GPS inaccuracy on EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS 6D Mark II

[kriscowling]

Hi folks,

Over the past few months I have noticed that when I upload photos to webpages that show map locations of my photos, based on the GPS readings in the EXIF data, the locations are increasingly inaccurate.  The same occurs when I literally copy-and-past the EXIF Lat/Long data into Google maps.  The locations indicated on the maps are sometimes several hundred feet away from where I know the photo was taken.

The distances and directions of the errors are not consistent.  Both cameras’ GPS Position Update Intervals are set to update every second.  The 5D Mk IV is on Firmware version 1.4.0 and the 6D Mk II is on Firmware version 1.2.0.  I believe both of these versions are up-to-date.

I realize that these are “old” cameras but I guess I still expect that the GPS readings would be correct.  Other people rely on the accuracy of my photo location data and being off by several hundred feet can create great frustration.

Has anyone else experienced this, or can anyone else explain what might have happened and how/if I can fix the issue to get back to having reliably accurate GPS EXIF data?

Thank you very much!

[Tintype_18]

Interesting post here. Be hard to re-visit a location for more photos without accurate GPS coordinates.

FWIW, I have known people getting lost using GPS.

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

My experience seems to be different than yours.

I owned a 6D Mark II for 5 and 1/2 years.  It's GPS function was remarkable and I loved it.  The acquisition and accuracy of the GPS was great.  I used it all over the world and was always amazed how quickly it would acquire a signal.  Inside, outside and sometimes in mountains and rugged terrain. It always worked well.  From Canon Hong Kong.  Claimed accuracy for GPS on these two cameras is within 30 m.  So anything within about 900 ft means the GPS is functioning as expected.

[kriscowling]

Thanks for the info on the claimed accuracy, Rick; I was unaware of that.  Regardless, the GPS on these cameras used to be almost pinpoint accurate, like you described your experience, so something has changed—maybe how the actual GPS satellite signals function has changed?

Thanks much for taking the time to reply and to provide helpful information!

[kriscowling]

Hi John: Thanks for taking time to reply!  I, too, have heard stories from people with less-than-stellar experience with GPS navigation systems.  A friend who can sometimes be a bit of a conspiracy theorist once told me that “civilian” GPS systems are intentionally less accurate than those used in military and other government equipment.  I have no idea if there is any truth to that, or even why that would be.

Anyway, something has changed because these cameras used to be extremely accurate.  Maybe it’s something in how the GPS satellites function.

[jrhoffman75]

It was true that civilian GPS was less accurate, but Selective Availability was turned off in year 2000 or so.

A lot of factors can affect GPS accuracy on any given day.

[kriscowling]

Thank you very much, John.  I appreciate that you took the time to reply.  It’s nice to read that my friend was actually right about civilian GPS, even if it was more than 20 years ago!

[TomRamsey]

I don't have either camera so I'm just taking a stab.  Is it possible that a setting got changed that keeps the GPS powered up and active?  

[kriscowling]

Hi Tom:  Thank you for replying!  I, too, was wondering if I somehow accidentally changed some setting but, if I did, it’s a setting of which I am unaware.  I normally keep the GPS disabled and only enable it when I need it. When enabled, I always use Mode 2, in which GPS is off when the camera switch is powered off but GPS signals continue to be received when the power switch is on and the camera goes into “auto power off.”  In Mode 1, which I do not use, GPS signals continue to be received even when the camera power switch is off.  This is true of both cameras.  I assume the only real difference between the mode settings is that Mode 1 will drain batteries much faster!

[TomRamsey]

I found an interesting video on the GPS system from Canon, there are a few possibilities.