# Extension grip with built-in GPS and its own battery for R5. Wouldn't that be nice?



## Deleted member 68328 (Nov 10, 2020)

I only do photography while traveling abroad and hiking in remote places, so geotagging pictures is really important.

Among the things that keep me from switching from a 5D to a R5 are:
- I prefer the bigger body; the handling and grip of bigger bodies is preferable and I know I'm not the only one who handles better a DSLR than smaller mirrorless cameras
- The R5 lacks a GPS; I understand that it would be a hit to the battery though

So what if Canon could release an extension grip the size of the EG-E1 for the Canon RP that houses both a GPS unit and its dedicated battery.

That would both add extra size and GPS, without battery issue.

What do you guys think of it?


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 10, 2020)

Its certainly possible. The optional Wi-Fi grip for the R5 uses one of the batteries for the radio and one for the camera. Of course, it cost almost $1,000.

Even though it might cost less for a RP, I doubt many would want it. I think more buy a RP for its low price but some buy it for its size or both. How many might pay $700 for it while they won't spend that much for a lens?


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## Deleted member 68328 (Nov 10, 2020)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Its certainly possible. The optional Wi-Fi grip for the R5 uses one of the batteries for the radio and one for the camera. Of course, it cost almost $1,000.
> 
> Even though it might cost less for a RP, I doubt many would want it. I think more buy a RP for its low price but some buy it for its size or both. How many might pay $700 for it while they won't spend that much for a lens?



I think there's a misunderstanding here. I didn't mean for the RP. The GPS extension grip I'm talking about is for the R5. But its size could be the same as the EG-E1 that Canon manufactures for the RP.


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## privatebydesign (Nov 10, 2020)

Would it be worth looking to see if the GP-E2 could work on the R5? It doesn't list compatibility but maybe it would if the code was still in there. But whilst your desire might be reasonable I expect Canon have the opinion that if you want their solution it is the stupidly overpriced and under specced WFT-R10.


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## Deleted member 68328 (Nov 10, 2020)

privatebydesign said:


> Would it be worth looking to see if the GP-E2 could work on the R5? It doesn't list compatibility but maybe it would if the code was still in there. But whilst your desire might be reasonable I expect Canon have the opinion that if you want their solution it is the stupidly overpriced and under specced WFT-R10.



The GP-E2 should work, or at least with a firmware update. But it's not an extension grip, so the grip is not improved. And oh boy leaving this on the camera the entire time while travelling/hiking cannot be more annoying.

The WFT-R10 is a wireless file transmitter, it does not have a built-in GPS.


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## privatebydesign (Nov 10, 2020)

yoms said:


> The GP-E2 should work, or at least with a firmware update. But it's not an extension grip, so the grip is not improved. And oh boy leaving this on the camera the entire time while travelling/hiking cannot be more annoying.
> 
> The WFT-R10 is a wireless file transmitter, it does not have a built-in GPS.


Sorry, too much coffee!

I found this, below, it shows the GP-E2 is compatible.


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## Deleted member 68328 (Nov 10, 2020)

privatebydesign said:


> Sorry, too much coffee!
> 
> I found this, below, it shows the GP-E2 is compatible.



Yeah I figured it too in the R5 manual. But yeah definitely not my cup of tea to use this device. The idea was really to get closer to the size of a 5D while gaining the GPS feature.

If the EF lens development wasn't halted, I'd go for a 5D4 (as long as it's still manufactured).


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## privatebydesign (Nov 10, 2020)

I have to be honest and say I am stunned the R5 doesn't have built in GPS! I very much dismissed the function until I got it but now I have it I really like it.

But it looks like linking smartphone data and the GP-E2 are your two options. I recall an early GP-E2 review that seemed to imply it had a compass function in it which gave you angle or direction of shot too, which could be nice if it worked.


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## privatebydesign (Nov 10, 2020)

yoms said:


> Yeah I figured it too in the R5 manual. But yeah definitely not my cup of tea to use this device. The idea was really to get closer to the size of a 5D while gaining the GPS feature.
> 
> If the EF lens development wasn't halted, I'd go for a 5D4 (as long as it's still manufactured).


Well I do a decent amount of travel photography and wouldn't hesitate to get a 5D IV, EF lens development might be at a standstill at the moment but it tried and true, very reliable and comparatively cheap with vastly more options.

Indeed I have no plans to drop or migrate my EF system to RF any time soon.


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## koenkooi (Nov 10, 2020)

privatebydesign said:


> I have to be honest and say I am stunned the R5 doesn't have built in GPS! I very much dismissed the function until I got it but now I have it I really like it.
> 
> But it looks like linking smartphone data and the GP-E2 are your two options. I recall an early GP-E2 review that seemed to imply it had a compass function in it which gave you angle or direction of shot too, which could be nice if it worked.



I can confirm the GP-E2 works out of the box with an R5, no firmware updates needed (besided the 2.x one from years ago). The electronic compass function was dropped in the R line, the R, RP and R5 all lack it, likely the R6 as well, but I haven't personally tested that model with the GP-E2. I liked the compass function, but for proper usage you had to recalibrate it a few times during the day and be mindful of large ferro-magnetic objects like cars, dumpsters, reinforced concrete and other things you find around civilization.

So if I want to log the direction of the shot I have to put the GP-E2 on my original EOS M 

I'm contemplating getting a GP-E2 clone, a Solmeta GMAX-EOS, for faster acquisition time, bigger internal log and support for non-GPS satelites. Since proper travel isn't in the near future, it will likely stay with contemplation


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 10, 2020)

yoms said:


> I think there's a misunderstanding here. I didn't mean for the RP. The GPS extension grip I'm talking about is for the R5. But its size could be the same as the EG-E1 that Canon manufactures for the RP.


Somehow, I thought I read RP in the post. It would be more appropriate for the R5. I keep GPS off on my cameras so its not for me but for some its very important.If I ever wanted the location, I could link to my phone.


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## Deleted member 68328 (Nov 10, 2020)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Somehow, I thought I read RP in the post. It would be more appropriate for the R5. I keep GPS off on my cameras so its not for me but for some its very important.If I ever wanted the location, I could link to my phone.


I think I've found a GPS logger that can work several days in a row on its own battery. It could be a solution should I ever switch to the R system.


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