6D and GPS

Why doesn't the 6D turn off GPS when you turn off the camera ? I like being able to tag my photos, but if I often forget to go into the menu settings to turn it off and I quickly end up with a dead battery.

Is it too much ask? Any hope they'll fix it in this update that's supposed to come in June ?

If you do turn it off, then it will take a while for the GPS to have established your position again, when you turn it back on. So by keeping it on, the camera is ready for shooting more or less immediately, when you turn it on next time.
Unless the GPS has emptied the battery by then, of course...

It's so the government can track you at all times.

I'm guessing taking the battery out is the best option. I thought it turned off if you turned off the camera, and only stayed on if it went to standby.

RileyNZL wrote in post #15971537
I'm guessing taking the battery out is the best option. I thought it turned off if you turned off the camera, and only stayed on if it went to standby.

The battery also powers the camera. Taking it out would mean the camera could not take pictures at all.

This is why the GP-E2 is a better solution. It has its own battery and on/off switch.

If devices like iphone found a way to balance having the GPS readily available without heavily impacting battery life, then shouldn't a $2000+ camera be able to do that ?

tgara wrote in post #15972030
The battery also powers the camera. Taking it out would mean the camera could not take pictures at all.

This is why the GP-E2 is a better solution. It has its own battery and on/off switch.

How do you come to that conclusion? I'd rather the internal unit that can be turned on and off through a simple menu function.

Just set it to update every 5 minutes.

I've also added the GPS on off function to my menu. I can easily access it this way, I have done the same for the wifi too.

El Pedro wrote in post #15972914
How do you come to that conclusion? I'd rather the internal unit that can be turned on and off through a simple menu function.

Just set it to update every 5 minutes.

I've also added the GPS on off function to my menu. I can easily access it this way, I have done the same for the wifi too.

I assume you set the GPS and Wifi On/Off functions into the My Menu pane. I would have done the same. Regardless, my conclusion is quite straightforward: the wifi and GPS are still powered by the camera battery and as such will affect battery life. The GP-E2 avoids this problem by having its own battery.

tgara wrote in post #15972963
I assume you set the GPS and Wifi On/Off functions into the My Menu pane. I would have done the same. Regardless, my conclusion is quite straightforward: the wifi and GPS are still powered by the camera battery and as such will affect battery life. The GP-E2 avoids this problem by having its own battery.

That's true but with the GP-E2 you have this "thing" sticking up on the top of your camera. Life is full of choices.

I set mine to either 2 minutes or 5 minutes, and I haven't noticed any major ADDITIONAL drain on my battery, even over a full day's shooting.

tgara wrote in post #15972963
I assume you set the GPS and Wifi On/Off functions into the My Menu pane. I would have done the same. Regardless, my conclusion is quite straightforward: the wifi and GPS are still powered by the camera battery and as such will affect battery life. The GP-E2 avoids this problem by having its own battery.

I don't know. The cost of a GP-E2 gives you a few spare batteries... I would rather have spare batteries and a physical locking toggle somewhere obvious on the top of the camera.

kesterc wrote in post #15972406
If devices like iphone found a way to balance having the GPS readily available without heavily impacting battery life, then shouldn't a $2000+ camera be able to do that ?

This is real GPS: locate and triangulate directly with satellites. Phones use representative GPS: cell towers are hyper accurately geolocated, then the phone just triangulates off the towers it's already talking to. Each method has its advantages.

At least my phone has real GPS as well. If I turn that on, it says "slurp" in the battery compartment.

Battery drain on hand-held personal marine GPS units is terrible. A brand new set of batteries will not last much more than 12 hours if left on. I used to teach Offshore sailing (until a major health issue hit it on the head) and found it far better to turn the unit on and off as required and tolerate the relocating time. That way a set of batteries would last me for the whole week.

I believe the camera records a running log of where you are while the camera is off if you have GPS enabled. I think it's due to a combination of geotracking purposes and having a lock by the time you want to take a picture. I personally would like to separate the two; but ah well.