Adding a GPS unit to a AG-DVX100?

[eyebiter]

I'm going to be doing some rural filming next month, would like to have a way to keep track of where certain shots are located during post production.

Now the easy way would be to use a handheld GPS unit and a whiteboard (Scene 1, Take 1, GPS X, Y coordinates).

Curious if there is a better solution.  Any way to have the GPS coordinates imbeded into the film through the camera?  Was thinking a display similar to time code, something that could be toggled on and off.

If it is possible to interface a GPS to the DVX100, what kind of adapter cable would be required?

Not sure if this is technically feasible or not.

 

[Sol M.]

Re: Adding a GPS unit to a AG-DVX100?

I don't think so. The information included in the DV stream is set by the firmware. Unless you want to try and change your camera's firmware, there's probably no chance. :-[

You could always just put the GPS unit in front of the cam before shooting like a slate so that you know where you were when you shot a scene.

Also, most GPS units have what are called waypoints, where you can mark your current location as well as the time/date that you marked it. In this way, you could match up the waypoint info with your camera's time/date info and correlate where you were at what time. Still kinda the same as writing it out when you're there, but this way you could pay more attention to the shooting and match up the locations with the shoots later on.

 

[scharky]

Re: Adding a GPS unit to a AG-DVX100?

I guess that all depends on what kind of GPS unit you have. I don't know if these exist, but if your gps unit had a video out you could just hook it up via the s-video or coaxal in/out. Then just set the camera to record the incoming video. other than that I can't think of a way. I am sure that GPS does not have video out via Fire wire so that is out as well.

 

[J.R. Hudson]

Re: Adding a GPS unit to a AG-DVX100?

[quote author=scharky link=board=Links;num=1081359416;start=0#2 date=04/07/04 at 17:02:25]I am sure that GPS does not have video out via Fire wire so that is out as well.[/quote]

Well, not available to the consumer anyway!

 

[Sol M.]

Re: Adding a GPS unit to a AG-DVX100?

Just to add to what I said earlier, there are many gps units that can connec to a computer (via USB) and transfer your waypoint information to your computer.  This would make it easier during production as you wouldn't have to deal with taking notes of your location while you're shooting.  When you sit down to edit, just compare your waypoint info with the date/time info recorded onto the dv tape!

This topic is something I find particularily interesting because I wanted to be able to track my location as I traveled around the world in my hot-air balloon last summer.  Sadly, I dropped my DVX somewhere over the Alps.  Some plump little swiss kid probably traded it for some chocolate