Customer Reviews

Geo Tagging for Your Pictures Atp Photo Finder Calc & Records

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

(See update at bottom, too, added on 6/6/2008)

Last year, I decided I wanted to start geotagging my photos. I did some research and ended up buying a Sony GPS-CS1 device, which worked well on several vacations I made to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The Sony would last almost all day on one AA battery, but it was slow at regaining a signal. Still, it worked well enough. But, it did not use a standard log format and required special conversion software to use it with standard Geo apps (thanks, Sony). It also wasn't a true memory stick type device -- a Mac OS X machine can't use it (though earlier versions of 10.4 could). So, rendered useless on a Mac (even in PC emulation), I looked elsewhere.

A coworker told me about the ATP, and after months it was finally available to order in the US. The advantage is that you can just stick the memory card in to the device and it will geotag for you! All you do is sync the camera date to match the display on the Photo Finder. Very easy! It ran on two AAA batteries, so I loaded up the AAA rechargeable (same brand as the AAs I used with the Sony) and gave it a shot.

Unfortunately, it takes a long time to geotag -- maybe 5 seconds or more per photo. Not bad if you are just doing a few dozen, but load up a multi-gig stick with hundreds (thousands) of photos and you might as well just import the log files and do it on a computer much faster.

Also, my unit turns itself off randomly. Maybe it is defective, but I'm always looking down to find that it has shut off, requiring me to manually tag those photos later. VERY annoying. And, worse, there is NO support contact on the ATP web site! I have written their PR address, so maybe I'll get some response eventually.

Another issue is battery life. It seems I could get by a whole day with one AA on the Sony, but two sets of AAAs are needed for this thing. Again, for a casual photographer, this is not a big deal, but if you plan to use it while spending all day at a renaissance festival or theme park, bring spares. And you'll go broke if you aren't using rechargeables.

On the plus: It mounts like a normal memory stick on the Mac, so I can drag off the STANDARD log files and geotag quickly on my computer using software like HudoaGeo. So, other than the shutting off issue, it's great.

Downside to design: the display is a backlight LED type display, and it's impossible to read in sunlight. THey designed a display that looks great when it's dark and you can't be taking photos, but can't be read when outside in daylight. Brilliant move, ATP. I'd settle for a normal LCD display (and add a backlight if you must). It's a nice display, but useless if you can't read it.

The interface is a bit klunky -- when you insert a memory card, you answer YES to geotag, then set your GMT offset (-5 or -6 where I am depending on DST) and then away it goes. It even asks to create KML files for you - - and when you insert the memory card in your PC, it shows some URL links to their website, KML files, and your photos -- very slick!

So, much promise. If the power off issues is just a defect, than great. If it's some kind of battery saving mode, then that's a dealbreaker for me. We shall see...

UPDATE on 6/6/2008:

UPDATES: I've now been through two of these units. The first kept shutting off, so ATP replaced it for me (took a few weeks, though). The new unit did the same thing. It turns out to be a design defect in their battery compartment, and apparently they are in the process of coming out with a new version.

Other issues (beyond not being able to read the display in sunlight, and taking ages to Geocode images) include the strap being fragile. Both of my units have just fallen off the little strap -- the first just came lose at the string (the string just pulled out!) and the second had a clip that was so weak it wouldn't even stay clipped in. Beware of this first model.

The upcoming "ATP Photo Finder mini" looks to be a completely different design that may address these issues. ATP said they had a redesign coming out in the next few weeks, so maybe that is what they are talking about (currently you can only find info on it from some pages in Japan from a tradeshow over there, but it looks much better). We shall see.

I'd change my rating to a ONE STAR rating now if I could.

Beware! This device will NOT work with Canon SLR cameras (probably other SLR brands as well)! It simply will not modify your EXIF data to include the GPS coordinates. Also, the software I've downloaded from the website has not helped, either. There is also no technical support that I can find. This is besides the fact that, for over $100, this device is cheaply built (the clasp broke the first day), and has a LCD screen which is all but impossible to read. Trust me...you don't want to spend your $$ on this thing.

I got tired of waiting for the Jobo Photo GPS to ever come on the market (announced at PMA in March 07), so when I saw the ATP Photo Finder, I decided to give it a try. To date (I've had it about 3 weeks), I can't even get it to work.

