Einst_Stein Posted January 8, 2023 Share #1 Posted January 8, 2023 Advertisement (gone after registration) I like GPS for travel photography. SL has it, but the lighter M 240 I will carry in the next trip doesn’t. Tried smart phone apps, don’t like it. I bought a cheap tiny LUMIX ZS40 (same as tz60, 24-720mm, built- in GPS) for the purpose, and also as a back-up camera. The IQ is no where close to the REAL cameras I like, so I am thinking Leica multifunction grip, 14495. Any direct experience? Besides GPS, which is the real reason to get it, It would be much easier to change batter or SD card, but a little heavier. It would cost my a couple hundred dollars ( I know, I am talking about Leica currency!) If you own or have owned one, could you share your thoughts please? Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 8, 2023 Posted January 8, 2023 Hi Einst_Stein, Take a look here Leica Grip with GPS (14495, multifunctional grip). I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Shawn30 Posted January 23, 2023 Share #2 Posted January 23, 2023 I just got one a couple of days ago. I couldn’t stomach the price of a half case with grip, after shelling out for camera and lens. 1st rangefinder. My grip didn’t have cables and was a bit cheaper. Anyway I think the most useful thing about the grip might be that it could power the camera by an outlet. Pretty useful for those in a studio. The grip does change the esthetic of the camera. It looks a bit blocky and square. I snapped a few photos, but haven’t looked to see if the GPS worked. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sometimesmaybe Posted January 24, 2023 Share #3 Posted January 24, 2023 5 hours ago, Shawn30 said: I think the most useful thing about the grip might be that it could power the camera by an outlet. Pretty useful for those in a studio. the PC Sync port is good too, esp if you use an EVF 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregm61 Posted February 20, 2023 Share #4 Posted February 20, 2023 I’ve seen it reported as less than efficient in terms of speed of locking onto and holding the GPS setting. There are some reviews of it out there for viewing. I’ve not been tempted to give it a try. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotomas Posted February 21, 2023 Share #5 Posted February 21, 2023 The GPS works, some time, some times not. But the most important reason for me was that I could leave the SD card in the camera and download the pictures via USB. Also that I have a flash sync and can use the camera in the studio with the EVF on top. And you can do tethered shooting (kind off). Also I use the permanent power supply (additional part). 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einst_Stein Posted February 21, 2023 Author Share #6 Posted February 21, 2023 On 2/20/2023 at 1:32 PM, Gregm61 said: I’ve seen it reported as less than efficient in terms of speed of locking onto and holding the GPS setting. There are some reviews of it out there for viewing. I’ve not been tempted to give it a try. Mine works pretty good. Of course I am not asking real time tracking down to centimeter. I also do not need to closely tracking my position when I drive. Like most GPS, the environment is important. Indoors is bad, for example, also on the street between tall skyscrapers. The question is whether you want tracking your position for your photos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregm61 Posted February 21, 2023 Share #7 Posted February 21, 2023 Advertisement (gone after registration) For anywhere from $500 used to almost $900 for a new one, GPS tracking for me would be one of the primary reasons for getting one. some of the other features could eventually be utilized too but those features for me would be secondary. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregm61 Posted March 27, 2023 Share #8 Posted March 27, 2023 I found one, like new in the box, for $350 and it’s now attached to my MP240. Taken it out twice now to see how well it works. The GPS has locked on outdoors in 3-4 minutes and I keep the camera on to minimize having to reacquire. Better than I assumed it’d work. i’ve also picked up the flash cord/bracket setup. Plan on using the cord and detachable shoe on my own bracket to keep the camera shoe free to use either the EVF or optical finder, depending on the lens in use. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Einst_Stein Posted March 27, 2023 Author Share #9 Posted March 27, 2023 After two months of use, I would not take off the GPS Grip except changing battery and SD card. It's like driving a car with hand-free or GPS. I had hundreds of reasons not to use it. But once having it, it's no return. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasgo Posted March 29, 2023 Share #10 Posted March 29, 2023 I got an MFHG because it came with my M Typ 240, and because GPS is useful for my work, which is related to property development. When scouting a location, it is useful to have the coordinates of where you took a photo. You can thus calculate distances and areas pretty precisely. It's also great for documentation, because you can revisit the exact place and take the same image to show changes. Previously, I used a Nikon D700 with an aftermarket attachment, which worked quite well. That one sat on top of the camera, which seems like the logical place to receive GPS signals. Now, I use my iPhone, which has geotracking built in. Unfortunately, the Leica MFHG hasn't worked well, or at all, probably because I have been taking pictures in areas with obstructions. I did try going on a roof top to try and get a signal, but did not get one, even in 30 minutes. The building was surrounded by taller buildings on two sides. I hope the MFHG is not defective. I am on this forum precisely because I need to find out what others' experience has been. I will try it again, out in the country, and post here if I get it to work, or not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rasgo Posted April 6, 2023 Share #11 Posted April 6, 2023 (edited) On 3/30/2023 at 2:42 AM, rasgo said: I got an MFHG because it came with my M Typ 240, and because GPS is useful for my work, which is related to property development. When scouting a location, it is useful to have the coordinates of where you took a photo. You can thus calculate distances and areas pretty precisely. It's also great for documentation, because you can revisit the exact place and take the same image to show changes. Previously, I used a Nikon D700 with an aftermarket attachment, which worked quite well. That one sat on top of the camera, which seems like the logical place to receive GPS signals. Now, I use my iPhone, which has geotracking built in. Unfortunately, the Leica MFHG hasn't worked well, or at all, probably because I have been taking pictures in areas with obstructions. I did try going on a roof top to try and get a signal, but did not get one, even in 30 minutes. The building was surrounded by taller buildings on two sides. I hope the MFHG is not defective. I am on this forum precisely because I need to find out what others' experience has been. I will try it again, out in the country, and post here if I get it to work, or not. Update: I finally got it to work. It took less than 10 minutes to get a fix. The horizontal accuracy was ±25 meters, which is not great, but acceptable for my purposes. The altitude was way off (it said 14 meters, and I was just a couple meters above sea level), but that's always the case with GPS. I think it would have been better if I was in a more open area. Anyway, I'm pretty happy this ($900 new) thing actually works, because like any Leica accessory, it costs way more than it should. The aftermarket thing I used with my Nikon cost me $50 new. Of course, it only offered the GPS, not the other functions, but still. The first image shows the photo I took, in MacOS Preview, with the GPS panel of the Exif. The second image shows the same info pasted into Google Maps, with a line showing the distance (25.35m) between the GPS fix, in red, and where I was actually standing. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Edited April 6, 2023 by rasgo 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/360071-leica-grip-with-gps-14495-multifunctional-grip/?do=findComment&comment=4744461'>More sharing options...
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