Sony invites 18 journalists to try Sony products in the wilds of Sadona, Arizona!

Well, I don't know how wild it was, but there more info on the amazing Sony trip here:

http://gizwizbiz.squarespace.com/dicks-blog-log/

Let’s take an advance look at one of the newest additions to Sony’s very successful Cyber-Shot camera line. Coming mid-May is the Cyber-Shot HX30V. It features a new, ultra-thin 20x optical zoom lens equal to 25-500mm in 35mm format. Considering the power of the zoom lens, the camera body is very compact. Not only is the body small, it’s manufactured from 99% recycled materials. So when you’re shooting photos  outdoors, you can feel good that you made an environmentally sound camera choice. The HX30V incorporates a new Sony 18.2 MP “Exmor R” CMOS sensor. Sony says it offers the highest resolution sensor currently offered in the mainstream “point and shoot” market. The new “AA” lens can focus at a minimum distance of approximately 1 cm for amazing macro shots. Past the 20x optical zoom range is a 40x digital “Clear Image Zoom”. Instead of merely ‘blowing up’ the pixels as digital zooms normally do, this technology analysis’s and adds more pixels to the picture. You can frame your photos on a 3.0-inch LCD screen. If you forget a memory card, all is not lost. There’s 105MB of built-in memory, SD / Memory Stick Duo card slots. There’s full HD movie shooting capability (1920x1080/60p) and you can capture 13MP equivalent still images while shooting video via “Dual-Record”. With any long zoom lens you need to worry about ‘shake’, so Sony adds Optical SteadyShot Active Mode. If you want to use a sort of lazy man’s Photo Shop there are 9 “Picture Effect” options built right in. But wait, there’s more! This camera offers both 3D still images and 3D sweep panorama modes. And if you travel, the built-in GPS receiver let you tag photos and movies with capture location. The Sony DSC-HX30V GPS track log lets you replay your route on a given day's shooting. There are both USB 2.0 and Mini HDMI outputs. DSC-HX30V camera will be available in black this May for approximately $420. It can be pre-ordered at the Sony Store:

http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=DSCHX30V/B

Photos I shot with a pre-production DSC-HX30V: 

http://thegizwiz.smugmug.com/Other/Sony-DSC-H-30V-DLNA-419-April/21944944_Qn3TQx