Ricoh has introduced the second-generation world positioning system (GPS) unit for its DSLRs that it says supplies dependable, high-precision positioning knowledge and guarantees to simplify tracing for astrophotography.

The Pentax O-GPS2 is described as a flexible GPS unit to be used with Pentax DSLRs and is the successor to the O-GPS1. This second-generation mannequin guarantees to offer extra dependable and better precision positiong knowledge gathered from the GPS in the USA, QZSS in Japan, GLONASS, and Galileo.

Ricoh says that when mounted on a appropriate Pentax digicam physique, the O-GPS2 allows the Astrotracer characteristic, which {couples} the unit with the digicam’s Shake Discount system to permit it to hint and {photograph} celestial objects.

Astrotracer is designed to permit photographers to shoot longer exposures of stars in sharp focus and with out producing “trails.” Ricoh says the brand new GPS unit calculates the motion of stars, planets, and different our bodies utilizing the latitude obtained from the situation knowledge and the digicam’s alignment knowledge obtained from its magnetic and acceleration sensors.

The characteristic then shifts the digicam’s picture sensor in synchronization with the motion of the objects.

“The ensuing photographs present stars and different our bodies as stable factors quite than blurry streaks, even throughout prolonged exposures,” Ricoh says. “It additionally makes astrophotography a lot less complicated, because it requires solely a tripod and eliminates the necessity for a further accent reminiscent of an equatorial telescope.”

Astrotracer has a number of ranges. Sort 3 is the latest addition and will be discovered within the Okay-3 Mark III digicam and permits the DSLR to trace celestial objects with out a GPS unit. Astrotracer Sort 1 and Sort 2 are solely obtainable when the O-GPS2 is used with the Okay-3 Mark III and makes the picture sensor comply with the motion of the celestial physique. Sort 2 does so at half the pace of Sort 1.

Ricoh says that photographers can suppress the “move” of the panorama on the bottom and shoot each the celebrities and the panorama collectively in what it describes as “a well-balanced method.”

The O-GPS2 data latitude, longitude, altitude, common time, and the path of the capturing location and bakes that data into images. Ricoh says that photographs that include this knowledge can be utilized to trace capturing places or overview these spots on a pc, making it simpler to type and file recorded images.

Ricoh says that the O-GPS2 additionally has a easy navigation operate that calculated the path and distance to a given vacation spot from an lively place. It additionally has an digital compass operate that shows the digicam’s path on its LCD monitor with what the corporate describes as “nice precision.”

The GPS unit is weather-resistant to be used in “mild rain” and is powered independently of the digicam with a single AAA battery. Ricoh charges that battery to final for about 9 hours with a lithium-based battery and about 5 hours with an alkaline or nickel-metal hydride battery.

The Pentax O-GPS2 shall be obtainable in late June for $180.