Sony HX400V Comparison Review

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V is a fixed lens compact camera that was revealed to the public in February 2014 and is equipped with a 1/2.3-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 20.2 megapixel.

Is the Sony HX400V a good camera? The HX400V has a Camera Elo of 1802. This rating puts the HX400V below average of all superzoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (small sensor cameras), the HX400V ranks among the top 40 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications

Sony HX400V
Fixed lens compact camera
24-1200mm f/2.8-6.3
20.2 MP, 1/2.3" Sensor
1080/60p Video
ISO 80-3200 (80-12800)
Electronic viewfinder (210k dots)
3.0" LCD, 921k dots
Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
10 shutter flaps per second
300 shots per battery charge
130 x 93 x 103 mm, 660 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony HX400V vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony HX400V alongside a set of comparators. If you want to review a camera pair side-by-side, just select a right-side comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons 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
	Sony HX400V	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	660 g	300	n	Feb 2014	499			Sony HX400V
	Canon G9 X« »	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	209 g	220	n	Oct 2015	529	-		Canon G9 X
	Leica Q Typ 116« »	130 mm	80 mm	93 mm	640 g	300	n	Jun 2015	4,249	-		Leica Q Typ 116
	Sony HX350« »	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	652 g	300	n	Dec 2016	449			Sony HX350
	Sony RX100 IV« »	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	999	-		Sony RX100 IV
	Sony HX90V« »	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	360	n	Apr 2015	429			Sony HX90V
	Sony A6000« »	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	599	-		Sony A6000
	Sony RX100 III« »	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	799	-		Sony RX100 III
	Sony H400« »	130 mm	95 mm	122 mm	628 g	300	n	Feb 2014	319			Sony H400
	Sony H300« »	128 mm	89 mm	92 mm	590 g	350	n	Feb 2014	219			Sony H300
	Sony RX1R« »	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Jun 2013	2,799	-		Sony RX1R
Convert to Imperial
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony HX400V was launched in the US market at a price of $499. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and 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.

The Sony HX400V features a 1/2.3-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 5.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony HX400V among the smaller-sensor digicams that favor affordability and compact design.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The HX400V indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the HX400V can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Sony HX400V in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

One convenient feature of the HX400V is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

It is notable that the HX400V offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The HX400V has a zoom lens built in (4.3-215.0mm f/2.8-6.3), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 1200mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Expert reviews

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 HX400V handle or perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Sony HX400V	+ +	-	4/5	-	4/5	Feb 2014	499			Sony HX400V
	Canon G9 X« »	+ +	-	4.5/5	4/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	529	-		Canon G9 X
	Leica Q Typ 116« »	-	80/100	4.5/5	-	4.5/5	Jun 2015	4,249	-		Leica Q Typ 116
	Sony HX350« »	-	-	-	-	4/5	Dec 2016	449			Sony HX350
	Sony RX100 IV« »	+ +	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	999	-		Sony RX100 IV
	Sony HX90V« »	+ +	-	4/5	-	4.5/5	Apr 2015	429			Sony HX90V
	Sony A6000« »	+	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	599	-		Sony A6000
	Sony RX100 III« »	+ +	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	799	-		Sony RX100 III
	Sony H400« »	o	-	3.5/5	-	3.5/5	Feb 2014	319			Sony H400
	Sony H300« »	+	-	4.5/5	-	4/5	Feb 2014	219			Sony H300
	Sony RX1R« »	-	-	4/5	o	4.5/5	Jun 2013	2,799	-		Sony RX1R
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (-) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, 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.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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