Same problems as everybody else. Weak strap, can't see the screen in daylight (don't they do some sort of usability testing?). It shuts itself off after a bit. Virtually no technical support on their website. I'm still trying to geotag my first picture geotagged. When I put a card in, it just freezes up. Pretty much a complete waste of $100.

The ATP Photofinder can rarely get a GPS signal at all. But that doesn't matter, becaue if you are outdoors you can't read the faint display. But that is OK, because even if you could read the display you would get cryptic messages that would not tell you if it was working or not. Not that that matters, since despite the advertising i t WILL NOT accept xD cards anyway. Of course the extremely short battery life of the unit renders all me earlier criticisms moot.

What a POS! I sent it back, and I never send anything back.

PS: It is much larger than it looks and the carrying cord on mine broke the first day. And it will give you herpes.

This is a great idea and I wanted it to work but I can't get it to tag a single photo.

Photo Tagging
-- I have not been able to tag a single photo successfully after many attempts.
-- I even reset my camera to UTS time to try and simplify the tagging; that didn't work either
-- There are no error messages or error files and the users manual is near worthless so, if you have a problem like I do, there is no way to trouble shoot it

GPS Review
-- The GPS tracks themselves are relatively accurate but the unit does turn itself off at random times (I uploaded kms files to Google Maps to check)
-- The GPS takes at least 5 minutes of being STATIONARY to acquire a location. It will not acquire a location on the move, even at a walking pace. This is true even in low-rise areas.
-- The unit can maintain tracking in motion but, if it loses signal due to a tunnel or something, it cannot re-acquire location because, as noted above, it takes 5 minutes of standing still to acquire a location

Other stuff
-- This thing does eat batteries. Expect to go through 2 AAA batteries for every 8 hours or so of turned on time.

I have had all the problems described in the other reviews. I have never been able to tag a photo. This is using a standard Nikon D60, a camera on the compatibility list. I have encountered the problems with the random power off, made worse by the unreadable screen, so it's hard to tell if it off or not. It eats batteries. The work-around software does not work.

In short, this device is totally worthless.

Unfortunately the Amazon web site will not allow me to rate the item at its true value of zero stars. One star is excessive for something which simply does not do the one thing it is supposed to do.

Unit came with a damage "rubber" cover over the USB outlet, which doesn't really affect anything in the end, but the unit DOES NOT work at all. It continually searches for a satellite when even my TOMTOM and Garmin can find them. Continual emails to the makers of the unit go unanswered. Unable to tag any photos; unable to get past "hunting for satellite" no matter what I do. I'm used to using GPS devices; THIS UNIT DOESN'T WORK WORTH A DARN; Save your money.

This product is cheaply made. This product takes forever to acquire a GPS signal. This product does not tag photos most of the time. This product has bad battery contacts and batteries often pop out. This product is sometimes miles off in accuracy when providing GPS coordinates. You cannot see the screen of this device outside in sunlight. It would be foolish to buy this product.

20091120 UPDATE: This company was great. They communicated directly with me regarding their product, all the way from Asia. Then the US department sent me a brand new updated model overnight, in time for me to take it on a trip for testing. The new unit worked satisfactorily, and I was able to tag all my photos and also make KML's and use them in Google Earth. I think the updated product was much better, and their customer service in my case was above the expected. Give them another shot for your geo-tagging needs!

I got this for a trip to europe so that I could geotag all my photos there. At first it seemed easy to use but as the days went on I was let down by the device. It had a hard time holding on to the gps signal. It would find my location and lose it seconds later. While searching it seemed to use more battery power. I was going through 4 AAA batteries a day. The screen is hard to read in the daylight which made it hard to see if it was tracking my location.

When I got home it took forever to tag the photos (about 45 minutes for 2gb card). The pictures that it did tag seemed to me a little off, probably due to not being able to set the seconds time code on my camera.

All in all I was happy that I had a geotagger while on my trip since it is really nice to see my photos on a map. I can't wait until these features are built into more point and shoots.

Beware of this item. I just got mine and it doesn't work and the only contact for technical support is an email address (no reply yet). I called their main number, there is no link to technical support and when you try the operator you don't get anyone. Here is my problem.

I turned it on and it says the following

ATP Photo Finder.....
Version 2.0 flash 123m
Acquiring GPS signal
GPS Errorwait 3S
ATP Photofinder Power off (it doesn't always show this line)

Then it just powers off. I have tried this multiple times.