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KreiselC · 05-14-2015, 02:15 PM

Does anybody know whether it is possible to track a camera in case of being stolen using the GPS unit on the new Pentax K-3 Ii or not?

Adam · 05-14-2015, 02:19 PM

Not really, since it's not connected to the internet / cellular network.

Stavri · 05-14-2015, 02:30 PM

I don't believe a gps enabled device needs Wifi/Data to transmit coordinates, GPS function on the Pentax dslr is independent of connectivity.

**jatrax** · 05-14-2015, 03:06 PM

Originally posted by Stavri

I don't believe a gps enabled device needs Wifi/Data to transmit coordinates, GPS function on the Pentax dslr is independent of connectivity.

Actually GPS is a one way communication: satellite to GPS receiver, the GPS receiver does not transmit anything. The satellites send a time stream that is received by the receiver and converted into lat/long coordinates. So to function as a GPS no connectivity to wifi or cellular is needed.

However, to function as the OP proposed (locate a lost or stolen camera) connectivity would be required and that is not present. The camera, assuming the GPS is on and the camera powered up, will know where it is at but will have no way to tell anyone where that is.

KreiselC · 05-14-2015, 03:10 PM

GPS does not require any cellular or internet network. GPS connets directly to satellites to give relatively accurate location (in my Garmin it is +/- 8m).
So the idea in the end is: If I invest USD 5000 (at least) in the Pentax FF and for any reason my camera is stolen, just by using the GPS I could locate it. I know this idea has been already implemented, for example, by spedition companies to track their trucks.

Mistlefoot · 05-14-2015, 03:22 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by KreiselC

GPS does not require any cellular or internet network. GPS connets directly to satellites to give relatively accurate location (in my Garmin it is +/- 8m).
.

How does the camera contact you to tell you where it is, without cellular or internet network?

**jatrax** · 05-14-2015, 03:31 PM

Originally posted by KreiselC

GPS does not require any cellular or internet network. GPS connets directly to satellites to give relatively accurate location (in my Garmin it is +/- 8m).

GPS does NOT connect to the satellites. It receives a signal from those satellites. There is no two way communication. No different than trying to locate your car using the FM radio in it, it won't work. Your camera (or Garmin) will know where it is at but they have no way (without wifi or cellular) to tell anyone where that is.

Originally posted by KreiselC

I know this idea has been already implemented, for example, by spedition companies to track their trucks.

No it hasn't. That system uses a cellular connection to "phone home" the GPS location of the vehicle. GPS by itself has no way to communicate anything.

KreiselC · 05-14-2015, 03:42 PM

Thanks a lot for the replies and clear answers.

Not a Number · 05-14-2015, 04:14 PM

Originally posted by KreiselC

I know this idea has been already implemented, for example, by spedition companies to track their trucks.

GM's OnStar system can track vehicles equipped with the system but it uses a CDMA cellular connection for voice and data transmission. GPS is used to locate the vehicle.

richandfleur · 05-14-2015, 04:15 PM

Yup, it's like a radio receiver.

Just because you can listen to a radio station, does not mean the radio station can work out where you are.

**PJ1** · 05-14-2015, 07:08 PM

No, the GPS is a passive receiver, as others have pointed out. But it should be possible to fit a camera with a location sender unit which would work in conjunction with the GPS receiver. The solar powered satellite tracking units fitted to baby sea turtles for research purposes give a good indication of how small such units can be. But it would have to be manufactured into the camera. An after-market unit could be removed too easily. Maybe we will see it in the future.

Sagitta · 05-14-2015, 07:15 PM

That said, if you enable the GPS and make sure you register the camera with the proper website(s) if someone swipes the camera and uploads a photo, you might at least know where its being used since the camera will embed both the location and the camera's serial number in the EXIF data.

stevebrot · 05-14-2015, 07:38 PM

Originally posted by richandfleur

Just because you can listen to a radio station, does not mean the radio station can work out where you are.

That is a relief!

Steve

rawr · 05-14-2015, 07:45 PM

Are there any SD cards that have cellular built-in?
Then you might have an option to track the camera, I guess.

Some geolocation is also possible via WiFi, if you can get a WiFi signal and the access point is in someone's location database. So if you left a Flucard in the K-3, or an EyeFi card, there might be a way for the camera to 'phone home' that way too (depending on the capabilities of the WiFi card).

richandfleur · 05-14-2015, 08:03 PM

Originally posted by stevebrot

That is a relief!

It's very much like radio stations really. GPS satellites broadcast information, and GPS receivers make use of that information to determine your present location on earth. It's very much a one way streak.

I can see a big niche for cameras to have cellular data capabilities. That's essentially what a smartphone does, with most having cellular data and GPS and wifi capabilities for not much money at all.
With data onboard you could send your photos to a cloud backup, or to facebook etc directly from the phone, just like you can with an iPhone etc.

Find my camera would then work just like find my phone does.

05-14-2015, 02:15 PM	#1
KreiselC New Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 3	GPS stealth tracking on Pentax K-3 ii Does anybody know whether it is possible to track a camera in case of being stolen using the GPS unit on the new Pentax K-3 Ii or not?

