POLL: What's more important, gps or wifi?

[RustyTheGeek]

I shoot photo!
And although these gimmicks might be quite useful for a lot of people in some to many occasions they're not for me.
Give me best IQ, AF and other photo related functions for my money and a camera that isn't sucking out life of the battery with such things.
I know others think different but that's me.

I agree and relate to this statement as a photographer. K.I.S.S. principle is a good one.

But I'm also an IT guy so I see a lot of uses and potential for WiFi. Wireless tethering, remote control, etc. So I answered #2 on the poll. (I can figure out the location based on my own notes.)

 

[IWLP]

While I shoot photos, too, wi-fi has become an integral part of my workflow. For my style of shooting, getting a shot to the right person at the right time can be just as, or in some cases, even more important than getting a great-looking image. Wi-fi allows me to send images to my phone so I can transmit from there.

Canon's downfall at the moment in this area is their app. The wi-fi is only as functional as the app, and Canon's is in sore need of an update. I need to be able to specify size and quality of the transferred image, easily rate and sort photos (I can do this on the current app, but sometimes when I'm trying to rate, I end up with buttons written in what appears to be Chinese), and I'd like an iPad-native app. I'd also like to be able to change and load camera settings like GoPro's connect and control function.

While the wi-fi is usable at the moment, it's far from great due to the app.

GPS would be OK, but for my style of shooting, location information is more of a "oh, that's cool" feature, but it doesn't make my life easier like wi-fi does.

 

[lescrane]

no excuse for canon not to have both. what games they play. How much could it cost if even the cheapest cellphone's have it? Canon seems to be dedicated to holding back on the customers on features..putting some in some cameras, not in others. They let the non-essential but useful features trickle out, and thus help promote built in obsolescence, getting suckers like me to buy a new camera every two years. Really now, IQ hasn't changed much in years to they promote "bells and whistles"...bigger screen, articulating screen, WiFi, GPS, electronic level.

I'm one step away from moving to SONY which seems to be ahead of the curve not behind it.

 

[ERHP]

Personally, neither. GPS is a nice to have but unless you really need an accurate location/date/time stamp for every picture, it is rather limited. Likewise, Wi-Fi, maybe if I was shooting tethered but then I have additional power requirements. I would rather see the time and effort for these somewhat frivolous things be instead spent on image/video quality, AF speed and accuracy.

 

[TeT]

I use WIFI tethered to my tablet to view images when checking functions and testing lenses... very handy. I havent found a use for me personally that requires GPS yet...

 

[LookingThroughMyLens81]

I don't want or need WiFi but I understand the use for it so I won't begrudge anyone who wants it. As for GPS, I'd want that but we've all seen how poor Canon's GPS implementation has always been. Craptastic at best. What I'd really like to see is Direct transfer of files via USB to my smartphone. Phones can get 128GB of MicroSD storage and have beefy quad-core CPUs, so why not? It would certainly be faster than WiFi. Another option would be USB2Go drives that could plug into a Canon camera and the camera would transfer the files to the flash drive.

 

[Zv]

I don't want or need WiFi but I understand the use for it so I won't begrudge anyone who wants it. As for GPS, I'd want that but we've all seen how poor Canon's GPS implementation has always been. Craptastic at best. What I'd really like to see is Direct transfer of files via USB to my smartphone. Phones can get 128GB of MicroSD storage and have beefy quad-core CPUs, so why not? It would certainly be faster than WiFi. Another option would be USB2Go drives that could plug into a Canon camera and the camera would transfer the files to the flash drive.

You can transfer from camera to iPad using the USB connector cable but it's really slow when transferring full size RAW files. I haven't tried WiFi (my cameras sadly don't have WiFi) to compare. Maybe someone else can quote times. I'd imagine a phone to be just as slow via cable if it were possible. I use Sandisk Extreme Pro SD cards so not sure where the slowdown is occuring.

I guess having the option to send images via cable to a phone direct would be nice. Surely some Android phones can do this, no?

 

[Keith_Reeder]

I'm one step away from moving to SONY which seems to be ahead of the curve not behind it.

Because you can always rely on Sony to pour out an unending stream of bells & whistles and gimmicks.

When you find that your Sony's camera mount is already obsolete and superseded after a comparatively tiny amount of time, please remember:

what games they play.

 

[dgatwood]

I don't want or need WiFi but I understand the use for it so I won't begrudge anyone who wants it. As for GPS, I'd want that but we've all seen how poor Canon's GPS implementation has always been. Craptastic at best.

Really? GPS on my 6D works pretty darn well, from what I've seen. Their Wi-Fi implementation, on the other hand... is craptastic.

