Four Compact Cameras That Will Map Your Summer Vacation

Compact cameras equipped with GPS chips are capable of tracking where you take your photos and later presenting your route on a map. If you're the type who tends to lose the maps and wander off the beaten path, one of these four compact cameras will do the tracking for you.

Along with GPS tracking capability, these compacts have plenty of other traveler-friendly features. Some are rugged and can handle a fall or a rainstorm. Some are equipped with 14 and 16x zoom lenses, bringing you up close to the action. And best of all? They won't take up a lot of room in your carry on or backpack.

Nikon Coolpix P510: A true ultrazoom, the P510 boasts an unheard of 42x optical zoom lens. It will zoom out to an equivalent of 1000mm. Advanced shooters will like the full manual exposure modes, and everyone will like the 3.0-inch articulating high-res display. It was an extremely capable shooter in our testing and to top it all off, includes Nikon's GPS feature to keep tabs on your location.

Pentax Optio WG-2 GPS:  The rugged WG-2 can withstand shock, dust and freezing temperatures thanks to its durable build. The WG-2 is waterproof to 40 feet and is equipped with a ring of LEDs around the lens for macro shooting. The camera is available with or without GPS. With a 5x optical zoom lens, it won't touch the ultrazooms in terms of zoom capability, but it's most likely to survive a short fall or a trip to the bottom of a lake.

Panasonic Lumix ZS20: This compact ultrazoom features burst shooting rates of up to 5 fps, a 20x optical zoom lens and built-in GPS. It offers an array of manual exposure settings and a fixed 460k-dot monitor. We loved its portability and sharp zoom lens. Though it can't take the abuse that a rugged compact can handle, it's a more sophisticated option and produces high-quality images.

Sony Cyber-shot HX200V: The HX200V sits squarely in the big zoom category. Offering a 30x optical zoom lens with Carl Zeiss branding, it boasts a fairly wide f/2.8 maximum aperture at wide angle. Like the Coolpix P510, it offers an articulated 3.0-inch LCD for tricky compositions. Full 1080 HD video will render your vacation memories in glorious high definition.