Canon GP-E2/ other gps device opinions wanted

[Bryan Conner]

I like to have gps coordinates in some of my images. Especially if I am scouting for potential locations, that way I can return to the spot on a future date when conditions are better etc. I use the Canon Camera Connect App with my phone and it works pretty well most of the time...with some annoyances though. The app/phone and camera (EOS R) sometimes disconnect for a moment, and it may take a few moments for it to reconnect. Sometimes, I have to go into the app and then it will reconnect. Small annoyances, but annoying to me nonetheless.

So, I am investigating options and have been looking at the GP-E2 and the Solmeta GMAX-EOS2 and would like to hear any opinions on either, and especially comparisons of either to using the app/phone combination concerning connectivity etc.

Are there any other alternatives to the GP-E2? I would probably stick with the Canon unless another offered a definite advantage.

Thanks in advance for any opinions/info.

 

[RDM5546]

I have a R5 with the GP-E2. It is old but works fine. It is a little bulky on top but using it seems maybe more predictable than using the phone GPS. It is bulkier to use than phone though.

 

[AntonLargiader]

What about the phone approach doesn't work well? In my experience the BT connection between camera and phone is pretty good; it's when you need WiFi that things go to pieces. I'm assuming the camera only needs BT for the GPS info.

 

[ACEkin]

A little cumbersome, but I have been connecting my Samsung phone via Canon Camera Connect to my R7, and it feeds location information to every frame.

 

[Bryan Conner]

On a recent trip to Ireland with my EOS R, I ended up with around 50% of my images tagged with locations. I was using the Canon Camera Connect app and I probably forgot to make sure my phone (Samsung) and the camera were connected all of the time. So, I am sure that I was at least partly to blame for the missing tags, but I don't think all of the blame. There were some days where some images had tags and then maybe 20 would not and then the next 20 would have tags. And these images would have all been taken at the same location and while I know that I did not turn my camera off or turn the app off on the phone. I am not sure of what happened. I have had similar experiences several times over the last 2 years, the app solution would work great but not always. And this was with two different phones.


I recently purchased a Solmeta Geotagger GMAX-EOS2 and I am very impressed so far with it. Granted, I haven't had the opportunity to use it an entire day like I would on vacation, but it has worked flawlessly each time I used it.

I considered the Canon GP-E2, but they aren't available new anywhere that I could find here in the EU. And, I really didn't want to buy a used one for 200€ when the Solmeta was 219€ including shipping. The Solmeta also uses both BDS and GPS positioning systems while the GP-E2 only uses GPS as far as I know. I suppose that having basically double the satellites available for positioning can't be a bad thing. An advantage? Maybe not.
It also has an internal rechargeable battery which can be an advantage or disadvantage in my opinion.

Once I have some real experience in using it, I will try to remember to come back here and update.

 

[ACEkin]

On a recent trip to Ireland with my EOS R, I ended up with around 50% of my images tagged with locations. I was using the Canon Camera Connect app and I probably forgot to make sure my phone (Samsung) and the camera were connected all of the time. So, I am sure that I was at least partly to blame for the missing tags, but I don't think all of the blame. There were some days where some images had tags and then maybe 20 would not and then the next 20 would have tags. And these images would have all been taken at the same location and while I know that I did not turn my camera off or turn the app off on the phone. I am not sure of what happened. I have had similar experiences several times over the last 2 years, the app solution would work great but not always. And this was with two different phones.


I recently purchased a Solmeta Geotagger GMAX-EOS2 and I am very impressed so far with it. Granted, I haven't had the opportunity to use it an entire day like I would on vacation, but it has worked flawlessly each time I used it.

I considered the Canon GP-E2, but they aren't available new anywhere that I could find here in the EU. And, I really didn't want to buy a used one for 200€ when the Solmeta was 219€ including shipping. The Solmeta also uses both BDS and GPS positioning systems while the GP-E2 only uses GPS as far as I know. I suppose that having basically double the satellites available for positioning can't be a bad thing. An advantage? Maybe not.
It also has an internal rechargeable battery which can be an advantage or disadvantage in my opinion.

