Anyone using geotagging iPhone apps for their M8?

[ipreferpie]

Hi everyone,

I'm just wondering if you have recommendations on which iPhone geotagging app to use with your M8. I'm planning on a trip to Istanbul, Cappadocia and Antalya in a week and would like to tag the exact spots I take my photos. Any suggestions?

So far, I read that Trails (http://trails.lamouroux.de/geotag-photos-using-iphone-trails.html) is pretty good. But then how do I synchronize timezones when the M8 doesn't have that option?

Any help would be really appreciated!

Cheers,
Joe

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

So far, I read that Trails (http://trails.lamouroux.de/geotag-photos-using-iphone-trails.html) is pretty good. But then how do I synchronize timezones when the M8 doesn't have that option?

I'm not aware of a single consumer camera that has a Time Zone option. So, I think that the easiest thing to do would be to set the local time on your M8 once you're there.

Set it every single time you travel to a different time zone! That way, there will be no issue syncing any of your capture times with your geotag info.

 

[sunsworth]

I've used the Trails app and then HoudahGeo on my Mac to update the DNG Exif data with the GPS coordinates.

It works well, but one potential problem is that when you reset the M8's time to match the iPhone it doesn't reset the seconds. So if say the M8 time was 09:12:40 and you wanted to reset the minutes to '15', the camera would update the time to 09:15:40 rather than 09:15:00. This may have changed with the latest firmware, I haven't tried it yet.

I tend to keep the camera and iPhone at the same time, so the timezone shouldn't be an issue.

 

[yanidel]

Remember that if the map needs to be loaded through the air, it will cost you a fortune in roaming charges ....

 

[Pros]

I'm using GeoLogTag for some time now and I'm very happy with it. It doesn't show a map (so no expensive downloading) it just logs your location and exports a GPX file.
I don't think the timezone is an issue since most geotagging apps offer the possibility to use an offset between your camera and your geologging device.
Maybe the safest option is to submit a question on the GeoLogTag support page. I used it once before and the developer is very responsive.

Have fun in Turkey!

 

[sunsworth]

I'm using GeoLogTag for some time now and I'm very happy with it. It doesn't show a map (so no expensive downloading) it just logs your location and exports a GPX file.

The Trails app does the same thing but optionally allows you to see the route on a map - if you're abroad that will cost as mentioned earlier.

The gpx files are transferred to the main computer via email.

One suggestion is to set the waypoints to the minimum distance, otherwise the location can be rather imprecise.

 

[ipreferpie]

Thanks for the input guys. I'll take the suggestions and not worry about syncing the timezones. As for the the 3G data, Sunworth is right -- it seems like Trails only requires an internet connection for download a visual map.

Also, I read that there's a way to save battery. All you have to do is play a long playlist from your music library, then enable GPS tracking. After that, you can press the sleep button to turn the screen off while maintaining the GPS to be on.

Anyways, looks like I'll buy the Trails program and check it out.

Thanks again and will let you know how it turns out from my Turkey trip!

Cheers,
Joe

 

[rxmd]

If anything, take a picture of the time on your phone. That way you can nail down the time difference between your phone clock and the one in your camera. Decent geotagging applications will allow you to apply this delta to your tags.

However, I find it absolutely fascinating that the iPhone will make people shell out money to get an absolutely trivial function like tracking, that any GPS unit will give you for free, and with better quality - the GPS receiver in the iPhone is underwhelming. (I'm saying this as the owner of both an iPhone and a Holux GPS tracker. I'd never use the phone for tracking, it simply sucks in comparison.)

I'm not aware of a single consumer camera that has a Time Zone option.

Out of the cameras I used recently, the Fuji F40fd did, and the Panasonic FX07 did, too.

 

[sunsworth]

Also, I read that there's a way to save battery. All you have to do is play a long playlist from your music library, then enable GPS tracking.

Joe, it's simpler than that with the latest version of Trails. It uses the proximity sensor in the iPhone, so as soon as you put the iPhone in your pocket, or a bag, the screen is switched off even though application is still running.

 

[sunsworth]

However, I find it absolutely fascinating that the iPhone will make people shell out money to get an absolutely trivial function like tracking, that any GPS unit will give you for free...

The iPhone app is a couple of pounds in the UK. How much does a GPS unit cost - anyone not already owning one will need to buy one. Also you'll only carry one piece of kit around rather than two - and you'd be likely to have the phone with you anyway.

 

[ipreferpie]

Thanks Steve. The proximity sensor function definitely puts this app at an advantage over the others.

Also, there were some reviews stating the the Trails app has certain advantages over some dedicated Garmin GPS devices. (source: http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-gear/3g-iphone-vs-garmin-edge-705-for-biking/ and http://backstage.mtbvd.de/index.php?/archives/35-Tracking-Test-iPhone-vs-Garmin-Edge-305.html)

 

[rxmd]

The iPhone app is a couple of pounds in the UK. How much does a GPS unit cost - anyone not already owning one will need to buy one. Also you'll only carry one piece of kit around rather than two - and you'd be likely to have the phone with you anyway.

The phone, on the other hand, comes with an underwhelming built-in GPS unit that, judging from experience on New Year when I actually was in Istanbul with an iPhone, will tell you with a general accuracy like "You're on the European side, probably somewhere north of the Golden Horn", especially as soon as you're in a car, tram or building, or the phone is somewhere deeper in your pocket. Geotagging at this level is possible even without a GPS unit.

The GPS unit in the iPhone 3G is great if you hold it up in the open and want to know where you are, but that's about it. A standalone GPS tracker that has a completely different application profile will probably cost around 30 pounds in the UK, won't eat into your phone's battery, and won't require you to buy it again when you eventually don't use Apple phones for the rest of your life.

Comparing the two seems to me like comparing the iPhone's camera to an M8. Different strokes for different folks, but I normally want tools that do the job well.