What options do I have for GPS tagging with my 5D Mark II?

Hi guys,

I do quite a bit of travelling, and I love being able to geotag with my S100, however, my main travel photography tool is the 5D Mark II.

I'd like to have something that would allow me to geotag with that camera...I know of only one such tool, the WFT-E4, which is expensive, bulky and has a bunch of features I really don't need.

Do I have any other options?

Thanks,
Tamas

You can use a few different apps for Apple and Android based phones. Or, I remember seeing a device that fits on the hotshoe (I think it's called Jobo PhotoGPS). I never used one, so I can't really comment on how well it works.

Edit: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …01_photoGPS_Hot​_Shoe.html

vince_ross wrote in post #14917578
You can use a few different apps for Apple and Android based phones. Or, I remember seeing a device that fits on the hotshoe (I think it's called Jobo PhotoGPS). I never used one, so I can't really comment on how well it works.

Edit: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …01_photoGPS_Hot​_Shoe.html

I don't have a smartphone, nor do I intend to get one before returning to Canada in no less than 18 months, so that's not an option, but thanks for the suggestion!

Also...HUGE thanks for that link...that looks absolutely perfect!! That's exactly what I had in mind, I wish I had it for my month-long Euro trip that I just concluded...

Does anyone have any experience with that device? Or anything similar which you'd like to suggest?

Does this work with the 5D2? Am I to understand that this writes the location data DIRECTLY onto the EXIF? If so, that's a lot more convenient than the Jobo's setup where you have to connect to the internet later on and synchronize the data log with your pictures...

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …1_GPS_Receiver_​GP_E2.html

The GP-E2 works with the 5DIII but not the MkII. If the OP already has a GPS unit, he should be able to find software on the net that will allow him to sync his pictures with the position they were taken from. All you need to do before taking any photos is to make sure the clocks on the GPS unit and the camera are in sync. If you don't already have a GPS unit, that Jobo looks as good a solution as any.

I have done this in-camera, though it's not a cheap process. You'll need the WFT-E4 or WFT-E4II transmitter unit as well as a compliant GPS. I wrote a post about it some time ago, and here's the link:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=848478

Hope this helps! I'm actually selling my WFT unit, if you're interested let me know.

I carry my Android tablet in my camera bag. On it I have an app called GPS Essentials. It will datalog the GPS. The interval is configurable and I have mine set down to 30 seconds. Keeps the battery life up.

Unlike the most of the add on trackers I've looked at I don't have to worry about data storage. The software I use to copy my cards (Ingestamatic) will merge the GPS log into my exif data.

I've only just started doing this, but so far this combo is working pretty good.

You can find any handheld GPS that keeps your route saved as a .gxp file. After that you can use software to synchronize the photos with the coordinates.

Thanks...I'd really like something that took AA batteries, or didn't need recharging every few hours...also, a tablet is right out of the question...I'm not carrying around something like that when I'm out shooting in a different country...

I'd love to find something that auto-tags the pictures (ie: no syncing and then having to download and match them together)...if it comes to that, I'll do that, but I'd pay a little extra for the convenience (especially since a lot of people seem to be having software issues with the ones where you have to pair them).

LowriderS10 wrote in post #14919905
Thanks...I'd really like something that took AA batteries, or didn't need recharging every few hours

I use a BGT-31. It doesn't take AA batteries, but it will record GPS data for over 48 hours non-stop on a single charge.

LowriderS10 wrote in post #14919905
I'd love to find something that auto-tags the pictures (ie: no syncing and then having to download and match them together)...if it comes to that, I'll do that, but I'd pay a little extra for the convenience.

A lot of people would pay a little extra. Unfortunately the only options involve paying a lot extra. I'm happy to save that cash and spend the extra 20 minutes it takes to tag images with the data from a .gpx file.

Ingestamatic is only $20. Pretty cheap option to merge your gps data. It also allows you to properly tag your images.

This may not be the answer you are looking for, but a free option would be to use Google Picassa. You can select a batch of photos and use their Google Earth utility to add Lat/Long co-ords to your EXIF data.

There are others such as Geosetter that will do the same thing, but I'm not familiar with that software.