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ok, so now that i’ve got this google maps integration going i’ve been researching options for attaching GPS units to my nikon d200. it’s already a bit of a pain to have to go out and get geo coding info every time i upload a new image to the gallery. it’s hard to even remember where the hell i took the picture most of the time, let alone the exact location. ok, ok, i know most of you are thinking, does it really matter? well, yes and no, depends on your specific qualities, or maybe hang-ups? anyway, after some short researching it seems there is no killer option available yet. the one i’m most attracted to at this point is pictured above and more info can be found at the dawn technology website. i like it because there is only one single short cable that plugs into the remote interface on the camera and then just a tiny little unit that can mount to the hot shoe or on the camera strap, nice and compact. the down side is they use a different connection out of the unit for connecting a remote, kind of a pain since i’m getting nikon’s remote already that has their connection type.

the other option i like is getting the standard nikon mc-35 GPS cable adapter and using a little serial to bluetooth adapter, shown above. the advantage to this seems to be that you can use many different GPS units on the market, and it’s wireless. you do have a bit more cables and things hanging around now though.

the trouble with most of these units seems to be that they have these “boot up” and “TTFF – Time To First Fix” issues. the first option i mentioned seems like it works pretty quickly once it boots, but you must then leave the camera on for it to aquire your postion quickly. the d200 already eats batteries pretty quickly, so leaving my camera on all the time kinda worries me. will i have to buy three or four more batteries now? ha ha.

the cost seems to fall somewhere around the $200-$500 mark. kinda getting pricey. i love how streamlined the first option is, one cable and small unit, but i only get to use it for my camera. i’d love to be able to get something compact and sleek that i could also use for car trips, travel, or marine. that’s where the bluetooth option seems to shine.

i still have some research to do it seems. if anyone out there has done this already please let me know! once i get a unit up and running i will finish off the software so that it will suck the latitude and longitude info out of the EXIF and then i won’t have to think about this anymore, which will be a delight!