way I can turn off the camera and when I turn it back on again it does not have to reacquire the location.
I don't have a smartphone as it would cost be $600 a year for the base cost over my current cell phone plan and I don't get cell reception where I live and most places where I travel for photography in California. I also do not like the idea of having all of my eggs in one electronic basket.
-
...
I don't have a smartphone as it would cost be $600 a year for the base cost over my current cell phone plan and I don't get cell reception where I live and most places where I travel for photography in California. I also do not like the idea of having all of my eggs in one electronic basket.
Correct me if I am wrong but one does NOT need reception (to a microwave tower) for GPS functionality.
Location can be deduced using microwave tower reception but the baseline system uses satellite triangulation (as with dedicated GPS devices) and so does not need microwave tower reception to work.
(Disclaimer: some apps require reception for mapping and some apps do not - in this case the maps are preloaded on the phone.)
Tony Jay
-
Could you tell me what model you are using'
Thanks,
Brian
I have a GPSmap64. The cheaper eTrex line is perfectly good as well.
-
A smartphone will need to be recharged and left on and is not something I want to rely on when traveling.
Every battery-powered device (be it smartphone or GPS) will have to be charged and left on for it to do something useful? The link I found claimed quite respectable battery life for the iphone when used as a GPS logger?
Fortunately the Nikon cameras have GPS integration built-in
Yes, it is strange that consumer electronics and cameras lead on, while "enthusiast" camera makers are dragging their feet in this respect. One would think that large DSLRs with large batteries and high prices would get integrated GPS long before consumer cameras.
I don't have a smartphone as it would cost be $600 a year for the base cost over my current cell phone plan and I don't get cell reception where I live and most places where I travel for photography in California. I also do not like the idea of having all of my eggs in one electronic basket.
It seems that an iPhone 5s can be had contract-free for $550 from Apple. There is not running cost unless you choose to have one? You might use it as a GPS logger only. Or you might use your current phone plan/SIM for plain calling in addition (at least with the terms used where I live).
-h
-
Correct me if I am wrong but one does NOT need reception (to a microwave tower) for GPS functionality.
Correct. You only need reception of a number of GPS sats.
Location can be deduced using microwave tower reception but the baseline system uses satellite triangulation (as with dedicated GPS devices) and so does not need microwave tower reception to work.
Yeah, they seem to use whatever info they can get, and microwave tower reception can be used for (usually coarse) location at (probably) reduced power consumption.
(Disclaimer: some apps require reception for mapping and some apps do not - in this case the maps are preloaded on the phone.)
Google/Android seems to be very fond of the idea that the user should always be connected (and ship every detail of their life to Google, I would assume). Thus, my experience with Android phones has been that (at least) the included apps might not work as well as one would reasonably expect when there is not network.
That is the reason that I will be switching to Apple the next time: they seem to be less into spying on me. I might be wrong though.
-h
-
With restrained use, most models of iPhones (especially the iPhone6) will last for a week or even ten days."
This I find difficult to believe.
-
Would it not be less expensive to purchase a secondary simple Nokia phone for emergency use?
You are going to activate it with the phone service provider during an emergency?
-
You are going to activate it with the phone service provider during an emergency?
Way are you saying?
I was suggesting buying a cheap $50 phone, equipping it with a fixed sum (eg $20) sim card, enjoying its week long battery life and pressing "911" or whatever your local emergency number is?
H
-
This I find difficult to believe.
That was not my claim but that of a link that I found. Obviously it depends on what they mean by "restricted" use.
Apple claims 16 days of standby for thebiggest iPhone. Using the GPS should consume more power than standby, but switching off the phone at night and when not shooting images might increase life.
Are talking about logging GPS position once a second day and night, or logging position 3 times a day when you find a nice sunset?
H
-
I'm not sure I would claim that much life on an iPhone, but my experience using a tracking program such as Strava while the phone is in my pocket and the screen is off is that the battery draw is marginally higher than not having Strava running. It seems the gps logging is a very low-power activity.
-
What is the GPS logging app du jour for tagging your photos in Lightroom?
-
What is the GPS logging app du jour for tagging your photos in Lightroom?
There isn't one.
Personally I prefer dragging and dropping thumbnails onto the map, or using a Garmin logger on my Nikons, but others like tracklogs and there are many out there. MotionX seems quite common.
-
What is the GPS logging app du jour for tagging your photos in Lightroom?
Before I import into LR, I use "GeoSetter" to merge GPX file data into image files so that merging in LR isn't required.
"GeoSetter" also allows for including location name tags into files, not just GPS coordinates.
-
I was suggesting buying a cheap $50 phone, equipping it with a fixed sum (eg $20) sim card, enjoying its week long battery life and pressing "911" or whatever your local emergency number is?
H
Right, the so-called 'burner phones'. I've not encountered them, but yes, that makes sense.
-
What is the GPS logging app du jour for tagging your photos in Lightroom?
I think the best iOS app is gps4cam. It can log accurately, and some of the parameters are adjustable. It has a companion desktop application, and all you have to do is take a photo of a QRCode and then the desktop app finds it and geocodes your photos. No GPX files to import; in fact nothing but the photos. It also works with HoudahGeo, which gives you more control over fine tuning locations, writing to files, etc. It's pretty amazing how they get all the info into that QRCode. Then just use "read metadata..." to get it into Lr.
