Digital Cameras

[pixelfrog]

Hi All,

I'm finally gonna get a digital camera, but not quite sure what kind yet. Can anyone recommend a good hiking/backpacking digital camera that can take the trail and is 3 megapixels? Also I will want to boost the memory up quite a bit.

Thanks in Advance!

Paul

[kingsnake]

You're telling me. Not having much technical luck these last few weeks.

I wonder if it has something to do with satellite reception (how many, how strong, etc.) I know the phone has a sat signal indicator, but did not think to look at it after every simgle photo. (Which would be insane anyway ...)

[joebartels]

No clue. The 17 million figures are definitely in the exif data.
Read it myself** to be sure HAZ wasn't processing something incorrect.

Not much help but I put in a clause on the HAZ side to only accept figures in range.


**for ref from your cafe photo

Code: Select all

GPS Latitude Ref	North
GPS Latitude	17056881.853375 degrees
GPS Longitude Ref	East
GPS Longitude	17056881.853375 degrees

[kingsnake]

iPhoto has a feature that will display a photo's location on map, and the screwed up photos display improperly there as well. Definitely not a Haz issue. Cruddy Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 issue. My Amazon review, just posted: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RBGJRLSU ... ikearizona .

[outdoor_lover]

I gave up on the GPS on my Camera...Not worth a crap...Not why I bought that Camera, so it's no big deal, just a little disappointing that I can't Geocode anything still...Oh well.....

[kingsnake]

The problem is it does not fail consistently. So, I have no idea when I need to put a photo waypoint on my GPS and when I don't. At least with my previous camera -- which does not geocode at all -- I knew I had to waypoint for every photo. Took a second; no big deal. (Adding the waypoint geocode to the photo post Haz upload, on the other hand, was a pain.) Geocoding on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 was a big selling point, so I would not have to do that manual labor anymore. Unfortunately, casting rune stones would provide a more accurate location ...

[The_Eagle]

That right there is unacceptable

Ditto...
@kingsnake
Why settle for a half mile accuracy when HAZ can get it DNC (translate - Right On).... Oh I guess that depends on one having a working GPS

I had the GPS feature on my last Panasonic, and found it useless.
The first picture taken for the day, had the Geocode for the location the camera was turned off from the previous day.

I never had any of the problems with video like you are having. I've been very pleased w/ my Panasonic's.

[CannondaleKid]

I gave up on the GPS on my Camera...Not why I bought that Camera

I was a bit disappointed with the accuracy of the geocoding on my Canon SX 260 HS but since the software I use for posting photosets on my own website handles it quite simply (as long as I have a GPS track) I stopped using the GPS feature on the camera.

With that camera no longer in my arsenal I purchased an Olympus TG-2. It has a geocoding function, but like Pam, I didn't buy the camera for that reason, I bought it for the TG (Tough-Guy?) status... waterproof, dustproof & shockproof, which so far it has performed up to expectations.

But since it HAD geocoding I figured I' might as well try it and was reasonably satisfied:
1. It picked up the satellites faster than the Canon
2. It's more accurate than the Canon
3. Includes the direction the camera is facing when taking the photo (something the Canon didn't have and this simply cannot be culled from GPS tracks)
Those were the pro's so there just had to be a con in there somewhere and there was, just one... the elevation readings weren't accurate.

I make the best of the situation by enabling the camera geocoding for the direction and use my GPS track for the most accurate location and elevation.

[Jim]

Ironic seeing activity in this thread, as I forgot mine at home. Maybe I should buy a new one? No, I won't but it crossed my mind.

[RowdyandMe]

I had a Panasonic Lumix DMC-Z28 and finally I got rid if it. It just kept geting dust particals on the image flextor. I did buy a Canon forgot what model it was as I did not like it and took it back. Then I bought a Nikon Coolpix S9500 with gps and wifi. As far as I know it it pretty close on all my pics. There are a few pictures that I don't use the gps, which is really easy to turn off and on. Now I have not used the wifi and not sure why anyone would.
Anyway you can look at some of my pics and check the gps to see if it is accurate. I really like my camera a lot but then I do take a lot of pictures. Someday when I am gone my grandchildren can look back and see some of the things their grandpa saw.
Every picture does tell a story.

[big_load]

Cruddy Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 issue

I don't think it's fair to expect very much from a camera GPS. Do you leave it powered on for extended periods before taking photos? Before taking a photo, would you be willing to wait for as long as it takes a handheld GPS to get an accurate fix? How does the volume, power consumption, and processing complexity of a camera GPS compare to a handheld unit? The camera GPS is up against some tough constraints.

