# The Canon GP-E2 Now Shipping



## Canon Rumors Guy (May 21, 2012)

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<strong>From B&H


</strong>A couple people have written in to inform me that their Canon GP-E2 have been listed as “shipped” from B&H. The GP-E2 is the hot-shoe and/or GPS accessory for the 1D X, 5D Mark III and 7D (USB only).</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/847538-REG/Canon_6363B001_GPS_Receiver_GP_E2.html/BI/2466/KBID/3296" target="_blank">The GP-E2 is $269 at B&H</a></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">c</span>r</strong></p>
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## Jason Beiko (May 21, 2012)

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


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## samkatz (May 21, 2012)

I find the price for a GPS chip to be obscene. Really, $269.00 for this one trick pony. There's no reason why it can't be built in to the camera.


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## stoneysnapper (May 22, 2012)

Samkataz, I agree, there's little reason why the technology cant be built in, its in most compacts these days. However if you think $269 is expensive, try living in the UK. This Unit is costing £299 ($464) at Warehouse Express, one of the largest photographic online retailers in the UK, at $269 that works out at £175 at $1.55/£. Thanks fully I am making a trip to NY in October and a visit to B&H beckons....


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## JoeDavid (May 22, 2012)

Jason Beiko said:


> 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 received one today. It can be used with a hotshoe flash but you have to connect it with one of the two (short and long) USB cables. BTW it only works in the hotshoe with the 5DM3 and 1DX. You get partial functionality with the 7D but it has to be connected via USB since it can't communicate through the hotshoe on that camera...


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## donsullivan (May 22, 2012)

Jason Beiko said:


> 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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## Ew (May 22, 2012)

I too used the AMOD for about 6 months. Though it worked well the biggest issue for me ended up being having yet another device which needs to be charged. The track sync workflow is a bit cumbersome but workable.

But! Last year I found an app (iPhone) called geoTagr which simplified the task. I seem to have good if not ore precise data from this app than the AMOD. It definey starts recording quicker (AMOD always took a while too track and connect to satellites - and it always had a tough time keeping connections in big cities - Tokyo, NYC, Hong Kong). 

With geotagr its quick, and it has simple track management - and easy exports. Allowing you to set gps tags from the app via folder share, or just email it to yourself and import into aperture / LR. Simple. No wires, no Bluetooth glitches. 

There are a few different ones out there for Android/iPhones/winMobile, so take a look. And for 2-10$ it's usually a good deal. 

Wonder how good the response/sensitivity of the Canon unit is. 

Regardless, this really should be part of the standard body kit (as long as we can turn it off - as it's easy to forget to strip excess metadata when needed). I'll stick w geoTagr for now.


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## UrbanVoyeur (May 22, 2012)

Ew said:


> Regardless, this really should be part of the standard body kit (as long as we can turn it off - as it's easy to forget to strip excess metadata when needed). I'll stick w geoTagr for now.


+1
Or at the very least, Canon should build it into accessory battery grips. GPS technology is dirt cheap. $269 is obscene.


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## 71sbeetle (May 22, 2012)

My b&h order still shows back ordered


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## donsullivan (May 22, 2012)

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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## faif (May 22, 2012)

I received the GP-E2 on 30th April from Amazon in Germany. It works great on my 5D3. It is only a little bit too large and would like to have a smaller Version like the GP-E1 on my 5D3.


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## BillyBean (May 22, 2012)

stoneysnapper said:


> However if you think $269 is expensive, try living in the UK. This Unit is costing £299 ($464) at Warehouse Express, one of the largest photographic online retailers in the UK, at $269 that works out at £175 at $1.55/£.



This really is an outrageous markup, even allowing for the VAT and everything.

I really want this thing, but it's a scandalous price in the UK. May give importing a whirl - even with the VAT and duty and shipping, it cannot be that much...

So please, my American friends: I love you dearly, but please stop bitching about $3500 and $269. It's starting to get annoying !


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## marvinhello (May 22, 2012)

Will this GPS device benefit video recording?


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## Caps18 (May 22, 2012)

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...


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## donsullivan (May 22, 2012)

Caps18 said:


> 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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## samkatz (May 22, 2012)

I have to say that as a landscape photographer who spends days driving around rural areas looking for the right scene, I would love to have a GPS info tagged into my files. Currently I log locations into my auto GPS or Android with a description and try to piece things together when I get home. Google maps w/satellite view helps.

Aside from the price, I'm not crazy about using the flash shoe because I either keep a flash mounted or carry one in my vest for a quick fill light if need be. I agree the GPS tagging is not an essential function, but I would pay a bit more to get a model that had it built in. I'm sure they could find a way to have it work in the camera body...it could be in any plastic bubble on the surface...


