GPS unit for Canon?

[MiniFighter]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone knows, do canon (or anyone else) make a GPS unit like the Nikon GP-1?

Keen to get one for my EOS1100D if i can.

Cheers,

Wayne.

[ricktas]

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/wft/wft-e2/manual/gps/index.html

thought a Canon user might have answered this one:D

[jasnat]

Wayne,

Sorry I cant help you with a GPS unit I gave up on it to expensive

I use a Iphone App called Geotag Photo. All you have to do is set the time on the camera to match the time on the application (Phone) and start recording. You upload the data to the website. Then via desktop geotagging application to geotag your photos

Anyway this is the website http://www.geotagphotos.net/en/

[MiniFighter]

Thanks for the feedback boy's, Ive just started reading up on the WFT Rick. I really like the Nikon unit, Seems they have a winner there.

Will keep researching :)


Wayne.

[Gollum]

All of my photo’s are geotagged.

I attempted to use my smart phone as a GPS but found that it killed the battery in my phone, down to only 2 hours. I then used the shake method to wake the phone up, but the GPS is so poor at times it couldn’t get a signal.

I use a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx GPS that stores all tracks on an internal microSD card. When I get home I download all of my images and track logs to my PC and use a brilliant (Free) program called Geosetter to tag all of the images.

The advantage of this system is that you have a GPS with a basic world map, so that you don’t get lost. Another big consideration is battery life, you will need a GPS unit with at least 20 hours, otherwise you spend too much time changing batteries or missing tracks. If you plan to use the GPS (as a GPS, not just for Geotagging) outside of Australia, you will want detailed world maps. I wouldn’t recommend Garmin because they don’t have maps for most of the world. North America, Eastern Europe, England and Australia/New Zealand this is the world according to Garmin.

http://www.geosetter.de/en/

Note: The Canon WFT unit is not compatible with my camera, so I couldn’t go down that path.

Hope this helps

[ricktas]

As an aside, Did you know that AP is able to accept your geotag files. Both KML and KMZ files can be uploaded to the site as attachments, along with your photos. So you can present a photo and the geotagging location for members to click and view its location on a map.

[arthurking83]

If you can spare the money on a specific GPS unit only for geotagging your images, I highly recommend he Holux M-1200E.

I have a few GPS units(actually 6 GPS's of various age vintage and ability(my fave is still the Magellan Gold for it's mapping detail when out in the boonies! :th3:), but it's now slow and ancient in terms of full featured ability.
I have other GPS units of old vintage and never updated them to newer units just for the sake of having a newer unit. Those older units also worked well enough in maintaing a signal at the worst of times.

I've found of the ultraportables, the main issue is the tiny size of the antenna, which is why the units are so portable aren't they? ;) .. but the Meridian Gold, even tho it's old just maintains a lock, unless you enter deep into a cave or something.

The Holux is a capable unit, massively faster in acquisition and accuracy compared to the Magellan, but does lose lock more easily even though it has a 66 channel receiver! :rolleyes:(Magellan only has 12 channel).
It's all in the antenna.
Reason I wanted a new GPS and got the Holux is that I wanted a bluetooth GPS setup for the camera, and I also have a Nikon GPS-1 copy in the Phottix Geo One GPS unit, which is also quite a decent unit too.
Problem with an onboard(camera) GPS is that they drain the camera's battery about 5x faster than without a GPS, and why I eventually got a bluetooth setup.

I use to use the Phottix(which I think is an almost exact copy of the Nikon unit) as a USB tethered GPS receiver on my PDA for my mapping software(OziExplorer), but this was restricted to the car.(the Magellan always became the handheld for portable use)
The PDA was finally retired to bits, with a now dodgy motherboard connector, and I susequently got myself a new PDA like navigator device, which I have to say I hated the software, so went in and removed the navigation software and loaded all my GPS mapping stuff from my old PDA. It's now a 'sealed unit' where I can't connect any external GPS receiver unit to the navigator, and it's not as accurate in it's tracklog feature as some of my other units have been or are.

I reckon as a tracklogging device with very good accuracy and ability, the Holux's work nigh on perfectly.. just dont' open them up to see what's inside like I did and break the on off switch! :p
Holux is currently the best of the (my)bunch in terms of tracklog accuracy, as referenced against my considerable collection of maps and Geo data.
It's capable of tracklogging for about 200,000 points(which can be an important tech spec).
If you want a small compact tracklogger such as or similar to the Holux, in the Holux brand, you have the two best options in the M1200-E(or non E, but the E version has a few advantages), and the M1000-C, which is the same internals but with a slightly bigger physical form and hence battery... but not more memory! Basically if you want 20 hours use, the M1000 is the way to go, and is a bit smaller than a matchbox size, whereas the M1200 series is about the size of a large sized USB thumbdrive. Both fit into a pocket in an unobtrusive way. M1200 could be attached to a key and used as a key ring if need be.
Battery of the M1200 has lasted me in general about 12 hours or so.
Holux also have some OK software available to allow the owner some tinkering ability of the unit(always an important consideration for me).
I've set one of my 1200's for 1sec tracklogging and the other for 10sec tracklogging.
A higher frequency rate gives a more accurate tracklog, and hence a more accurate position later on when using it.

