Solmeta GMAX-GF Photo/Video GPS BDS Dual-positioning Geotagger & Bluetooth Shutter Release for Nikon camera D750, D610, D7200, Df & Coolpix A.with 4GB Flash,1900mAh Li-ion, Altimeter,eCompass,LCD.

This is an initial review. I just received the device, and did some testing.The GPS locks on very quickly, even inside my house, getting a 3D lock on at least 6 satellites. It didn’t do so well in the basement, but since I don’t do much traveling in my basement, that’s OK. The system is VERY customizable, and the Setup menu system is reasonably easy to use. There is no setting for the brightness of the display, but it can easily be turned on and off to conserve battery power.GPS data is sent to my Nikon D750 without problems. The Solmeta GMAX-Connect iOS app works as designed. It is only able to send two commands to the camera, Focus and Release shutter. It does that well.The Windows software utility doesn’t seem able to detect the device when the device is plugged in to a USB connector. This can be a problem if you need to update the firmware. There is some good news however, the battery charges just fine when the device is connected.As I said earlier, this is an initial review. I will update it after I have more time to evaluate the device in more detail.

UPDATE: 5/11/21 So the cables are an irritation and a terrible weak point. It is a coiled cables (like a wall telephone cable). The problem is, the plastic used to cover the cables is a cheap plastic and deteriorates after two years so it cracks in a way making repair difficult or impossible. There are several very fine wires inside that will not withstand the elements or the flexing without the cover. This is completely unacceptable, as the cable will deteriorate if you use them or keep them in the plastic bag. This is a problem the telephone companies solved over 100 years ago, so the manufacturer really should be ashamed of themselves. You can do field repairs (that look terrible) with superglue and electrical tape, so throw those in your bag when you travel. Order new cables every other year to make sure it works. Taking off a star for this ridiculous underengineering of the cable.Before I wrote this review, I wanted to actually use it on a daily basis for at least a weekI did not use the bluetooth shutter release.So this was a bit of a splurge. Physically, it's large for this type of device. But it seems to tuck in nicely on the top of the Nikon. It fits into the hot shoe, and you push a lock into place that cannot come off unless you press a button. This compression fitting is padded with rubber so it will not mar your hotshoe.The cord is on the right hand side, it uses one of those round multi-pin connectors that has a nut that screws on. The cord is coiled and for the D750 it's too long, although being coiled it stays tucked close to the camera. The Nikon connector for GPS's is a weak point (IMHO). This cord is sturdy and minimizes any pressure on the connector.The very first use it seems to take a bit of time to sync up. However, after that, if you turn it off, it syncs within handful of seconds as long as it has some signal to the sky. However, since it has it's own built-in battery I left on all the time unless I was done for the day and I was recharging.When I went into buildings that blocked GPS signal, the GMAX remembered the last position and fed that to the camera, which I appreciated.I did not determine battery life. It was at least 12 hours, I wasn't tracking it that closely, but I'd typically turn it on at 8 AM and shut it down after getting it back to the hotel. The battery indicator always showed full, even at the end of the day, and charge-up time was about 2-3 hours for a full charge from that point.IThe display showed not just a green light when its locked on, but also the lon/lat, altitude and heading (whoo-hoo!), The display changes every few seconds to show you several types of information.Charging is done via USB, but the charging cable uses that same round connector, which is probably the only downside of this device. Since it uses a pair of proprietary cables (one for the camera, one to charge), you can never be without either of them, so you'll end up buying a 2nd set. Unfortunately the vendor charges $15 plus $10 shipping apiece.It was completely reliable, and it took away the constant checking to see if the GPS was locked on properly I've had with other devices.Pros: Thoughtful design throughout, reliable, works from long-life internal battery, does not impact camera battery, shows heading, display lets you know what's going on at all timesCons: Weird cable connector makes you buy extra (and expensive cables). I understand from an engineering standpoint why this was done, but the cables are simply too expensiveLast thoughts: If you need/want a Nikon GPS, this is the best one by far. GPS for cameras were all the range just 3 years ago, now they're all but gone. Why?

I originally bought the Solmeta N3-c to add geotagging to my Nikon 750 - and I was quite happy with that, but I was also using a location tracking app on my iPhone to keep track of my movement in the field. This GMAX-GF device combines the best of both worlds in an amazingly compact package and includes a clear, helpful display of all the information from location to speed to direction right on the front of the unit. Now I can import my trail walk and drop in the photos into ArcMap leaving a complete documentation of the field visit. Both devices I have ordered from Solmeta shipped directly from Hong Kong, and arrived promptly and well packaged in multiple layers of bubble wrap.

This item is quite expensive, but does a very good job. It seems durable and well built. I bought this after another cheaper unit failed me miserably and I missed GPS locations on an entire vacation. I have used this unit numerous times and it has always performed as expected.I will say that their claim of it not running the camera batter down is not 100% accurate. Although most of the time that is true, there have been several times it has indeed run the battery down, so make sure you have a few spare batteries that are fully charged.

This really is a remarkable device and can be used both on your camera or if you go hiking, or just want to know GPS info on your location in your car. On the camera it is invaluable for documenting photographs on vacation trips. Takes a little bit of a learning curve, but follow the directions and you can master the features you need after a few uses. Added a bit more weight to my camera than I had hoped, but that will work out in the long run. Very happy I got this.

Works as expected, but some issues are not as clear as the pictures. First, after attaching it to the hot shoe, and plugging it into the camera (Nikon D750), it will usually find the GPS location within a few minutes at best. But if you look at the pictures, you will NOT see the GPS marking on the Live View screen on the back of your camera. With me, I had to dig into Nikons manual, and finally brought it into BestBuy for them to get it to pop up. Second, if you ever need to use a flash on your camera, the GPS will need to hang from the camera, since you are using the hot shoe for the flash. But it works fast and gets the job done, which is all I need. The problem I have is I shoot real estate and I need a flash as well as the GPS tags on my pictures. But it's built well, comes in a nice tote bag, and has 2 cables for the unit.

This geotagger is a godsend. I used to spend an inordinate amount of time on Google Maps to find precisely where I was when I captured an image in order to fill in the metadata on the image file. Now, it is automatic. A real timesaver. It works exactly as you would expect it to and has features that are a bonus. Absolutely worth the price. I use it with a Nikon D750.