The Nikon GP-1 GPS Unit allows you to "geotag" your images with valuable information such as latitude, longitude, altitude and time information. For those who are on the go such as outdoor photographers, nature shooters, climbers, sports enthusiasts, news hounds, surveillance people, real estate agents and many more, this item provides a valuable way to accurately document when and where you shot a specific photo.
Nikon sells the NIGP1 as a geotagging device. It comes with a 10 pin connector to transmit the data to D200, 300, 300s, 700, D2 and D3. However, when using this, the 10 pin connecter for the camera is occupied and does not allow you to use a Nikon MC30 or MC36 remote cord. However, this problem is easily solved. The Nikon remote cord for the D90, the NIMCDC2, can be plugged into a second port on the NIGP1 thus allowing you to take photos without touching the camera.
Note! Compatible models: D90 (via accessory terminal cable GP1-CA90), D3, D3S, D3X, D700, D300, D300S, D2X, D2XS, D2HS, D200, D5000 (via 10-pin remote terminal cable GP1-CA10). Some models may require an update to the latest version of firmware
| Data Retention | Latitude, longitude, altitude and time information |
| Time Stamp | Time required for satellite acquisition: Approx. 45 sec. (cold start), approx. 5 sec. (hot start) |
| Attachment Method | Attaches to camera's accessory shoe or a camera strap via strap adapter GP1-CL1 |
| Power Supply | Supplied from camera body |
| Dimensions | 2 x 1.8 x 1" (5 x 4.6 x 2.5cm) (approx) |
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Holy smokes, this is a tiny GPS!
You are looking here because you're trying to decide whether it works or not; it is convenient to use or not; it has some secret drawback that drives early users crazy or not; it...Read complete review
You are looking here because you're trying to decide whether it works or not; it is convenient to use or not; it has some secret drawback that drives early users crazy or not; it is impossible to use to geo-locate on a map.
Well, I just got mine and I opened the box...I was shocked. This thing is tiny. It is much smaller than I had ever envisioned. We all know the size of a flash unit; we know the big flashes and the medium flashes and the tiny flash units. Well, this is just slightly bigger than your thumb.
It is a no-brainer to connect. The 10pin connection on the front connects to one of the two cables in the box. The other end connects to the square growth that you see hanging off the left side. There's two other jacks located on the other two sides (none on the front).
I tried to connect to the GPS satellites from inside of the house but as you already know...it doesn't work. So, I went out front to the driveway for a couple of pics. Then back into the house to download the pics to my laptop. Nikon has a new free version of Nikon ViewNX which is called Nikon ViewNX 2. This contains the improved connectivity for GPS geo-locating.
What do you do? Well, you don't really do much...well, in fact you don't do anything. Open ViewNX 2 in your laptop...find the file that you downloaded, for example go to ViewNX2, select your data file, go to My Pictures (for example), then go to My GPS Pics, then click. Next click on the GPS icon on ViewNX 2. Viola! A map pops up with pin heads on the streetmap...in my case, it was within feet of where I was standing. Amazing.
Simply amazing.
So, what's missing? There is no north, south, east or west information. Jeez, I would like to know that I was facing east or west, no? Well, apparently not. You do get elevation though. Good for skiers, mountaineers, tourists the Eiffel Tower or some mountain peak.
I wonder if it works in a commercial plane? Some have written that other products require an Internet connection to work. Certainly, you need an Internet connection to get Google Earth on your ViewNX 2, but you can see the Lat/Long coordinates from the back of your camera...so, that's an advantage for those who are remote.
There are cheaper products out there but if you have a Nikon; then you know the quality of the line. There's a precautionary note in the instructions about getting it soaked in the rain or getting it transferred from a cool-to-hot place that may cause humidity to condense inside the unit. The instructions imply that this would be bad. It suggests sealing it in a bag until it acclimatizes to the change in temperature...then open it and connect.
My favorite feature is that it is much smaller than I had ever thought from looking at photos or reading helpful reviews.
