Is GPS an important feature to have in a camera?
 

I have been looking at compact zoom cameras that can shoot mp4 video, and found
- the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS20 vs
- the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS19

The only real difference between these is the ZS20 has GPS, and the ZS19 does not.

is built in GPS important in a camera nowadays? is it something I need? is it worth paying any extra for?

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another question is the color of the camera body with the issue of heat. Will a black camera attract more heat while locked away in a car vs a silver colored body? (it wold be locked away while I go swimming in the ocean). does it make a big difference? what about use? small electronics do get warm sometimes with extended use, if I am shooting for periods of time like video or lots of photos, will the color of the camera body make a big difference? or is it like the cell phone I was discussing, the material of the camera body more important than color?

I think these cameras are made of a combination of plastic & metal.

are these good cameras? will their movie format be more compatible?

Certainly a great feature, I have about 10K family photos dating back to the early 1900's and I'd love to know where some of them were taken. Be aware it poses a security risk because that information can be read by others if you post it online, you can remove it with programs that can edit EXIF/IPTC data like Irfanview. The "save for web" option on most image editors also strips this inforamtion.


This was already answered in your other post.

Not really. I tend to organize photos by date, event and/or location. A GPS is just coordinates anyway, not a label that gives the kind of information you really care to know. Plus that information could change, depending on when the GPS is pinged against a database. Photos I took at places 20 years ago, had GPS existed, wouldn't mean much if the place was bulldozed or the business changed from a restaurant to a pawn shop. The GPS doesn't record the details that make photos into good memories.

This is a question where, if you have to ask, the answer is "no". :)

In my opinion, no.

Nature photographers are the ones who find this feature most valuable, especially when they want to log the exact location for future reference (to teach classes, write books or guides, etc). I've yet to see anybody seriously give good reason for GPS, aside from those who shoot scenics of places unlikely to change anytime soon (mountain ranges, etc).