Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

What is your opinion of integrated GPS cameras?

Many new cameras released in 2011 and especially in 2012 have integrated GPS. This allows the camera to embed the GPS location information into the JPEG or RAW file's EXIF data. A very useful feature. (Lightroom integrates with Google maps to show where your photos where taken and how many at each location overlayed on Google's satellite images. Very useful and really cool to use when browsing your images.)

But if capturing GPS coordinates is important to you (and it is a great way to track and catalog your images) there is a caveat to consider.

Most GPS systems take a period of time to acquire GPS signals and "triangulate" the position. Depending on the receiver, your location and how far you moved from your last position, this can take 15 seconds or 5 minutes. So each time your turn your camera on, there is a delay until the GPS system can figure out where you are.

This dwell time to acquire a signal, for me anyway, renders a GPS enabled camera less useful because I either have to wait, or accept an image with no coordinates.

Most cameras turn off the GPS when you turn off the camera. Those that leave the GPS active while the camera "sleeps" drain the battery quite quickly (but can usually last 24 to 36 hours before requiring a charge). Most cameras also have a GPS off/on feature which helps extend battery life, but renders the GPS advantages mute.

I use a separate pocket GPS tracker to circumvent this. It runs all day long and keeps track of everywhere I go with my camera. But before importing my images into my catalog/library I need to run a simple utility that adds the GPS data to each image based on synchronizing time stamps. It has worked very very well for the past year.

Does anyone have a camera with integrated GPS? (Not an external module, like the Canon GPS that mounts on the hotshoe.)
I'm particularly interested in the new Canon EOS 6D that has both integrated GPS and WiFi.

Question: What has been your experience with cameras with integrated GPS so far?
Battery life affected significantly?
Have you used the GPS data embedded in your image's EXIF?

Your opinions and experience are most appreciated. Thanks.

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

Worse feature I've ever seen on a camera. The Nikon P510 is very weak in this area.

I turn it OFF

Sarge69

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Thanks Sarge.
I think the concept is good, but the delay makes it impractical IMHO.
Then there is the battery drain (which may improve with techology advancements...)

What specifically makes you think it is the "worst feature"?

sarge69 Loc: Ft Myers, FL

Now had the Nikon P510 2 months or more. GPS, when activated, has NEVER worked in ANY area.

Save the battery and it is, and will be, OFF.

Sarge69

MtnMan Loc: ID

I have a Panasonic P&S with integrated GPS.

I was not impressed with it for almost two years. I was wondering why I ever thought it was good idea. I recently acquired Lightroom. Having your pictures show up in the Map module is fantastic. I am now a convert.

With Lightroom I can sync the GPS data from the Panasonic (I usually take a couple with it when in some major location) with the pics I took with my DSLR. It will take me a while to catch up but it is an ongoing work in progress.

I understand Elements 11 has this module also.

MtnMan Loc: ID

BTW I read a lot of bad reviews about the battery concern with my particular Panasonic.

I don't find it an issue.

If I put it Airplane mode it shuts off the GPS. It lasts for weeks in that mode.

I keep an extra battery charging all the time and switch for each days shooting anyway. Simply not an issue.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Good information. Thanks!
Which model Panasonic do you have?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Here's more info. From what I've read, you can't just turn on the camera, get a GPS fix, and take a picture. You have to kind of "prime it" on your computer so it has an idea where it is. There's more to it than that, but this has come up on here before. You could do a search, but someone might chime in with the details.

When I use the app (Geotag Photos) on my phone, it's nice to see the locations displayed on a map. The program, the data gets applied to the image and stays with it. Great if you're traveling.