The cable is relatively short as there's a slight excess cable hanging as it goes from the front of the camera up to the flash location. So, this is the length of cable that would allow you to use the plastic piece that attaches to your camera's strap. It attaches to only one strap. It is a piece of plastic that closes clam-shell like over and around the strap. Then there are two nibs on one side that go into holes on the other side...think of a plastic piece snapping into place. But I don't know if you'd want to forget that your GP-1 was hanging there as it only slides onto the holder like a flash unit and the cable slides into the square feature on the left of the GP-1; so what am I saying...the gypsies at the Rome Coliseum would surely "lift" it from your camera without your knowledge. So, I would think that using the strap is only asking to lose the two bill product; I'd keep it on the flash attachment and remove it when I didn't need it. Which gets to the 10 pin connector. This is not something which you can easily connect or disconnect in two seconds. It is easy, don't get me wrong. But you have to line up the cable so that you don't bend or break(worse) one of the ten pins. But I love this GP-1. Thanks B&H. Thanks Nikon.
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Nikon GP-1 GPS
Before ordering the Nikon GP-1, I did my usual research: I read all the reviews on the B&H website (and some others), as well as the reviews of similar units ...Read complete review
Before ordering the Nikon GP-1, I did my usual research: I read all the reviews on the B&H website (and some others), as well as the reviews of similar units from other makers. I found that all of these GPS instruments were said to give unreliable elevation information. In addition, some of Nikon's competitors were said to be fragile, besides being more expensive. So I decided to stick with Nikon.I received my Nikon GP-1 from B&H on 17th January, 2011, but could not try it out immediately, as we are having a very wet summer and almost constant rain. Of course, the GP-1 did not work inside.It certainly is a neat, light, well constructed and compact unit, though not 'just slightly bigger than your thumb', as one previous reviewer put it – well, maybe a gorilla's thumb.First acquisition of our satellites here in the Southern Hemisphere took a very long time. I mounted a D90 and the GP-1 on a tripod and, after checking indoors to see that everything functioned (getting a red, blinking LED, of course) I started out in my backyard, where buildings and trees limit clear sky to a cone of no more than 60°. I made two attempts at getting the unit to lock on, lasting 1¼ and 1½ hours, respectively, without success. I decided that perhaps the GP-1 could not see enough satellites and later placed it in the middle of my lawn, where a larger section of clear sky (perhaps 90°) was visible.I decided to give the unit more time and sat down on my front steps with a book, checking every 10 to 15 minutes. After two hours there was still no sign of lock-on, but I continued, anyway. After three hours I suspected that I had a dud and would have to return it to B&H. After 4¼ hours I was sure of it. At 4½ hours I decided to pack up, but checked for one last time and – got a steady green on the unit's test light!After this, the unit also worked (steady green) in my backyard. I then tried it indoors again and it worked there, too, though lock-on took longer than outside. Outdoors, initial lock-on, after switching on, takes anything from 2 or 3 to about 20 seconds, while indoors it may sometimes take as long as 2 to 2½ minutes, though usually it is no more than 20 or 30 seconds. However, once first lock-on has been established, subsequent lock-ons only take 2 or 3 seconds either indoors or out.When running a series of tests to establish repeatability of the readings, using the D300S and its timer to take photos at intervals over a period, I found it best to disable the 'Auto Meter Off' function (Set-up Menu/GPS/Auto Meter Off/Disable/OK). When doing this, remember that when changing batteries, all GPS settings are returned to the camera's defaults, so have to be entered from scratch.Keeping the exposure meter active also keeps the GPS unit running, and this allows it to keep track of the satellites it is using, so no time is wasted to re-acquire them before a photo is taken. This is almost imperative when carrying camera and GP-1 about, as the unit needs more time to re-establish lock-on when it has been moved! Even just tilting the camera on the tripod, to get a convenient look at the monitor, produces a red, blinking LED, though renewed lock-on and a steady green only takes a few seconds.There is no free lunch, of course, and in this condition current drain is noticeably higher. However, after a one-hour test, taking a shot every 15 minutes, a fully