San Bernadino (CA) - Ricoh has announced the availability of its latest product, the 500SE, a rugged GPS-ready digital camera that can keep track of when and where every picture was taken.

Users can upload the picture and video files to a PC, either via a wired connection or wirelessly through Bluetooth or WiFi, where the geographic data comes into play. When added to a Geographic Information System (GIS), the files can be organized on a virtual map with picture thumbnails hovering over the precise location at the time of capture.

The 8 megapixel camera comes in a shock-resistant casing and has an internal GPS log. It also has the ability to mark the location of a specific object photographed as opposed to the position of the person taking the picture. Bluetooth functionality adds the ability to sync up with other GPS devices as well.

"Ricoh’s design philosophy is to produce cameras that meet the unique needs of its target markets, and the 500SE was specifically designed to optimize map-based workflows. It provides the definitive process to easily integrate location-based multimedia files into mapping software and overcomes all of the detriments found in other methods of associating pictures or videos with a point on a map," said the company’s digital imaging manager Jeff Lengyel.

The camera is available now from authorized Ricoh resellers for around $1000.