GPS for Nikon DSLR


chly3001

Senior Member
Apr 11, 2010
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Hi everyone!! anyone own a gps unit for your camera? need your comments about buying a gps unit for my camera, mainly for travelling (havent tried out in singapore yet) here's the story:

i've been planning to do a little travelling at the end of the year (this is the first time after getting into dslrs (wow that's about a year plus))

the last time i went on holiday, i went trekking in the Victorian Alps, Australia. I remember how i went out to buy my first compact camera (a fujifilm f100fd, supposedly pretty good for low light at that time) and went on to capture all the spectacular scenery i saw. however, here lies the problem:

when i got back to singapore, i had no idea where each picture was taken! :( it sort of spoiled the experience for me. as such, i'm looking towards getting a gps module for my d90/d7000 when i go overseas this year end (sorry no more compacts for me)

i had heard about the nikon gps unit so i decided to do some research. judging that the price for a car gps could go as low as 200 and that's with a screen and all the funky stuff included, i was quite surprised to see the nikon one going at S$339 :O
that's ridiculously expensive for a gps RECEIVER!!! after poking around more online, i saw a phottix rip off of the nikon. it would still cost 185 :(

that's when i stumbled across the easy tagger on this website (i was searching for a gps that allowed me to attach a wireless shutter release, which i did not realise until now most gps units would allow me to do so) and up popped this!

first thing that attracted me: good price! then i realised that it also has a built in compass and can even record your altitude!! now that's some pretty cool stuff!! (esp in my opinion) it even has a built in battery to be used off camera/not suck so much of your camera's battery. if i get this, my friends can geotag their photos too! cause it has a inbuilt mem card that logs down where you go, so i can esentially plot out my whole trip when i get back :thumbsup::thumbsup:

even the packaging (according to the review) is excellent which is something normally only high end products have

another review to save everyone some googling: http://trick77.com/2010/04/10/review-geotagging-with-easytagger-gps-nikon-gp-1/

in conclusion, I'm quite sold for the easy tagger due to it's price (biiig factor), functionality and rave reviews. i'll probably be getting the wired version as i want to be able to use a wireless shutter release with the thing too. so... as i still have a couple months to my trip, just want to hear from you guys before i take the plunge. what do you all think? let me know your comments, thanks! :)

ps wonder with the mini usb port can i use it with my computer xD
 

I would only recommend Dawntech GPS and without internal battery to exclude battery leakage.
 

hmmm but the dawntech doesnt have the extra features of the easytagger right? as for internal battery, i seldom see battery leaks nowadays so i worry less about it i guess. may i know why u recommend only the dawntech? the easy tagger seems more value for money. also i have a d90 and d7000 so i require both cables. i have contacted their customer support and they're willing to ship me the extra one for free when i order it which is one more point for them haha
 

For me I just use my iPhone to snap some location photos and transfer to location to a group of photos eg all the photos taken in the zoo will have the same geotag, instead of some at the lion exhibit and some at the elephant exhibit. The best part is that I do not have to buy anything new.
 



How about the Nikon GP-1, it small and lightweight, also very useful for trave.
 

haha for the iphone I have to buy something new.. i dont have an iphone haha. also the iphone approach is much more troublesome then having a unit attached. nikon has geotagging written into the firmware anyway so the camera will do everything for you!

as for the nikon GP-1, like i've said it's very expensive. i think i could buy 2 easy taggers for the price of one nikon GP-1 and to top if ott the easy tagger is pretty feature loaded while the nikon model is pretty single-purposed. i would say the nikon model is definitely out dont u think so..?
 

For me I just use my iPhone to snap some location photos and transfer to location to a group of photos eg all the photos taken in the zoo will have the same geotag, instead of some at the lion exhibit and some at the elephant exhibit. The best part is that I do not have to buy anything new.

Not the best advice I must say! No advice would have been better! IMHO
 

I have tried various means of geotag... I do have many GPS's..... Unless you are the meticulous type, nothing beats one that capture the location at the moment you clicked. The only problem I have: how to the flash - can be overcome, but just not stylish... your easy tagger looks good. And you have taking the trouble to geotag, please do it with some accuracy, else what for, might as well tikam from Google Earth!!! Iphone can keep!

