[Larrymc]

but I personally am an old school photographer who learned it's craft with analogue SLR.

Since you are such an "old School" photographer, why all the ruckus about GPS? I don't recall film cameras having a GPS.

[PDL]

Since you are such an "old School" photographer, why all the ruckus about GPS? I don't recall film cameras having a GPS.

Well, GPS did not exist when I was shooting film for use during my Archaeology days, it would have solved a lot of issues over the location of potential sites. It would have been a huge deal, maybe I would still be an Archaeologist. In 1983 when GPS went live for non-military use, I was having issues in grad school using my TRS-80 for papers. We had a class where we were simulating contract Archaeology building budgets for a summer of excavations in NM. (theoretically in Chaco Canyon). I had a pirated copy of VisiCalc and the final was, the professor in the class changed the cost of food, gas, salaries and consulting fees for out "project". It took me 20 minutes to update my spreadsheet and print it out. I was back in his office within the hour being the first guy to own a PC. The other students freaked out, as it took them a day or so to manually recalculate their cost sheets. I was told that I was "cheating", the University would not accept dot matrix documents and I set the printer to slash the zeros - which was all so "illegal" at the University. I said at the time that Archaeologists would be taking PC's into the field in the future and even the professor asked how I was going to keep dirt out the floppy drives - "it ain't gonna happen" was the most common comment.

That all said, if there were a way Geotag images, I would have been all over it. Archaeologists build maps (I wrote a paper and created a program on my TRS-80 that would create a contour map for a graduate level Geography course) The location of features is extremely important in the field as it is in other fields. It would have been a boon to the field and has turned out to be anyway. As old as I am, I really wish that I could have had this technology.

One of the reasons I bought my K-3II was because of GPS. I spent 6 weeks in Europe taking pictures of doors, cathedrals, beer, landscapes and buildings. I am still going through my images of New Zealand trying to remember where in the name of heaven some of those images are from. The images since late
2016? - Not an issue, if I can't remember I open the image in Windows Photos look at the info and there is the map - down to the street. If I were still an Archaeologist and wondered if the biface I am looking at was found in South Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa or France..... Just open the picture and see where you were when it was shot.

Age has nothing to do with it nor does film.

[reh321]

Since you are such an "old School" photographer, why all the ruckus about GPS? I don't recall film cameras having a GPS.

An "old school" photographer had a notebook in which he wrote information about each exposure - but we have become lazy and "perfect" since then.

[RobG]

An "old school" photographer had a notebook in which he wrote information about each exposure - but we have become lazy and "perfect" since then.

True, but the notes wouldn't have made the astrotracer possible.

[pichaser]

Gps has given my photos much more value since birds move around a lot . My emails help a retired biologist friend remain much more involved despite his health issues . In a day's photography several hundred photos would literally overwhelm my stunted note taking skills . A camera with many capabilities should have wider appeal and greater sales . I haven't used the astrotracer but it has future possibilities as do other capabilities . The k3ii logically could evolve into a very desirable K3iii .

[reh321]

True, but the notes wouldn't have made the astrotracer possible.

The power of “ILC”s has always come from adding things.
In this case, perhaps you you could add an ‘O-GPS’.

[RobG]

The power of “ILC”s has always come from adding things.
In this case, perhaps you you could add an ‘O-GPS’.

Which I already have for my K3 and it looks like I'll need to reuse for the K3iii. I wonder if Pentax has considered accessing phone GPS data using Wifi? This is done on the Theta I think.

[Ishpuini]

Which I already have for my K3 and it looks like I'll need to reuse for the K3iii. I wonder if Pentax has considered accessing phone GPS data using Wifi? This is done on the Theta I think.

They probably will, but that's not a solution for Astrotracing.

[ThorSanchez]

An "old school" photographer had a notebook in which he wrote information about each exposure - but we have become lazy and "perfect" since then.

It has nothing to do with lazy. If you'd have given a photographer GPS and EXIF tagging in 1970 they'd have loved it, and the convenience and time saved that lets them concentrate on taking more and more perfect photographs without carrying around a bunch of extra stuff like notebooks.

If we rejected every convenience for fear of losing our work ethic we'd be living in log shacks sweeping the dirt floor with corn stalks, trying to kill our dinner with a rock.

---------- Post added 12-04-20 at 06:48 AM ----------

The power of “ILC”s has always come from adding things.
In this case, perhaps you you could add an ‘O-GPS’.

