Satnav/compact camera combo allows better tracking of photos

By Felix Rehwald Oct 3, 2010, 17:34 GMT

Frankfurt - Digital compact cameras have established themselves as the jack-of-all-trades of the photography world, long since taking their place with pride alongside professional grade cameras. Long gone are the days when they were just for a quick snapshot on vacation or at a family event.

Now they've added a new trick - beyond the light sensors and high-grade optics - satellite navigation (satnav) receivers, which automatically label each photo with the exact location taken.

This is more than just a toy. The new add-on means organization is no longer controlled by date taken, but also by place taken. They can even be stored on new interactive maps.

'This is going to be one of the central topics at Photokina,' says Constanze Clauss of The Imaging Association of Germany, talking about an industry gathering.

While geolocation for photos has been available on expensive professional-grade cameras for a while, companies like Sony, Panasonic and Samsung have started adding the feature to compact models in the 400-euro (539-dollar) range.

Many manufacturers wanted to be the first at a recent photography convention in Cologne to announce their new GPS cameras. Some were looking forward to presenting one.

Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V, with 10X optical zoom (focal length depending on a small image format: 25 to 250 mm) is already on the market. It comes with a GPS receiver and a compass.

The 10.2-megapixel camera notes the geodata of the location with every photograph or video clip taken. That information is shown on the display when the photo is taken and saved with the photo or video data.

The camera comes with software that lets the location information be transferred to a computer and displayed on a map. 'The compass function shows which direction the camera and the photographer were pointing when the picture was made,' notes Sony.

For its part, Panasonic has its Travel Zoom series for its Lumix DMX-TZ10, with 12 megapixels and 12X optical zoom (focal length: 25 to 300 millimetres). This also comes with an integrated satnav function, which not only records geographical data about the site the photo was taken in the picture's EXIF file, but also displays the names of nearby cities and interesting sites.

The names and coordinates of 500,000 sites from all over the world come stored in the camera. Also practical for slideshows -- the included software can sort pictures by the place they were taken.

Next is Samsung's WB650, with 12.1 megapixels and a 15X zoom (focal length: 24 to 360 millimetres). Along with a satnav receiver, it also has an interactive map, meaning it doesn't just note where a picture was taken, but that it can also function as a travel guide.

To that end, Samsung reports that its display can tell users about the place where they're standing and show nearby points of interest.

Clauss says satnav is a 'very nice feature.' And not only because it allows different ways to present picture, such as sorting them based on geographical data or their location on a map. Satnav allows coordinates to be shared with friends who might be interested in the setting and taking pictures there. Plus, the camera can be used 'as a memory. '

'When you're vacationing, you take a lot of pictures. At some point, you don't remember any more where you took which picture,' Clauss says. The new systems tell users exactly where and show them the sites on a map.

But, just like with mobile satnav systems, users have to keep a few things in mind. Satellite connections can be lost if the photographer is standing in a deep valley or beneath rock overhangs. Then, the camera is just a camera.

Clauss says she prefers to focus on the positives, noting that satnav systems will soon be standard on all compact cameras.

Companies displaying their wares often share the sentiment. Michael Langbehn, public relations manager with Panasonic Deutschland, says satnav isn't just a 'technical toy,' but a 'helpful feature with lots of potential.'

Samsung also promises that the feature will soon be popular in compact cameras. 'Determining a location of a picture will become more important with pictures as they get uploaded to different platforms and shared,' says Gerd Weiner, Samsung's sales and marketing manager.

'That's because users don't just want to share memories with their pictures, but they want to show friends in their community right away where the pictures were taken.'