Nikon D7000 manual Nikon GP-1 geotagging unit

194 David Busch’s Nikon D7000 Guide to Digital SLR Photography

Figure 7.10

Nikon GP-1 geotagging unit.

labeled with a remote control icon, so you can plug in the Nikon MC-DC2 remote cable release, which would otherwise attach to the GPS port when you’re not using the geotagging unit.

A third connector connects the GP-1 to your computer using a USB cable. Nikon has released a utility for Windows and Mac operating systems that allows you to read GPS data from the GP-1 directly in your computer—no camera required. I tried the driver, and discovered that the GP-1 couldn’t “see” any satellites from inside my office. I plan on trying it with my netbook outdoors, in a car, or in some other more satellite-acces- sible location. Once attached, the device is very easy to use. You need to activate the Nikon D7000’s GPS capabilities in the GPS choice within the Setup menu, as described in Chapter 10.

The first step is to allow the GP-1 to acquire signals from at least three satellites. If you’ve used a GPS in your car, you’ll know that satellite acquisition works best outdoors under a clear sky and out of the “shadow” of tall buildings, and the Nikon unit is no excep- tion. It takes about 40-60 seconds for the GP-1 to “connect.” A red blinking LED means that GPS data is not being recorded; a green blinking LED signifies that the unit has acquired three satellites and is recording data. When the LED is solid green, the unit has connected to four or more satellites, and is recording data with optimum accuracy.

Next, set up the camera by selecting the GPS option found under the Setup menu on the Nikon D7000. Then, select Auto Meter Off to disable automatic shutoff of the D7000’s exposure meters. That will assure that the camera doesn’t go to sleep while you’re using the GPS unit. Of course, in this mode the camera will use more power (the meters never go off, and the GPS draws power constantly), but you don’t want to go through the 40-60-second satellite acquisition step each time you take a picture. Next, use the Position option in the GPS menu to activate the unit.