Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

GPS tagging hot shoe - works great!

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

This gps system mounts conveniently on the hot
shoe of ANY DIGITAL CAMERA. I have used it in many countries while traveling for my job and it never fails to give me the most accurate gps data.
The firmware is available for pc and mac. It automatically tags each photo with all the gps data including the nearest major point of interest. Works very well with photoshop, google earth, and other computer programs. Once you try it, it is hard to imagine photo life without it! A great tool that is reasonably priced. I'd highly recommend it.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I travel a lot so I really needed an easy to use
GPS system. This is it! The JOBO PhotoGPS is very easy to use, the battery lasts forever, and the accuracy is 100% each and every time.
This incredible device NEVER falls off of any camera because they now include platelets in the box that hold the device very securely and tight onto the camera hot shoe. The price is very reasonable for all the benefits. I wound highly recommend it for everyone that has a digital camera. I purchased 3 units, one for everyone in my family. Great gift idea! BUY ONE NOW! You wont' be dissappointed.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I love the fact you can take the gps off one camera and place it on another camera. It picked up my home street in Kingsport TN.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

When this GPS Device is attached to the flash shoe on my Panasonic DMC-G2K the camera thinks I have an external flash attached and mis-calculates exposure in low light situations since it assumes that the flash will fill in. The camera also restricts the shutter speed to 1/125th of a second because it thinks it has a flash attached.
The software was usable and the tagging worked fine for JPEG. The tagging for RAW was poorly supported since it used side car files .xmp to hold the GPS coordinates.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I travel alot and wished I had this years ago. It tells me where every photo was taken. No more keeping a diary of where I have been and what photo's were taken where.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

found out why the software is so limited:
the device doesn't store actual GPS coordinates - it just stores the satellite positions in a proprietary format. The external software that is used to download the data then uses the internet connection to access their servers and look up the location, based on the satellite positions and time stamp.
Thats why it requires an internet connection to be able to tag photos.
And that's why 3rd party software doesn't support it (and probably never will).
What a bad design.

Another bad point - not mentioned before: the SW can't tag RAW files - it can only creates an XMP file. You may need additional software if you want to have the GPS information inside of the RAW file.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I use it with a Canon 5D Mark II. Technically it works great - fast and halfway accurate (~10-20m) logging, long battery life.
The bad things:
- every datapoint is stored as 128 KByte (!), although it contains only longitude, latitude and altitude. So with 1000 points the memory is full. On a vacation this usually takes me 1-2 days. Then you need a laptop to retrieve the data and erase the memory...
- the data format is unusable with everything but the included software; no widely used standard format
- the included software pairs photos with data only while you have an internet connection; but at least you can backup the data and pair it later
- the mechanical design is by far not worth the money; the hot shoe-connector and the GPS itself are two separate parts (why?) and they don't stick well together. This one you can fix with some permanent glue. However, the hot shoe connector does not fit well into the hot shoe either - its too loose. You either have to use some tape to hold it in place, or you will drop/loose it within the first day.

Those should be easy things to fix for the manufacturer:
- use a hot shoe connection with a screw, so it doesn't fall off
- make the GPS device one piece instead of two, so it doesn't fall apart
- use a standard data format; the 128 MByte internal memory should easily be enough for a couple million data points, so you can go on a longer trip without laptop
- make it directly usable by 3rd party SW, like Aperture
(maybe provide a plugin to add location names), so you safe time in your workflow

With those improvements it would be worth the money.
There is a successor model available now: with 2000-4000 datapoints. Doesn't really seem to fix the issues...

I would still recommend it, if you don't mind the price - just because other products are not better...

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

Software difficult to understand and I am a techy.
Does not stay seated in shoe.
Unduly complicated.
My other camera GPS devices worked immediately; this one is a loser.
Do not recommend.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

Reason for purchasing unit was that the software worked with a mac. Took out of box charged and loaded software. Attached it to camera and nothing happen. Attached to my Canon XTI and nothing. Handed to a friend he tried it on his Nikon and no luck.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

Took a little figuring out. I admit I actually had to read "all" of the instructions. About a 3-4 step process, but the results worked great for me. I'm amazed at how accurate the device is. I thought it would be a constant monitoring gps, but it's not. It captures info after the shot is taken. I have been hitting the acquire button on the side before each shot and it's been close to 100%. No problems with the hot shoe on canon products. The person that said it doesn't work indoors, hit the acquire button before you enter a building and it will use the last sat info for the images. The .kmz files it creates work fantastic with Google Earth and other products. Been Accurate to about 10-30ft for me.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

Gets the job done in open environments.
Inside cities with surrounding buildings, sometimes cannot get a fix on location.
Does not work indoors.

Software is straightforward and easy to use.

A bit bulky on the camera. Design without a lock for the hot-shoe is a bit flimsy, device may fall off at times.