charged EN-EL 3e battery (just off the charger) lost only one bar on the charge indicator. A subsequent two and a half hour test, taking shots at 2½ minute intervals (60 photos) used up another three bars. The tests were run using an AF-S Nikkor 24-120mm f:4 G ED VR lens (see separate review) with the VR function on. This would have added to the power drain. It is advisable, therefore, to carry at least one fully charged spare battery, when using the GP-1.My main photographic interest is wildlife, and I often operate in areas where there are no facilities for charging batteries. So once the camera batteries and my spare have been drained, I would have to park the cameras. For this reason, I carry one MB-D80 power pack for my two D90s, and one MB-D10 for the D300S. These I operate with alkaline AA (Duracell Ultra MX1500 Long-Life) batteries, of which I always carry a bucketful. In an emergency, even the smallest bush store carries AAs, and even if these are 'El-Cheapos', they will keep the cameras working! Life of the 8 AA batteries in the MB-D10 pack while operating the GP-1 is much longer than that of the EN-EL 3e battery. Starting with fresh batteries, after a 2½ hour, 60-shot (2½ minute interval) test, the charge indicator still showed all five bars. So using the power pack and AAs is preferable to using the EN-EL 3e battery.I must agree with previous reviewers on the unreliability of the elevation (Nikon calls this altitude) readings. When the unit first locks on, the elevation readings can be way out. However, if left on, preferably on a tripod, for a while, the readings 'stabilise' around the correct elevation, but still fluctuate. As far as I can establish from the 1:25.000 topo map, my house sits 1740m (about 5710') above MSL (elevation of camera on tripod). The GP-1 returned variations in elevation ranging from 1751m to 1727m above MSL and back over the first 10-minute test period. The longest test (2½ hours, 2½ minute intervals) showed similar variations, though the pattern was not regular. A second 2½ hour 60-shot test was run next day, using the MB-D10 power pack and AA batteries. This returned similar values. Average of 133 test photos (all taken indoors, with tripod and camera/GP-1 in the same position) was 1740.69m, with a high reading of 1759m and a low of 1717m, though the majority of the readings fell in the range 1735 to 1745m. I suspect that the fluctuation in readings is due to the relative movement of the GPS satellites during the test period.Co-ordinates were a different matter. Latitude varied from S 26° 07' 17.1" to 26° 07' 17.5" (0.4") while Longitude varied from E 27° 49' 35.7" to 27° 49' 36.5" (0.8"). This is more than adequate accuracy for my purposes.Negatives:I have already discussed the erratic elevation readings – they give a reasonable approximation when camera and GP-1 are motionless, on the tripod. When they are carried around, however, and most of my photography is off-hand, the readings become so erratic (in my tests so far up to 200m lower than correct elevation) as to be well-nigh useless!When the GP-1 is mounted on the hot shoe of the camera, the built-in flash cannot be used. Neither can the cable from an off-camera flash unit be plugged into the hot shoe!No power switch on the unit. The only way to switch it off is to unplug the cable! This is not only inconvenient, but judging by the fragile nature of the cable's plugs, would probably lead to damage, sooner or later. Rather than putting a cumbersome switch on the small GP-1, I think the best way would be to program the switch into the camera's GPS menu. In addition, I think the unit should connect via the camera's hot shoe and avoid the cable altogether.While on the subject of cables, the CA90 cable for the D90 is functional enough, but the 10-pin plug for the D300S' on the CA10 cable is a masterpiece of poor design: the plug body gets in the way of the locking collar and one needs a trained flea to lock or unlock it!In addition, the cables are very stiff, and too short for the purpose of connecting to the unit, while it is mounted on the camera strap. This constrains movement of the camera and makes its operation very awkward. When carrying the unit mounted on the strap, it is almost constantly working to re-acquire the satellites, i.e. it is never instantly ready to give a reading. I really didn't find this option useful.There is no directional information. Come on, Nikon!While the manual is clear enough concerning the installation and use of the GP-1, it maintains total silence on the subject of transferring the GPS data into a mapping program, such as Google Earth.Considering these many shortcomings, I cannot recommend the GP-1 unreservedly. If, like me, you only require accurate co-ordinates, then go ahead and buy the GP-1. If you need accurate elevation, forget it.Sorry Nikon, only three stars.
