GPS For EM1 Mark II or Mark3

[waltonksm]

Does anyone make some sort of compatible GPS for either of these models. I understand I can use a smartphone with GPS and  bluetooth . I suspect this question is viewed as a bit stupid, but i thought I would double check.

thanks,

Walton

[Hugh_3170]

Hi Walton.  I have successfully used the WiFi connection (not Bluetooth) between my Apple iPhone and both the E-M1 Mk1 and the E-M1 Mk2 versions of the camera.  You will need to put the Olympus OI Share application onto your iPhone.  I have had less luck with my now very old Android phone - maybe a newer model would be OK.  OI Share also gives you remote control o fthe camera and will enable jpg files to be transferred to the phone.

 

There is a quirk with the Olymus app in respect of swiping the recorded track to be sync'ed between the phone and camera -the selection swipe is from right to left - not the more intuitive left to right swipe.  The method does work, but I prefer the way Nikon cameras work with a GPS unit and a BT interface dongle on the camera - generally more accurate if the GPS unit is any good.   Each track has to be individually sync'ed - which is dammed tedious.

[Dallas]

As Hugh says you can use the Olympus app which can track your movements constantly even when you are not connected to the camera. You would then have to sync the photos on the camera's card (while still in the camera) to geotag using the app. It is a very clunky way of doing this. 

 

Several years ago, one of the Swedish chaps who came on my epic Namibia safari tracked our entire safari using his smartphone and an independent satellite tracking app. This app allowed him to export a log file (I can't recall the app name or file type) which can be imported into Lightroom and from there Lightroom uses the timestamp of the log file to match the corresponding timestamps of any selected images in Lightroom. 

 

So, theoretically if you bought any GPS logging device that can export the kind of log file that Lightroom uses you will be able to geocode any photos within Lr. Assuming of course that you use Lightroom, but I am sure there are other editing apps that can do the same thing.  

[waltonksm]

Well, you definitely answered my question, but not what I wanted to hear.  Yes, I have used NIKON GPS.  The D5300 had it built into the camera. It was a joy to use.  I also purchased a unit from Promote Systems for $100. I used it on the D700.  It also worked well with a minimum of trouble.

 

I guess there is no such unit for an Olympus. I did look at Promote Systems for the first time in several years.  They still offer GPS for Nikon for $100.... but they are "back-ordered." I still have mine from years ago.

 

They also offer "tethered" USB control for several Lumix models.  But looks to be relevant to studio work, only.  And nothing to do with GPS.

 

So it looks like the M1x has built in GPS.  I was amazed at all the other models they make with built-in GPS.  A bunch of the Tough models since 2011. I would like to have GPS, but not enough to buy the M1X

 

Thanks for responding.

 

 

[waltonksm]

Dallas, the Olympus app on your phone actually passes location information to your image on the SD card?

[Hugh_3170]

As well as writing the coordinates, based on time stamps matching up, into the image files, each GPS track in NMEA format is written as a text file onto the SD card.

[waltonksm]

Thank you Hugh. But then you either us LR, or the Olympus program to edit images? Do the images have to be raw, or does it do it to jpg;s, too?

 

And I do have a fairly recent Android phone, not an Iphone.

What happens if I rip off four or five images at a time? Does it properly write to each of them?

 

Edited 12 December, 2020 by waltonksm
elaborate answer

[Hugh_3170]

Not just .jpg files but all image files. 

 

The population of the GPS metadata fields in the image file does not affect your choice of image editor - if I have understood you correctly.

[waltonksm]

Yes. I think you answered my question. 

 

In the mid 1980's I read 2 photo magazines and 3 computer magazines per month. I had a huge 10MB hard drive that cost a small fortune. Now some 35 years later I am overwhelmed with all of the devices I use, and the many hundreds of pages of instructions that I need to read to use them.

 

Putting a GPS unit on my camera and changing one menu item is a snap. Dealing with an Android phone and syncing images sounds like a real pain to do. Do you have any sort of reference to steer me to that might explain this process? And perhaps designed for the old and feeble? I forget, we are in the youtube era. I may look there for an answer.

 

Thank you for your explanations.

 

Walton

 

There are a bunch of videos there!!

Edited 12 December, 2020 by waltonksm
to elaborate question

[waltonksm]

Actually, it looks simple. I guess I will try it.

Walton

[Anthony]

I use an app called Geotag Photos Pro 2. All I have to do is make sure my camera clock is synched with my phone. (And remember to turn the app on 🙄). I download the GPS track and the photos onto my computer and then synch the track with the photos, using the Geotag Photos app.

 

It is really simple and quick, and does away with connection issues between phone and camera. It does mean that the photos are not geotagged on the SD card. That is not an issue for me, but may be for you.

 

An advantage is that I then have a GPS log of my journey which I can read on a variety of mapping apps.

 

Also, it works with multiple cameras at the same time.

[Dallas]

3 hours ago, waltonksm said:

Dallas, the Olympus app on your phone actually passes location information to your image on the SD card?

 

As I understand it, yes it does that when you run the process between camera and app. Of course as Hugh says you have to remember to both create the track in your Olympus phone app and then import that onto the SD card before you download the images to your computer. It's a bit of a sub-optimal solution. 

 

 

[waltonksm]

Thank you both.

 

Walton

[Luc de Schepper]

Walton, maybe the info in this link is helpful https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4446832

Take care also to synchronise the time on the camera with your smartphone as the time stamp is the identifier for the app which image to add the info to.

[waltonksm]

Thank you. It looks to be on "my level," ie very basic

[Anthony]

The Olympus system seems rather complex. If you are going to use a smartphone for geotagging, it is much easier to add the gps information on the computer. And if you run two cameras at the same time, as I often do, there is no issue over which camera gets to connect with the smartphone.

[Dallas]

3 hours ago, Anthony said:

The Olympus system seems rather complex. If you are going to use a smartphone for geotagging, it is much easier to add the gps information on the computer. And if you run two cameras at the same time, as I often do, there is no issue over which camera gets to connect with the smartphone.

 

Definitely agree with that, Anthony. 

 

What GPS tracking app do you use? 

[Anthony]

I use Geotag Photos Pro 2, and have done so for several years. I have not checked the market recently to see if there is anything better.