Canon Connect App - Geotagging Question

[capu57]

About to ugprade my older Canon T2i and looking at a few models and just now learning about the Canon Connect App.  My question relates to Geotagging.

Granted I have ZERO experince with geotagging so forgive me if I ask or phrase this in a stupid way. 

If the app is running and linked to my camera will it automatically geotag each photo as I take them?  For instance if I have the phone in my pocket and walking around each time I take a picture will it capture the gps location and embeded it into the EXIF data?

Basically what I am a bit unclear on is how they two are linked? 

• Does the app (knowing the time) just log my gps as I walk around then with my camera (also knowing the time) just match the two time codes at a later time with some post process.  For instance
  • Picture #1 was taking a 12:02 pm and between 12:00pm  & 12:05 pm I was at Lat A, Long B, Alt C. 
  • Picture #2 was taken at 12:10 pm and at that time my location was at Lat D, Long E, Alt F. etc.

Or

• Does it work like I belive the GP-E2 does when connect to the hot shoe where each picture at the instant you take it the current location the GP-E2 has (depending on update frequency) will be embeded into the photo all in camera?

This is not critical I am just going on a vacation in Europe and would like to be able to auto geotag my pictures and if the app can do what I hope it does I will most likly go with a cheaper model.  If it does not do what I want I will probably get a model with a built in GPS received like the 6D Mark II

[shadowsports · Accepted solution]

I'll have to reply again when I have more time.  I took my 6D2 to Russia in Sept of 2017.  17 day trip traveling from St Petersburg to Moscow.  700 miles by boat.  I used the GPS built into the camera.  Worked well, had no problem acquiring a GPS signal.  Have had the camera to Europe 3 times.  England, Holland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, etc.  Worked great.

Camera or App - Wil be one or the other.  If the camera is GPS capable, this will be embedded into EXIF data.  If you are using the App, data from its GPS will be Embedded.  They don't "share" or compare.  Its one or the other.  So if your phone can't get a good GPS signal and determine your location, you may not get the geo-tagging.  My vote is stick with the camera.   

[capu57]

Thanks for the info and based on this it sounds like I will be getting the 6D Mark ii.

[Waddizzle]

The 6D2 does a great job with GPS tagging photos. But, there is one hitch. The GPS data for each shot is stored in a separate log file inside the camera.

You have to go into the menus and tell it to include the log file data in the EXIF when you use the EOS utility to transfer image files to a computer.

BTW, the GPS must also be turned on when you download files for this to happen.

[shadowsports]

I didn't make any changes to the default GPS settings on the camera.  I have my GPS set to run only when the camera is turned on (mode 2).  There is another option (mode 1) that periodically turns the GPS on even when the camera is off.

Regarding needing to have GPS on the camera turned on when using the EOS utiity to transfer.  I didn't do this.  I took the card out of the camera at the end of the day and pulled the images off the card using a built in card reader.

Geo-Tagging is present without the camera. 

       

Looking at my manual, I see the GPS Logging feature.  This is the one that captures your routes.  I don't think I have this enabled.  My android phone tracks my every move. 

Thanks Wadizzle.  Didn't know the camera did this. 

[capu57]

I did purchase my 6D Mark II today, and have been playing with it.  I just saw both of the last 2 messages and can confirm what shadowsports said.  I pulled the card and put it in my laptop, openned the memory card and checked a few pictures I had snapped and in the properties of each file they had a Lat, Long, and Altitude for each picture.  I did nothing other than take the picture and pull the card.  No post processing and I had the GPS log function turned off.  GPS was also in Mode 2

On that note I will add I did also transfer a picture to my phone using the Canon Connect app and it was able to show it had GPS data but I assumed that was because I was using the app to directly pull it off the camera.  I then told the app to actuall downloaded the image to my phone storage.  I then uploaded the to Google Photos and..... no GPS data so at first I was sure what Wadizzle said was correct but it must just be certain programs can not extract that data. 

[shadowsports]

Page 228 explains the route data option.  Believe you have to use the Maps Utility in EOS to view.  I've never tried in Google Photos.  Also wanted to add, my battery life has been great.  I shoot a mix of live view and viewfinder and get several hours of shots on a single battery.  So for me, the GPS has been a cool feature for my basic needs.    

 

[shadowsports]

I'm getting geo-tagging in Google Photos too.  Not sure why you aren't.

[apritsop]

I get geotag by reading the card in a PC/MAC.

With Canon Connect app via wifi geotag does not get sent.

Any ideas?

[Waddizzle]

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@shadowsports wrote:

I didn't make any changes to the default GPS settings on the camera.  I have my GPS set to run only when the camera is turned on (mode 2).  There is another option (mode 1) that periodically turns the GPS on even when the camera is off.

Regarding needing to have GPS on the camera turned on when using the EOS utiity to transfer.  I didn't do this.  I took the card out of the camera at the end of the day and pulled the images off the card using a built in card reader.

Geo-Tagging is present without the camera. 

[deleted photo]

Looking at my manual, I see the GPS Logging feature.  This is the one that captures your routes.  I don't think I have this enabled.  My android phone tracks my every move. 

Thanks Wadizzle.  Didn't know the camera did this. 

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You’re welcome!  I think automatically adding GPS coordinates to the EXIF could be a change in behavior from the 6D.  I would have to check it out and see.  

I have always had to turn on [GPS Logging} in the 6D because without it your EXIF would not contain GPS data.  In addition, like I pointed out earlier, you had to have GPS turned on during EOSU transfers to see any GPS data in the EXIF.

Because of the huge current draw, I would keep GPS turned off.  If I was at one location for a couple of hours, taking in dozens or hundreds of shots, why waste battery power when the GPS coordinates would all be pretty much the same, anyway.  I could take a few GPS sampled photos, and then turn the GPS off.  In post, I would copy and then write the GPS data to all the keeper images.

Running GPS all day while taking several hundred photos was always a recipe for a dead battery before the day was done.