There is also another interesting unit I wanted to get a hold of(in a similar vein to the Holux's) but the price was a bit over the top.
That unit was from a manufacturer called QStars, and the model I wanted was the BT-1000ex. These tracklogger types are ideal for geotagging via tracklog as they are very small ultra portable and non intrusive.

if you want a GPS handheld mapping solution, I think Garmin has the best range, and I haven't kept up to date with what's what in that market.
I used to do a bit of 4WDing, bush walking and just generally interested in mapping and stuff like that many years back, and have lost touch with the scene, I suppose.
Had my Magellan Gold for the best part of 10 years now, and works as good as it ever did, and the mapping detail out in the sticks is still second to none! :th3:
Around town it's a bit dated tho, which is why I use a PDA based mapping solution.


Holux's sell for about $40-50 on ebay, the similar but much higher performing QStars tracklogger sells for about $150-200 on ebay(depending on postage rate! :rolleyes:)

Bluetooth models are the way to go too I reckon! :th3:
Reason I went with a Bt model was simply for the connection to the camera. Got a bt module for the camera, which receives the signal from the GPS and passes it onto the camera. The camera mounted bt module(which is not a GPS unit!) is about the size of a sim card, and uses basically no power! totally ideal. I can have embedded GPS data now over the entire 1000 shot capability of a single battery charge instead of draining the battery at about the 200 mark with the GPS unit connected to the camera set up.
Get home, PC recognises the Bt GPS reciever, download the tracklog, and away you've gone!

I've tried a few geotagging programs on the PC over the years too, and (because it's Nikon specific) ViewNX was the most reliable I've tried for geotagging raw files, but GeoSetter seems to be about the next best I've seen too.(I don't use them regularly as the geodata is embedded into my files directly at the camera.. but I have played with various software just for the sake of it.
Geo Setter is highly recommended as it uses ExifTools as the back end, which is a highly capable utility.
My only issue with GeoSetter is that I can't get it to use the considerable store of maps that I have for the locating screen(or I have no idea on how to set it to do so).
It basically relies on GoogleMaps for most of it's display purposes, but if you know enough about maps you will also realise that GoogleMaps are not the be all and end all of mapping. There are far better maps available for detailed location viewing.

Funny! I never knew that we had the ability to upload geo position info for our pics! :o

[MiniFighter]

Wow, some great feedback there. Thanks guys for taking the time to reply.

What im doing... Being into local history, and in the mining industry for work im looking at all the old sites around NSW. Ive recently found an old underground entrance (one of three documented, two to go lol) that was sealed over back in the 30's (i think) It took me about 5hrs of walking, looking at pictures, walking, looking, walking...you get the idea to find. I thought, the geotag idea was a good one to keep track of where i find things of interest. Im hoping to do something with this using goolge earth also down the track. I really like the portability of the Nikon unit, thats what lead me too it. I understand the possible battery dilemma, but would happily deal with that.

[arthurking83]

The 'Nikon unit' may be portable, but it is a PITA in real world usage!

The Pentax GPS accessory looks a bit better in some ways, except for the possibility of using an external flash in the hotshoe at the same time.

If you don't have a need for a handheld GPS device for trudging through the bush, with a screen to help keep you on track, then I recommend that you look into these 'Holux units' for keeping a tab on your tracklog.

I've created a few GPS threads over the years, and I think THIS ONE (http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?60183-GPS-Phottix-Geo-One.&highlight=gps) and THIS ONE II (http://www.ausphotography.net.au/forum/showthread.php?85050-My-new%28improved%29-GPS-setup&highlight=gps) have been my last two with a length of time between the two.

having on camera GPS is OK, and at least gets the job done, but a wireless and more compact solution is so much more workable.

Note that the Nikon type unit will not work unless it's connected to something .. like a Nikon camera or a PC of some type.
Nikon don't have drivers for Windows Mobile and I wasn't 100% sure on which GPS unit they'd used in the device .. which is one of the biggest reasons I eventually went with the Phottix(plus the fact that it's a lot cheaper too! :th3:).
The Phottix uses a Ublox GPS engine, and finding the necessary drivers was easy as pie .. and hence the decision on which one to get was then made easier too.

So! .... for possible future proofing yourself, a Bluetooth type GPS tracker is probably the best option to look into.

eg. if in the immediate future Canon introduce a GPS capable camera(that can accept external GPS devices that is, not simply have a GPS receiver inbuilt!) than there is a high probability that the current manufacturers of these Bluetooth connectors(AOKA, Foolography and any others) will also make one for Canon too. Any Bluetooth GPS device will then be able to connect to the camera easily and will very little annoyance.
I think Sony's decision to make the new A77 with a built in GPS unit is a bad one. GPS units use a lot of power(if not their receiving ability is seriously diminished), having it on board a camera, and in use, is only good for fast battery drain!

A better option would have been for a Bluetooth chip in the camera to allow comms to and from the camera either to a GPS unit, wireless remote, PC, laptop, iPad.. etc.
The GPS is limited in what it can do and cost a lot more money as a unit than a cheap simple and far more flexible addition like a Bt connection!

sorry for the OT rambling.. just a few thoughts I've had on where camera manufacturers go wrong, I suppose :p ... check my second link to the Holux Bt GPS tho, I think this is the best option.

[bricat]

My word you do disect things don't you? Saves me the trouble of looking around now. Thanks for the info cheers Brian

[arthurking83]

My word you do disect things don't you? .....

Moi?

If so, lol! :D

make a mistakes only once .... share that experience .... helps others not to do the same ;)