Easytag GPS for Nikon DSLRs

It's Geotagging week here on my tech blog. So today we'll take a look at the latest Nikon DSLR compatible GPS unit I've received and it's called the Easytag. 

The Basics

Like all the rest, you turn it on while you're outside and it picks up the GPS satellite signals and then adds the Longitude and Latitude to your shots so that you'll know where you were when you took them.

 

What I like about the Easytag…

This unit has almost identical specs to the Solmeta N2  that I reviewed here yesterday. It has a built-in rechargeable  battery that last for up to 10 hours. It comes with a remote trigger. It can be mounted on the hotshoe or on a strap and it has a built-in compass to record heading info. 

What's different? The one thing that's different about the Easytag from the other ones I've seen is that the Easytag comes with a MicroSD slot for the included 2GB memory card which stores up to 3 years of routes/paths travelled, not just the location where the photo was taken. So this means that you have a backup of your GPS data. It also means that it can be used with point and shoot cameras as well as other non Nikon DSLR cameras. You just won't have the GPS data automatically inserted into your images as you take them. You'll have to merge the data with your images later in the supplied software. Also this is a minor thing, but it could come in handy and that's the design allows it to sit in your hotshoe, but not block your popup flash. I only use the pop up flash as a commander for my Nikon Speedlights, but it's nice to know that I can do both at the same time.

 

What I think could be better

The first thing I noticed about the the Easytag is that it seems larger than all the rest. Not significantly larger, just larger. Not a major issue, just an observation when space is at a premium when you travel. The first thing I noticed when I actually went to use it is that the LED indicator on top is almost impossible to see in the direct sunlight. For the first few moments I couldn't even tell if it was on our not.  It either needs to be brighter or bigger in diameter since you'll be using it outside most of the time.

Stuck at 270° – Although the Easytag has a built-in compass, mine seems to be stuck at 270°. No matter which way I face it always reads 270°. I turned it off and on and come in and gone back out and it won't budge. So either there is something wrong with mine, or the compass is not very accurate 🙂

UPDATE! The compass WORKS! and is accurate. I just had to press the small calibration button on the unit. Thanks Bryan for letting me know.

 

The Bottom Line

While the Easytag worked for the most part except the Heading/Compass feature, there really isn't anything about this one other than the 2GB MicroSD card/slot that makes me want it over the ones I've already reviewed. So if you value the MicroSD slot/card then it's easy to justify the $9 higher price over the Solmeta. However, if you want ONE unit that works both with your Nikon DSLR OR any other camera by capturing the data and then allowing you to add it to your images on your computer, this is your GPS!

The Easytag goes for $169 and you can order it here. They've also put together their own comparison chart showing their advantages over the competition (not including Solmeta). Check it out here.

Tomorrow I will share with you my top pick out of the 4 Nikon DSLR compatible GPS units that I've tried!