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## kdsand (May 23, 2012)

BillyBean said:


> stoneysnapper said:
> 
> 
> > However if you think $269 is expensive, try living in the UK. This Unit is costing £299 ($464) at Warehouse Express, one of the largest photographic online retailers in the UK, at $269 that works out at £175 at $1.55/£.
> ...


Well any time I feel I am forced to bend over and just - take it I will _bitch_ loudly. 
Of course if you're being violated even worse then by all means you go ahead & squeal louder. 
Grab your ankles - take it like a man...... :-[
Say what?
No there's some games pokey don't play.


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## UrbanVoyeur (May 23, 2012)

Caps18 said:


> 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 agree. High quality GPS takes up very little space and costs just a few dollars - almost nothing. 

If a rinkey-dink Canon point and shoot can include GPS and still be under $250 for the whole camera, http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/753784-REG/Canon_CAPSSX230BL_Powershot_SX230_HS_Digital.html, there is no reason Canon couldn't include on it $3500 near top-of-the-line model. To have to buy a cumbersome accessory that takes up the shoe is silly at this point. Stick it in the battery grip if you must. But $269? Insane.


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## Sam (May 23, 2012)

UrbanVoyeur said:


> Caps18 said:
> 
> 
> > 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.
> ...




There is a very simple explanation for this. Mark III, 1DX etc are constructed in/around magnesium alloy. A GPS tracker that could fit into an DSLR body would NOT be powerful enough to penetrate the body accurately and consistently. 

The point-and-shoot cameras often feature GPS because they usually contain a higher percentage of plastic than metal.

If Canon put one in their pro bodies we'd all be complaining about how inaccurate it was and how our smartphones tagged photos better than our 6k cameras.


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## UrbanVoyeur (May 23, 2012)

Sam said:


> There is a very simple explanation for this. Mark III, 1DX etc are constructed in/around magnesium alloy. A GPS tracker that could fit into an DSLR body would NOT be powerful enough to penetrate the body accurately and consistently.
> 
> The point-and-shoot cameras often feature GPS because they usually contain a higher percentage of plastic than metal.


I don't buy that. You can put a GPS antenna anywhere, even on the surface of a magnesium body, underneath the plastic skin. You can even use the alloy body as an one antenna. What about the other DSLR's that include GPS but have alloy bodies - like the Sony A77
Or they could stick in the hand grip which is hollow plastic. The receiver chips with built-in logging and serial output are very small.


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## Sam (May 23, 2012)

UrbanVoyeur said:


> Sam said:
> 
> 
> > There is a very simple explanation for this. Mark III, 1DX etc are constructed in/around magnesium alloy. A GPS tracker that could fit into an DSLR body would NOT be powerful enough to penetrate the body accurately and consistently.
> ...



If everything was as logical as you pointed out they wouldn't be able to charge you $269


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## UrbanVoyeur (May 23, 2012)

Sam said:


> If everything was as logical as you pointed out they wouldn't be able to charge you $269


LOL. I think Canon failed to recognize the popularity and ubiquity of GPS in today's digital cameras. The GP-E2 is them playing catch-up, marking time until they build it into the next generation.


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## BillyBean (May 23, 2012)

kdsand said:


> Well any time I feel I am forced to bend over and just - take it I will _bitch_ loudly.
> Of course if you're being violated even worse then by all means you go ahead & squeal louder.
> Grab your ankles - take it like a man...... :-[



Fair point. Assume I am now squealing... and ordering from B&H ! I worked out even with shipping and tax, I still save around $100 (£60).


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## Adderal (May 23, 2012)

I purchased the GP-E2 from B&H at the beginning of April and it's still on backorder.

I don't mind having the extra accessory or even paying $280 but I do have one big gripe.

*It's so huge!* If the GPS must be an external accessory, they really should have slimmed it down to easily fit in a camera bag.


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## kdsand (May 23, 2012)

Built in GPS is certainly doable why its m.I.a. whatever the reason its not an engineering problem. It could be as simple as Canon & Nikon waiting for the other to show their hand. Now Nikon should release something, possibly built in & then there will be a good chance GPS will become the standard fair.

Its big & expensive but I'm glad Canon has released it because the alternatives are not great. 

If I remember correctly you can leave it in your pocket (just remember to turn it on) and sync with your p.c. later. 

Duh... I just realized they must have developed the new radio flash tech, Wi-Fi & GPS in conjunction with each other. Hardware wise its much the same so..... 

Its all good.


