Fgcm Posted February 22, 2014 Share #21 Posted February 22, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I agree with you. To forbid the use of in camera gps is one of the most stupid things ever. Nonetheless, seems that some gps units are not working. Funny, isn't it? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 22, 2014 Posted February 22, 2014 Hi Fgcm, Take a look here Multifunction Grip - GPS Menu Greyed Out. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
mboerma Posted February 22, 2014 Share #22 Posted February 22, 2014 I wasn't able to use the GPS function in Cuba. It is probably build into the GPS chips firmware. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fgcm Posted February 22, 2014 Share #23 Posted February 22, 2014 I wasn't able to use the GPS function in Cuba. It is probably build into the GPS chips firmware. pretty logic. Now the question is how many countries are listed into the firmware. China Cuba Which is the next? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 22, 2014 Share #24 Posted February 22, 2014 This is simply Leica's interpretation of the law, and one not shared by Sony, Garmin, Honda, Toyota and many other large companies who manufacturer GPS receivers that work in China. But what really infuriates me is that Leica has no issues with selling these Multifunction grips, as well as Leica S cameras (with built in GPS) here in China at Leica stores in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, etc. without any sort of notice to potential customers, at least none that I have ever seen or heard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fgcm Posted February 22, 2014 Share #25 Posted February 22, 2014 Stephen, I tell you a story from Italy During the fascist era, a law was passed to forbid taking pictures of railways. Fascism was defeated, but nobody took care to change such a stupid rule. Some years ago, a tv was reporting about the defective service provided by railways to commuters around Milan The cameraman was ousted from the train by police (called by railway officers) because he was filming the train infringing that old law. Let me say how things could have gone about in camera gps A paranoid bureaucrat realized that James Bond could hide within a group of tourists and take geotagged pictures of the poles of the power grid. So he called his chief to explain his brilliant idea. The chief did the same, up and up to someone who wrote a law to forbid "the use of devices capable of recording simultaneously a picture and coordinates with a precision of more than........... " 1000 thousands words to say a camera with gps. The definition is so crazy that it cannot apply nor to phones, neither a true gps or to car maps simply because the jerk who wrote it was stupid enough to mess up everything. Time passed and gps are everywhere now. The bureaucrat goes crazy every time he sees a phone, but nobody cares of him or to amend such a law. But the law could be theoretically enforced by some kind of a jerk, as happened to the cameraman filming into a train in Milan. Leica should clearly state that gps is not operational in some countries, but things could be more stupid than they seem at a glance. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that in camera gps are actually forbidden in some countries if the camera exceeds some specifications. Bureaucrats are always paranoid about cameras, firearms, communication devices.... The evidence of this is that it's forbidden to use phones and to take pictures into the passport control area in airports in USA. Paranoid bureaucrats and jerks are international. Beware of them. Franco Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted February 22, 2014 Share #26 Posted February 22, 2014 This whole discussion prompted me to get out my 144 page MF grip instruction booklet. No mention of any blocking any where in the world in English. Stephen I just wonder if in Chinese they make mention of its limitations? On the FCC info fold out before page 1 it does say that this receiver" must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation." Strange comment to me. Then again it might benefit the NSA. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted February 22, 2014 Share #27 Posted February 22, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) This whole discussion prompted me to get out my 144 page MF grip instruction booklet. No mention of any blocking any where in the world in English. Stephen I just wonder if in Chinese they make mention of its limitations? On the FCC info fold out before page 1 it does say that this receiver" must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation." Strange comment to me. Then again it might benefit the NSA. That means it must be able to be blocked. And not only by the NSA. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted February 23, 2014 Share #28 Posted February 23, 2014 On the FCC info fold out before page 1 it does say that this receiver" must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation." Strange comment to me. Then again it might benefit the NSA. That's just the standard FCC Part 15 language, which must appear on nearly every electronic device sold in the United States. Nothing sinister about FCC Part 15, it's been around for decades and simply addresses the unlicensed broadcasting of radio signals (walkie talkies) to errant rf noise. Title 47 CFR Part 15 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overgaard Posted February 23, 2014 Share #29 Posted February 23, 2014 The Multidysfunctional handgrip will turn off automatically in China and Cuba. Nikon and other GPS devices does not, so I don't see why Leica chooses to do so. Problem is that the handgrip does not nesessairly recognize when it has left China or Cuba why it will remain turned off till it take a long enough breather to register that is it outside those countries. Last time I left Chine it took two days to register it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CheshireCat Posted February 23, 2014 Share #30 Posted February 23, 2014 The Multidysfunctional handgrip will turn off automatically in China and Cuba. Nikon and other GPS devices does not, so I don't see why Leica chooses to do so. Perhaps Leica used a Chinese part. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted February 24, 2014 Share #31 Posted February 24, 2014 Perhaps Leica used a Chinese part. Long time ago someone did mention that the S used a GPS device from China. I am sure no one wants to go the North Korea to see if it will function there. Does it work in Burma now? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