Impossible to use with cameras without a hot shoe.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I read a lot of the reviews other have posted and while I don't agree with all of them, some have a few great ideas. The design is great, it fits well, battery lasts long, looks clean, and logs the location in almost every location. However, I bought the unit to do my geo-tagging with the application Aperture 3, the separate application that JOBO uses is difficult to match and then move back into the photo application. Overall, it does what it says it does, and works well, but the software is where I find the JOBO falls short. While its not perfect, I have to say it does the job and offers things that no other unit can do.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I mount it with a Canon DLSR and have used it all around North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. It works as advertised. It is easy to install the software on my MacBook, and easy to download log files. The software with it then correlates photos with the location information. Then you can import the geolocated photos into your favorite cataloging system. It is fairly accurate in Lat-Long information, but the altitude it provides is not accurate. It automatically provides information down to the street level (in most populated areas) and provides nearby points of interest. It gives you a chance to update the info, too, during the process. It is lightweight, easy to recharge the internal battery, and a snap to setup and use. However, you need to have an active internet connection to update the geolocation information. This is not a GPS in the traditional sense, so no tracking of routes, etc. Also one other negative note - the mounting bracket that fits into the hotshoe is a bit thin, and my device tends to slip out of the camera hotshoe easily. I use a small piece of tape to keep it in place.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I can't get it to log positions. Won't access the internet server. I had it replaced by the company with exact same negative results. I loaned it to several friends with different brand cameras and both MAC and PC computers. Same failures to work. JOBO refused to refund my money. Sad failure for me. Poor company support. I recommend you find a better solution.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

The device sw had an issue with Mac OS X, but this wasn't obvious. After several attempts I contacted Jobo, who were outstanding in terms of responsiveness.

I then had a number of days of flawless use and the capture of GPS coords is very speedy. The workflow (since I shoot RAW) is not as clean as if the Jobo wrote the EXIF data into the RAW file, but isn't too complicated. I found I had to be disciplined and drop my CF card of images and the Jobo off each night and keep them paired up until I got to internet connectivity.

However after a few days the Jobo USB port stopped working and left me high and dry (in the middle of Africa).

I'd really like to give the unit better marks - and certainly their tech support would get 5* - but build quality leaves me shy of recommending.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

This product worked as advertised straight out of the box. Install was simple and the GPS info was accurate. I have travelled with it using it in and out of doors. I have used it on Canon 40D, 5D Mk II, Rebel XTI, and G9 cameras. No problems with GPS performance or compatibility. Mac Software works.Unfortunately, the device has a significant design flaw: The hotshoe connector.On all of my cameras, the Jobo GPS unit is extremely loose and there is no way to lock it in place on the hotshoe.Luckily, on the numerous occasions that it fell out, I was able to put it back and it suffered no injury, just a scuff or two.However, I was recently at a large public event and somewhere along my journey it fell out.It was not turned in to Lost & Found and, although I discovered that it was missing within 10 mins, I was unable to find it.[$] is too much to pay for an item that is so poorly designed. I purchased it at the end of May and lost it on August 8.In retrospect, based on the design, it was inevitable that it was lost or damaged from a fall. Caveat Emptor.

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

I travel to foreign places with unsual - to me - names and have been difficult to match the thousands photos to the correct location. All that is past history with Jobo Photo GPS. The simplicity of use and translation to tagging is amazing. The battery life of three wks and the capacity to store 1000 geo sites make the ideal tool for my traveling.
I use a Sony DLR camera that need a special adapter to mount the GPS. It work very well and the unit remains firmly in place

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

After about two weeks of use when traveling:

1. Easy to install the software and use, worked every time (as long as it can get a GPS fix, of course)
2. The attachment to the hot shoe is precarious. It sticks out of the top of the camera and it's loose on my Canon 5d MarkII. The PhotoGPS kept falling off the hot shoe. It's OK if you catch it in time, not so good if it falls in mud or on stones. The PhotoGPS fell apart once - luckily I managed to find all the parts and rebuild the device - it worked with no problem after snapping the parts together.
3. The device and software have hardly any customization options. You can change the software interface language, but you cannot change the date format or the language of the tags. As I took pictures in Switzerland, all the tags were in German - had to modify them manually, or leave them in German, which is not satisfactory.
4. It's a device designed in a lab and not tested by real photographers:
- You cannot pair photographs with GPS data without an Internet connection - which doesn't make sense
- PhotoGPS can only store data for app. 1000 shots
If you are traveling and have no internet connection for several days, the device becomes useless when you take more than 1000 pictures. You have the option to save the GPS data to your computer for later use, but it did not work for me - although the software said that it was backing up data, it did not manage to retrieve any information from the computer - a few days of shooting data lost.
I often take several hundred pictures a day. Not good enough for a pro or semi-pro application.
5. It's good to have location information, but most of it is junk. The software offers to look for all sorts of information about the location in which the pictures were taken - but do you really want to save information on petrol stations, shopping malls or nearby hospitals with your picture? That's probably why it has to have the Internet connection, to pick up all this junk.
All I want is to embed geolocation data in my pictures. The actual location or address information is nice to have - but not if it requires an Internet connection at all times - it should be an option.

Conclusions:
1. Add a hot shoe locking device, so that the PhotoGPS doesn't fall off so easily - a locking device (available on some flashes) is essential
2. Make the PhotoGPS sturdier - it's unacceptable for it to to fall apart at the first shock
3. Make the software independent from the Internet connection: provide GPS positioning tags in standalone mode. Require a connection only if the user wants additional information embedded, like addresses and amenities
4. Make sure that, when the software offers to save PhotoGPS data for further use, it actually does that!

Comments about Jobo photoGPS - Hot Shoe Activated GPS Datalogger:

The Jobo photoGPS hot shoe GPS is a great tool to track your location without having to keep a journal to match your shots and timestamps. I could have used this on my trip to Newfoundland. I used it on a photo trip with the Truro, Nova Scotia Image Makers club and it nailed the locations at which we stopped. Simply slide the unit into your hot shoe and fire away. Once you have loaded your photos into a file on your computer, simply plug the GPS into a USB port, click to import data, click the "match" button and then the "tag" buttons. Your photos now have a metadata tag that pinpoints the location along with a description of the spot. The photos can then be mapped on Google Earth and other mapping software. As a bonus, when you have the GPS plugged into the USB port, it is recharging. Everyone to whom I have shown the Jobo has been impressed.