Canon 200D versus Sony HX400V

The Canon EOS 200D (called Canon SL2 in some regions) and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in June 2017 and February 2014. The 200D is a DSLR, while the HX400V is a fixed lens compact. The cameras are based on an APS-C (200D) and a 1/2.3-inch (HX400V) sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 24 megapixel, whereas the Sony provides 20.2 MP. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 200D vs Sony HX400V

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Canon 200D and the Sony HX400V is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter. You can also use the toggle button to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left side – the 200D – represents the basis for the calculations across all the size and weight measures).

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony HX400V is notably larger (7 percent) than the Canon 200D. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the 200D nor the HX400V are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the HX400V has a lens build in, whereas the 200D is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can find an overview of optics for the 200D and their specifications in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 200D gets 650 shots out of its LP-E17 battery, while the HX400V can take 300 images on a single charge of its NP-BX1 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, just use the right or left arrows in the table to switch to the respective camera. Alternatively, you can also navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from the full list of cameras there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 200D»	4.8 in	3.7 in	2.8 in	16.0 oz	650	n	Jun 2017	549			Canon 200D
	Sony HX400V«	5.1 in	3.7 in	4.1 in	23.3 oz	300	n	Feb 2014	499			Sony HX400V
	Canon 2000D« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	16.8 oz	500	n	Feb 2018	449			Canon 2000D
	Canon G9 X Mark II« »	3.9 in	2.3 in	1.2 in	7.3 oz	235	n	Jan 2017	529			Canon G9 X Mark II
	Canon 800D« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	18.8 oz	600	n	Feb 2017	749			Canon 800D
	Canon 77D« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	19.0 oz	600	n	Feb 2017	899			Canon 77D
	Canon M100« »	4.3 in	2.6 in	1.4 in	10.7 oz	295	n	Aug 2017	499			Canon M100
	Canon 80D« »	5.5 in	4.1 in	3.1 in	25.8 oz	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon M5« »	4.6 in	3.5 in	2.4 in	15.1 oz	295	n	Sep 2016	979			Canon M5
	Canon G9 X« »	3.9 in	2.3 in	1.2 in	7.4 oz	220	n	Oct 2015	529	-		Canon G9 X
	Canon 750D« »	5.2 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	19.6 oz	440	n	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon 750D
	Canon 100D« »	4.6 in	3.6 in	2.7 in	14.4 oz	380	n	Mar 2013	549	-		Canon 100D
	Leica Q Typ 116« »	5.1 in	3.1 in	3.7 in	22.6 oz	300	n	Jun 2015	4,249			Leica Q Typ 116
	Nikon D3400« »	4.9 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	15.7 oz	1200	n	Aug 2016	499			Nikon D3400
	Sony RX100 IV« »	4.0 in	2.3 in	1.6 in	10.5 oz	280	n	Jun 2015	999	-		Sony RX100 IV
	Sony A6000« »	4.7 in	2.6 in	1.8 in	12.1 oz	360	n	Feb 2014	599	-		Sony A6000
	Sony RX100 II« »	4.0 in	2.3 in	1.5 in	9.9 oz	350	n	Jun 2013	749	-		Sony RX100 II
Convert to Metric

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The HX400V was launched at a lower price than the 200D, despite having a lens build in. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison: Canon 200D vs Sony HX400V

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 200D features an APS-C sensor and the Sony HX400V a 1/2.3-inch sensor. The sensor area in the HX400V is 92 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 5.6. The sensor in the 200D has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the HX400V offers a 4:3 aspect.

With 24MP, the 200D offers a higher resolution than the HX400V (20.2MP), but the 200D nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of 3.72μm versus 1.18μm for the HX400V) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the 200D is a somewhat more recent model (by 3 years and 4 months) than the HX400V, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the HX400V has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The two cameras under consideration both have sensors whose read-out speed is fast enough to capture moving pictures, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

Feature comparison: Canon 200D vs Sony HX400V

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the HX400V has an electronic viewfinder (210k dots), while the 200D has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 200D, the Sony HX400V, and comparable cameras. The full specs-sheets can be found in the camera manual or, for example, in the dpreview camera hub.

Both the 200D and the HX400V are current models that good online retailers will have in stock. You can check the latest prices, for example, at amazon. The 200D replaced the earlier Canon 100D, while the HX400V does not have a direct predecessor.

Review summary: Canon 200D vs Sony HX400V

So how do things add up? Is the Canon 200D better than the Sony HX400V or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 200D:

• More detail: Offers more megapixels (24 vs 20.2MP) with a 11% higher linear resolution.
• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better image quality: Features a larger and more technologically advanced imaging sensor.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1040k vs 921k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More flexible: Can take a variety of interchangeable lenses, including specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (650 versus 300) on a single battery charge.
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 4 months of technical progress since the HX400V launch.

Arguments in favor of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Ready to shoot: Comes with an integrated lens, while the 200D requires a separate lens.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology build-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a build-in lens.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2014).

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the 200D emerges as the winner of the contest (10 : 7 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 200D or the HX400V handle or perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 200D»	HiRec	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549			Canon 200D
	Sony HX400V«	HiRec	-	4/5	-	4/5	Feb 2014	499			Sony HX400V
	Canon 2000D« »	rev	-	3.5/5	-	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449			Canon 2000D
	Canon G9 X Mark II« »	-	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	529			Canon G9 X Mark II
	Canon 800D« »	-	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749			Canon 800D
	Canon 77D« »	-	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899			Canon 77D
	Canon M100« »	Rec	-	4/5	-	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499			Canon M100
	Canon 80D« »	HiRec	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon M5« »	Rec	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979			Canon M5
	Canon G9 X« »	HiRec	-	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	529	-		Canon G9 X
	Canon 750D« »	-	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon 750D
	Canon 100D« »	Rec	78/100	4/5	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	549	-		Canon 100D
	Leica Q Typ 116« »	-	80/100	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jun 2015	4,249			Leica Q Typ 116
	Nikon D3400« »	Rec	76/100	4/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	499			Nikon D3400
	Sony RX100 IV« »	HiRec	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	999	-		Sony RX100 IV
	Sony A6000« »	Rec	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	-		Sony A6000
	Sony RX100 II« »	HiRec	79/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	749	-		Sony RX100 II

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting. If the camera you are interested in is not available, please contact me, and I will try to locate and add the respective data to the application.

You are here:  Home  »  CAM-parator  »  Canon 200D vs Sony HX400V