Lightroom: Add image direction in Map module

Report · Jan 12, 2012

It would be really nice to have this. This is the next step in image geotagging

A few geottagging software already have it (ex geosetter)
Many of the new camera GPS equiped also have electronic compass to embedd the image direction.

On top of that we could also have subject location, so that we can locate what we were photographying.
(for example selecting a photo with that metadata will display the photo marker for the position of the camera and a target marker for the position of the subject.

regards

Report · Jan 13, 2012

Agree with the Compass information..

Although it would be nice to have lots of pins a map, I think having the compass direction would elimatnate the need for pinning the Subject and where the photo was taken from.

Report · Jun 29, 2012

Hello together,

I was just told about the feedback forum after I posted a related wish on http://forums.adobe.com/message/4526308

I do not want to do a complete crosspost. I just add the main points and extra ideas here:

Here is a - low quality - video for better understanding. It shows quite good what I mean:

It would be great to have the focus distance also involved. But this seems to be difficult as most cams do not write it standardized to the EXIF

This relates to the target object in the opening post.

=====================================

What else could Heading be good for?

There are many ideas for usage of compass headings. Here two ideas that have been prototyped by university students:

-------------------------------------------------------------

1. Filtering photo databases according to postition of the sun

Just find all pictures with dawn light from the left. All with front light. All with ...

(Link to Source and explanation in German here http://forums.adobe.com/message/4526308 )
-------------------------------------------------------------

2. Generate Proposals for naming the photographed Object for Semi-Automatic-Tagging

The user gets offers for objects that are in the angel of view and can use them for tagging. He just checks those offer he wants to be safed with the photo.

(Link to Source and explanation in German here http://forums.adobe.com/message/4526308 )

-------------------------------------------------------------

Are there Cameras with GPS + Compass (Heading)?

yes, at the moment I count 20 Cameras and Geotaggers. And by the dates you can see the number ist starting to grow really fast. In the beginning (2008 it was only Solmeta for Nikon and Ricoh). The boom starts 2011 and 2012:

DSLR and Medium Format

Nikon DSLR:

Solmeta Geotagger N2/Pro/N3 (since 2008!)
Dawntech M3-DC Digital Compass (03/2012)

Canon DSLR

Canon GP-E1(05/2012)
Canon GP-E2 (05/2012)

For Pentax DSLR and Medium Format

Pentax O-GPS1 (2011)

Compact/Bridge:

Nikon Coolpix AW100 Outdoor-Cam GPS + Compass (09/2011)
Nikon Coolpix S9300 suoperzoom with GPS + Compass (03/2012)

Olympus

Olympus Tough TG-1 Outdoor with GPS + Compass (06/2012)

Ricoh

Ricoh Caplio G500SE + GPS/Compass unit
Ricoh Caplio G700SE with Ricoh GP-1 GPS-unit (07/2010)

Samsung

Samsung WB850F GPS + Compass(04/2012)

Sony

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V GPS + compass (2010)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V GPS + compass (02/2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V GPS + compass (04/2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX100V GPS und Kompass (2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V GPS + Compass (2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V GPS + compass (03/2012)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V GPS + Compass (04/2012)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V GPS + Compass (05/2012)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V GPS + Compass (03/2012)

(source: Actual Lists of all cameras, DSLR, Medium Format, compact, EVIL with integrated GPS or GPS-interfac... )

Cheers!

Report · Jun 29, 2012

Hello together,

I was just told about the feedback forum after I posted a related wish on http://forums.adobe.com/message/4526308

I do not want to do a complete crosspost. I just add the main points and extra ideas here:

Here is a - low quality - video for better understanding. It shows quite good what I mean:

It would be great to have the focus distance also involved. But this seems to be difficult as most cams do not write it standardized to the EXIF

This relates to the target object in the opening post.

=====================================

What else could Heading be good for?

There are many ideas for usage of compass headings. Here two ideas that have been prototyped by university students:

-------------------------------------------------------------

1. Filtering photo databases according to postition of the sun

Just find all pictures with dawn light from the left. All with front light. All with ...

(Link to Source and explanation in German here http://forums.adobe.com/message/4526308 )
-------------------------------------------------------------

2. Generate Proposals for naming the photographed Object for Semi-Automatic-Tagging

The user gets offers for objects that are in the angel of view and can use them for tagging. He just checks those offer he wants to be safed with the photo.

(Link to Source and explanation in German here http://forums.adobe.com/message/4526308 )

-------------------------------------------------------------

Are there Cameras with GPS + Compass (Heading)?

yes, at the moment I count 20 Cameras and Geotaggers. And by the dates you can see the number ist starting to grow really fast. In the beginning (2008 it was only Solmeta for Nikon and Ricoh). The boom starts 2011 and 2012:

DSLR and Medium Format

Nikon DSLR:

Solmeta Geotagger N2/Pro/N3 (since 2008!)
Dawntech M3-DC Digital Compass (03/2012)

Canon DSLR

Canon GP-E1(05/2012)
Canon GP-E2 (05/2012)

For Pentax DSLR and Medium Format

Pentax O-GPS1 (2011)

Compact/Bridge:

Nikon Coolpix AW100 Outdoor-Cam GPS + Compass (09/2011)
Nikon Coolpix S9300 suoperzoom with GPS + Compass (03/2012)

Olympus

Olympus Tough TG-1 Outdoor with GPS + Compass (06/2012)

Ricoh

Ricoh Caplio G500SE + GPS/Compass unit
Ricoh Caplio G700SE with Ricoh GP-1 GPS-unit (07/2010)

Samsung

Samsung WB850F GPS + Compass(04/2012)

Sony

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V GPS + compass (2010)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V GPS + compass (02/2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V GPS + compass (04/2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX100V GPS und Kompass (2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V GPS + Compass (2011)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX200V GPS + compass (03/2012)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX10V GPS + Compass (04/2012)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V GPS + Compass (05/2012)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V GPS + Compass (03/2012)

(source: Actual Lists of all cameras, DSLR, Medium Format, compact, EVIL with integrated GPS or GPS-interfac... )

Cheers!

