One of the most significant announcement by Sony during the PMA'09 in Las Vegas earlier this year was not a new DSLR but a new prosumer (or bridge) digital camera, the Cybershot DSC-HX1 (or HX1 for short).
The most significant feature when I first came across it was it's ability to do in-camera panoramic shots. Of course, they also mentioned about faster shutter speeds, better noise reduction and a longer tele-range, up to 20x. What I missed in the announcement was that it was also able to do HDR by combining 6 shots. The YouTube video below gives a good overview of the features.
You can now pre-order with a few online vendors including amazon.com and is priced at slightly below USD500.00.
Personal option is that the focal length of 5 – 100mm won't reach out as far as other superzoom offerings (maybe I am reading this range wrongly).
I have the Sony DSC-H10 and i love it too. Very easy to use and the pictures come out crisp. Especially the macro ones and outdoors.Still have a lot to learn. I plan to take a photography class since this is something i really enjoy doing.Sony DSC HX1 has the good features, but if I compare the "upcoming price" i would prefer Canon rather than Sony.