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Mastering Lightroom: How to Geotag Photographs in Lightroom 4

Nov
3
2012
November 3, 2012
By 7 Comments

Lightroom has always had a lot of interesting features on offer. With the introduction of the latest version, Lightroom 4, Adobe has added two more modules to the already existing five – Map and Book. In this short and simple Mastering Lightroom series tutorial I will show you how to geotag your photographs in Lightroom using the map module.

Mastering Lightroom: How To Geotag Photographs in Lightroom 4

1) What is Geotagging?

Simply put, geotagging images allows you to input location information within your image EXIF data so that you can know precisely where that particular image was taken. Ever felt like you were at an amazingly beautiful place for landscape photography but missed peak colors by a couple of weeks? Geotagging will let you remember your physical location, so that you can come back to the same spots next year. Many modern smartphones and cameras with GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity make geotagging a very simple and automated process. If you own a camera without such a feature, geotagging can be made possible with an external GPS unit, such as GP-1 unit for Nikon DSLR cameras (see our Nikon GP-1 Review).

2) So Why Bother with Lightroom?

No need if you have a camera with built-in geotagging feature. However, if you don’t find yourself needing the feature more often than occasionally, Lightroom 4 is about to save you a couple of hundred dollars. It is also a very quick and simple process, so why not? In a year or two you may be glad you geotagged your photographs to know where to look for those locations.

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Canon 6D Full-Frame DSLR Announcement

Sep
17
2012
September 17, 2012
By 19 Comments
Canon EOS 6D

Canon has just announced its latest DSLR and a direct competitor to the already highly popular D600. The Canon EOS 6D offers a new 20.2 megapixel full-frame sensor, 11-point autofocus system with one cross-type sensor, 3.2″ 1.04 million dot screen and 4.5 frames per second. According to Canon, 6D is similarly sized as it’s sister, APS-C sensor EOS 60D, and it sure look similar – add a taller prism and take pop-up flash compartment. Use of old autofocus system might not sound too good, but Canon promises it’s their most sensitive AF system to date (which should probably include 1DX and 5DIII), offering reliable AF in -3EV (moonlight). The 6D also boasts in-build GPS and WiFi capability.

Canon EOS 6D top

Nasim will prepare a thorough review as soon as he has enough experience with the camera, so stay tuned!

Specifications

  1. Sensor: 20.2 MP CMOS
  2. Sensor Size: 36 x 24mm
  3. Resolution: 5472 x 3648
  4. Native ISO Sensitivity: 100-25,600
  5. Boost Low ISO Sensitivity: 50
  6. Boost High ISO Sensitivity: 51200, 102400
  7. Processor: Digic 5+
  8. White Balance presets: 6
  9. Dust Reduction: Yes
  10. Weather Sealing/Protection: Yes
  11. Body Build: Magnesium Alloy with Plastic top plate
  12. Shutter: 30s-1/4000s
  13. Storage: 1 SD/SDHC/SDXC slot
  14. Viewfinder Coverage/Magnification: 97%/0.71x
  15. Speed: 4.5 fps
  16. Metering Modes: Multi, Center-weighted, Spot, Partial
  17. Metering Sensor: 63-Zone Dual Layer
  18. Built-in Flash: NO
  19. Flash sync speed: 1/180s
  20. Autofocus options: Contrast Detect (sensor), Phase Detect, Multi-area, Selective single-point, Single, Continuous, Face Detection, via Live View
  21. Autofocus System: 11-point with one cross-type (center point), sensitive down to -3EV
  22. LCD Screen: 3.2 inch diagonal with 1,040,000 dots
  23. Video capabilities: h.264 with mono mic and speakers, manual controls, 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps)
  24. In-Camera HDR Capability: Yes
  25. GPS/WiFi: built-in/built-in
  26. Connectivity: USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec), HDMI Mini, WiFi (built-in), remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5, Remote Controller RC-6
  27. Battery Type: Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger
  28. Weight: 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz) with battery
  29. Price: $2099 body only

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Nikon GP-1 Review

Mar
17
2012
March 17, 2012
By 24 Comments

This is a quick review of the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit designed for Nikon DSLRs that have built-in support for an external GPS unit. Traveling and photography go together, so the idea of geo-tagging and mapping your photos in Lightroom, Aperture or iPhoto is appealing to many of us. The price for the ability to geo-tag using a Nikon DSLR is a bit steep when you consider new point and shoot cameras include this feature and don’t cost much more, if any, than the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit itself. So is this added feature worth the $200?