MtnMan Loc: ID

ZS7

It takes fabulous pictures but the lack of a viewfinder sucks. I'm checking on the "Clearview" thing I just saw a link to on UHH. I'm awaiting a reply from them whether they have one that fits.

avengine

I have the ipad2 3G, and testing this concept and work that data for d5100 on picasa, the respond time is perfect, no lag at all, what it mean is the GPS chip that they are using is critical,
I am using this for hiking then using an app to keep my route data, in case I get lost, nothing can go wrong. It work with real time map alltrails, almost perfect.
I keep the normal compass as backup.
But the new Nokia lumia920 and the Samsung galaxy camera, are very good too, especially the 920 can take low light shoot far better than anything in the market due to Carl Zeiss Len,
Bottom line big name camera are behind in ic and software, cut cost and except high margin, that why they have hard time now.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Here's more info (too much).

https://www.google.com/search?q=using+a+camera+with+a+gps&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7ADFA_enUS488

banjonut Loc: Southern Michigan

I'm particularly interested in the new Canon EOS 6D that has both integrated GPS and WiFi.

Question: What has been your experience with cameras with integrated GPS so far?
Battery life affected significantly?
Have you used the GPS data embedded in your image's EXIF?

Your opinions and experience are most appreciated. Thanks.[/quote]

I have Nikons D90, D7000, and D600 which all accept an external GPS. I realize you we're asking about integrated units but thought I would comment on these.

I have used mine extensively on the D7000 in the past two years, traveling (driving) approximately 25,000 miles and using it nearly 100% of the time. Very handy for me to be able to check on the map(s) and see the routes you travelled and exactly where each shot was taken. Works very nicely with Picasa, LR4, Google Earth, and no doubt a few more.

Yes, it does put a drain on the battery. Not terrible, but noticeable. My unit takes a minute or two to get satellite lock, but after that, it is only a second or two, if used every half hour or so. If too much time or mileage have passed, then the amount of time goes up. I keep my camera on the floor behind the drivers seat and occasionally switch it on for a minute or so, just in case. If I left the camera on all day there would be no problem, and the battery will last for a full day that way.

I also have a Casio EX-H20Z which is a point and shoot with integrated GPS. I bought it especially for this feature. Takes good pics and has a nice pano feature.

The bottom line for me is that GPS is something that I find very useful.

I will add that when viewing in Picasa, it is very interesting to hit a button and Google Earth fires up and you can easily go to STREET VIEW and see a 360' from where you took the photo, provided you were on a road, and the Google car has mapped it. Most are.

Hope this helps.

anotherview Loc: California

Own the Canon S100, and it has the GPS function built in to it. In my experience, the S100 often takes minutes to acquire a GPS signal for associating with the image.

Further, a few days ago, while in a mountain range in Baja, Mexico, my S100 did acquire a GPS signal, but the elevation data varied tens of feet even though I moved only a few feet horizontally and vertically.

Until the GPS function improves in cameras, I'd prefer to try a GPS data logger for later tagging of my images.

Which data logger do you use?

bilko

I do not have an integrated GPS in my camera, but if required, use an external stand-alone unit. Personal security might be a reason since, depending on what you're shooting, whether it be personal inventory at home for insurance record purposes, or anything which may convey to someone a location where something of value can be "found" would make me think twice before having this data embedded in a shot.

Picdude Loc: Ohio

It seems the inherent issue with Built-in GPS is that when you first turn it on there is going to be a delay while the device acquires GPS data. This isn't as much a camera issue as the nature-of-the-beast. If you have a Garmin or Tom-Tom device you will find they too take a minute or more (depending on your location when you turn it on) to acquire a GPS signal and find themselves. It seems that this feature alone can be irritating to many photographers who have the need/desire to be able to quickly turn their camera on and capture that photo-of-opportunity with GPS data. If your camera is already on, and sleep mode is disabled and it has acquired GPS before you go on your shoot it is not as bad. However, this can be quite a drain on the battery in the best of condtions. Keep in mind the GPS antenna is kind of "iffy" on a camera because it's main focus is taking pictures, not tracking location, so if you are in and out of buildings during this time (especially those of modern construction), it is likely you will lose the GPS signal on your camera until you exit the building, which means a)The camera is putting a heavier than normal drain on the battery trying to get the signal back and b)When you exit, it will still be a minute or two while it finds the satelites again. Dedicated GPS trackers (and phones for that matter) have much better antennas for this sort of thing but even they have issues inside some structures, as well as outside where you are surrounded by tall buildings.

Seems to be much easier all around to just to use an external tracking device that is more geared to performing that type of operation, IMHO.