What I'd really like to see is Direct transfer of files via USB to my smartphone. Phones can get 128GB of MicroSD storage and have beefy quad-core CPUs, so why not?

You can do that with an iPhone right now. You'll just need a Camera Connector Kit and a USB cable. The reason some of us like Wi-Fi is that all you have to do is turn it on, wait for your phone to find it, and suck the images across, without carrying extra stuff with you.

It would certainly be faster than WiFi. Another option would be USB2Go drives that could plug into a Canon camera and the camera would transfer the files to the flash drive.

That would be easy enough for Canon to add, given that I'm pretty sure they already have a USB host controller inside the device. With that said, I'd be curious how many people would take advantage of it—again, it's another piece of hardware to carry around.

 

[Marsu42]

As for GPS, I'd want that but we've all seen how poor Canon's GPS implementation has always been. Craptastic at best.

Really? GPS on my 6D works pretty darn well, from what I've seen.

It depends what the comparison is - the gps on the 6d works ok, but is way less precise than an external dedicated tracker and is missing almost every functionality except bare logging (for example no electronic compass, no way to input cords for waypoints).

 

[AcutancePhotography]

....is missing almost every functionality except bare logging (for example no electronic compass, no way to input cords for waypoints).

But do you want all those other functionalities on your camera. I don't think Canon is claiming that their camera based GPS can take the place of a full function GPS from Garmen.

For a camera based GPS, what else do you need other than logging in where the camera was when the shutter button was pushed?

An electronic compass I could see, but waypoints?

 

[mackguyver]

....is missing almost every functionality except bare logging (for example no electronic compass, no way to input cords for waypoints).

But do you want all those other functionalities on your camera. I don't think Canon is claiming that their camera based GPS can take the place of a full function GPS from Garmen.

For a camera based GPS, what else do you need other than logging in where the camera was when the shutter button was pushed?

An electronic compass I could see, but waypoints?

I'd like turn-by-turn directions with a pleasant voice telling me where to find the best photo locations

 

[AcutancePhotography]

I'd like turn-by-turn directions with a pleasant voice telling me where to find the best photo locations

That could be a cool functionality. ;D

"move 5 meters to your right"
"Turn to your left"
"You have arrived at your photo destination, you may release the shutter"

;D

 

[Canon1]

I don't need either. In fact, I'd rather my camera not have GPS or wifi.

 

[NancyP]

When I get around to learning about remote triggering, I may investigate the wifi on the 6D. I just haven't had situations where I need that, I am happy if I can get out at all to take a photo.

 

[Marsu42]

An electronic compass I could see, but waypoints?

It's simply the fact that's it would be darn easy to implement, they added the functionality to play mp3 audio along the slideshow, why not add an input for gps cords and a display mode "direction thisandthat xyz m"... The 6d is marketed for tourism, isn't it? The only reason why it isn't added by Magic Lantern is that because all their devs have 5d3 cameras w/o gps.

But I admit I get easily frustrated because of the unused potential a capable embedded computer like an eos camera has :-o

I'd like turn-by-turn directions with a pleasant voice telling me where to find the best photo locations

I'm close to that - when looking for abandoned soviet military installations, I get the gps cords from google maps and then let the tracker guide me ... I'd never find small bunker entrances in the middle of the woods otherwise.

 

[hsbn]

They're both valuable in some case IF they're working right. I have the 6D and both GPS and Wifi are so horrible. The GPS is not reliable. I stood at one place, took about 20 photos, and they got tagged all over the place within 2-3 miles of each other. This was outdoor but under a tree. And Wifi signal drops repeatedly, and the range is not great.

 

[AcutancePhotography]

I stood at one place, took about 20 photos, and they got tagged all over the place within 2-3 miles of each other.

Yikes, that stynks. Did you get the GPS checked out by Canon? Sumptin ain't right.

 

[Marsu42]

Did you get the GPS checked out by Canon? Sumptin ain't right.

These issues have the problem of being hard to reproduce - how would a Canon tech do it from his/her desk? Unless it's completely broken, they're unlikely to simply replace all connected part just for good measure :-o

 

[AcutancePhotography]

Did you get the GPS checked out by Canon? Sumptin ain't right.

These issues have the problem of being hard to reproduce - how would a Canon tech do it from his/her desk? Unless it's completely broken, they're unlikely to simply replace all connected part just for good measure :-o

Would they not do just what you did? Take several pictures without moving the camera and if the GPS tags show 2-3 miles difference; there's the evidence of a problem.

There has to be some quality metric for GPS that Canon uses.