Nikon GP-1

1) Nikon GP-1 Specifications

  • Acquired data: Latitude, longitude, altitude, time information
  • Time required for satellite acquisition: Approx. 45 sec. (cold start), approx. 5 sec. (hot start)
  • Power source: Supplied from camera body
  • Receiving indicators:
    1. Red blinking (GPS data not recorded)
    2. Green blinking (GPS data recorded utilizing three satellites)
    3. Green solid (Four or more satellites detected, GPS data are more accurate)
  • Compatible DSLR models:
    1. Nikon D5000, D5100, D7000, D90 (via accessory terminal cable GP1-CA90)
    2. Nikon D200, D300, D300s, D700, D800, D2X, D2XS, D2HS, D3, D3X, D3S, D4 (via 10-pin remote terminal cable GP1-CA10)
    3. * Some models may require an update to the latest version of firmware.
  • Attachment: Attaches to camera’s accessory shoe or a camera strap via strap adapter GP1-CL1
  • Dimensions: Approx. 2 x 1.8 x 1 inches
  • Supplied Accessories
    1. GP1-CA90 for connection to the D90
    2. GP1-CA10 for connection to the 10-pin remote terminal of supported cameras
    3. Strap adapter GP1-CL1
    4. * Supplied accessories may differ depending on country or area.

2) GPS Performance

The GP-1 does a good job of what it is designed to do – tagging the latitude and longitude coordinates, but the altitude is not extremely accurate. I have found that the unit is a bit slow at locking in the satellites, other reviewers have found it to be within 30 seconds to a minute, my experience has been slower. I understand the concerns of being indoors, tall buildings, etc., but I found this to be the case even outside with no buildings or tall trees nearby.



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Sony A77 Review

Jan
30
2012
January 30, 2012
By 70 Comments
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This is an in-depth review of the new Sony SLT-A77 digital SLR camera that was announced together with the Sony SLT-A65 in August of 2011. I had a chance to test both cameras, along with a number of Sony / Zeiss lenses for the Sony mount, while reviewing the Nikon 1 camera system in late 2011. While I concentrate most of my gear reviews around Nikon cameras and Nikkor lenses, I got really excited about these Sony cameras after seeing the press release and decided to try them out.

Sony A77

I have been enjoying shooting with DSLRs for quite some time now and while I am very happy with the cameras and lenses I use, I just think that we have not been seeing major breakthroughs in new DSLR cameras. New cameras pack more resolution, faster frames per second, better video features and other bells and whistles, but nothing innovative and revolutionary that changes the way we shoot. With Sony entering the DSLR market rather late in 2006 (after acquiring Konica Minolta), it was tough to compete against the long-established Canon and Nikon cameras. Sony introduced a few DSLRs with great features at a competitive price and secured itself the #3 market share spot in DSLR sales globally, mostly with lower-end DSLR camera bodies. With a rather slow adoption rate and a limited choice of lenses and accessories available, the company quickly realized that its only way to challenge the big two was to innovate. In August of 2010, Sony announced its first “Single-Lens Translucent” (SLT) cameras – the Sony A33 and A55. While the concept of a translucent mirror is not new (in fact, Sony calls it “translucent” for marketing purposes, because it is actually supposed to be “pellicle mirror”), Sony was the first to design it to work with an electronic viewfinder. Its first SLT cameras were a success, so Sony decided to embrace the technology and take it a step further with the new Sony A77 and A65 cameras. Going forward, we will most likely not be seeing any more DSLR cameras from Sony, since its management already expressed commitment to this new breed of cameras. We should be seeing more cameras from Sony with translucent mirrors, including high-end, full-frame models.

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