Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

antiparanoic

2

« on: 11 / February / 2013, 19:59:57 »

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Hello
I joined the community because I had some ideas, which needed solution.
Luckily after half an hour with really paranoic registration, which failed more then 10 times, I'm lucky to post here, while I never succeeded to pass forum search verification, in order to find that someone has suggested this before ... IMO something is wrong indeed if anonymous spambot is raised to and deserves highest level ... but that's my decent opinion only.

My suggestion is usage of camera built in GPS as GPS track data recorder.
Now I own Canon S95 as companion to DSLR cameras but why not to change it to S100, if there is any remarkable benefit to my work flow. Then I could use S100 to take trial shots (or some other Canon) and to record trip track every few seconds and later in studio copy GPS coordinates to all other cameras. There is hundreds of dedicated GPS loggers but why not provide Canon pocket camera with this function.
That's how I found my way to this forum.

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waterwingz

12140

Re: Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

« Reply #1 on: 13 / February / 2013, 00:06:08 »

Can't help you much with the registration issue but I did refer your post to the forum host. We used to get swamped by spammers here several years ago - the recent safe guards have made things nice and quiet. I'm sure you can appreciate the value of that.

Do you plan to work on a modification to CHDK yourself to turn your camera into a GPS logger? It's an application that might not have broad interest as only a few Canon P&S cameras have a build-in GPS. So its not likely any of the current CHDK developers will volunteer to work on this - although you never know as I can't really speak for all of them.

Having said that, its probably quite possible to do technically. You could even do it with a Lua script. However, battery life will likely be an issue as all the camera electronics will be active while the logger is running.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

philmoz

3450

Re: Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

« Reply #2 on: 13 / February / 2013, 00:21:46 »

As far as I know the current GPS code already includes logger functionality for supported cameras.

Unfortunately the code was written by the German CHDK-DE team so the function names are not very informative (for non German speakers), and there is very little documentation in the code.

I don't have a GPS enabled camera so I can't confirm if it works.

Also keep in mind that Canon removed the built in GPS in the S110. It still supports geo-tagging of images but uses a WiFi connection to a GPS enabled smartphone to get the GPS co-ordinates. If Canon continue this trend with the cameras released this year then it's possible that built in GPS in P&S cameras may die off (at least for Canon).

Phil.

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g12 (1.00c, 1.00e, 1.00f & 1.00g)
sx130is (1.01d & 1.01f)
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msl

1280
A720 IS, SX220 HS 1.01a

Re: Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

« Reply #3 on: 13 / February / 2013, 03:26:08 »

The CHDK GPS functions also include a GPS data logger (GPS track). The GPS functions have been tested only for the SX230 and SX260. They may also work for the S100.

The code was written by genie01. Unfortunately, he has no great interest in a forum communication.

CHDK GPS manual: https://chdkde.box.com/s/ftdby4qlyuvsd7o2kl2s

msl

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CHDK-DE: CHDK-DE links

waterwingz

12140

Re: Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

« Reply #4 on: 13 / February / 2013, 07:17:09 »

Quote from: msl on 13 / February / 2013, 03:26:08

The CHDK GPS functions also include a GPS data logger (GPS track). The GPS functions have been tested only for the SX230 and SX260. They may also work for the S100.

Thanks for that. Did he happen to mention what battery life was like during logging?

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

msl

1280
A720 IS, SX220 HS 1.01a

Re: Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

« Reply #5 on: 13 / February / 2013, 08:23:28 »

Quote from: waterwingz on 13 / February / 2013, 07:17:09

Did he happen to mention what battery life was like during logging?

Unfortunately no, but there are some routines that save power: switch to play mode, deactivate the backlight.

msl

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waterwingz

12140

Re: Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

« Reply #6 on: 13 / February / 2013, 08:47:45 »

Quote from: msl on 13 / February / 2013, 08:23:28

Unfortunately no, but there are some routines that save power: switch to play mode, deactivate the backlight.

I saw that - much the same things I did here. If the GPS itself is does not draw too much power it suggests you could easily get a full days worth of loggin on a single charge.

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Ported : A1200 SD940 G10 Powershot N G16

antiparanoic

2

Re: Canon camera GPS to GPS data logger

« Reply #7 on: 13 / February / 2013, 17:17:31 »

Thanks for sharing ideas.
Camera built in GPS main flaw is long GPS acquisition time, after camera is switched on plus (or minus) that most DSLR cameras don't have built in GPS at all.
But geo tagging can be done also afterwards in Lightroom and why not to all cameras, if there is GPS track log file. When entering to Amazon search "GPS data logger", there appear many dedicated commercial ones.
Common drawback of these is short battery time and need for a PC to download and check the track fitness, which may be not available on several day long trips. Most of these GPS loggers don’t support USB storage profile and track files can’t be transferred either to Android smart phones or tablets.
But with cameras I always have with me Canon S95 for quickies and I could change it to Canon S100, if it could record GPS log track.
The Canon S100 could be ideal hardware basis for GPS data logging and when track file is written to SD card it can be easily transferred each evening for checking to tablet or smartphone, when travelling light.
As the next concern is batteries of course, then there anyway are spare ones with me, if one doesn’t last until evening.

That’s the story and I hoped that someone already has come to it and the solution might be present already.
And I don’t have S100 to check it out myself and I haven't used CHDK yet.

« Last Edit: 13 / February / 2013, 17:28:21 by antiparanoic »

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