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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: July 01, 2012, 10:57:13 PM »

I've discovered an odd issue with my GP-E2 in the last week. As I was reviewing shots taken today I'm finding that it looses it's mind when I shoot indoor for any period of time. Today, the first group of shots I took showed the location based on when I entered the building but then at some point during the hour I was inside it started recording the location data for a location in China. External shots before going in and after coming out we're accurate.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: The Canon GP-E2 Now Shipping

« on: May 25, 2012, 06:55:31 AM »

Whoo hoo mine has shipped. But now I have another problem. The expected 7D firmware update that would allow me to use the GPS is nowhere to be found. Drat.

While certainly not ideal you could still just put it in data logger mode and use the included software to assign the GPS tags after your shoot. It's a little brute force but would allow you to get some benefit out of it until the 7D firmware upgrade is delivered.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: The Canon GP-E2 Now Shipping

« on: May 22, 2012, 05:34:07 PM »

Why can't Canon learn from Apple and just make something that "Just Works".  If my iPhone can have a GPS receiver built in, and there are pocket cameras with GPS built in, why isn't it built in to all of their DSLRs?  If the photographer is worried about battery life, they could switch it off.

It is ridiculous what you have to do in order to get real time GPS values into the metadata on the 5Dm2...

I'm guessing they don't build it in because the vast majority of people could not care less about this feature. Most of the photographers I've spoken with who use similar equipment don't understand why I care about this feature and have no use for it.

For the very, very small subset of the community that does want it, there are solutions available that are improving with each generation. When I had my 5D2 I had to use the data-logger approach and it drove me crazy but now with the 5D3 it's a cleaner solution that works a lot better for me.

Every single product any company makes is about a selection of features that they emphasize and features that they de-emphasize. You cannot put every feature that every potential customer might want in every product; you'll end up with something nobody likes and nobody can afford. It's not unreasonable to conclude that Canon's market data suggested that while there is a portion of the market that desires this feature it's not one large enough to warrant building it and it's associated costs into every device. They chose a balanced approach where the feature is available for those who want it but most who do not are not required to pay for it.

It's also not clear to me whether there would be problems with the GPS signaling if the antenna were put inside of the magnesium body as opposed to the external plastic case. I'm not a radio engineer by any stretch but radio signals don't typically go through metal all that reliably.

I won't debate the cost topic because that is a subjective for most and it's either worthwhile for you or it isn't. Of Course I would like it to be less expensive (like everything else I purchase) but the workflow benefit it's providing are worth the investment for me.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: The Canon GP-E2 Now Shipping

« on: May 21, 2012, 09:18:22 PM »

I tried the iPhone approach at the very beginning of my quest for a solution but was not a fan of how fast it killed the battery. That's what drove me to the Amod so I could ensure my phone would work all day when I was shooting. 

Given that experience I was really glad that the GP-E2 doesn't use the camera battery so my shooting isn't impacted by the GPS. If the battery in the GP-E2 dies I only loose recording the GPS data on the photos but the camera is not impacted at all otherwise. If I'm shooting at home or other private location I don't have to remember to turn the feature off, I just don't mount it on the camera and I don't have any privacy issues.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: The Canon GP-E2 Now Shipping

« on: May 21, 2012, 07:24:57 PM »

I currently use the Amod GPS receiver which works quite well.  However, if this project works well then it would also be a good purchase and would cut out an extra software step.  The price also seems reasonable.  I suppose one of the drawbacks is that it can't be used with a hotshoe flash?

Addendum---- looks like it can also work with USB

I also have an Amod that I've been using the last year or so and was always frustrated by the workflow necessary to synch the data together in Aperture. I received my GP-E2 last week and had a chance to use it quite a bit over the weekend on my 5D3. I really like the fact that I just import my shots into Aperture and all my location data is just there without any extra steps at all. That reduction in workflow alone is worth the investment for me. It's not for everyone but I don't regret the decision at all.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: May 18, 2012, 08:21:24 AM »

I ordered it from Amazon and it was actually delivered from Norman Camera

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: May 17, 2012, 02:41:49 PM »

Mine arrived this afternoon so I've only had a few minutes to play with it but a couple of impressions so far:

- There are a lot of parts to keep track of (cables, pouches, bags, etc..) but at least it comes with the USB cable to connect to the 7D (when that firmware is released) as well as the USB cable you will need to connect it to your computer for the Logging software or if you use it as a data logger.
- I'm an Aperture user and confirmed that all of the GPS data including direction properly encoded in the images and is loaded into Aperture, but Aperture doesn't seem to know what to do with the compass data right now. As long as the data is there (which it is) maybe a future version will support that feature.
- Does not include the single AA battery you need to use it.
- Initial satellite synch took about 90-120 seconds when I first went outside and turned it on.
- I have not and likely will not install the software that came with it now that I've confirmed that Aperture will do what I want it to for location data; I'll just use that.

I've got a lot of shooting planned for this weekend where I'll be moving in and out of buildings and since I know the location very well, I'll know exactly where every shot was taken. That should help to get a good sense of how it maintains the satellite lock and accuracy under realistic shooting conditions.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: May 15, 2012, 05:05:07 PM »

I finally found one on Amazon today and just got the shipment notice a few minutes ago so I'll have it in time for my upcoming trip over Memorial Day weekend. I cancelled my pre-order from B&H that was placed on 3/18.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: May 10, 2012, 09:22:38 PM »

Is it normal business pattern for Canon to just go radio silent when they miss a committed delivery date (their own press release) like this? I've never bought anything so early in the product lifecycle from Canon so it's not clear to me whether this is normal behavior for them or an exception.

Most (certainly not all) companies at least acknowledge that they've missed their own shipment target with some sort of an update. I understand lots of attention was focused on the 5D3 'issue' but they released the firmware for the 5D3 that supports this device and I'd really like to get my hands on it. Some sort of actual update on a new target doesn't seem an unreasonable expectation.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: May 03, 2012, 10:36:36 AM »

Text of the email I got from B&H a few minutes ago is below. Looks like this one is an official black-hole product that may eventually just fall from the sky. Time to start looking for an alternative in case I don't have it for my upcoming trip.

------------ Response from B&H -------------------------
We are sorry to inform you that the CANON GP-E2 GPS RECEIVER is still on back order by the manufacturer with no estimated time of delivery. As soon as we receive it from the manufacturer, we will promptly ship it to you and you will receive an email with a tracking number at that time. We apologize for this delay and for any inconvenience.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Re: Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: May 02, 2012, 04:06:44 PM »

I called B&H today to cancel a separate order and inquire about the GP-E2 order that was placed on 3/19. They had absolutely no information on a new ship date after missing the late April target published on announcement. The individual I spoke with suggested they would make an inquiry to Canon for a new date and would get back to me within 48 hours.

There are clearly not all that many people waiting for this so it just seems to have slipped off the radar and there is just no info available at all.

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Speedlites, Printers, Accessories / Any news on GP-E2 availability?

« on: April 29, 2012, 04:36:10 PM »

Anybody hearing anything about an actual release date for the GP-E2? I've had one on order at B&H for some time knowing that it was projected to release end of April but since we're now there, I'm kind of wondering if it too is being delayed like so many other things. I know the firmware update to use it on the 7D isn't yet available but hoped that since we now have the update for the 5D3 it might show up soon.