Besides the GPS coordinates, what else do you need for a GPS receiver

[nan_tu2]

<p>I build GPS receivers for Nikon DSLR. Now, the development is finished and the products are released. I am looking for new development directions.</p>

<p>We built two GPS receivers. GPS and GPS+electronic compass (which will also record the heading information).</p>

<p>I am looking at the following future development directions:</p>

<p>1: offer a LCD display so that the GPS readings and the heading information can be displayed on the GPS receiver instead of the camera LCD.</p>

<p>2: build in a data logger and/or Bluetooth capability (to transfer GPS logger to computer). This will allow it to work with other camera such as Canon or point and shoot.</p>

<p>3: use 3-axis electronic compass instead of the current 2-axis</p>

<p>What do you think of the above? If you use a GPS for your Nikon camera, what else do you want in this GPS receiver?</p>

<p>Thank you very much in advance.</p><div></div>

[jyoungman]

<p>Maybe a right-angle USB plug oor something like that, so that the USB cable doesn't interfere so much with camera handling.</p>

[fhmillard]

<p>All 3 are good development directions. You also, need a means to setup GPS coordinate system and how coordinates are displayed (e.g., decimal degrees or deg,mm,ss) for data logging, since Nikon firmware does not use decimal degrees. Decimal degrees are important for direct analysis and display of geographic data, since collected points may refer to any kind of content: real estate, wildlife, demographic and environmental profiles, crime scenes, and so on; where the photograph is added value content.</p>

[nsfbr]

<p>I'd like the device to store the coordinates of the location of the focus point in recorded images. This could be done using a three axis compass + the distance and other information from the lens and camera + the GPS coordinates.<br>

Ideally, both the camera location and the focus point location would be recorded.</p>

[nan_tu2]

<p >Hello Joel:</p>

<p >Could you please elaborate on how the focus point coordinates can be measured? I am sure that it can not be measured directly, but it may be calculated. </p>

[walterh]

<p>Haha YES that is clever. Just point your 500mm tele on some object and know the location within a few feet :-P<br>

But I hate to see that to be known to the authorities in certain areas of the world where photographers already are restricted by safety concerns. I suggest to resist the temptation to also include a laser pointer into the GPS ^^. This is where I would start to be concerned :-P</p>

 

[jyoungman]

<p>The focus point is encoded into the RAW file generated by the camera, and I think also the JPG file. No idea if it is available to devices connected via USB port, but since you can use the USB connector to do tethered shooting, it seems at least feasible.</p>

[nsfbr]

<p>Nan Tu:<br>

I have no idea how to get the information out of the camera, but Capture NX seems to be able to do it.<br>

My thinking went like this:</p>

<p>From the GPS I know the camera's location.<br>

From the 3 axis compass I know the direction the camera is pointing.<br>

From the lens I know the distance of the focus from the camera.<br>

From the focus point selected, I know the offset of the focus point from the centerline of the shot.</p>

<p>It is relatively straightforward to calculate the position of the subject located at the focus point from all that information.</p>

[billy_stanley]

<p>The 3-axis compass interests me most. What is the cost for such a device? What is the minimum Nikon?</p>