Once I have some real experience in using it, I will try to remember to come back here and update.

You are right about the app solution. Not only do I have to remember to turn on the app, I also have to wait for it to connect to the camera, then select the location information option. As I said, a bit cumbersome. I also add location information in postprocessing in Lightroom if it is easy to search for it. That has some cumbersome points too.

 

[Chris Summers]

I use the Canon GP-E2 and own 2 since I have 2 R bodies. Not sure why Canon won't just put the GPS in all their cameras instead of just a few. I'm not bothered by the additional size, heck I almost always have the vertical battery grip on my R as well as an L bracket for tripod mounting.

 

[Bryan Conner]

I use the Canon GP-E2 and own 2 since I have 2 R bodies. Not sure why Canon won't just put the GPS in all their cameras instead of just a few. I'm not bothered by the additional size, heck I almost always have the vertical battery grip on my R as well as an L bracket for tripod mounting.

I agree with you, my old 6D MK1 had built in gps and it was very convenient. I was a bit disappointed when I switched to the R.

The Solmeta is very similar in size and weight to the GP-E2 and I also don't mind the added size and weight on my gripped EOS R.

I know this is a bit off topic, do you have an L bracket with the grip on the camera? If so, which one? I have an L bracket, but I have to remove the grip to use it.

 

[Chris Summers]

I agree with you, my old 6D MK1 had built in gps and it was very convenient. I was a bit disappointed when I switched to the R.

The Solmeta is very similar in size and weight to the GP-E2 and I also don't mind the added size and weight on my gripped EOS R.

I know this is a bit off topic, do you have an L bracket with the grip on the camera? If so, which one? I have an L bracket, but I have to remove the grip to use it.

I own the R7 which sadly does not have a vertical battery grip; not sure what Canon was thinking when they decided on this. So for the R7 I have an L bracket that I got on Ebay, i think it's from China but well made. Brand name is Haoke.

I also have the Canon R and for that I have the Canon vertical battery grip. I found a nice L bracket made by Pro Media Gear. Here is a link to their models for Canon cameras

Canon L-Brackets | Buy Online at Best Prices | ProMediaGear

Maximize the functionality of your Canon camera with ProMediaGear's high-quality Canon L-Brackets. Shop now and elevate your photography game!

promediagear.com

 

[Squirrel Girl]

I'm very late to this thread. The GP-E2 is a piece of crap! The electronics function well, but the mechanics are fragile! I do a lot of hiking around. First GP-E2 broke when my neckstrap broke and my camera tumbled down a rocky slope. The camera was fine, but the GP-E2 snapped off from the mounting attachment. Canon doesn't make parts and wouldn't repair it. $300 down the drain. Second GP-E2 snapped off the same way when my camera was in my daypack. I shouldn't have attached the GP-E2 before I put it in the pack, but I didn't realize it was that fragile. I think there may have been a 3rd one that failed, too. I tried the Solmeta and it didn't work properly at all. ARGH! So I then went to using a GPS app on my phone, then a 3rd party Geotagger that added the location based on timestamp once I uploaded them to my computer. PITA! I finally bought a used 7D mk ii just so I could have the location in my photos w/o hassle. Unfortunately, the 7D mk ii has terrible low light capabilities, but otherwise is a super nice body. Looking forward to the R5 mk ii. Hope to heck it has GPS in it!

 

[Chris Summers]

I'm very late to this thread. The GP-E2 is a piece of crap! The electronics function well, but the mechanics are fragile! I do a lot of hiking around. First GP-E2 broke when my neckstrap broke and my camera tumbled down a rocky slope. The camera was fine, but the GP-E2 snapped off from the mounting attachment. Canon doesn't make parts and wouldn't repair it. $300 down the drain. Second GP-E2 snapped off the same way when my camera was in my daypack. I shouldn't have attached the GP-E2 before I put it in the pack, but I didn't realize it was that fragile. I think there may have been a 3rd one that failed, too. I tried the Solmeta and it didn't work properly at all. ARGH! So I then went to using a GPS app on my phone, then a 3rd party Geotagger that added the location based on timestamp once I uploaded them to my computer. PITA! I finally bought a used 7D mk ii just so I could have the location in my photos w/o hassle. Unfortunately, the 7D mk ii has terrible low light capabilities, but otherwise is a super nice body. Looking forward to the R5 mk ii. Hope to heck it has GPS in it!

