Learning to Geotag

Of the 2 new GPS cameras just announced by Panasonic, the rugged Lumix DSC-TS3 (available in 4 colors – see below) is the most tempting to me and could serve as a potential replacement for the old waterproof Olympus Stylus I use as my knock around, ultra-portable kayaking adventure camera.

Video quality is the biggest weakness of the also waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, etc. older Olympus camera I use when kayaking now. The video resolution of the new Lumix TS3, which is impossible to quantify from a press release Panasonic has made available for the TS3, should be a noticeable improvement in quality in the moving image department compared to my older waterproof camera.

I rarely shoot video with my “big” camera, though I expect that to change when I finally upgrade to the new main camera I’m looking at now which has very high quality video capabilities. But out on a river, people tend to appreciate video of themselves going over waterfalls in kayaks as much or more than they appreciate still images. In the past, my pocketable waterproof adventure cameras have been used much more for video than my main cameras  have been.

Ultra-high quality 1080p video that you could pull stills from would be the ideal for outdoor action. I’m not sure if that is a realistic expectation with the Lumix TS3, not having tinkered with one yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that stills from the videos (after reducing and sharpening) could make for occasionally satisfactory images at web presentation resolutions, despite the heavily compressed nature of consumer HD video.
[It seems that despite claims to support Full HD (whatever that phony marketing term means) and the implication of 1080p, the Lumix DSC-TS3 may actually only record 1080i and 720p. More below.]

GPS
I would have interest in taking a Lumix TS3 for a spin even without GPS functionality built-in. But the GPS function would be especially appreciated in this camera because you would likely be using the TS3 in circumstances where you wouldn’t want the hassle of dealing with a GPS datalogger that would not be as rugged or as resistant to moisture as the TS3.

I might prefer the versatility of a dedicated GPS datalogger on ordinary shooting days, but on days I’d be getting wet or dirty and subsequently choosing to bring the new Lumix TS3, I’m sure I’d be happy that I didn’t need to bring along a separate and more fragile item.

The following is a list of the Lumix DSC-TS3′s main features with some guesses about specifics. The TS3 will be available in March. Price to be announced.

*Lens: 28mm wide angle, up to 4.6x zoom

*GPS: Certainly with a standard GPS delay in first detecting your initial position when starting cold.

*Compass: Presumably for recording directional data in the EXIF file for each photo so you know which direction the camera was pointing when each photo was taken (not a feature I care too much about). I don’t know if the compass direction is indicated during use of the camera, but that would be a nice feature for navigation assistance. It should be easy enough to implement, so I suspect you’ll be able to use the compass feature as a standalone asset.

*Altimeter: With enough GPS signals, elevation can be determined with no other technology on board. Presumably, the dedicated altimeter is used to provide more reliable elevation information in the EXIF files. Though latitude and longitude can be triangulated with only 3 satellite signals, 4 are required to determine altitude. I presume the altimeter data will be observable on the LCD as well which would be a nice touch.

*Barometer: I’m not sure if the intention with the barometer is to help the user make weather predictions during hikes (unlikely) or if barometric pressure is simply recorded as part of each photo’s EXIF file as a novelty (possible). But I suspect the main reason a barometer is in this camera is simply because it didn’t cost much to include and Panasonic felt it could add to the Swiss army knife appeal of the DSC-TS3, even if the barometer feature is unlikely to be used by most purchasers.

*Waterproof: 40 feet (12 meters) up to an hour.

*Dustproof: IP6X Rated – No ingress of dust.

*Shockproof: Dropped from a height of 6.6 feet (2 meters).

*Freezeproof: 14 degress F (-10 C).
I’ve snowboarded in a lot colder temperatures than that, but any temperature protection is better than none I guess. The only digital camera I’ve ever had die on me completely did so during a winter shoot on a mountain.

*1080p Video (Uh, no.): 1920 x 1080 Full HD AVCHD.
What does Full HD mean exactly?
I’m definitely not happy with this invented-by-marketers term, Full High Definition video or Full HD. One would assume that it means 1080p, but does it? And if it does, why not say 1080p somewhere.

In this official press release from Panasonic, the company does not once use proper terminology in describing the video resolutions of the camera’s video features. Inexcusable.

But anyway…
If the information I have found hunting around online is accurate, the Lumix DSC-TS3 DOES NOT record video at 1080p. It records 60 field per second 1080i resolution video after splitting a 30 frame per second progressive signal from the camera’s sensor. The camera may also record 720 progressive video at 30 frames per second. I’m not confident that the data I’m finding online is accurate, so I’ll avoid elaborating on this too much and update this post later when I find something official from Panasonic that goes into the specifics.

