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Never quite understood what the need was for GPS. I know where I was when I shot a picture, I dont need GPS to confirm it.

I use GPS at sea, but even then don't rely on it.

Lowner wrote in post #10302029
Never quite understood what the need was for GPS. I know where I was when I shot a picture, I dont need GPS to confirm it.

I use GPS at sea, but even then don't rely on it.

Some people like to geotag their photos, and others want to know the exact coordinates on earth where they took the shot. I think it's not truly necessary, but I have no problem with it if someone feels the need to have GPS. It's just personal preference I guess, although I do understand that people who don't care for it probably don't want to feel like they have to pay extra for a feature they won't use (as was the case when video was introduced on DSLRs).

Lowner wrote in post #10302029
Never quite understood what the need was for GPS. I know where I was when I shot a picture, I dont need GPS to confirm it.

I use GPS at sea, but even then don't rely on it.

Why not?

If we start talking about what we truly need, we'll all be back with a 60's rangefinder and a 40mm fixed prime on BW film.

A couple of comments.

I think the T2i really is what brings confusion to the 60D possibilities. If a 60D was forthcoming it sure seems like Canon could have let the T1i be the top of the line Rebel for a bit longer and let the 60D pick up some of the 7Dish features first. Makes sense for advances to trickle down the product lines, rather than jump over one completely.

Beyond that, what I think would be interesting is to have the xxD series be more of a family or hobbyist camera, while the xD more of the semi-pro/serious enthusiast line. The clearest example of what I mean could be video functionality. The 7D can provide cinematographer capabilites. Let the 60D AF in video mode and have articulated screen, so people can easily shoot 60 second clips of kids at play or pets running around the yard.

mpix345 wrote in post #10302113
Makes sense for advances to trickle down the product lines, rather than jump over one completely.

The problem here is that there are multiple teams at Canon working on different lines on different timelines. Thus sometimes features are introduced on lower lines and moved upward.

Case in point, the MKIV came out after the 7D and hardly any feature on the 7D can remotely be found on it, due to the fact that the MKIV probably was in the middle of design and prototype production when they were working out the last of the MKIII fixes. Meanwhile the 7D was on a different development cycle and new features were added there.

You will features added at different times to different lines, and some of those over time make it to the other lines.

Lowner wrote in post #10302029
Never quite understood what the need was for GPS.

Well, if you don't need help knowing where you are...
GPS also makes a great clock. GPS satellites are basically a time-stamp broadcasting atomic clock.. and if the camera's software is designed right, it knows the timezone and daylight saving correction too. You would never have to set the time in your camera again!

I think one of the cool things about GPS is that web browsing software will be updated to read the GPS coordinates from pictures. Right clicking on a picture could take someone (that doesn't know where the picture was taken) straight to Google maps.. That way you just upload your shots. You won't have to tell others where they were taken. Of course it would then also need an on-board compass so that Google would also know which way you were facing when the shot was taken!

In any list I make of features I'd like on a camera, GPS would be about level with video, which is on the list of stuff I'd actually pay not to have. And those of you who tried to explain the "benefits" have just confirmed my thoughts.

I've never needed to reset the time in my camera anyway!

Lowner wrote in post #10302543
And those of you who tried to explain the "benefits" have just confirmed my thoughts.

I've never needed to reset the time in my camera anyway!

Me either.. that was meant as a joke: a plausible but unrealistic benefit of GPS.. I really doubt that any camera would come with a detailed list of time zones and daylight saving tables built into the the software.

The website stuff is real.. not the compass. Sorry, my humor may not be funny to most .. or apparent.

hairy moth,

Sorry mate, I can be very slow on the uptake sometimes.

But as a general design logic, I much prefer things that do only what they are meant to, to the very best of their ability. So my mobile phone phones people, thats all it does and I'm happy with it. My camera must be the same, simple but top quality.

Lowner I am with you. I have a video camera for videos, I want my still camera to be a good STILL camera. Less stuff to muck up that way, in my opinion. GPS? Naw, something else to go wrong. I will just stick with my 50Ds if its ok with Y'all.

Gps can be a very powerful feature for research photography in the field; for example I was undertaking a survey of different marble outcrops in NE Thailand as part of an archaeological study looking at the source and trade of bronze age marble bangles. We were manually taking GpS readings and phot numbers in log books to later pull into a GIS system for analysis on spatiAl trends. I can imagine similar utility for ecosystem studies etc.

Lowner wrote in post #10302543
In any list I make of features I'd like on a camera, GPS would be about level with video, which is on the list of stuff I'd actually pay not to have. And those of you who tried to explain the "benefits" have just confirmed my thoughts.

I've never needed to reset the time in my camera anyway!

I can certainly appreciate the desire to keep the camera focused on the traditional role of being a camera. It's so often the case that when a product tries to do more, it does "more" while failing to succeed at any one task.

However, I do have a Canon video camera which cost me $1000. It does a great job at shooting HD video, but it uses tape and it is extremely limited by the lens it came with. When I upgrade my DSLR, I can't help but think that it would be great if it could replace that video camera and make use of my excellent lenses. As long as Canon does not compromise the photograph performance when they introduce the video function and as long as the controls don't become too complex, I fail to see the down-side.

For those who don't need it, don't use it. But pay to exclude it....?

hqqns wrote in post #10300886
I think that takes a lot of battery power and I don't think it'll work well unless you are outside, with few trees and few buildings around.

I'd prefer wi-fi, maybe it'll be designed into the digic 5 ...

DStanic wrote in post #10300892
I think that is a feature that people don't realize how useful it would be. It would be great to go into Lightroom (or whatever editing program you use) and search for "zoo" and have instant results of your trip from 3 years ago.

Lowner wrote in post #10302029
Never quite understood what the need was for GPS. I know where I was when I shot a picture, I dont need GPS to confirm it.

I use GPS at sea, but even then don't rely on it.

krepta wrote in post #10302058
Some people like to geotag their photos, and others want to know the exact coordinates on earth where they took the shot. I think it's not truly necessary, but I have no problem with it if someone feels the need to have GPS. It's just personal preference I guess, although I do understand that people who don't care for it probably don't want to feel like they have to pay extra for a feature they won't use (as was the case when video was introduced on DSLRs).

Exactly, for me this was a bigger concern when I didn't organize my photos very well, I would always forget where the photo was taken if I wanted to go back and reshoot it. With a GPS, it would take record the coordinates and let you geotag the photos and view them in Google Maps or another similar site/app. I can see that it would be an added expense and drain on battery power, but at least an accessory port that would accept a GPS for those who want one.

geoff5093 wrote in post #10305245
Exactly, for me this was a bigger concern when I didn't organize my photos very well, I would always forget where the photo was taken if I wanted to go back and reshoot it. With a GPS, it would take record the coordinates and let you geotag the photos and view them in Google Maps or another similar site/app. I can see that it would be an added expense and drain on battery power, but at least an accessory port that would accept a GPS for those who want one.

Yes that I wouldn't mind at all is to be able to plug one into the USB port. It would be so easy to implement it's not funny. The GPS normally just sends ascii text over serial and that's it.

Lowner wrote in post #10303180
hairy moth,

Sorry mate, I can be very slow on the uptake sometimes.

But as a general design logic, I much prefer things that do only what they are meant to, to the very best of their ability. So my mobile phone phones people, thats all it does and I'm happy with it. My camera must be the same, simple but top quality.

Richard, you and I never seem to fail to see eye-to-eye.