I've had 2 of these GP-E2 GPS for my cameras for several years and have had no breakage and they stay on my cameras most of the time. You mention your camera fell down a rocky slope. You were lucky your camera and lens survived ok but the GPS is made of plastic and only held on at the hot shoe, it was the weakest link in the chain as they say. Probably better it broke than your hot shoe. And who knows what happened in your day pack, was the pack a padded one? Did it get set down hard? Cameras and accessories are delicate instruments. I once dropped my Canon 1Dx MkII when I picked it up off a coffee table and the strap caught on the edge, it only fell on the carpeted floor from about 30 inches up but required a Canon Service repair to re-adust the mirror to fix the focus costing me well over $100.

 

[Squirrel Girl]

@Chris Summers Absolutely! I can't blame Canon for that first one breaking during the tumble. I think I crushed the polarizing filter I had on the lens. But with effort and a metal filter wrench (don't buy the plastic filter wrenches) I got it off. I definitely felt lucky overall that that was the worst of the damage I had on that incident. But it still irks me that the GP-E2s are unrepairable.

For the second incident, the pack was not padded, but nothing untoward happened. IIRC, I put the camera in my pack, and the pack in my car, and when I arrived at the my destination, l took the camera out and the stupid GP-E2 had snapped! No free pass for that incident.

Bummer about your 1Dx. That seems extreme for the fall onto carpet. Still, $100 is a lot cheaper than a GP-E2!

 

[Bryan Conner]

@Chris Summers Absolutely! I can't blame Canon for that first one breaking during the tumble. I think I crushed the polarizing filter I had on the lens. But with effort and a metal filter wrench (don't buy the plastic filter wrenches) I got it off. I definitely felt lucky overall that that was the worst of the damage I had on that incident. But it still irks me that the GP-E2s are unrepairable.

For the second incident, the pack was not padded, but nothing untoward happened. IIRC, I put the camera in my pack, and the pack in my car, and when I arrived at the my destination, l took the camera out and the stupid GP-E2 had snapped! No free pass for that incident.

Bummer about your 1Dx. That seems extreme for the fall onto carpet. Still, $100 is a lot cheaper than a GP-E2!

Sorry to hear about your damaged GP-E2's. You mention that you carried your camera in a "daypack" which wasn't padded. Was this daypack a dedicated camera backpack made for transporting camera equipment? With adjustable dividers that would hold the camera stationary inside the pack?

 

[Squirrel Girl]

Sorry to hear about your damaged GP-E2's. You mention that you carried your camera in a "daypack" which wasn't padded. Was this daypack a dedicated camera backpack made for transporting camera equipment? With adjustable dividers that would hold the camera stationary inside the pack?

Hah, hah, hah, hah! No. I do a LOT of highly rugged outdoor stomping around in windy, dusty, bouldery New Mexico, teetering on rock ledges doing a lot of documentary photography (of the environment). In recent times, I bought a used 7D mk II (for godsakes why don't all cameras have GPS built in?) since it turns out the 7D mk II with the Tamron 28-300mm takes decent shots of rocks (doesn't have great lower light fidelity, though). I'm anxiously awaiting the new R2mkII, but I surely won't take a $5K camera when I'm on these rugged, rough excursions. Canons are generally quite robust. My brother (also a Canon shooter) sent me a link to a guy who proved how tough the 7D was by freezing one in a block of ice, then setting it on fire. THAT is the kind of camera I need. Anyway, ta ta to my 5D mk III and it's lack of GPS for this type of photography.

 

[Hali]

I use an app on my phone called Geotag Photos 2. I start it at the beginning of an outing/trip and set it to record points every minute or two (on a big trip every 5 minutes). At the end of the trip, I upload the .gpx file to Lightroom and then sync the images to it in the map panel. It works great. It was well worth the $11.95 for the lifetime purchase and beats having to have something on my camera that can fall and break.