Report · Jun 29, 2012

Good point.
-It is also useful for specific jobs such as geologist, architect,...
-there are even more camera than what you write. I own one myself that you did not list.
-With smartphone recording track and phone bearing, potentially any camera can have access to this info.
-The focus distance could be replaced by depth of field when not known, as depth of field can easily be computed.
-Even without focus distance info, you could gess from the topography or the surround buildings what can be seen or not.

regards

Report · Jun 29, 2012

Which cam is missing?

Report · Jun 29, 2012

the new cams coming with GPS and compass - we need

the direction supprt in LR 4 and Google/OSM Map drive in driection

Report · Jun 29, 2012

I personnally own an Olympus one (tough tg810 now replaced by tg 820).
I bought it in 2011. At that time Panasonic was also making a similar camera (currently I think it is the DMC FT3). And I see that you aren't listing their cameras as well.
So I would say there are a lot more than 20 cameras.
note that these camera also have a barometric altimeter, useful when diving. (not so usefull at least on the Olympus, if you use it outside - it lacks precision.)

Report · Jun 29, 2012

Panasonic recently added the DMC FT4 to the list

Report · Jun 29, 2012

Checked. They were all but the FT4 in the original List. Just not marked as "GPS + Compass"
So is is 5 or six more units cameras with compass on board

Report · Sep 16, 2012

I just do my first steps into geotagging. On my trip to Dubai I took photos with the Canon 5DMkIII and the Canon GP-E2 GPS receiver which has a compass function.
LR showed the GPS coordinates correctly in the metadata and on the map.

My question: although LR does not support the direction info yet, does it keep the info from the RAW files during import? I convert to dng. So if I export the files to jpg including exif infos, is the direction included so I can use other software to show it on maps?

Report · Oct 04, 2012

Hello Thomas,

if EXIF is not erased it should stay and be found in the DGN.

Choose a software to show image heading from this search result suitable to your OS:

Free but it is worth to donate, I think.

Report · Oct 04, 2012

Hello Thomas,

if EXIF is not erased it should stay and be found in the DGN.

Choose a software to show image heading from this search result suitable to your OS:

Free but it is worth to donate, I think.

Report · Oct 04, 2012

Hello Thomas,

if EXIF is not erased it should stay and be found in the DGN.

Choose a software to show image heading from this search result suitable to your OS:
http://gps-camera.eu/component/search...

For Windows the best so show compass direction is: http://www.geosetter.de
Free but it is worth to donate, I think.

Report · Oct 12, 2012

This is a really cool feature that is more and more needed as camera that write down this informatin get more and more commune.
It is not really difficult to implement.
At least we should be able to read it in a lightroom 4.3
By reading it I think of a text field that displays the compass reading (Geographic or magnetic north + value of the heading)
It would be even more cool to be able to edit that field.
I see it as the same problem we had with the altitude.

In a second time we could have a full featured functions that displays the direction on the map and let us edit it from there.

I suggest reading the feature request that got this function added to geosetter to get some ideas about the pitfalls and nice coul think that can be implemented.:

http://www.geosetter.de/mantis/view.p...

You will also be able to find other programs that are able to read and set this info.
from this thread.

Report · Nov 06, 2012

This feature is among my top requested features for Lightroom (or any other photo managing software I would consider to use). Currently I prefer Geosetter as my main photo managing software due to this feature (and it's ability to - at least - show face tags in photos) - and this program is completely free!

Regarding the implementation for this feature in Lightroom: In theory you could go one step further and include the horizontal angle as well. A photo taken in real life can be seen as a vector in a 3-dimensional space. You have the shooting location (longitude, latitude and altitude), and the shooting direction in all three dimensions (not only north/south & east/west). I don't know if any cameras/GPS-extenstions do even record the horizontal shooting angle currently, but if including the shooting direction, why not do it "right" in the first place? :)

I sincerely hope to see this feature implemented in Lightroom - it would be a game changer for me! :)

Best regards, Mikkel

Report · Apr 30, 2013

Hi Mikkel,

yes, this would be great. Unfortunately EXIF has no fields for pitch and roll, yet. Only yaw (heading).
It would be good reason to do a new version of EXIF Standard and add those fields.

Cheers
Seb

Report · Apr 26, 2016

I have pins showing direction in my site:
http://www.fjellfotografen.se/Karta/Norrbotten/St%C3%A4der+&+Samh%C3%A4llen/Pite%C3%A5

It could not be to hard to implement that in Lightroom - and it would be a very nice feature...
I would also like to have the possibility to see direction in degrees in the direction line - not just north, south aso.

Best regards
Tomas

Adobe Support Community

Lightroom: Add image direction in Map module