Sony GPS-CS1 picture GPS unit

GPS-CS1 records position data that can be combined with still images and displayed as online “Map View” with Picture Motion Browser software.

Now Sony camera users can add an extra dimension to enjoyment of their pictures, allowing them to see exactly “where” as well as “when” they were taken.

With the new GPS-CS1 GPS unit, still images shot with latest Cyber-shot digital cameras, Handycam camcorders or the 100 D-SLR camera can be enhanced with satellite-based positional information. Using Sony Picture Motion Browser software, images can be displayed at exactly the place they were taken in an online map. (Maps provided courtesy of Google Maps).

The combination of the GPS-CS1 and Picture Motion Browser software – supplied with new Sony digital cameras from August 2006 onward – opens up a completely new style of enjoying photos taken on an overseas holiday or journey. It can be hard to keep track of large numbers of photos taken during a trip. By automatically matching photo locations, dates and times with satellite-linked precision it becomes faster, easier and more fun to keep photos organised and accessible.

The GPS-CS1 is a portable GPS (Global Positioning System) unit from Sony that records time and date information along with actual position wherever GPS satellite coverage is available. Using supplied GPS Image Tracker software, this position data can be “matched” with time and date information corresponding with each JPEG camera image. Enhanced with location data, images can then be viewed using Sony Picture Motion Browser software that includes an online “Map View” function. Map format and scale are adjustable — outline or satellite, global or local — according to user preferences.

The compact, lightweight recording unit weighs just 55g* and measures W87 x H36 x D36mm. The power-efficient design allows up to 10 hours continuous use with a single, readily available alkaline cell (14 hours with Ni-MH battery).

Set-up is simple and operation automatic, with no control adjustments required during tracking and recording. There is no connection between the user’s Sony camera and the GPS-CS1, which can be placed face-up inside a bag, or attached to the user’s rucksack or belt clip with the supplied carabiner. The unit’s centre of gravity helps ensure that its internal antenna remains facing in a near-vertical position.

In normal use, the GPS-CS1 records location data every 15 seconds. Positional accuracy varies depending on satellite status, but can be as high as 2m in optimal conditions. When a photo is taken between two log points, the bundled GPS Image Tracker software will estimate actual location based on logs recorded before and after the photo is taken. Similar estimation is used when a photo is taken where no satellite signal available – such as when briefly underground or indoors.

The GPS-CS1 can hold 31MB of data, equivalent to approximately one month of tracking and recording for 12 hours per day. Recorded data can then be downloaded from the GPS-CS1 via the supplied USB cable to a PC** running Sony GPS Image Tracker software. Camera images can be downloaded to the same PC either via Memory Stick or direct USB cable connection. Once the software has “matched” position data with date/time information, images can be viewed using Picture Motion Browser software that comes as standard with recent Cyber-shot/Handycam models and the α100 D-SLR. JPEG images with appended location information will appear with an accompanying “compass” icon when viewed in Picture Motion Browser software. By selecting Map View, images will be displayed in position in an online map (Maps provided courtesy of Google Maps).

The GPS-CS1 can be used with all latest Cyber-shot models (August 2006 onwards) supplied with Picture Motion Browser software. Some older Cyber-shot models may also be compatible***, requiring an update to supplied Cyber-shot Viewer software using the supplied CD-ROM to add Map View functionality. The GPS-CS1 is also compatible with the Sony 100 D-SLR camera when shooting in JPEG or JPEG+RAW mode.

The GPS-CS1 GPS Unit will be available throughout Europe from the end of August 2006.