xiaubauu2009 Posted March 1, 2014 Share #32 Posted March 1, 2014 Apparently China restrict the use of camera GPS for national security reason. My S 006 gps doesn't work either. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamiji Posted March 1, 2014 Share #33 Posted March 1, 2014 The GPS on some brands of cameras work in China and some brands of cameras don't. Leica does not. Garmin GPS devices are everywhere. I have spoken with some of my law students, they comment that the law only applies to sensitive areas, but is not enforced even then. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted March 1, 2014 Share #34 Posted March 1, 2014 Has anybody asked Leica about this? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted March 1, 2014 Share #35 Posted March 1, 2014 If GPS works in some regions of the world but not in others, then it must be the programming of the receiver which processes the data selectively. Some geotagging devices apparently work by simple recording the data captured from the satellites; the processing takes place at a later time in the computer. I think that those would work well even in places where GPS is censored.Unfortunately, my geotagging device is triggered by the flash contact. Since the M9 (and presumably the M as well) does not trigger the flash for short exposure times, the device is not very useful to me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 1, 2014 Share #36 Posted March 1, 2014 Given the number of paranoid, power-hungry oligarchies in power all over the world, I am surprised that restrictions are only in place in China and Cuba. If you look here http://www.rectified.name/2012/05/20/its-not-just-yang-ru/ at this totally paranoid rubbish being spouted by some government sponsored PR hack, this gives you a flavour of why these silly rules are still in place. At some point the geriatric cadres will realise they can’t put the informatics genie back in the bottle and learn to live with it, instead of trying to fight against it. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted March 1, 2014 Share #37 Posted March 1, 2014 Given the number of paranoid, power-hungry oligarchies in power all over the world, I am surprised that restrictions are only in place in China and Cuba. If you look here http://www.rectified.name/2012/05/20/its-not-just-yang-ru/ at this totally paranoid rubbish being spouted by some government sponsored PR hack, this gives you a flavour of why these silly rules are still in place. At some point the geriatric cadres will realise they can’t put the informatics genie back in the bottle and learn to live with it, instead of trying to fight against it. Wilson They don't. China, North Korea, 4 places in Indonesia, 6 places in the United States, 2 in Canada, 2 in South America, 6 places in the Pacific, 2 in Africa. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted March 1, 2014 Share #38 Posted March 1, 2014 I think there are two different situations. One where there is a valid GPS signal but the camera manufacturers agree to disable the reading of the GPS to meet a government requirement. The camera must still be receiving and interpreting the GPS signal to know it is in an area, where it will not give the end user, the position. The other situation is where an external device is used to block or scramble the GPS signal. There are regular short period tests by the UK military of such devices, for which advance warnings are given and an instant switch off is put in place, in the event of some major emergency involving ambulances, police or fire brigade, who use GPS to arrive at a particular location. The areas of such tests are usually in Cornwall or around the Brecon Beacons in Wales. There was a problem with GPS in the City of London recently, where it was being blocked on a random basis every few days, for up to an hour at a time. It was found to be a delivery driver, who was visiting a girlfriend in the Barbican and had an illegal blocker for the company GPS in the van, so his employer would not know where he was. North Korea use large truck mounted GPS blockers/scramblers, which I understand also affect areas of South Korea near the border. I suspect the other areas you mention, have something similar going on. Wilson Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted March 1, 2014 Share #39 Posted March 1, 2014 I think there are two different situations. One where there is a valid GPS signal but the camera manufacturers agree to disable the reading of the GPS to meet a government requirement. The camera must still be receiving and interpreting the GPS signal to know it is in an area, where it will not give the end user, the position. The other situation is where an external device is used to block or scramble the GPS signal. There are regular short period tests by the UK military of such devices, for which advance warnings are given and an instant switch off is put in place, in the event of some major emergency involving ambulances, police or fire brigade, who use GPS to arrive at a particular location. The areas of such tests are usually in Cornwall or around the Brecon Beacons in Wales. There was a problem with GPS in the City of London recently, where it was being blocked on a random basis every few days, for up to an hour at a time. It was found to be a delivery driver, who was visiting a girlfriend in the Barbican and had an illegal blocker for the company GPS in the van, so his employer would not know where he was. North Korea use large truck mounted GPS blockers/scramblers, which I understand also affect areas of South Korea near the border. I suspect the other areas you mention, have something similar going on. Wilson Yes. In the case of a few of them I mentioned you get no warning. Some of them let you receive a signal which is false throwing the coordinates off over a thousand feet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted March 1, 2014 Share #40 Posted March 1, 2014 Yes. In the case of a few of them I mentioned you get no warning. Some of them let you receive a signal which is false throwing the coordinates off over a thousand feet. Most often a thousand feet I can deal with, but no signal I cannot live with. I trust Leica will realize their ways before I take my MF grip to China. Otherwise I leave it home and take a Garmin. How stupid to have to do that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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