Can’t update GPS assist data on A77...

...it now displays the valid period through 12/3/2011. Also, had to turn GPS back on in the menu. I guess I need to re-check all settings as they're all reset to default now -- which I don't really mind at this point, as this camera is so new it helps me gain familiarization with the plethora of options.

The display of only a single day of "valid dates" for GPS-assist was something I noticed the very first time I used it, but didn't give it much thought. Nice to have it display the correct dates now.
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• AlanS

RichV said:

Papasha - this is a little OT, but my preference is that manufacturers don't put GPS in the cameras. Why? Because they're probably not going to be as good as dedicated units. I use a (US) $70 small unit that I time-synchronize with my camera(s) (takes about one minute per camera), then go out for the day and shoot. The accuracy and speed of synchronization is great (works in tunnels, most buildings, etc., and adjusts virtually immediately), and I don't have to check to see if it's sync'd: it just works. Get home, upload images and GPS file, run a utility, and all images are stamped - including images from older cameras. Sony (, Canon, etc.) might be getting better and better at making bodies, but dedicated GPS units will most likely always be miles ahead (and serve other uses besides photography).

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Rich

http://philosurfer.zenfolio.com/

Click to expand...

I didn’t advocate for this feature and more often than not if anything I am stripping this data before sharing the pictures on the Web, simply because they would pinpoint to my living room way too accurately, but now I don’t mind it being there either. You can always turn it off or strip data later. When it works, it is pretty accurate from my year long experience with A55, pointing to the corners of Manhattan I was standing when shooting specific picture. They changed behavior between 55 and 77. 55 was showing last knows position if GPS satellite was not found (which was weird, because you could have traveled some time before switching your camera on again in a new location with no GPS in site). On 77 it just does not show any data in this case, so having shot 200 pictures in NY City, I have no data in more than few, because satellite was obscured by buildings.

I agree with you that dedicated unit would probably be more accurate, but I am pretty sure I would never buy one on my own. On another hand, the accuracy will only improve with time – using Droid’s free maps navigation for driving is a revelation – they know what lane I am in on highways…

For Sony it was probably an easy differentiator and if you check Canon forums a lot of folks asking why Canon did not embed it in their bodies yet…

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

Just before I do the same - did it reset the picture count to 0 again? I would hate duplicating numbers so early and am not sure if camera would be smart enough to pick the highest existing number off the card (as was always with all previous Alphas)...

Alan_S said:

...it now displays the valid period through 12/3/2011. Also, had to turn GPS back on in the menu. I guess I need to re-check all settings as they're all reset to default now -- which I don't really mind at this point, as this camera is so new it helps me gain familiarization with the plethora of options.

The display of only a single day of "valid dates" for GPS-assist was something I noticed the very first time I used it, but didn't give it much thought. Nice to have it display the correct dates now.
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• AlanS

Click to expand...

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

Thanks Dennis!

Digitalize said:

I did a initialize from the menu. It means it restores it to factory defaults.

Click to expand...

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

Nope, kept same sequence going, but reset all the options I'd changed back to original settings.

Papasha said:

Just before I do the same - did it reset the picture count to 0 again? I would hate duplicating numbers so early and am not sure if camera would be smart enough to pick the highest existing number off the card (as was always with all previous Alphas)...

Alan_S said:

...it now displays the valid period through 12/3/2011. Also, had to turn GPS back on in the menu. I guess I need to re-check all settings as they're all reset to default now -- which I don't really mind at this point, as this camera is so new it helps me gain familiarization with the plethora of options.

The display of only a single day of "valid dates" for GPS-assist was something I noticed the very first time I used it, but didn't give it much thought. Nice to have it display the correct dates now.
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• AlanS

Click to expand...

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

Click to expand...

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• AlanS

n/t

Your welcome. I wish we didn't have to reset, but that seems the only way to get the gps working.

Apparently this is considered a "feature." Not a feature I like! I will no longer have GPS indoors, sigh... With the A55 I would get the GPS signal outdoors and then happy happy indoors. It should be an option!

Digitalize said:

I had the same problem on my a77. Showed Nov 3 to Nov 3. I reset the camera, then it showed good for one month. There must be a bug in the gps system. One other thing, on my a55, if i was taking pictures outside a building, and then went indoors, the gps would still give a reading of last known location. But, on my a77, it just does not show a location when indoors.

