Camera with gps compass or GPS with camera

I carry both, here's why it makes sense for me:

I took a pass on the camera built into the gps you mention. It was 5mp? At the time I was looking it seemed like cheap old cellphone quality. If you want to snap a photo of you and a friend at the summits it might be enough, but I'm more into photography than that. And carry a dedicated camera depending on trip. Usually a sub- 1/2lb waterproof pocket camera.

I carry the gps for making tracks and it becomes good piece-of-mind for bushwaxs, but never relied on. Great to have a digital breadcrumb trail back at home to look at and share.

1lb of electronics are a small price to pay for me to have some records of my hikes.

Combine these items to one device and it criples both. Id carry my cell phone to replicate both functions before another device.

IMHO, a camera with GPS isn't suitable for navigation. I see the GPS features in a camera as simple note-taking info. I haven't heard of any with mapping functions. I'm using a Sony DSC-HX7V and found the GPS as weak, power-robbing and generally annoying and turned it off. I agree that any camera functions in a phone or GPS will be snapshot quality at best— what I call "shots of record."

I normally rely on map and compass, supplemented with an iPhone running the Gaia GPS app.

Battery life is an issue with all the the options, including a stand-alone GPS. I find that frustrating when considering the cost and weight. All the fancy tracking options are useless for multi-day trips. A Garmin Monterra is $700 and had a 16 hour battery life. Even if it delivered 100% of the stated life, that is a one day hike for long day hikes, or an overnighter. I don't get that!

The reason I asked the question was I saw this for the coolpix S9700

they show a map

Built-in GPS, mapping, Electronic Compass and Points of Interest (POI) for creating amazing photo journals

Relive the excitement of your travels in a whole new way. The COOLPIX S9700 records the exact location of each shot you take, so you can follow the path of your adventure and every stunning view along the way! Share your journeys on Google Maps, Google+, and other social networking sites, or with the Nikon View NX2 software. Built-in mapping and Electronic compass also help you navigate unfamiliar destinations, and Points of Interest (POI) show you nearby photo-ops like scenic lookouts and historic landmarks. The COOLPIX S9700 is the ultimate travel companion!

It certainly seems like someone in the near future could build a camera with 30x zoom and a navigation tool built in.

I've never carried a gps or even a phone in the backcountry, I've always just used a map and compass but there are some interesting devices out there.

Camera with a 20x zoom and navigation tool: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/compact-cameras/samsung-galaxy-camera-2-1212956/review
Or if you want a phone as well, there's the Galaxy K Zoom. It all depends what compromises you're willing to make. If you want to record multi-day tracks, I think you're currently going to have battery life problems with anything other than a stand alone GPS.

I did a short Google search and I couldn't find if the S9700 is able to accept custom maps. It comes with a pre-loaded "world map" but I'm skeptical about its utility in the back country for navigation.

Dale,

My garmin gpsmaps 62st runs 2xAA and lasts much longer than 3 days moving 10hrs a day, turn on in am, toss in bag, turn off at night. Just tracking my route. Maybe peak at speed or elevation data over lunch. Looking at the screen is the real battery killer. After a 3-day hike of that the batt meter is still full or one bar down. A day of navigating with it would probably be the limit.

I'm exclusively navigating with maps/compass but the piece of mind has been a nice backup plan as I venture further from trails. Lets be clear tho, I am at no time not aware of my location and if I drop the thing am still able to get out safely.

Its nice for canoeing where distance covered is tougher to keep track of.

I understand that it's weight is a luxury but it's part of the fun of the trip for me, to have a gps track, and quality photos.

The Garmin 650 camera is a simple phone grade 5MP camera. It's fine for hiking snapshots.

The main purpose of GPS in a camera like the Coolpix is for GPS tagging the photos so they display in the proper place in Garmin BaseCamp or Google Earth or similar mapping programs/apps. Not used for actual navigation.

One of new Garmin VIRB high def action cams has full GPS, like the Garmin handhelds. However, there's no on-board navigation and minimal GPS info in the built-in display. The GPS is for the recorded tracks so that you can do an action cam video of (for example) a bike ride with the GPS track superimposed over the video and to give time and distance and speed graphics that can be displayed on the videos.

The new Apple smartphone will of course have a built-in GPS chip, as have all previous versions, but it will also have location features we don't often think about. These include an accelerometer, which detects motion, and an electronic compass, which is tapped by many navigation, outdoors and hiking apps.

now if it just had a 20x camera and the ability to import maps.

"The new Apple smartphone will of course have a built-in GPS chip, as have all previous versions, but it will also have location features we don't often think about. These include an accelerometer, which detects motion, and an electronic compass, which is tapped by many navigation, outdoors and hiking apps."
As do the other high end smart phones from other makers besides Apple, including the Galaxy K Zoom, with it's 10x zoom. Or the Galaxy Camera 2, if you don't need the phone function.
BTW, I have no experience with either of the Galaxy phone/cameras, but they are the closest I'm aware of to what you are looking for from the specs.

thanks I was looking at the Galaxy Camera 2.
Unfortunately what I want, 1 device to replace (camera, gps and kindle) luxury items doesn't exist yet but they are getting close.

thank you William the Galaxy K Zoom may be what I want.