Pixiq

Pentax has just announced a nifty GPS unit that you can attach to its K-r, K-5, or 645D cameras. It’s the O-GPS1 and it’ll record your latitude, longitude, altitude, universal time coordinated (UTC) and aspect of the location you’re shooting, directly into the image you take. Hook up your data to Google Earth and you can have a map of your image locations. And there’s an electronic compass, so you’ll always know your direction.

Stick it on your K-5 or K-r and you can enable the astrotracer function. It couples with the shake reduction system and lets you take astronomical photos. Woohoo! (My love for astrophotography is no secret.) Combining GPS data and the camera’s own alignment data, it can calculate the movement of stars, planets, and other celestial bodies. Then it shifts the camera’s image sensor in synchronization with the movement of the objects. Hey presto! Your stars (or anything else in space that you’re photographing) should be recorded as solid objects, not blurs across the image. Even with long exposures.

The O-GPS1, all loaded up on the 645D

It’s weather-resistent and can cope with light rain, and won’t deplete your camera’s battery because it runs off a Triple-A battery.

What more do you need to know? Oh yes, price. Expect to pay somewhere around £230, and it’s available from mid-June.

Full details from Pentax, naturally.