Name: Nikon GP-1A GPS Adapter
Brand: Nikon
SKU: INKGP1A
Price: 265.00 USD
Availability: Discontinued
Rating: 2.2 (10 reviews)

Nikon GP-1A

Nikon GP-1A GPS Adapter

Nikon

Adorama

Photography

Camera Accessories

Camera Cables & Accessories

Nikon Camera Cables & Accessories

Nikon GP-1A 

I have used this on a D300s, D7200, D600, D750 and D850. Its operation has been flawless in terms of accuracy in plotting my position on Google maps. I have never used nor verified altitude information. However, the cable will fray due to the extreme angle the cable bends from the camera's 10 pin port to the unit which I place on the hotshoe.

Works well, cable will fray

Used it in Paris where it had trouble locking on to a signal. While on a bridge!! Which is a wide open space!!  Plenty of room for signals.
I gave it away!  Such a useless piece of junk!!  Use your cell phone for 100x better GPS info. Save your money.  Completely worthless.

Not ready for prime time. Not ready for anytime, really.

I rarely review things, but with this price and this lack of function, I feel I should warn folks: it doesn't work. I tried it on my D5100 and my D810. It takes minutes (like 10- under a completely cloudless sky), not seconds to acquire a GPS signal. It doesn't fit well on the camera and the wires are bulky. And it drains the battery. And the camera doesn't stay connected to it. GPS technology has been around forever, but Nikon is lagging behind the crowd on this. It's just an awful piece of refuse. Don't buy it. Take a similar pic on your phone and copy the GPS in Lightroom over to the Nikon pics. Time consuming, but cheaper-- AND RELIABLE.

I can't believe they still sell this

Takes a long time to connect to the satellites, also looses reception frequently.

terrible

I don't know that I have ever written a review about any product I have purchased which I thought performed well, so that is unfair of me to only write reviews when I don't like something.

I thought this unit would be useful, even given all the negative reviews. It is possible I may still use this unit since Nikon Store will not take it back. To make this unit useful I'm going to need to buy a second GPS device, such as a Garmin hiking unit, so that I can occasionally record accurate information which I can use as a crosscheck. And there is the problem. The Nikon GP-1A does not record accurate information.

I went for a hike at Mount Whitney, CA, first real outing with this GPS unit. The parking lot at Mount Whitney Portal is well documented at being 8360 feet. The highest altitude recorded by the Nikon GPS unit was 7900 feet. I estimate all the altitude information tagged onto my photos was about 1000 feet low. This is unacceptable in my opinion. I found myself going through my photos and deleting all the altitude information tagged onto them. Doesn't this seem a bit ridiculous to buy a unit to record location information and then find yourself spending time removing it. I did keep the latitude and longitude information, except in one case where it was obviously incorrect.

How do I use the GPS unit?

I don't keep the camera on all the time, so the GPS unit needs to reinitialize whenever I turn the camera on. I didn't watch the green light indicator on the GPS unit, I can only assume given the inaccurate data recorded that it was only picking up 3 satellites, perhaps if I had left it on longer it would have done better.

The stats: 8 pictures tagged with GPS data; 7 pictures with correct latitude longitude (to within what accuracy I don't know, but 7 were in the area), 8 pictures with incorrect altitude, the highest altitude recorded was 500 feet below the parking lot I started hiking from.

GPS Information Inaccurate

I have earlier used a stand alone GPS, software and a computer to merge GPS data into image EXIF files. I had high hopes that this Nikon GPS would simplify the process, which it did. However, what I did not anticipate is the discontinuity with which the GP-1A operates. To save camera battery the GP-1A shuts off soon after each exposure. You now have to press the camera shutter release half way to wake it up again. It often takes many seconds before the GP-1A makes sattelite contact again and the GP-1A indicator light turns green. Meanwhile you either wait or you take a picture without GPS information.
The GP-1A is not smart enough to remember the last location and use it if you decide not to wait for new information.

Slow

I have been using this GPS unit with my D7100 for about 2 weeks now, and I like it. It does notably decrease the battery life but not so much that I have had to start carrying an extra battery. I have been re-training myself not to turn the camera off. The GPS goes into a slow update cycle when the camera is on but in sleep mode. So when you wake the camera by touching the shutter release or whatever, the GPS finds a lock much faster than it does from power off. I still run out of energy before the camera does.

Very usable with D7100

I use this unit on my D7100 mounted on the hotshoe. The cable attaches to a side port. It sometimes takes a few seconds (up to about 30, depending on conditions) to acquire a satellite lock but once it does I've found it to be extremely accurate. Surprisingly it seems to have no issues acquiring a lock indoors in my home (single level).

GPS should come internal to the camera but the fact that it doesn't isn't a fault of this unit, it functions as designed. I've mounted it on the camera strap before and it worked well there, too. The cable is stiff and doesn't flop around. Give this unit decent care as you do your multi-thousand dollar camera and lenses and it should serve you well.

Does its Job

I just finished a 15 day “field test” of the GP-1A GPS on my D-600.

I was very disappointed in the performance I received from the GP-1A unit.

To minimize some of the damage potential mentioned in another review I mounted the unit on the camera strap, then coiled and “twist-tied” the excess GP1-CA90 connecting cable. This worked okay but the GP-1A unit would bump up against my forehead while shooting. Eventually I became accustomed to this annoyance.

To enhance battery life while hiking I did not leave the camera full time in the “On” position. However I did always turn the camera on several minutes in advance of shooting. Frequently, even after five minutes or more, the GPS unit never acquired the necessary satellite signals and continued to Blink Red. Occasionally it would show Solid Green for a few seconds and then revert to Blinking Red.

While hiking it was almost impossible to get Solid Green.

After 15 days and 1,648 photos taken on the D600 with the GP-1A GPS attached my results were 966 images (~60%) geotagged (as shown by Places in Aperture 3). All but seven of the photos geotagged appeared to in the correct location. The locations referenced in the seven errors were all off by more than 100 miles each.

So how does the Nikon unit stack up to others? I also had along a recent model unnamed “point and shoot” camera (approximate camera cost of $390) with an internal GPS. As with my Nikon D600 I did not leave the camera in the “On” position – but turned it on prior to use. Of the 935 photos taken with this camera 837 (~90%) were properly geotagged.

In addition my wife and I both had our smart phones with us. My wife took 498 photos of which 493 (~99%) were properly geotagged, and I took 49 photos of which all 49 (100%) were properly geotagged. The phones were left on between shoots.

I have been an avid and loyal Nikon user since 1971. I like others enjoy geotagging photos. In my opinion the GP-1A GPS is not ready for sale. But for a loyal Nikon customer that wants to geotag, what other option do I have?

Very Disappointed

Has the same cable as GP-1. Will have damage to the connector or worse to the camera port as with my D7000. I do a lot of travel and is a great feature to have the geotags on the photos but not at the expense of having your camera damaged due to a bump on a busy street or tourist attraction. I will not use this on my D600 until there is a new cable design!!