My hobbies are travel and photography. As such, I’m a huge advocate of GPS encoding images. I’ve been using a GPS with my D300 since 2008. The first device I used was the Columbia nGPS (see below). This was a hard wired product similar to the Nikon GP-1. It was one of the first available GP-1 clones and less than half the price. It worked well but the 10-pin remote terminal cable was awkward when storing or removing the camera from a bag.
Searching for a solution that would resolve the cable nuisance, I moved to the Aokatec AK-4NII Bluetooth Adapter paired with a Holux M-1000C Bluetooth GPS Data Logger. This is an easy to use solution and always reliable. The only nagging drawbacks to this solution are having another device to charge (which can be difficult while traveling) and ensuring the camera and GPS are always close enough to remain paired. The positives are that since the GPS stays on even while the camera is off, satellite acquisition is pretty immediate and the AK-4NII does not interfere with bag usage.
I had no intention of replacing my Bluetooth solution until I became aware of the Dawn Technology Di-Eco Pro-F. It seemingly addresses all the potential nuisances: no cable, no extra device to charge, doesn’t interfere with bag usage. Big pluses are that the Di-Eco Pro-F is weathered sealed, has a pass through for a 10-pin remote shutter release and uses less power than the Nikon GP-1. I placed an order on the vendors website and received it very quickly from Hong Kong.
In practice, I’ve found the Di-Eco Pro-F to be a phenomenal solution. It works exactly as designed and as I hoped. It is a little taller on the D300 than the AK-4NII. Because of that it slightly blocks the flash compensation button on a D300. There is a slight lag while a satellite is acquired but I realize that I was spoiled by the Bluetooth solution and the GPS being always on.
I highly recommend the Di-Eco Pro-F. It works on the Nikon D4, D3, D3S, D3X, D700, D800, D800E, D300, D300S, D2XS, D2X, D2HS, D200 & Fujifilm S5 Pro. Moose Peterson also thinks highly of the Di-Eco Pro-F.
Dawn Technology also produces a “consumer” model (Di-Eco Pro-S) that supports the Nikon D600, D7000, D7100, D5000, D5100, D5200 D3100, D3200 and Coolpix P7700. Terry White has posted a positive review of the Di-Eco Pro-S.
Searching for a solution that would resolve the cable nuisance, I moved to the Aokatec AK-4NII Bluetooth Adapter paired with a Holux M-1000C Bluetooth GPS Data Logger. This is an easy to use solution and always reliable. The only nagging drawbacks to this solution are having another device to charge (which can be difficult while traveling) and ensuring the camera and GPS are always close enough to remain paired. The positives are that since the GPS stays on even while the camera is off, satellite acquisition is pretty immediate and the AK-4NII does not interfere with bag usage.
I had no intention of replacing my Bluetooth solution until I became aware of the Dawn Technology Di-Eco Pro-F. It seemingly addresses all the potential nuisances: no cable, no extra device to charge, doesn’t interfere with bag usage. Big pluses are that the Di-Eco Pro-F is weathered sealed, has a pass through for a 10-pin remote shutter release and uses less power than the Nikon GP-1. I placed an order on the vendors website and received it very quickly from Hong Kong.
In practice, I’ve found the Di-Eco Pro-F to be a phenomenal solution. It works exactly as designed and as I hoped. It is a little taller on the D300 than the AK-4NII. Because of that it slightly blocks the flash compensation button on a D300. There is a slight lag while a satellite is acquired but I realize that I was spoiled by the Bluetooth solution and the GPS being always on.
I highly recommend the Di-Eco Pro-F. It works on the Nikon D4, D3, D3S, D3X, D700, D800, D800E, D300, D300S, D2XS, D2X, D2HS, D200 & Fujifilm S5 Pro. Moose Peterson also thinks highly of the Di-Eco Pro-F.
Dawn Technology also produces a “consumer” model (Di-Eco Pro-S) that supports the Nikon D600, D7000, D7100, D5000, D5100, D5200 D3100, D3200 and Coolpix P7700. Terry White has posted a positive review of the Di-Eco Pro-S.
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