valzuniga
Registered User
Registered: June 2005
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 61
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Review Date: Tue April 1, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $89.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Easy software, solid little unit.
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Cons:
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Confusing at first, updates hard to get.
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The device that allows you to log your coordinates every 5 seconds as you walk around, or drive around is the Gisteq photo Trackr, yes tracker without the "e". The bluetooth model allows for syncing with smartphones or laptops for real time navigation. While the non bluetooth model allows only for logging of trips and locations.
Build quality on the Gisteq isn’t anything special, it doesn’t seem particularly rugged however it doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart on you either. The backdoor does seem a little flimsy which can be corrected with a small amount of tape.
In the package you get software, the gps device and a standard usb cable which also serves as a charger cable for the device. I'm not a big fan of usb charged devices however the photo trackr boasts a long battery life. The software package included is pretty easy to use, although updates must be downloaded from the gisteq website before first use, and this process isn’t made easy by the gisteq people. You must provide a serial number in the url for download if you want to use this device with windows vista.
The photo trackr has built in memory so you don't have to worry about buying memory cards, and can log large amounts of coordinates. The blue tooth feature works as advertised and syncs with up to 15 satellites, it also tells you your elevation.
Actual use in the field is forgettable, and that’s a good thing, since the last thing you want to do is have to worry about one more device when you’re out taking pictures and enjoying a day of birding. Just turn the device on, put it in your camera bag, and once your trip is over and you are ready to import the data, sync it with the included software.
The overall workflow adds only a few more steps to add the gps data to my photos. Once the correct drivers are installed, and the correct software downloaded, all that has to be done is load the gps data via usb cable into the computer, then copy your images from your digital camera into your usual hard drive folders. After that, fire up the tracker software and point it to the corresponding photos, the software itself will attach the GPS data to your images' exif file, in my case, photos taken with my Sony Alpha, a100. Lastly, upload the photos to a Picasa, or Flickr account, then you can see exactly where each photo was taken on a trip.
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http://www.valzuniga.com
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