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No compalints
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I've used other GPS receivers before- ones you calibrate time on then add data to the images with computer software, ones that blu-tooth connect to the camera... this is the first one I've had that works very simply and reliably.
It does take time to get a signal in bigger cities... but leaving it on stops that problem.
I did a photo safari in Africa with this on a D7000. I found I could almost drain a battery in 4 hours of constant shooting (~500 photos) with this continually on... impressive. In other words, the battery drain was minimal.
On the down side, the cable connect is a little annoying... occasionally catches on things when you're shooting in close quarters. The hot shoe mount allows you to get it up and not worry much about it- but of course doesn't allow a pocketwizard, pop-up or sb-900 flash unit attachment. I did shoot a few places with the GPS dangling down by a cord, banging into things. That was annoying. Bring duct tape if you need the hot shoe for something else and tape this one out of the way...
Overall awesome and way superior to previous GPS solutions I've used.
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I like to record the position and altitude where images are captured
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I use this unit on all my photos now because I do a lot of outdoor shooting all over Washington and Oregon. Then when I look at them I can go on google maps and there it is .
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Comments about Nikon GP-1 GPS Unit:
-The unit locates and locks on to satellites quickly.
-Easy camera set-up allows use on all supported cameras.
-Metadata interfaces with numerous programs and software for easy visual reference on a map.
-Do not see an substantial difference on battery drain when using Nikon battery grips and Nikon EN-EL4/EN-EL4a rechargeable Li-ion batteries
-Would love to see this set up in a wireless version
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I use it to tag all photos where it can see satellites. I've found a bit of drain on the battery, but I have an accessory battery pack, so that's no big deal. It's on my D-300s.
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I use a D90 and was hesitant to purchase this product due to several adverse comments. Those comments were to the effect that it was very slow to obtain a signal, could not obtain a signal under trees or in buildings as well as complaints about the cable and battery consumption.
When I tried it out for the first time, I took a book and was prepared to be patient. Before I could find my place in the book, it acquired a signal and was ready to use. Incidentally, I was in heavy shade under large trees in my back yard. I could not have been more impressed.
As for the power consumption, there is an easy solution. Take several spare batteries. Even when I was in a tented mobile camp in the Seringetti, I could use my charger occasionally.
I would hope that Nikon comes out with a modified cable at some point, but this one only requires care.
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I recently used this unit with my D700 on a trip to Europe. It's great having a geo-tag for outdoor photos, so it's well worth having. I did find that it's only really usable if you set the camera meter to stay on constantly while the camera is on, otherwise the unit often doesn't have time to acquire a signal before the photo is taken.
Overall, it worked well for me once I got use to using it, and I'm quite happy with it.
Pros:
* location seems quite accurate in most cases
* re-starts fairly quickly if camera off for only short times
Cons:
* can be slow to start up first time each day
* does not have bearing information
* like all GPS receivers, may not work well in dense urban areas with tall buildings
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Comments about Nikon GP-1 GPS Unit:
This neat little unit sits snugly on the camera and is not as large as it appears in illustrations. I shoot many wildlife photos and I loose track of where the shots were taken. Latitude, Longitude, Altitude and UTC time are recorded in the file information. All I have to do is click Geotag in View NX and I am taken straight to spot in Google Earth where the photo was taken. The date and UTC time is recorded so if for some reason my camera settings are wrong I have the correct information. I find it locks on to sattelites quite quickly. It does not have a whole lot of fancy functions, it just gives me exactly what I need. I haven't found any annoying features. I am as happy as a pig in mud with it.