In response to the OP, GPS loggers in general aren't very Mac friendly, and many don't work with iOS. But some do.
Accuracy kinda depends. The latest chips help, and so does the antenna. Reception is pretty key; in general new ones will be better than an iPhone in many situations (see here: http://fulcrumapp.com/blog/gps-accuracy-experimentation/).
But accuracy while moving can be an issue too. If you need something that can keep up with a fast moving object (like a camera mounted in a car) then a higher refresh rate can help; 10hz is probably the most feasible consumer unit right now, like the XGPS 160. It's used a lot with car geeks on the track. iPhones don't keep up very well. It's also a nice unit cuz it works as an external for iOS apps, and can data log. It's got a 10 hour battery but can run on a 12v connection.
I've use a GlobalStar BT 335, but it's a pain, mainly due to poor Mac support. I prefer my iPhone when I can, or a dedicated GPS unit like a Garmin (which I have for other purposes, not just geotagging).
One issue with dedicated units to be aware of is acquisition time. My built-in GPS in a Panny takes forever; you just sit there waiting while the animals slowly move out of range. Then hang around to take an establishing shot to get the GPS. Some units are better than others, but with some loggers you pretty much need to leave 'em on. If you are stopping and taking photos at one spot for a while, it's sometimes better to just use an iPhone that's got BT and wifi and cell turned off; take a photo to capture the location and just copy from that later.
-
I know of no smartphone that has more than an 18 hour battery life. It would be even shorter with Bluetooth enabled all day long. My Holux 1000 can go for more than a week of continuous use before recharging is needed. It is also 2.5 x 1.5 x .625 inches in size so I turn it on and put it in a shirt pocket and forget about it.
When I used a smartphone while traveling the GPS was nowhere near as fast to determine my position and it would fail in most parts of the state if I lost cell reception. I used the Holux in China and Costa Rica and Europe with no problems and no need to have an international phone plan.
A smartphone provides no advantages over the tiny Holux and several key disadvantages. The less I have to charge while traveling the better. With the Holux and my Aokatec Bluetooth receivers and set of camera batteries I can be off the grid for a week or more with no problems.
-
I know of no smartphone that has more than an 18 hour battery life. It would be even shorter with Bluetooth enabled all day long. My Holux 1000 can go for more than a week of continuous use before recharging is needed. It is also 2.5 x 1.5 x .625 inches in size so I turn it on and put it in a shirt pocket and forget about it.
When I used a smartphone while traveling the GPS was nowhere near as fast to determine my position and it would fail in most parts of the state if I lost cell reception. I used the Holux in China and Costa Rica and Europe with no problems and no need to have an international phone plan.
A smartphone provides no advantages over the tiny Holux and several key disadvantages. The less I have to charge while traveling the better. With the Holux and my Aokatec Bluetooth receivers and set of camera batteries I can be off the grid for a week or more with no problems.
Correct me if I am wrong but Smartphones have built in GPS receivers.
They do not need cellphone towers to know where they are; triangulation off those towers is not necessary for GPS to work.
Perhaps certain apps may want this info but the GPS apps on my Smartphone do not need to be in communication with a cellphone tower to work just fine.
One does not need an international phone plan to use the GPS when travelling.
I cannot argue about battery life apart from the fact that the phone does not draw much more power than when the screen is off.
I plan to take my Smartphone to parts of Africa in about a fortnight where we will be way off the grid as far as cellphone reception goes.
I will use it as a GPS (to find my way when needed) as well as a track logger for geotagging images.
Tony Jay
-
I cannot understand the insistence on using a smartphone for everything including applications where there are better solutions. It is like a Swiss army knife that provides many functions but none are particularly good.
Out in the field I carry a Holux receiver and 2 Aokatec bluetooth receivers for my two cameras and 2 Aokatec GPS receivers that plug into the cameras but take longer to find a location and need to relocate whenever the camera is turned off so they serve as backups. The total package is half the size of a single smartphone and I can go for a week or more with no need to plug stuff into AC outlets.
Total cost of the Holux and the 4 Aokatec devices was $200 and gives me a primary and a backup GPS for each of my cameras. With the Nikon cameras all I have to do is plug the Aokatec into the camera and leave the Holux on all the time and every time I turn on the camera I have the GPS coordinates immediately available and the data is automatically added to each image file. Foolproof, cheap, reliable, and takes zero effort to work and to have the files geotagged automatically. So long as I shoot with Nikon cameras it is a no brainer to take this approach.
To determine my route in the field I make use of a Garmin GPS and my backup is a Suunto compass and topo maps. Relying on a smartphone would be foolish.
-
I use my iPhone 6S+ for capturing a tracklog. I use the Geotag Photos Pro app which connects with Dropbox so after a shoot I upload and the GPX file goes into Dropbox and then the tracklog is available in Lightroom on my Mac by selecting it from Dropbox. It is very easy and convenient.
The app drags only little battery and seems very precise even though I do not need accuracy down to a few meters anyway. I like the app and why should I carry extra devices around when my iPhone is with me anyway?
I geotag all my images and I use some of the geotagged images to load back on my iPhone so I can navigate to the location of the photo when I want to go back where a photo is shot. I use the TomTom app for that and it can navigate to the GPS location of a photo. I use this for the shooting locations on my workshops as I otherwise would be able to remember them all ;)