Don't sleep on these Sony HX cams. They have been very good little video cams. Not for low light, but for a lot of situations they can really be useful. The old HX30v was able to produce 750 lines! Let's see if the HX50v can do better.

+1 give us a RX100 with a 24-100 2.0 instead. 20Mpx is large enough to crop if you need to get closer in photos that ends up on Facebook anyway

I still have my HX9V (two generations before this one), and sometimes it is useful. Image quality nowere near a proper camera, but the Handheld Twilight mode is downright impressive - could generate usable photos in low light even in situations that my 20mm Panny in f/1.7 in GH2 at ISO 1600 struggle. Never needed more zoom that it has (a 24-384 equivalent).

Movie mode is excellent considering the diminute sensor size (and less resolution in the HX9V, 16mp). It was its movie mode that sparkled my interest in the GH2.

Sony should release a sub-RX100 version of this camera - 1/1.7'' sensor, 7x or 10x zoom, accessory conector, manual controls (this line, at least until the HX20V only allows to choose between two apertures in each focal size), same movie modes + 24p. Would sell very well.

@mpgxsvcd I agree with you - even recommended the FZ200 for two friends which wanted to mess around with photography but don't want to spend on lenses. :) I'm thinking about buying one too.

But a lot of people (my father included, which owns a Canon SX 260HS) wants a smaller camera, and thinks that the FZ200 is too big. The discretion factor counts, too - an FZ200 draws much more attention than a small camera like this one, and in some "dangerous" places it might be considered. :)

In "dangerous" places I would want something even smaller - like an LF1, I think (depending on how big the LF1 actually looks when I have it in my hands)

It is true that my FZ200 is more intimidating than my LX7. Although, hanging on the strap around my neck it can sit on my stomach and take reasonably unobtrusive photos or video. But I have started to carry a GoPro Black in my pocket, as people don't even seem to notice that. Maybe it would be OK for "dangerous" places too, even though the lens has no reach at all...

Are they purposely trying to make it look like it has no decent stabilization on video? I expect much better video stability than I saw on that clip...