Concern over GPS on Cameras

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Jack McHammocklashing, Nov 15, 2012.

  1. ARMANDII

    ARMANDII Low Flying Administrator Staff Member

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    I have the GPS function on my Pentax K5. It's a function that was requested over time by serious and professional photographers who want to keep a proper library of their images giving them all the details that they would want when referring to an image. But you can switch it off if you don't want to use it or, you can only switch it on when taking pics and then switch it off.:dunno::coffee:
     
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    • CaptainBennett

      CaptainBennett Apprentice Gardener

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      As far as Facebook is concerned, they strip out the EXIF data (including GPS co-ordinates) from any photos you upload, so no-one will be able to get that kind of information from your Facebook pictures. As long as you don't geo-tag them yourself, of course. https://www.facebook.com/help/community/question/?id=10201464422674131

      Most (all?) smartphones should allow you to turn that function off, in any case.

      Personally, I don't imagine that it's much of a problem and I can't say I've ever heard of this happening in the news, or Police advising the public that it's a problem. There's probably easier ways of finding out someone's address (electoral register, for example) than trawling through geo-tags of their photos and cross-referencing them to try to pinpoint their address.

      A bigger problem might be openly advertising on Facebook etc. that you're away on holiday, and that your house is therefore empty. Which itself is much like the old Police advice of not displaying when you plan to be away on holiday on a calendar that can be easily seen by someone peeking in through the window!
       
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      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        That's why members on here shouldn't really be saying when they are going on holiday. Only talk about it when they get back.

        Most members are on here under a nom de plume but, with enough info over a period of time, there other data can be worked out.
         
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        • Steve R

          Steve R Soil Furtler

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          Two photo software saving commands to bear in mind.

          "Save As" will save the photo with all the details still attached "Save for Web" strips all the extra details.

          But if you want to be certain the details are gone after editing the photo and before saving, perform the following, the bracketed keyboard shortcuts are common to most photo editing softwares.

          With your edited photo active in your editing software do "Select all" (Ctrl +A), "Edit/Copy" (Ctrl +C), "File/New" (Ctrl + N), "Edit/Paste" (Ctrl + V)

          What you have done here is from the open photo in your editing software you have selected all of it, copied it, opened a new document, pasted in your photo. Exactly the same photo as your original but now without any exif data at all.

          Of course the best thing to do is consult the manual or the manufacturers helpline/service centre for your software and camera and find the best way to achieve what you want to do for yourself. With todays high MB photos I would not dream of posting a photo directly after I have taken the shot, so it will always be edited and so I can control what is shown, every time.

          Steve...:)
           
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          • NorthantsGeezer

            NorthantsGeezer Total Gardener

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            I think with my last batch of photos, I clicked a box saying remove 'exif data' during conversion from RAW to TIFF.
             
          • clueless1

            clueless1 member... yep, that's what I am:)

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            I agree. Even though I'm not sure what a nom de plume is. Although I do live near some massive chemical works, so I am usually under a plume of one thing or another.
             
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