GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini DPL900 for All Digital Cameras

• Keep track of your digital photos on a map with precise GPS location.
• Record and replay trip routees anywhere in the world.
• Share photos online with location tagging.
• Works with ALL digital cameras.
• User-friendly; easy information transfer to computer.

Unlike practically every other GPS tagger on the market, this product does not function as a USB drive. Instead, in order to make the product work, you need to install a serial-to-USB driver, pick a COM port if the software doesn't detect it automatically (what is this? 1995?), and access your log files via Gisteq's software. It's been a royal hassle to set up on Windows 7, and their support staff has not returned my e-mails or phone calls. I have a dual-boot machine, so I gave up on Win7 and installed it on my XP OS. You go through the same hassles, but at least it works.

The serial-to-USB setup also makes it difficult to backup log files, since you need to have a computer with you that has all of the proper software and drivers installed. Rather than just use any computer with a USB port, you have to bring along and use *your* computer if you're traveling. This is just a really frustrating device. It gets one star because it's got a nice form factor, and because I had to give it one.

Buy GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini DPL900 for All Digital Cameras Now

Edit: With the right software this little GPS stick is really a lovely piece of gear, I spend 2 weeks photographing in Hong Kong and came away very happy with the performance of the GPS, I am far less impressed with the manufacture who still have not contacted me about the software issues.

Edit: After struggling with the manufacture software and getting no support at all, I found that the software MyTracks for Mac, is the solution, the software have build in support for this device, look for DPL900 in the menu, have a assistant to detect the GPS stick, it was EASY, plug & play literally, exactly what you would hope it would be. to make things better, the software is maybe one of the easiest GeoTagging tools I have ever used. Personally I use the software to tag the images on the SD card, then I import to LightRoom when done, it takes a little longer to work to the SD card, but saves me having to make a temp directory before importing to LR3.

The hardware device itself, the PhotoTrackr mini, come with a lanyard, long enough for hanging around the neck comfortably, but the thing is so small that it virtually disappear in a jeans-pocket, it is easy to opperate, simply slide the on switch to ON. and forget. I have been getting roughly 15 hours of operation, more than enough for the typical photo excursion, the memory seems to be enough for maybe 10 full days of recording, you can turn off the device and continue tomorrow, it will add to the same file instead of making multiple files, this is great for me as a complete trip can be represented in one track file.

To complete this edit, with the propper software the PhotoTracker mini is a great little device, it is the smallest GPS recorder I have owned, and it is rather accurate. Im traveling to Hong Kong for photography this week and the PhotoTracker mini is coming with me.

Conclusion.

IF you spend 10 euros on the MyTracks for Mac software (mytracks4mac)

The PhotoTrackr mini is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED...

However, if you are not ready to pick up a better software, you should avoid this product entirely. :-)

*** Im leaving the review at 1 stars, because it is simply not reasonable to sell this product and expect the user to purchase software to use the device.

Read Best Reviews of GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini DPL900 for All Digital Cameras Here

I am NOT returning this item. I like the concept, but I find the current 2.6.126.0 software release to be unusable for me.

The software appears to have been originally for another product, with a different feature set. I ran this on both Win7 and XP, with differing levels of success. My evaluation to Gisteq covered my first 8 hours trying to use the product and was over 2 pages long. After a 2 weeks or so (and a second submission) , I did hear from tech support, but solutions for most of the problems were never offered.

Some examples:

--Some strange game using 'your' Google account/password and 'their' URI being passed through 'their' map server strikes me as rather dicey (and un-documented). I was never able to display any maps with a key generated as directed by the software. The message "This site needs a different key...." appears to come from maps.gisteq.com, and not maps.Google.com.

--Being able to load pictures only from a volume root (i.e. C:\) rather than a sub-directory is odd to say the least, especially when I might have an 8GB SD with hundreds of pictures, and I only want to work with a subset.

--Numerous "unhandled exceptions" generated from the Java code.

--User management for a device with no login seems odd.

I will be watching for future software updates and hope that things mature.

Want GiSTEQ PhotoTrackr Mini DPL900 for All Digital Cameras Discount?

Install it with no problem on 3 different computers and made some tests with it. I carry the device and it had no problem in detecting satellites, it took my position without any problem, and at the end we are able to download all information and we have a precise information on were I was at each moment, able to register points of interest and also I was able to see in a Google map all the places I covered.

You can put this device in your company truck and check after were and at what speed it went, you can check locations were you took pictures, if you do jogging, you can check all distance covered and speed.. it has many many other applications besides its photo tracker.

Great system...

After many installations of the driver and software, and hours on the phone with Gisteq it will not work on a Mac. And Gisteq does not care. Read other reviews of Gisteq products, everyone has this problem. It is a horrible product. Some people got it to work but most did not. Gisteq is terrible, and the Phototrackr Mini is a rip off.