Why no compact! Dun underestimate the utlity of compact. GPS enable Compact is always with me...
 

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why is there a need to geo tag?
 

I found this product on ebay - Yongnuo N-918 N1 GPS Receiver , any feedbacks?
 

I am having the same issue and questions on which to take - it's currently a tussle between Solmeta Geotagger Pro and Easytag... I have an off camera geotagger, but during the last trip, the battery was sucked dry and I was still on the road, so the rest of the way, I had to do some guessing game.

Because of this, it renewed my "quest" to look for the right GPS tagger for me... Till today, I am still deliberating on which to put the $$$ into... Wonder if anyone has done some actual review between the 2 specific version of the units and give a unbiased review on it?
 

swhyge said:
Not the best advice I must say! No advice would have been better! IMHO

It was not meant to be read as an advice, just sharing how I do it. I do not feel that there is a need to have the exact location tagged to every image.
 

wow thanks for the ethusiastic discussion! i agree with swhyge.. nothing beats one that captures the location at the moment u click.. especially in an urban area where u can pinpoint the location between this street and the next, u never know when u need to tell the difference..

as for flash, im an available light shooter, never believing in flash so that's okay with me... easytagger provides this stand thing that lifts the geotagger higher. not stylish i agree, but definitely does the job!

compact wise.. i dont have a compact lying around nowadays, my fujifilm f100fd just died on me :( the autofocus went crazy :( im considering getting a replacement, if it comes with gps it's a bonus.. but (and i guess many will agree here) nothing beats the ease of use of a dslr, which is why im bringing a stripped down kit on vacation instead of a compact. compacts cant capture ultra wide angle shots too anw xD

@small pig.. the need for geotag comes when u want to know where u've been, where the picture was taken. this need arises especially on vacation and travelling, where u come back to singapore and realise all your shots dont have any defining features to show where they were taken. then the GPS data will do it's magic haha xD
 

hmmm the solmeta looks pretty advanced and feature packed!! and... costs alot more then the easy tagger. the other two models solmeta lack the features of the easy tagger. my guess is if u're really into it and have the money to spend, maybe get the solmeta geotagger pro but value for money wise im quite ready to try the easytagger haha.. to do a review between the two units is hard, but i think i can give my unbiased review when i receive my easytagger.. hopefully when i order it'll ship before end of this month haha xD

anw the phottix one is available from reddotphoto.. http://www.reddotphoto.com.sg/ecommerce/cat_viewproducts.php?catid=17 at 185. more expensive then easytagger and very basic features so i guess it's a nono for me heh

for the yongnuo.. im nt too sure about it. comments? actually i realised there's an easy tagger basic version that's like 49.99, seems pretty value for money leh! haha but i need the remote trigger function oh man haha
 

I read about Solmeta geotagger pro, a 3 axis compass, a small lcd and plus a data logger seems to be the highlight. But is 3 axis really that important? Do you have the time to read those numbers on the lcd when you are focusing on taking the photos? If needed, you may view all the numbers on the lcd of the cameras. And data logger? That is really a plus for direct geotagging gps which Easytagger and Dawntech also possess the features, Solmeta with 8M, Dawntech with 8M and Easytagger with 2GB storage.

As for why geotag, that is quite important, all our photos has a time on it. So what is the meaning of the time for a photo? Geotag is just like the time, it is location, add a real location in, that is a basic information for a photo which a normal camera can not supply.
 

Dawntech for me. Tried the Solmeta but the wire keeps coming loose as it is a USB connection.
 

hmm so the dawntech's cable is fixed? anw im giving the easytagger a try, awaiting it's shipment, should arrive in a couple of weeks i hope xD will update here how it goes! :) :)
 

Personally, if i will to get one of these GPSs now, I would got one with a compass. It quite nice to see Program such as geosetter displaying the view direction. Not that is of the same importance as loc, but shiok, and why not, other than the initial cost.. the rest come with no extra effort.