Thornton, Colo., GeoSpatial Experts today unveiled a new GPS photo mapping product bundle that includes a Pentax digital camera, Garmin handheld GPS receiver and the GeoSpatial Experts GPS-Photo Link software. GeoSpatial Experts will be demonstrating all three products January 31-February 2 at the ESRI Federal Users Conference in Washington, D.C.

The Pentax-Garmin package is the third GPS-Photo Link mapping product bundle offered by GeoSpatial Experts, the one-stop shop for photographic mapping needs. Due to relatively low cost of the camera and GPS receiver, GeoSpatial Experts views this as the perfect hardware/software combination for first-time photo mapping users.

“As resellers of Pentax and Garmin products, we are now able to offer clients another complete GPS-photo mapping solution,” said Rick Bobbitt, GeoSpatial Experts president. “When clients purchase the Pentax camera and Garmin handheld GPS along with our GPS-Photo Link software, they receive a significant price discount on all three products.”

GeoSpatial Experts is the developer of GPS-Photo Link, a digital image mapping software that saves time and money by automatically linking digital photographic images to GPS location data in the GIS environment. GPS-Photo Link creates web pages in which the watermarked photographs are integrated with satellite imagery, street maps, and any other GIS-based mapping layer.

As a reseller for Pentax, GeoSpatial Experts has selected the Pentax Optio WPi waterproof digital camera for inclusion in the product bundle. The Pentax Optio WPi is a lightweight, 6.0 megapixel camera that is waterproof and dustproof and considered ideal for use in the field by GPS mapping professionals. The camera can shoot underwater photos at a depth of five feet for up to 30 minutes and comes with a 3X zoom and rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

“We personally reviewed several digital cameras and selected the Pentax Optio because it is waterproof, more rugged and relatively less expensive than others,” said Bobbitt.

The Garmin GPS60 Series was selected by GeoSpatial Experts for similar reasons. It is waterproof, compact and rugged. The Garmin GPS60 series of handheld GPS receivers was designed specifically for mapping in difficult terrain and has built-in differential correction capabilities via the Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The ability to add memory makes this Garmin series a favorite for GIS mapping project involving collection of hundreds or thousands of data points in a day. Receivers in the GPS60 Series offer 28-hour battery lives and user-friendly interfaces.

“Together, the Pentax Optio WPi camera and Garmin 60 provide the best capabilities for GPS photo mapping, primarily because they are designed for use in the wet and rugged environments where our GIS clients most often find themselves,” said Bobbitt. “There is no need to link the camera and GPS receiver with a cord; the user just takes a photo of the GPS screen at the beginning of each day’s mapping, and the GPS-Photo Link software automatically synchronizes the photos to their correct locations.”

For more information, visit www.geospatialexperts.com.