05-14-2015, 02:19 PM	#2
Adam Administrator Site Webmaster Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Arizona Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 51,608	Not really, since it's not connected to the internet / cellular network. Adam PentaxForums.com Webmaster (Site Usage Guide \| Site Help \| My Photography) PentaxForums.com server and development costs are user-supported. You can help cover these costs by donating or purchasing one of our Pentax eBooks. Or, buy your photo gear from our affiliates, Adorama, B&H Photo, KEH, or Topaz Labs, and get FREE Marketplace access - click here to see how! Trusted Pentax retailers:

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05-14-2015, 02:30 PM	#3
Stavri Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: at a Bean & Leaf Photos: Albums Posts: 1,832	I don't believe a gps enabled device needs Wifi/Data to transmit coordinates, GPS function on the Pentax dslr is independent of connectivity.

05-14-2015, 03:06 PM	#4
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,992	Originally posted by Stavri I don't believe a gps enabled device needs Wifi/Data to transmit coordinates, GPS function on the Pentax dslr is independent of connectivity. Actually GPS is a one way communication: satellite to GPS receiver, the GPS receiver does not transmit anything. The satellites send a time stream that is received by the receiver and converted into lat/long coordinates. So to function as a GPS no connectivity to wifi or cellular is needed. However, to function as the OP proposed (locate a lost or stolen camera) connectivity would be required and that is not present. The camera, assuming the GPS is on and the camera powered up, will know where it is at but will have no way to tell anyone where that is.

05-14-2015, 03:10 PM	#5
KreiselC New Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 3 Original Poster	GPS does not require any cellular or internet network. GPS connets directly to satellites to give relatively accurate location (in my Garmin it is +/- 8m). So the idea in the end is: If I invest USD 5000 (at least) in the Pentax FF and for any reason my camera is stolen, just by using the GPS I could locate it. I know this idea has been already implemented, for example, by spedition companies to track their trucks.

05-14-2015, 03:22 PM - 1 Like	#6
Mistlefoot Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia Photos: Albums Posts: 328	Originally posted by KreiselC GPS does not require any cellular or internet network. GPS connets directly to satellites to give relatively accurate location (in my Garmin it is +/- 8m). . How does the camera contact you to tell you where it is, without cellular or internet network?

05-14-2015, 03:31 PM	#7
jatrax Site Supporter Join Date: May 2010 Location: Washington Cascades Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,992	Originally posted by KreiselC GPS does not require any cellular or internet network. GPS connets directly to satellites to give relatively accurate location (in my Garmin it is +/- 8m). GPS does NOT connect to the satellites. It receives a signal from those satellites. There is no two way communication. No different than trying to locate your car using the FM radio in it, it won't work. Your camera (or Garmin) will know where it is at but they have no way (without wifi or cellular) to tell anyone where that is. Originally posted by KreiselC I know this idea has been already implemented, for example, by spedition companies to track their trucks. No it hasn't. That system uses a cellular connection to "phone home" the GPS location of the vehicle. GPS by itself has no way to communicate anything.

05-14-2015, 03:42 PM	#8
KreiselC New Member Join Date: May 2015 Posts: 3 Original Poster	Thanks a lot for the replies and clear answers.

05-14-2015, 04:14 PM	#9
Not a Number Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Venice, CA Posts: 10,526	Originally posted by KreiselC I know this idea has been already implemented, for example, by spedition companies to track their trucks. GM's OnStar system can track vehicles equipped with the system but it uses a CDMA cellular connection for voice and data transmission. GPS is used to locate the vehicle.

05-14-2015, 04:15 PM	#10
richandfleur Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand Photos: Albums Posts: 1,788	Yup, it's like a radio receiver. Just because you can listen to a radio station, does not mean the radio station can work out where you are.

05-14-2015, 07:08 PM	#11
PJ1 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Toowoomba, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,487	No, the GPS is a passive receiver, as others have pointed out. But it should be possible to fit a camera with a location sender unit which would work in conjunction with the GPS receiver. The solar powered satellite tracking units fitted to baby sea turtles for research purposes give a good indication of how small such units can be. But it would have to be manufactured into the camera. An after-market unit could be removed too easily. Maybe we will see it in the future.

05-14-2015, 07:15 PM	#12
Sagitta Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Maine Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,081	That said, if you enable the GPS and make sure you register the camera with the proper website(s) if someone swipes the camera and uploads a photo, you might at least know where its being used since the camera will embed both the location and the camera's serial number in the EXIF data.

05-14-2015, 07:38 PM	#13
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007	Originally posted by richandfleur Just because you can listen to a radio station, does not mean the radio station can work out where you are. That is a relief! Steve

05-14-2015, 07:45 PM	#14
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Are there any SD cards that have cellular built-in? Then you might have an option to track the camera, I guess. Some geolocation is also possible via WiFi, if you can get a WiFi signal and the access point is in someone's location database. So if you left a Flucard in the K-3, or an EyeFi card, there might be a way for the camera to 'phone home' that way too (depending on the capabilities of the WiFi card).

05-14-2015, 08:03 PM	#15
richandfleur Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand Photos: Albums Posts: 1,788	Originally posted by stevebrot That is a relief! It's very much like radio stations really. GPS satellites broadcast information, and GPS receivers make use of that information to determine your present location on earth. It's very much a one way streak. I can see a big niche for cameras to have cellular data capabilities. That's essentially what a smartphone does, with most having cellular data and GPS and wifi capabilities for not much money at all. With data onboard you could send your photos to a cloud backup, or to facebook etc directly from the phone, just like you can with an iPhone etc. Find my camera would then work just like find my phone does.

GPS stealth tracking on Pentax K-3 ii

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