Click to expand...

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Judy
http://nichollsphoto.com/

Interestingly it reset all settings; did NOT change the time, but DID reset “Daylight Svg.” setting to “OFF” again… Well, as long as GPS assist data is now good for a month, I am a happy camper. Thank you!

Alan_S said:

Nope, kept same sequence going, but reset all the options I'd changed back to original settings.

Papasha said:

Just before I do the same - did it reset the picture count to 0 again? I would hate duplicating numbers so early and am not sure if camera would be smart enough to pick the highest existing number off the card (as was always with all previous Alphas)...

Alan_S said:

...it now displays the valid period through 12/3/2011. Also, had to turn GPS back on in the menu. I guess I need to re-check all settings as they're all reset to default now -- which I don't really mind at this point, as this camera is so new it helps me gain familiarization with the plethora of options.

The display of only a single day of "valid dates" for GPS-assist was something I noticed the very first time I used it, but didn't give it much thought. Nice to have it display the correct dates now.
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• AlanS

Click to expand...

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

Click to expand...

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• AlanS

Click to expand...

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

Why do you say not put it in ? You can turn it off in your A77 and use your separate GPS device.

I don't care if it's as accurate as my AMOD GPS tracker -- it's close enough for me. But I no longer have to charge three batteries every day and merge the GPS info. The merging is not that much different because I still go into Microsoft Pro Photo Tools before loading the images into LR to get the location fields filled in (sublocation, city, state, country). But charging the batteries and downloading the GPS info is a step I can do without now!

However, I don't like it that it won't record anything if it can't see the satellites... Microsoft Pro Photo Tools can delete GPS info but not copy from one image to another.

RichV said:

Papasha - this is a little OT, but my preference is that manufacturers don't put GPS in the cameras. Why? Because they're probably not going to be as good as dedicated units. I use a (US) $70 small unit that I time-synchronize with my camera(s) (takes about one minute per camera), then go out for the day and shoot. The accuracy and speed of synchronization is great (works in tunnels, most buildings, etc., and adjusts virtually immediately), and I don't have to check to see if it's sync'd: it just works. Get home, upload images and GPS file, run a utility, and all images are stamped - including images from older cameras. Sony (, Canon, etc.) might be getting better and better at making bodies, but dedicated GPS units will most likely always be miles ahead (and serve other uses besides photography).

Click to expand...

--
Judy
http://nichollsphoto.com/

JudyN said:

Apparently this is considered a "feature." Not a feature I like! I will no longer have GPS indoors, sigh... With the A55 I would get the GPS signal outdoors and then happy happy indoors. It should be an option!

Click to expand...

Judy, not sure about that. My wife was giving me hard time on pictures of strangers apparently (based on last GPS read) taken in our bedroom with detailed midtown Manhattan painted on the walls Just kidding. Yeah, if that was an option, I would take it I guess, but I have significantly more urgent requests for firmware, like bringing back coloring of focus squares during selection etc…

JudyN said:

Digitalize said:

I had the same problem on my a77. Showed Nov 3 to Nov 3. I reset the camera, then it showed good for one month. There must be a bug in the gps system. One other thing, on my a55, if i was taking pictures outside a building, and then went indoors, the gps would still give a reading of last known location. But, on my a77, it just does not show a location when indoors.

Click to expand...

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Judy
http://nichollsphoto.com/

Click to expand...

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

JudyN said:

Why do you say not put it in ? You can turn it off in your A77 and use your separate GPS device.

I don't care if it's as accurate as my AMOD GPS tracker -- it's close enough for me. But I no longer have to charge three batteries every day and merge the GPS info. The merging is not that much different because I still go into Microsoft Pro Photo Tools before loading the images into LR to get the location fields filled in (sublocation, city, state, country). But charging the batteries and downloading the GPS info is a step I can do without now!

However, I don't like it that it won't record anything if it can't see the satellites... Microsoft Pro Photo Tools can delete GPS info but not copy from one image to another.

Click to expand...

I am using exiftool to strip data when I post some of the GPS tagged pictures on these forums, but this utility can also mass copy GPS data back into your JPGs.

It is a nice util I got from somebody's reference a while ago - search for it. Here is the command I execute to strip data, but you could as easily put it back or change the same way:

exiftool -GPSLatitudeRef= -GPSLongitudeRef= -GPSLatitude= -GPSLongitude= -GPSPosition= 12345.JPG

Change 12345 to asterisk (I can't seem to put it here for whatever reason) and it will do multiple..

