Geotagging solves the problem In train travel, one of the most common problems that may arise is the “where did I take that picture?” This problem may occur especially when you are taking pictures of train windows. If the scenery is very distinctive and well-known, it is easy to forget where you took the picture if you just took a quick shot and thought, “Oh, that’s beautiful. In the digital age, however, this problem has been alleviated somewhat. If the itinerary is properly recorded, it is possible to determine the location to a certain extent by comparing the time of the shot with the time of the photo. However, this is only “to a certain extent. The best way to solve this problem is to hope for the advent of geotagging. Geotags record information about the latitude and longitude of the location where the photo was taken, as well as various other information, including the date and time of the photo shoot. Smartphones usually have built-in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers, including GPS (Global Positioning System), which can be used to add geotags on their own. However, this means that if you carelessly post photos you have taken on the Internet, you run the risk of having your location revealed, but that is another story. So, what should we do with devices other than smartphones? There are three main methods.
Using the camera’s built-in GPS receiver First, some cameras have a built-in GPS receiver. The EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS 7D Mark II are examples of cameras that I use. If the GPS receiver is enabled in the settings screen, geotags will be added to the photos you take. However, you will need to pay attention to the update interval. Turning on the GPS receiver will consume more battery power, but the higher the frequency of updates, the more battery power will be consumed.
Using Data Recorded by GPS Loggers Although it appears to be a product that has fallen out of fashion in recent years, there is a device called a GPS logger. When turned on, these devices continuously record information such as latitude and longitude at regular intervals and record a log file. By importing the data to a PC and using dedicated software, geotagging can be added to the data captured by the camera. The time of the shot data is matched with the time of the latitude and longitude information recorded by the GPS logger, and the matching data is added as a geotag. Whether or not this mechanism works well depends on whether or not the camera’s time setting is accurate. If the camera’s time setting is off, the time information of the photos taken with that camera will also be off, making it difficult to match with the data recorded by the GPS logger. Even if matching is possible, the location will be off. The advantage of GPS loggers is not only to geo-tag photos, but also to track one’s own movements later. Not only by train, but also by foot, bus, rental car, or cab. It is very convenient when you wonder “Where did I go? The only problem is that sometimes the system fails to locate a location, and records a ridiculous place. In the past, a trajectory data file was sent from Japan to the middle of the Sahara Desert and then back to Japan again. The author has a Sony GPS-CS3K. However, the software used to match logs with photo data has stopped being updated, and although it can match photos, it cannot display trajectories. This software uses Google Maps for map display, but this has happened because the specifications of Google Maps have changed.
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