[RioRico]

Why your camera's GPS won't work in China (maybe) - Boing Boing

If you've got a major-brand camera with a built-in GPS, don't plan on taking any geotagged photos in China. Chinese law prohibits mapmaking without a license, and most of the large camera manufacturers have complied with this regulation by quietly slipping a censorship function into the GPS -- when you take a picture, the camera checks to see if it's presently in China, and if it is, it throws away its GPS data, rather than embedding it in the photo's metadata. On Ogle Earth, Stefan Geens looks at how several different manufacturers handle this weirdness -- how they phrase it in their manuals, and what their cameras do when they run up against this limitation. It's a fascinating look at the interface between consumer electronics, user interface, and the edicts of totalitarian regimes. In some Nikon cameras, for example, the GPS does work, but all its measurements are shifted about 500m to the west (!).

Why do Panasonic, Leica, FujiFilm, Samsung and Nikon censor their GPS cameras? | Ogle Earth

[JMMM]

Pentax K-3II, GPS Logging ? ??????? ???? | ??????? ?????? ?????

[lithedreamer]

Pentax K-3II, GPS Logging ? ??????? ???? | ??????? ?????? ?????

Tl;dr: Russian guy bought a K-3II from Hong Kong, where the GPS has been disabled. Shows how to change the region in the developer menu to unlock functionality.

I'm confused as to why Ricoh would sell the K-3II in such a crippled state, but it may indicate that our international Pentaxes do not check to see if they are in China before geotagging. One can hope, anyway.

[butangmucat]

Well that's the law of China. Our government do censor these things a lot. Even Google maps in China works slightly differently because it is actually the data from a Chinese contractor. I keep two map apps - one for US and one for China.

P.S. I will probably stick my geotagging to using a phone because of this.

[lithedreamer]

Well that's the law of China. Our government do censor these things a lot. Even Google maps in China works slightly differently because it is actually the data from a Chinese contractor. I keep two map apps - one for US and one for China.

P.S. I will probably stick my geotagging to using a phone because of this.

Right, but why sell the K3II there? I'm not on-board flash's biggest fan, but if the GPS can't functionally be used, it seems silly to sell a camera whose primary upgrade is its inclusion.

[butangmucat]

Right, but why sell the K3II there? I'm not on-board flash's biggest fan, but if the GPS can't functionally be used, it seems silly to sell a camera whose primary upgrade is its inclusion.

I don't know, but the primary upgrade for K3II is pixel shift and KAF4 support.

[lithedreamer]

I don't know, but the primary upgrade for K3II is pixel shift and KAF4 support.

Pixel Shift might be considered 'the primary upgrade', but I don't think it's fair to call KAF4 the primary upgrade. It was added in a firmware update, and currently only adds support for an updated version of a single lens, the HD 55-300 with PLM motor.

[butangmucat]

Pixel Shift might be considered 'the primary upgrade', but I don't think it's fair to call KAF4 the primary upgrade. It was added in a firmware update, and currently only adds support for an updated version of a single lens, the HD 55-300 with PLM motor.

I still think that KAF4 is related to an multiplexer that was just not activated. Which makes it a hardware upgrade.

Right, but why sell the K3II there? I'm not on-board flash's biggest fan, but if the GPS can't functionally be used, it seems silly to sell a camera whose primary upgrade is its inclusion.

You stop making K3's and start making K3II's. That's what you're selling now, no going back. Chinese govt policy is what it is. Rationale is irrelevant.

[butangmucat]

You stop making K3's and start making K3II's. That's what you're selling now, no going back. Chinese govt policy is what it is. Rationale is irrelevant.

Actually what I believe is that there is a special "regulatory complaint" version of K-3II that's especially for Chinese market, which is what Microsoft did on their Surface and Apple did on their iPhone. However Pentax market share in China is tiny so I am not 100% sure.

[mee]

Pixel Shift might be considered 'the primary upgrade', but I don't think it's fair to call KAF4 the primary upgrade. It was added in a firmware update, and currently only adds support for an updated version of a single lens, the HD 55-300 with PLM motor.

Both of those features are the reason I was (or am for the right price) looking for a K-3 II. I won't even bother looking at the K-3 due to it not having these features. I care not for a tiny, popup flash. I have cheap, wireless controllers and several full sized flashes that perform well.

The only reason I'm not jumping on the K-3 II bandwagon so hastily is I really want a flip screen and possibly the sensor (Dynamic Range) performance of the K-70 which I think will come in the K-3 II successor sometime next year... I'm guessing April/May/June. The K-3 II price hasn't really taken any significant decreases either. So the difference in price between K-3 II now and III then will probably not be that significant. Not that long from now.. for me anyway.

Plus the K-3 is discontinued. That ship has sailed.

[butangmucat]

Tl;dr: Russian guy bought a K-3II from Hong Kong, where the GPS has been disabled. Shows how to change the region in the developer menu to unlock functionality.

I'm confused as to why Ricoh would sell the K-3II in such a crippled state, but it may indicate that our international Pentaxes do not check to see if they are in China before geotagging. One can hope, anyway.

Restrictions on geographic data in China - Wikipedia

Due to national security concerns, the use of geographic information in China is restricted to entities that obtain a special authorization from the administrative department for surveying and mapping under the State Council.[1] Consequences of the restriction include fines for unauthorized surveys, lack of geotagging information on many cameras when the GPS chip detects a location within China, incorrect alignment of street maps with satellite maps in various applications,[2] and seeming unlawfulness of crowdsourced mapping efforts such as OpenStreetMap.

In theory a special version of K-3ii which is regulatory compliant is needed for Chinese market (including HK and Macau). Probably with GPS disabled.

As a consequence, major digital camera manufacturers including Panasonic, Leica, FujiFilm, Nikon and Samsung restrict location information within China.[9]
OpenStreetMap, the crowdsourced project to assemble a map of the world, advises that "private surveying and mapping activities are illegal in China".[10]