A7Riii Location information

[Fireblader]

Lately the location information function does not appear the function correcty on my A7Riii.

If I have to guess, the problem occurs since the last firmware update.

Before then, the location sharing worked great. I started the Play Memories app in the morning and enable location sharing. Then during the day, whenever I turned on the A7Riii it got the location info after a few seconds.

Lately this also works to start, but after a while it seems the Blue Tooth connection between the camera and my phone gets "lost". The blue tooth icon on the camera starts blinking, and the play memory app constantly toggles between "camera found" & "searching for the camera".

Only way to get it to work again is turning of the camera, restarting the Play memories app and turning the camera back on.

I have no idea what is causing this. I'm still using the same phone as before (Sony Xperia Z2), so nothing has changed there.

Things I have tried:

- reinstall Play memories app

- repair phone whit A7Riii

Any ideas?

[Thijs_H]

Good morning, that's remarkable because up to my info the new firmware shouldn't impact the location information. Have you tried a factory reset? This might be a decent solution.

Regards, Thijs

[Fireblader]

Thank for the tip.

I guess you mean a factory reset of the camera. I haven't done that yet, since the firmware upgrade.

Don't want to try it now, as I am about to leave on a 3 week roadtrip and I don't want to loose all my custom settings.

(Would be a nice new feature, export/import function for custom settings).

I did do a factory reset of my phone a few weeks ago, but that didn't help.

[Instaphoto]

I tested it with two Sony A7R III with my IPhone 7+. Latest firmware on the cameras and latest public beta of iOS on the phone. Latest version of the Sony app. Both cameras have no issue. 

Goto the Network Menu and click on ‘bluetooth settings’ and click on ‘Pairing’, this should now pair the camera to your iphone.

Next, in the same page the network settings, click on ‘Loc. Info. Link Set’ and turn ‘location info link’ on.  Next on your Iphone, bring up the playmemories app and click on ‘Location Information Linkage’, it will warn you that this will only work with bluetooth camera, click OK.  Now enable Location Information Linkage.

You should, on the Sony’s camera display, see what looks like a Stamp next to a bluetooth symbol.  If you have this symbol without an exclamation point (That means it lost connection), take a picture and look at the picture with the preview button and you’ll see what looks like compass in the lower left hand corner with geo information.

In the past I had the same issue. What worked for me; is to throw the app away and restart it, and power cycle the camera. Maybe even reboot the iPhone. In the worsted case a factory reset of the camera.

[Fireblader]

LOL.. I really wonder whether you have read my original post.

1) I have already done everything you mention (more than once)

2) I do not use an iPhone

3) The location information sharing DOES work for a while, but stops working after a while.

[Instaphoto]

Yes I can read! Just tried to help. Sorry for that.

It’s a now issue that camera and mobile device can lose connection when the camera goes in sleep mode. Some users are setting the sleep mode timer to 30 minutes.

In some cases the issue is with the phone. Resetting the phone. Removing and reinstalling the app can solve the issue. Its hard to say/write what is the right solution in your case. There a several topics on DPreview and Fredmiranda forums about this. You can read!

[Sigiphoto]

@Fireblader

I found an article on the website which might explain what happens...looks like you first have to connect the phone (android or IOS) via a wifi network connection between the camera and the phone.

After that has been succesfull then you can (re) connect via bluetooth...

According to the article it has something to do with the change of the use of play-memories since the iii series came out.

Hope this will work for you

See the article; http://www.kellys.org/the-missing-sony-alpha-a7r-iii-iphone-geotagging-instructions/

The problem would not exist when Sony would have put a gps chip in the camera 

grt, Sigi

[Fireblader]

@Sigiphoto

By coincidence, that the way I repaired the camera and phone last week.

(first Wifi connection, then Bluetooth).

Haven't had the time to test whether it keeps working. Fingers crossed.

[Sigiphoto]

@Fireblader

[Fireblader]

I give up. This app is totaly worthless to geotag the pictures.

Still keeps loosing connection after the camera goes into hibernation or is switched off.

Only "quick" way to get it working again is toggling the Bluetooth function off/on on my cell phone.

Things I have tried:

- installed an older version of the Playmemories app

- disabled Android battery optimization for the Playmemories app

No change, still keeps loosing connection.

Only thing left is a factory reset of my A7R3, which would mean I have to customize the camera all over again and I doubt this will help.

This is clearly an app problem.

Come on Sony. Fix this crappy app.

I now have a +10000 euro camera system, which doesn't even support geotagging!