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## UrbanVoyeur (May 23, 2012)

kdsand said:


> Duh... I just realized they must have developed the new radio flash tech, Wi-Fi & GPS in conjunction with each other


I wonder why they don't use the same chip or similar chipset as the EyeFi. If it can fit in a SD card, it can fit in the camera somewhere. You can even get wifi, GPS and bluetooth on the same chip these day for a few pennies more.


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## ronm88 (May 23, 2012)

UrbanVoyeur said:


> I wonder why they don't use the same chip or similar chipset as the EyeFi. If it can fit in a SD card, it can fit in the camera somewhere. You can even get wifi, GPS and bluetooth on the same chip these day for a few pennies more.



This is a bit off topic, but I don't think that the EyeFi cards have GPS on them. I believe they just log the IDs of nearby WiFi networks, and use a Google service to convert the WiFi network to a location. This works very well in cities, but not so well in rural areas, and it is also a lot less accurate than GPS.


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## neuroanatomist (May 23, 2012)

I agree that it should be built in, at least the basic geotagging feature. My S100 can do it. Will get one? Possibly, but it's low on my list of priorities right now.


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## UrbanVoyeur (May 24, 2012)

ronm88 said:


> This is a bit off topic, but I don't think that the EyeFi cards have GPS on them. I believe they just log the IDs of nearby WiFi networks, and use a Google service to convert the WiFi network to a location. This works very well in cities, but not so well in rural areas, and it is also a lot less accurate than GPS.


Thanks for pointing that out. Oh well. I guess they will have to use a standard GPS chipset. I've seen the chips available for hobbyists at $29-$50 with a serial interface and logging, so I would imagine it must be dirt cheap for a manufacturer like Canon.


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## cellcrusher (May 24, 2012)

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.


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## donsullivan (May 25, 2012)

cellcrusher said:


> 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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## Gcon (May 28, 2012)

Time to settle this once and for all.

The reason why they build GPS into the camera bodies is primarily because of countries like China and North Korea. They don't like GPS built in, and don't allow the sale, so they don't.

With point and shoot cameras - they make "for China" and "for the rest of the (free) world" models. For top end DSLRs, they can't justify the expense of having two models - a GPS-enabled one, and a GPS-crippled one. So they don't - they just put it as an accessory and not sell the accessory in China.

I for one like the accessory in that it doesn't drain the main battery. I can just switch it on when I need it. Granted - it would be nice to have it like an iPhone and I could turn it on/off via software.


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## kdsand (May 28, 2012)

Gcon said:


> Time to settle this once and for all.
> 
> The reason why they build GPS into the camera bodies is primarily because of countries like China and North Korea. They don't like GPS built in, and don't allow the sale, so they don't.
> 
> ...



Lol
At 1st I thought you were serious.
good one.


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## 71sbeetle (May 30, 2012)

I ended up cancelling my 2 pre-orders for the GP-E2 (Amazon and B&H) I'll stick to using my dedicated datalogger and keep my hotshoe free for Cyber Commander or 600EX-RT and also keep the $260 in my pocket for now


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## cellcrusher (Jun 8, 2012)

donsullivan said:


> cellcrusher said:
> 
> 
> > 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.
> ...



That would be great but I am not sure how to get the information off the GPS unit. I am probably missing something. I have the proprietary Canon GPS cord that has a male end of the Micro USB that needs to into the computer to read the data off the GPS but I am not able to find a micro USB reader that would also attach to my computer. If anyone has any ideas on how to do this I would appreciate a tip or two.


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## RyanCrierie (Jun 16, 2012)

I've been using the GP-E2 for a couple days now, and it's been pretty great!

It's handled some tough shots, like:




Random Industrial Building by RyanCrierie, on Flickr

Taken from inside a speeding school bus -- the GP-E2 successfully logged the location right away, despite it not having a full view of the sky inside a metallic vehicle.

Another shot was this one:




Cross Street Market Seafood Bar #1 by RyanCrierie, on Flickr

Taken inside the City Street Market in Baltimore, MD. The GP-E2 successfully logged the correctish location inside the market, despite having very little sky view at all.

You can see the uncorrected GPS Lat/long coordinates if you click on the "map" area in flickr.

It's literally turn on and shoot right away and compared to my other GPS gadgets:

A.) Garmin Nuvi Car GPS from 2008 -- the Garmin requires 40~ seconds or more to lock onto a satellite after a cold start; whereas the GP-E2 locks on virtually instantly.

B.) GPS in my Acer A200 Tablet -- it doesn't work inside a vehicle or inside buildings. Meanwhile, the GP-E2 can lock on even in such degraded conditions, such as the City Street Market's interior.


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