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Kurwenal

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 27, 2012
895
336
Just curious.

I'm not a pro, far from it. But, I do like Teh Nikons....D4, D600, D7000.

Here's my question: why no built-in GPS? It cannot be the case that Nikon's current line was designed so long ago that GPS was not an option. A GPS chip costs, what, 30 cents? I have gone the iPhone GPS app route, I have a couple of little external GPS receivers, but it just makes no sense to me that a new camera like the D610 does not have built in GPS. It looks like the 5300 is the first Nikon DSLR with built-in GPS. Do you expect this to continue up the line?
 

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
55,258
53,012
Behind the Lens, UK
Just curious.

I'm not a pro, far from it. But, I do like Teh Nikons....D4, D600, D7000.

Here's my question: why no built-in GPS? It cannot be the case that Nikon's current line was designed so long ago that GPS was not an option. A GPS chip costs, what, 30 cents? I have gone the iPhone GPS app route, I have a couple of little external GPS receivers, but it just makes no sense to me that a new camera like the D610 does not have built in GPS. It looks like the 5300 is the first Nikon DSLR with built-in GPS. Do you expect this to continue up the line?

Not sure really. It's not a feature that I even think about when looking for a camera. I suspect it will come more of a standard as time goes on.
 

Padaung

macrumors 6502
Jan 22, 2007
470
104
UK
I have the same thoughts. I don't really understand why it is not built in, along with wi-fi. The technology is affordable, small and advanced so doesn't need to draw much power - both are built into smartphones for goodness sake.

in terms of power drain, if you don't need the GPS or wi-fi then turn them off via the menu.

I'd like both features in a camera. I've bought GPS add on modules in the past and they are great when out and about (especially on holiday to track your photos - I for one don't always remember exactly where I was). This is even more useful if you were to submit to stock libraries I would assume.

I've also bought eye-fi cards for transmitting via wi-fi, useful but a feature built into the camera would be more useful. I've got the little wi-fi module for th D600, which allows me to send a picture to my phone so I can then email/tweet/FB on the go if need/want to, which I've found useful at times too (especially on holiday when travelling with a phone but no laptop).

I sometimes wonder if it the camera makers are purposefully holding back technology so they can introduce it in a few years time as something amazing and new - in the meantime they've lost most of the compact camera market to smartphones, which can take okay quality pictures and post to the internet!

I know a lot of people will say they don't need GPS and wi-fi so why should they have to pay for it - similar to how people complained when video was added to DSLR cameras. However, with the announcement of the latest Nikon Df, which doesn't have video, people were then asking 'wtf, no video?!'
 
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