GPS is useful for getting us around town, back to base camp, and tracking the vehicles in our motor pool. A newer and increasingly popular use of GPS information is for location tagging of digital images so they can be mapped or sorted with applications such as Google Maps. We take thousands of travel photos each years and do try to sort and categorize them, but it does get a bit tedious.
Our new Nikon D90 has GPS capabilities. The GPS sensor is not built into the camera, just the ability to take GPS information and associate it with the photo. The GPS sensor itself is an add-on accessory.
Nikon has a dedicated GPS module (GP-1) for their digital SLRs based on the same chip technology as those in handheld units. The GP-1 will work with our new D90 as well as many other Nikon DSLRs (D3, D700, D300, D2, D200). The unit takes it power from the camera and can be attached via the neck strap or onto the flash mount.
There is a dedicated GPS port on the camera with a special connector. It is not the standard USB type socket. The GP-1 package includes cables for both the newer D90 camera and for the other Nikon DSLR models.
The GPS accessory is a bit pricey at $200, but just think of all the time you will save sorting your travel photos! Also, in ten years, you may not remember where you took that amazing photo and will be wishing you could.
If your current camera can take a GPS module, start tagging your photos now because the applications which will be able to take advantage of the info may not be here today, but they are coming. [Permalink]- Nikon GP-1
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