Geocoding photos. i.e. adding latitude and longitude to a photos’ metadata gets more popular every day. To my knowledge the following options for geocoding images exist:

• “Integrated solution”: Professionals could use the nikon D200 with an attached Garmin (or compatible) gps and a serial cable to directly add the goecode to the EXIF Metadata while shooting the photo. (Does anybody know if there is a similar solution for professional canon cameras ?) But according to some comments the integration the whole package was very clumsy and cumbersome.
• “Specialist applications”: The RICOH Caplio Pro G3 camera is mostly used for special applications. But with its integrated Compact Flash Slot it allows for direct integration of the geocode information into exif headers using either GPS CF cards GPS Bluetooth modules and ad Bluetooth CF card or a standard GPS receiver a serial cable and a serial CF card. This is definitely the best integrated solution wrt. useability but the camera does not fulfill the requirements of professional photographers.
• “Synchronized data”: This is a solution that until now mostly appeals to geeks. In this scenario the geocode of the photo is not stored directly while taking the shot. Instead, a separate gps tracker is used to premanently track and store the position. Using synchronized clocks on both devices a postprocessing software like WWMX LocationStamper then adds the EXIF headers to the photos.
• “Manual Postprocessing”: The bulk of todays geocoded images stems are manually geocoded using internet mapping services and APIS of the G-Y-M “triumvirat” (or should i say oligopoly). In contrast to the other solutions, the metadata is normally not integrated into the headers of the photo but only attached to it wrt. a hosting application (e.g. flickr).

Sony now tries to bring the synchronized data solution to the masses by offering an integrated hard and software package consisting of a small gps tracker and a set of windows only software. But as usual Sony doesn’t get it . The usual walled garden approach, combined with a technical inferior solution: Single purpose gps module, no expandable memory, tracking only every 15 seconds, …).