I will say that if the camera is unable to process and save a file at 1080p 30 frames per second, but it is creating 1080i video by interlacing 30 progressive frames per second captured by the camera’s sensor…
Then it might be possible to reassemble 2 interlaced frames captured at the exact same moment in time to create a genuine, though highly compressed, 1080 “p” still image from a video clip created with this camera’s 1080i mode. Pulling stills from video is not something everyone will be interested in, but it definitely comes in handy when an appropriate still image was not initially acquired at an event, and it’s something I unfortunately have to do from time to time.

Typical 1080i modes record 60 moments in time each second for 30 frame/60 interlaced fields per second video, making reassembling 2 fields into 1 completely compatible single progressive frame image impossible without fuzzing the already highly compressed data even further.

–
Beyond eliminating the marketing goofiness of the newly invented phraseology of Full HD, I think there should also be an explanation required by law or an agreed upon industry standard that briefly explains on all HD product packaging how different compression methods can dramatically affect the appearance of HD video. Consumers should be entitled to know, without spending hours researching, that they are not always comparing apples to apples with HD resolution numbers. (1080p is 1080p is 1080p not.)

I don’t see that happening anytime soon (or ever), especially if manufacturers are now already starting to feel they can get away with omitting all references to any kind of meaningful HD specifications in their product promotions as the new Full HD designation allows.

I’m quite sure that rant did nothing to improve the universe.
Moving on.

3D Photo Mode: Joining Sony’s 3D capable GPS geotagging cameras in the marketplace, Panasonic’s new Lumix cameras also offer a 3D function. Like the recently announced Sonys, this 3D effect is created by combining 2 images shot through the same lens. I have not seen any 3D images resulting from this technique, but I must assume the 3D effect is not as good as what one would expect from a dual-lens system. Otherwise, why would Panasonic be offering a dual-lens 3D option on its Lumix Micro Four Thirds cameras?

I’m sure the multiple and distinctly different perspectives provided by a fixed dual-lens 3D camera setup would be preferable, but even with only minimal interest in 3D technology, I’m still quite curious to see what these small portable cameras can do with a single lens 3D system.

Though I don’t anticipate having a strong desire to shoot a lot of 3D stills in the immediate future, who knows what the more distant future might bring? Maybe everyone will one day be wearing 3D glasses whenever they use a computer. If so, we’ll all be integrating 3D content into our websites and some of the 3D content photos generated today might very well end up as online content in the future. But for that to happen, we’ll need to be able to convert much of the present day 3D photography content into whatever universal standard is decided upon.

For the near future, I suspect 3D photography is likely to remain a novelty just for dabbling in on occasion. When I see hoards of users putting on 3D glasses as they turn on their computing devices, I’ll take that as a serious indicator that the tides have turned and that I need to jump on the 3D bandwagon with my photography.

Location Services: Though not as appealing to me on paper as the mapping features available in the new Casio Exilim EX-H20G GPS camera, GPS integration in the Lumix TS3 does notify you of major tourist spots in the world, indicating the Countries/Regions, States/Provinces/Counties, Counties/Townships, Cities/Towns/Villages and Landmarks close to you. Maybe I would see more benefit to that feature if I experienced it in action, but I’m not very titillated by the concept at the moment.

If this camera is successful for Panasonic and they continue developing the category, I’m sure full mapping services will be included in the next generation.

Social Networking: The TS3 supposedly facilitates uploading photos to Facebook. With no Internet connectivity, I can’t imagine it helps too much.

I’m not a rampant social networking photo uploader. I prefer to ponder and carefully select images before sharing them with the world, but I know others feel differently and might welcome any help, however small, that could contribute to the process of sliding photos into Facebook accounts.

What makes the Lumix DSC-TS3 appealing to me is its unique place in the market as a durable water resistant camera that can also geotag photos. I would be tempted to buy one as is, but once Panasonic adds navigation maps to the LCD as they certainly will in the next version of this model, this camera will be irresistible as a knock around, go anywhere camera.

So the question for me is whether or not I’ll be able to wait a year before I upgrade from my old Olympus rugged camera. And.. what else will appear on the market during that one year wait?

Maybe Panasonic will upgrade the TS3′s firmware to include maps (if there’s enough memory on board), and we won’t have to wait a year for this to become the near perfect pocket navigation camera it could be.

Of course, my enthusiasm for the Lumix TS3 must be tempered by the fact I haven’t even touched one yet.

The Lumix DMC-ZS10 GPS camera, pictured here in blue, might be more appealing for those not seeking protection from moisture, dirt and rough handling. The DMC-ZS10 shares many features with the DSC-TS3, but in addition to a wider 24mm lens, the ZS10 has a more powerful 16x optical zoom and a touchscreen back. The ZS10 is also due out in March. Price to be announced. Panasonic’s DMC-ZS10 Press Release

Dan Savage [email]

Images: Top 4 Photos – Lumix DSC-TS3. Bottom – DMC-ZS10.