JudyN said:

RichV said:

Papasha - this is a little OT, but my preference is that manufacturers don't put GPS in the cameras. Why? Because they're probably not going to be as good as dedicated units. I use a (US) $70 small unit that I time-synchronize with my camera(s) (takes about one minute per camera), then go out for the day and shoot. The accuracy and speed of synchronization is great (works in tunnels, most buildings, etc., and adjusts virtually immediately), and I don't have to check to see if it's sync'd: it just works. Get home, upload images and GPS file, run a utility, and all images are stamped - including images from older cameras. Sony (, Canon, etc.) might be getting better and better at making bodies, but dedicated GPS units will most likely always be miles ahead (and serve other uses besides photography).

Click to expand...

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Judy
http://nichollsphoto.com/

Click to expand...

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

Thanks to our hero Dennis (see above).

Pain in the neck, but at least it’s working now.

Thank you all who chimed in trying to help – the best of the forum!

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Some of my older work: http://www.pbase.com/papasha

JudyN said:

I must say it's awkward to connect. The USB cable pushes up very close to the cover on the panel. I think I'll continue to use the card method...

Click to expand...

I also find this very awkward to use. I wish the USB connector wasn't next to the hinge In fact, I wish the HDMI terminal and the USB terminal were switched since I always download from the camera instead of a card reader.
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AEH
http://aehass.zenfolio.com/
Question: What do you do all week?
Answer: Mon to Fri. Nothing, Sat & Sun I rest!

JudyN said:

Why do you say not put it in ? You can turn it off in your A77 and use your separate GPS device.

Click to expand...

Hi, Judy. I'm not saying not to use your A77's GPS, but ... I know that my standalone device is better optimized for this + it doesn't consume extra camera battery power + it's small enough to not be an issue + it gives GPS data for ALL of my digital cameras, no matter how old they are. I can't speak to the A77's GPS reliability, but I've seen test videos and user reports on the A55's GPS and have concluded that its reliability isn't the best re: GPS devices.

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Rich

http://philosurfer.zenfolio.com/

I've completely stopped using my standalone. No more battery charging for it! The two cameras I carry now both have GPS, but when I just had the A55, since i took most pictures with it, I just let the Panasonic G1 alone because the images would merge in Lightroom and I could tell where I was, which is want I want.

What do you mean by A55 reliability? Accuracy? As far as where it says it is, it isn't always right if it doesn't get a signal at the new location. I presume that is why the A77 doesn't record GPS if it doesn't have a signal. In my mind that should have been a choice! I've learned to live with old GPS in the A55 and prefer it to nothing. I would prefer to be able to switch it on and off. For example, have it continue to record a saved GPS when I know I'm going to be shooting inside and want the GPS.

I don't use it for accuracy. I use it to know approximately where I was. Like New Mexico or Colorado. OK, closer than that, but you know what I mean. I often modify the sub-location fields in Lightroom over what Microsoft Pro Photo Tools gives me to the building name or event or something that makes more sense to me than the address.

I'm a very happy camper with the GPS built into the camera.

RichV said:

JudyN said:

Why do you say not put it in ? You can turn it off in your A77 and use your separate GPS device.

Click to expand...

Hi, Judy. I'm not saying not to use your A77's GPS, but ... I know that my standalone device is better optimized for this + it doesn't consume extra camera battery power + it's small enough to not be an issue + it gives GPS data for ALL of my digital cameras, no matter how old they are. I can't speak to the A77's GPS reliability, but I've seen test videos and user reports on the A55's GPS and have concluded that its reliability isn't the best re: GPS devices.

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Rich

http://philosurfer.zenfolio.com/

Click to expand...

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Judy
http://nichollsphoto.com/

The accuracy reference does relate to operating inside buildings and other difficult areas (my little "pocket bullet" works absolutely everywhere, so far). I'm not yet into the SLT's, but given their battery life (I also shoot Canons, where I get 700-1100 shots per charge) I probably wouldn't want to needlessly drain the battery.

But I can understand your desire for simplicity. Since none of my cameras have GPS natively - but all of them now have it via the external GPS, this works for me, and I'm glad the Sony works for you.

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Rich

http://philosurfer.zenfolio.com/