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Nikon GP-N100 review: Nikon GP-N100

The GP-N100 is the quiet achiever of interchangeable lens camera accessories, an unobtrusive GPS device for the Nikon 1 V1.

Lexy Savvides Principal Video Producer

Lexy is an on-air presenter and award-winning producer who covers consumer tech, including the latest smartphones, wearables and emerging trends like assistive robotics. She's won two Gold Telly Awards for her video series Beta Test. Prior to her career at CNET, she was a magazine editor, radio announcer and DJ. Lexy is based in San Francisco.

Expertise Wearables, smartwatches, mobile phones, photography, health tech, assistive robotics Credentials

Webby Award honoree, 2x Gold Telly Award winner

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Lexy Savvides

March 7, 2012 8:13 p.m. PT

2 min read

While many compact cameras have GPS capabilities on board, interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) and SLRs are often left out. This compact unit lets photographers geotag their images taken on a Nikon 1 V1 camera.

8.5

Nikon GP-N100

The Good

Small, unobtrusive design. Draws power from the camera itself.

The Bad

Utility software not provided. Can't attach any other hotshoe accessories while the N100 is being used.

The Bottom Line

The GP-N100 is the quiet achiever of interchangeable lens camera accessories, an unobtrusive GPS device for the Nikon 1 V1.

The unobtrusive nature of the N100.
(Credit: CBSi)

Attaching via the proprietary hotshoe and drawing power from the camera itself, the N100 is incredibly small and takes up hardly any space at the top. There's an LED light at the top of the N100, which flashes red when obtaining a signal and green once a GPS signal has been gathered. The unit itself is available in a black or white finish to complement the colour of the V1.

On the side is a mini-USB plug, which can be used to connect the unit to a computer in order to obtain data used for Assisted GPS. You will need to download the (hard to find without a Google search) GP-N100 Utility software to use this feature. In the box is the GPS unit itself, a USB connection cord and a soft carrying case.

Plotting geotagged images from the N100 on Google Maps in Picasa.
(Screenshot by CBSi)

The V1's GPS menu activates when the N100 is attached. (Credit: CBSi)

Like any GPS unit, the N100 takes a short amount of time to lock on to a signal, around 40 seconds in open space. Somewhere that's built up, like in the centre of a city, will take a lot longer to obtain a signal, if it can reach one at all.

Within the V1's menu system, you have the option of setting the N100 to automatically power off, or keep powered on all the time to more quickly obtain a GPS signal when the camera is switched on. The N100 doesn't create any significant drag on the camera's battery when in use; though, naturally, it will deplete the battery more quickly when the automatic power-off setting is switched off.

Conclusion

The N100 does exactly what it should, and does it well. It's the quiet achiever of interchangeable lens camera accessories, an unobtrusive GPS device for the Nikon 1 V1.