I almost guarantee that if an O-GPS1 is required for geotagging and astrotracer on the K-3iii, even if I had one, it would be used a small fraction of the time I turn GPS on for my K-3ii. A lot of time I take a very small Domke bag with camera, two lenses, a lenspen, and a couple batteries. The extra add ons just don't go.

Since I don't own the O-GPS1, and it costs $200, odds of me buying one are small. And when I go on a hike (like I did last week) where I want to tag my route and photos... well, hopefully the phone pairing works okay and my 4-year-old phone's battery can handle it.

[Larrymc]

Well, GPS did not exist when I was shooting film for use during my Archaeology days, it would have solved a lot of issues over the location of potential sites. It would have been a huge deal, maybe I would still be an Archaeologist. In 1983 when GPS went live for non-military use, I was having issues in grad school using my TRS-80 for papers. We had a class where we were simulating contract Archaeology building budgets for a summer of excavations in NM. (theoretically in Chaco Canyon). I had a pirated copy of VisiCalc and the final was, the professor in the class changed the cost of food, gas, salaries and consulting fees for out "project". It took me 20 minutes to update my spreadsheet and print it out. I was back in his office within the hour being the first guy to own a PC. The other students freaked out, as it took them a day or so to manually recalculate their cost sheets. I was told that I was "cheating", the University would not accept dot matrix documents and I set the printer to slash the zeros - which was all so "illegal" at the University. I said at the time that Archaeologists would be taking PC's into the field in the future and even the professor asked how I was going to keep dirt out the floppy drives - "it ain't gonna happen" was the most common comment.

That all said, if there were a way Geotag images, I would have been all over it. Archaeologists build maps (I wrote a paper and created a program on my TRS-80 that would create a contour map for a graduate level Geography course) The location of features is extremely important in the field as it is in other fields. It would have been a boon to the field and has turned out to be anyway. As old as I am, I really wish that I could have had this technology.

One of the reasons I bought my K-3II was because of GPS. I spent 6 weeks in Europe taking pictures of doors, cathedrals, beer, landscapes and buildings. I am still going through my images of New Zealand trying to remember where in the name of heaven some of those images are from. The images since late
2016? - Not an issue, if I can't remember I open the image in Windows Photos look at the info and there is the map - down to the street. If I were still an Archaeologist and wondered if the biface I am looking at was found in South Dakota, Wyoming, Iowa or France..... Just open the picture and see where you were when it was shot.

Age has nothing to do with it nor does film.

You did what you had to do during that time, my reference was to the OP's statement the he was an "Old School" photographer.

[Breakfastographer]

Dials the size of a snusdosa would certainly make it easier to use the camera when wearing gloves.

Could be a feature suggestion for the Pentax 6×7 D if it ever comes.

[reh321]

It has nothing to do with lazy. If you'd have given a photographer GPS and EXIF tagging in 1970 they'd have loved it, and the convenience and time saved that lets them concentrate on taking more and more perfect photographs without carrying around a bunch of extra stuff like notebooks.

If we rejected every convenience for fear of losing our work ethic we'd be living in log shacks sweeping the dirt floor with corn stalks, trying to kill our dinner with a rock

This has nothing to do with the ongoing discussion. A person may use a "modern convenience" if it is included in the camera he uses, or he can purchase another camera to get that convenience, but I am really tired of people's complaining because that convenience is not included in the design of a particular camera.

II almost guarantee that if an O-GPS1 is required for geotagging and astrotracer on the K-3iii, even if I had one, it would be used a small fraction of the time I turn GPS on for my K-3ii. A lot of time I take a very small Domke bag with camera, two lenses, a lenspen, and a couple batteries. The extra add ons just don't go.

Since I don't own the O-GPS1, and it costs $200, odds of me buying one are small. And when I go on a hike (like I did last week) where I want to tag my route and photos... well, hopefully the phone pairing works okay

So, get a larger bag for those rate occasions when you feel that you need an O-GPS1, or purchase a different camera with a GPS and a flippy screen. Complaining about the lack of these features accomplishes nothing.

[repaap]

I would suggest that we will wait a bit. There might be GPS. And more. And it could work well with use of your smartphone in addition. Perhaps couple bad/good jokes meanwhile. Or then just actually have a look of that beautiful metal shell covering your camera. Knowing ot wont break.

[BigMackCam]

I would suggest that we will wait a bit.

An excellent suggestion that will, I fear, fall on deaf ears

[MikeyBugs95]

To get back to a discussion that has long passed....

I kinda like the idea of a lacquered bare metal camera with all the bits and bobs and coverings and buttons attached. Reminds me of the bare metal airliners.