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I've searched for other Instructables about geotagging and all of the ones I found used Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to do the geotagging. With the cost of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom anywhere from $170 to $300, Lightroom may be too expensive for the average photographer wanting to geotag their photos. Many of my friends were impressed with the method I use and encouraged me to post this Instructable.
In this Instructable I show how to use Geosetter (freeware) to accomplish the geotagging. Geosetter does not come with a User’s Manual/Guide, so when people first use Geosetter it can be confusing. Therefore, I’ve included lots of screenshots to make the entire process easier to follow. In order to reduce the number of screenshots to upload, in some cases several screenshots have been combined into single images – recommend you view the photos full size in order to see the best detail.
I’ve been geocoding my photos a few years now and it’s a reasonably automated process. I routinely search for new (better) ways and techniques to improve the process, whether it’s changing to another application or different hardware. The following applications, hardware and methodology I’ll discuss here are the ones that work best for me. I encourage you to experiment and decide what works best for you.
Things you will need for Geotagging
1. Camera for taking photos
2. A GPS device that can save/copy a tracklog. It more convenient if the GPS can output the tracklogs as GPX files, however there are various applications such as EasyGPS (freeware) that can help save them as GPX files.
3. GeoSetter
4. Internet Connection (for getting map information)
In this Instructable I show how to use Geosetter (freeware) to accomplish the geotagging. Geosetter does not come with a User’s Manual/Guide, so when people first use Geosetter it can be confusing. Therefore, I’ve included lots of screenshots to make the entire process easier to follow. In order to reduce the number of screenshots to upload, in some cases several screenshots have been combined into single images – recommend you view the photos full size in order to see the best detail.
I’ve been geocoding my photos a few years now and it’s a reasonably automated process. I routinely search for new (better) ways and techniques to improve the process, whether it’s changing to another application or different hardware. The following applications, hardware and methodology I’ll discuss here are the ones that work best for me. I encourage you to experiment and decide what works best for you.
Things you will need for Geotagging
1. Camera for taking photos
2. A GPS device that can save/copy a tracklog. It more convenient if the GPS can output the tracklogs as GPX files, however there are various applications such as EasyGPS (freeware) that can help save them as GPX files.
3. GeoSetter
4. Internet Connection (for getting map information)
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Signing UpStep 1Why a Standalone GPS & GeoSetter?
On-camera GPS units versus standalone GPS units.
I’ve tested on-camera GPS units (Nikon GP-1 & EasyTagger) and I’ve found that on-camera GPS units are too cumbersome for me (extra cables & storage requirements), have limited capabilities, and they can miss potential photo opportunities. I use Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras and my wife uses a Point-and-Shoot, so we require a process that can be used with any of the cameras we bring along that day. Figure 1 shows a comparison of features for standalone GPS units and on-camera units and should explain why I only use a standalone GPS unit.
GPicSync or GeoSetter?
Over time I’ve used my Garmin Oregon 450 with both GPicSync and GeoSetter (both freeware). There are other applications that can geotag JPGs, but what is important to me is that GPicSync and GeoSetter can also geotag RAW files. Both require GPX files as input so if your GPS doesn’t save in the GPX format then you can use an application like EasyGPS (freeware) to save the tracklog as a GPX file. In my case I just copy the GPX directly from my GPS to my hard drive.
Which geotagging application do I prefer?
Initially I started geotagging using GPicSync, but quickly changed to GeoSetter for a variety of reasons. GPicSync hasn’t been updated since it was created in 2007; GeoSetter is actively being upgraded, debugged and enhanced to this day. GeoSetter has more “robust” capabilities and you can see the changes real time. If an exact track time match isn’t found for a photo time stamp, GPicSync chooses the photo location using either the “last” or “next” track time whichever is closer while GeoSetter interpolates the location between the “last” and “next” locations. GeoSetter has options to check for updates to itself as well as the ExitTool it uses so that you don’t have to remember to check for updates.
Update:
In another forum, someone asked me the following question. Can the Garmin Montana be customized to show the time with 'seconds' on the Trip Computer display similar to how you did it on the Garmin Oregon? I believe so; I don't have access to a Garmin Montana to test the following method, but here's what I would try (I am assuming the data format names are the same as the Garmin Oregon):
- create a new profile for geo-tagging
- watch the portion of the following video on the Trip Computer (6:42 - 6:55).
Although the menus are not in English, the steps the person uses are easy to follow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y86Xxn9Y0vk&NR
- Switch from a 6-field display to a 2-field display (as in video)
- Press the top data field and select the "Location" data format from the listing
- Press the bottom data field and select the "Time of Day" data format from the listing
Other useful Garmin Montana links:
Owners manual: https://buy.garmin.com/support/manuals/manuals.htm?partNo=010-00924-00
'How to' videos for the Garmin Montana series by GPS City:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Garmin+Montana+600+650+650t
I’ve tested on-camera GPS units (Nikon GP-1 & EasyTagger) and I’ve found that on-camera GPS units are too cumbersome for me (extra cables & storage requirements), have limited capabilities, and they can miss potential photo opportunities. I use Canon and Nikon DSLR cameras and my wife uses a Point-and-Shoot, so we require a process that can be used with any of the cameras we bring along that day. Figure 1 shows a comparison of features for standalone GPS units and on-camera units and should explain why I only use a standalone GPS unit.
GPicSync or GeoSetter?
Over time I’ve used my Garmin Oregon 450 with both GPicSync and GeoSetter (both freeware). There are other applications that can geotag JPGs, but what is important to me is that GPicSync and GeoSetter can also geotag RAW files. Both require GPX files as input so if your GPS doesn’t save in the GPX format then you can use an application like EasyGPS (freeware) to save the tracklog as a GPX file. In my case I just copy the GPX directly from my GPS to my hard drive.
Which geotagging application do I prefer?
Initially I started geotagging using GPicSync, but quickly changed to GeoSetter for a variety of reasons. GPicSync hasn’t been updated since it was created in 2007; GeoSetter is actively being upgraded, debugged and enhanced to this day. GeoSetter has more “robust” capabilities and you can see the changes real time. If an exact track time match isn’t found for a photo time stamp, GPicSync chooses the photo location using either the “last” or “next” track time whichever is closer while GeoSetter interpolates the location between the “last” and “next” locations. GeoSetter has options to check for updates to itself as well as the ExitTool it uses so that you don’t have to remember to check for updates.
Update:
In another forum, someone asked me the following question. Can the Garmin Montana be customized to show the time with 'seconds' on the Trip Computer display similar to how you did it on the Garmin Oregon? I believe so; I don't have access to a Garmin Montana to test the following method, but here's what I would try (I am assuming the data format names are the same as the Garmin Oregon):
- create a new profile for geo-tagging
- watch the portion of the following video on the Trip Computer (6:42 - 6:55).
Although the menus are not in English, the steps the person uses are easy to follow. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y86Xxn9Y0vk&NR
- Switch from a 6-field display to a 2-field display (as in video)
- Press the top data field and select the "Location" data format from the listing
- Press the bottom data field and select the "Time of Day" data format from the listing
Other useful Garmin Montana links:
Owners manual: https://buy.garmin.com/support/manuals/manuals.htm?partNo=010-00924-00
'How to' videos for the Garmin Montana series by GPS City:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Garmin+Montana+600+650+650t
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