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This only gets a one star rating because I cannot submit a review with no stars! I ordered one of these in preparation for a hiking holiday, for use with my D-90. Sadly, the first unit did not work, so I returned it for a replacement, and that one didn't work, either. Neither of them activated as described in the manual, they just sat there, dead. The MC-DC2 remote cord that connects via the GPS unit still did work, in both cases, strangely enough. I am still wondering if my D-90 is to blame, or if the two GP-1 units came from a bad batch. When I get the chance, I will visit a camera store and see if I can figure out whether the problem is my camera or the GPS units. It's kind of a shame that these units are not built in to the camera bodies as a standard feature, these days. After all, my i-phone can geotag pictures, why not my considerably larger and more expensive Nikon DSLR? [...]
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This is a great GPS-receiver. It finds satellites quickly, it's accurate, reliable and as small as they get. The cable was a bit annoying when I started using it, but now it doesn't bother me much.
I have two of these, on a D3x and a D3s. They are both flawless.
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I'm deeply disappointed with the grossly inaccurate positioning available. Sometimes several hundred meters off reality. A non-Nikon GPS product used on my D300 was much more accurate. Altitude is more difficult to coraborate. It does comes on-line after a reasonably short wait.
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Initially, the GP-1 took almost 15 minutes to "find" itself, but given how GPS software works, this is understandable. After that, it was able to sync on my location fairly quickly. I suggest planning for a "resync" after arriving in a new location. [...]
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Work as expected
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I use the GPS to track pictures when I travel.
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Used this on trip to Italy. Worked well , loaded position as fast as my TomTom would do when initially turned on. That said, one caveat: You may want to take the cable out of the camera when putting it in a bag or case as after a weeks worth of good operation, the cable connector put pressure on the jack and loosened it causing loss of operation. I have to accept responsibility for this as it was working well up to then.
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The GP-1 is easy to use. It connects easily enough to the camera and flash hot shoe to stay out of the way. There also is a clip attachment that connects the unit to a camera strap if you need to use your flash. Out of the first ~600 pictures I took with it attached only ~ 3 had spurious GPS data....probably because I snapped the pic before it fully aquired a signal.
The unit does run off the camera battery so the camera battery drains more quickly. However, I shot pictures all day long with the unit attached without fear of the battery completely draining. (Have a back up battery around just in case.)
The specs are about right for how long it takes to aquire a signal. From a cold start it takes longer, on the order of almost a minute. If you turn your camera off and on after a cold start it just takes 2 to 3 seconds to re-aquire it's position. All in all it is performing as I expected and how it has been described by Nikon. I'm happy.
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The Nikon GP-1 is a very handy piece of equipment.
I like having my pictures automatically geotagged. This way, years down the road I don't have to try to remember where the pictures were taken.
It worked great out of the box. The only thing I had to do was tell my Nikon D7000 that I had connected the GP-1 to it. It locked into a signal within a minute and was ready to go.
The only reason I rate this 4 out of 5 stars is for one reason: It mainly works only outdoors. I have been able to get a signal indoors but only when near a window.
Quick Notes:
I've seen people ask if you can still use your flash when connecting the GP-1 to the hot shoe and the answer is on my D7000 the GP-1 as small as it is, will interfere with the pop-up flash cover preventing it from opening. Good thing is the GP-1 comes with a camera strap adapter which is how I have mine mounted all the time.
Note:
The GP-1 also comes with two types of cables:
GP1-CA90 for connection to the D90
GP1-CA10 for connection to the 10-pin remote terminal of supported cameras
Overall, I love it and use it all the time.
As for indoor shots I copy the tagged information from a location outside then apply it to the non tagged photos inside manually (via an extra Photoshop Plugin).
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Comments about Nikon GP-1 GPS Unit:
Easy to install; no drivers or setup needed. Aquires satelites quickly, and status is easily monitored by the build in LED. The connector (D300) conflicts a bit with the camera strap attached at the left side - would prefer a straight connector over the 90 degree angled plug.
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I am presently using the GP-1 while traveling in Denmark and it worked the first time out of the box, locking on in about 15 seconds on the streets of Copenhagen.
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