I remember the camera you are talking about, the DSC-8 something or another it was, it had an APS-C sized sensor, same as most DSLR's, there are a couple of cameras out there at the moment, one of them is a Sigma compact and the other is the new "G" range of ultra compact DSLR (not quite, as it happens) cameras which take a similar stab and bridging the gap, though in different ways tbh.
The problem you are up against is that the larger the sensor the larger the lens has to be, so you can put 36-300mm (equivalent) lenses on a tiny CCD bridge camera with relative ease because it may well only be a 8-24mm lens in real terms, even if you put an 18-200 lens on a normal DSLR it will give you a similar field of view to a 28-300 on a 35mm frame.
If you recall the Sony you are talking about it was an ugly whopper, and the lens was larger than the body despite only being 28-136mm (36-200mm in 35mm terms).
If you want a camera of broadly the same size and range then buy a Nikon D40/40X/60 and pop the Nikon 18-135mm (or Sigma 18-125) lens on it, get it all secondhand for less than £300, this will give you a camera with the equivalent of 27-202mm on one lens, or even fit the 18-200VR (or Sigma 18-200/ Tamron 18-250) which will turn into a 27-300mm lens.
This is very, very heavily simplified BTW before every one starts to correct me.
