Problem with GEOtagging - inconsistent outcomes

[simato73]

Hi,

I am having trouble with inconsistent GPS tagging and location visualization in PSu, which I am going to describe below, for which I would appreciate assistance.

First things first, I have a valid API key and have added the required applications described in the instructions - I know that the Google Cloud Platform Console is configured correctly.
I am using PSu v5.1.2.2487 on an old type Mac Pro (OS X 10.13.6)

I have GPS coordinates embedded in my images by different mechanisms.
I have a drone and those images have GPS coordinates embedded automatically.
I also have images from regular cameras for which I collect GPS data with a GPS logger. I use GPS4CAM to record time/coordinates from my phone and then these can be written to the images in two ways:
1) export a gpx file from GPS4CAM and use it in the GPS panel of PSu in the regular way
2) embed the GPS information using HoudahGeo, which is integrated with GPS4CAM and provides a smart way of synchronizing camera and phone time by using a QR code that is generated by GPS4CAM and photographed by each camera. This takes care efficiently of time zone differences as well as camera time drifts.

I am finding that some times the embedded GPS coordinates can be seen in the GEO Tag panel, but other times they aren't.

This happens also for the drone images, so it is not due to some quirk/mistake in the GPS embedding process.
If I go to the details panel, the coordinates fields in the Technical section is missing, for those images that cannot be paced on a map.
However, I am sure the information is there, because in HoudahGeo I can see the coordinates and place the images on a map.

I have noticed that whole sessions behave consistently: I have recently returned from a trip in which I used the drone extensively and none of the images can be placed on a map, but just two weeks earlier I used the drone near home and in that case PSu picks up the geotagging for all the pictures.

I think there is probably some user error here - it is usually the case - but I cannot find a fault in what I am doing.

Thanks in advance for the help!

[Mke]

I suspect that your drone / HoudahGeo may be recording the geo location as EXIF metadata, while PSU reads it from XML metadata. Examining a problem file using EXIF Tool (which reads both metdata formats + IPTC too) would help you to determine that.

ExifTool: https://sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/ - use with ExifToolGUI (in Windows) if you're not keen on the command line: http://u88.n24.queensu.ca/~bogdan/ (I gather that there is similar GUI software for the Mac)

However if the data is in EXIF only, then PSU can convert it to XML. Right click and choose Metadata » Convert Medatada To XMP.

However why it would sometimes work is more peculiar - unless one of your PSU import routines includes conversion to XMP and another doesn't, or unless sometimes you use the drone with one setting, and sometimes another.

[simato73]

A few further findings - I am still slightly baffled. (Cross-posted with Mke - see bottom)

I carried out geotagging of "land" camera photos in HoudahGEO successfully. (I could have done the same within PSu but I find the process quicker and less error prone in Houdah GEO)

For the photos from the drone I also resorted to HoudahGEO. The program obviously did not need any external source for the coordinates - these were already part of the images' metadata - but saving them made them become visible also for PSu.

Therefore, I no longer have the problem of not being able to see geotagging information, but I am still confused by the inconsistent behaviour seen for my drone images.

In response to Mke, I think you are on to something. It could be that the process with HoudahGEO wrote the coordinates to XMP, so that PSu was able to "see" them whereas before it couldn't (I keep same settings on the drone). Or it could be that in previous imports into PSu I used different settings in the wizard import template (I have several of them).
I think I have a version of ExifTool knocking about so I may dig a bit deeper at some point, however my main issue is now mostly solved so probably laziness will win over curiosity

[BTW the reason I have ExifTool is because of the drone: the camera is badged Hasselblad and CO12 does not like it - Phase One and Hasselblad are competing in the medium format - so it would not let me work on the DNG files of the Mavic PRO 2 unless I change the brand in the Exif from Hasselblad to DJI. Isn't that ridiculous?!]