[rwstorm]

I had a Panasonic Lumix DMC-Z28 and finally I got rid if it. It just kept geting dust particals on the image flextor

That was my problem with this type of Panasonic; everything else about them was pretty awesome. I went through about 3 of them in 2009/10 and finally had to give up and try something else.

[chumley]

I swear there was a thread ... Can't find it.

I recalled said thread, and also was unable to find it. Until a little hazbotangel shot an arrow through the search box for me. It was in the comments on a triplog, not in the forum: http://hikearizona.com/x.php?x=98982

[mazatzal]

@chumley @kingsnake
It was only 9 days ago - I thought you guys were trying to remember something from 6+ months ago

[kingsnake]

Cruddy Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 issue

I don't think it's fair to expect very much from a camera GPS. Do you leave it powered on for extended periods before taking photos? Before taking a photo, would you be willing to wait for as long as it takes a handheld GPS to get an accurate fix? How does the volume, power consumption, and processing complexity of a camera GPS compare to a handheld unit? The camera GPS is up against some tough constraints.

iPhone has significantly fewer problems, and when it rarely does have a problem, it at least creates a usable (and only slightly off) geocode, despite my behavior with both devices being the same: Turn it on, shoot a few seconds later, put into sleep mode immediately (to save power, as battery pck in both tend to quickly run down). Sorry to disagree, but if one can do it, so should the other.

[kingsnake]

I swear there was a thread ... Can't find it.

I recalled said thread, and also was unable to find it. Until a little hazbotangel shot an arrow through the search box for me. It was in the comments on a triplog, not in the forum: http://hikearizona.com/x.php?x=98982

Thanx.

[kingsnake]

@chumley @kingsnake
It was only 9 days ago - I thought you guys were trying to remember something from 6+ months ago

Great visual memory, very poor other memories. (Or senile, if you are not being charitable. )

[CannondaleKid]

Before taking a photo, would you be willing to wait for as long as it takes a handheld GPS to get an accurate fix?

Canon SX260HS:
With GPS logging enabled it usually took 1-2 seconds max.
With GPS logging disabled it could take 2-10 seconds depending on how far you are from previous tagged photo location.
Yes, with it enabled it was always on, yet even over a couple days (I inadvertently left it enabled overnight), taking a few 100 photos plus a card full of video the battery still had charge left.

Olympus TG-2:
With GPS logging enabled I have noticed no lag at all, I turn the camera on for a quick photo and the icon says it's locked on a signal.
With GPS logging disabled if I'm within a 1/4 mile of previous photo it's almost instant, otherwise 1-5 seconds, leaning toward the longer end when I'm miles away from previous photo (in reality, the last logged location, whether a photo was taken or not).

Of course in either case, when in canyons you run into the same signal loss issues as a GPS. However, with the Olympus the location doesn't appear to 'bounce' like I've noticed with both Garmin 76csx and 62st GPS's. For instance, when losing/gaining a signal going in/out of caves when the track picks up again it may be more than a tenth of a mile off, sometimes setting a dozen bad points before it catches up.

[big_load]

Cruddy Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5 issue

I don't think it's fair to expect very much from a camera GPS. Do you leave it powered on for extended periods before taking photos? Before taking a photo, would you be willing to wait for as long as it takes a handheld GPS to get an accurate fix? How does the volume, power consumption, and processing complexity of a camera GPS compare to a handheld unit? The camera GPS is up against some tough constraints.

iPhone has significantly fewer problems, and when it rarely does have a problem, it at least creates a usable (and only slightly off) geocode, despite my behavior with both devices being the same: Turn it on, shoot a few seconds later, put into sleep mode immediately (to save power, as battery pck in both tend to quickly run down). Sorry to disagree, but if one can do it, so should the other.

The iPhone is a totally different beast. Its electronics cost about 3x what's in that camera and it has far more sophisticated software. The cost is hidden by service provider subsidies, since they make it up quickly in monthly service fees, and as a bonus,the development cost is reduced through being spread over thousands of times as many units sold. Its ability to geocode better is also a byproduct of massive investment done for other reasons. Apple probably spent tens of millions of dollars on enabling precision location-based services. That capability is worth billions a year to service providers (and many others), so the expense was well worth it to Apple. There isn't yet a corresponding benefit to developing that level of performance for a stand-alone camera. The best we can hope for is that someone would license that technology from a large handset manufacturer, but even if licensing were free, the cost of porting it to a different hardware platform and stripping out all the network-based interaction would be steep.

[kingsnake]

Tha makes sense ...

[RowdyandMe]

Well right now I am using my Galaxy S3 and it works great I just cant upload maps to track from. A few hikes that I did with Joe and Bruce both said my phone was very acutrate. With my phone I could never get lost just because I can back track. But I am looking for more. I would like to upload a trail and know that I am own it with a gps device.