Nikon A1000 vs Sony HX400V

The Nikon Coolpix A1000 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in January 2019 and February 2014. Both the A1000 and the HX400V are fixed lens compact cameras that are equipped with a 1/2.3-inch sensor. The Nikon has a resolution of 15.9 megapixels, whereas the Sony provides 20.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon A1000		Sony HX400V
Fixed lens compact camera		Fixed lens compact camera
24-840mm f/3.4-6.9		24-1200mm f/2.8-6.3
15.9 MP – 1/2.3" sensor		20.2 MP – 1/2.3" sensor
4K/30p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-6,400		ISO 80-3,200 (80 - 12,800)
Electronic viewfinder (1166k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (210k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1036k dots		3.0" LCD – 921k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
7 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
250 shots per battery charge		300 shots per battery charge
114 x 72 x 41 mm, 330 g		130 x 93 x 103 mm, 660 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon Coolpix A1000 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Nikon A1000 and the Sony HX400V. 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 dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The A1000 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the HX400V is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Sony HX400V is considerably larger (47 percent) than the Nikon A1000. Moreover, the HX400V is substantially heavier (100 percent) than the A1000. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the A1000 nor the HX400V are weather-sealed.

Concerning battery life, the A1000 gets 250 shots out of its Nikon EN-EL12 battery, while the HX400V can take 300 images on a single charge of its Sony NP-BX1 power pack.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon A1000	114 mm	72 mm	41 mm	330 g	250	n	Jan 2019	US$ 429	ebay.com
2.		Sony HX400V	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	660 g	300	n	Feb 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX60	128 mm	93 mm	114 mm	650 g	340	n	Sep 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
5.		Fujifilm XF10	113 mm	64 mm	41 mm	279 g	330	n	Jul 2018	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon B600	122 mm	82 mm	99 mm	500 g	280	n	Jan 2019	US$ 349	ebay.com
7.		Nikon P950	140 mm	110 mm	150 mm	1005 g	290	n	Jan 2020	US$ 799	amazon.com
8.		Nikon P1000	146 mm	119 mm	181 mm	1415 g	250	n	Jul 2018	US$ 999	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic TS7	117 mm	76 mm	37 mm	319 g	300	Y	May 2018	US$ 449	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic ZS80	112 mm	69 mm	42 mm	327 g	380	n	Feb 2019	US$ 449	ebay.com
11.		Sony H300	128 mm	89 mm	92 mm	590 g	350	n	Feb 2014	US$ 219	ebay.com
12.		Sony H400	130 mm	95 mm	122 mm	628 g	300	n	Feb 2014	US$ 319	ebay.com
13.		Sony HX90V	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	360	n	Apr 2015	US$ 429	ebay.com
14.		Sony HX95	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	242 g	370	n	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
15.		Sony HX99	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	242 g	370	n	Aug 2018	US$ 449	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX350	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	652 g	300	n	Dec 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
17.		Sony WX800	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	233 g	370	n	Oct 2018	US$ 399	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The A1000 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 14 percent) than the HX400V, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units 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 are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a 1/2.3-inch sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 5.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the smaller-sensor digicams that favor affordability and compact design. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the HX400V offers a higher resolution of 20.2 megapixels, compared with 15.9 MP of the A1000. This megapixels advantage translates into a 13 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the HX400V has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 1.18μm versus 1.33μm for the A1000). Moreover, it should be noted, that the A1000 is much more recent (by 4 years and 11 months) than the HX400V, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that neither of the two cameras has an anti-alias filter installed, so they are able to capture all the detail the sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Sony HX400V implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the HX400V for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 25.9 x 19.4 inches or 65.8 x 49.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 20.7 x 15.6 inches or 52.7 x 39.5 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 17.3 x 13 inches or 43.9 x 32.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Nikon A1000 are 23 x 17.3 inches or 58.5 x 43.9 cm for good quality, 18.4 x 13.8 inches or 46.8 x 35.1 cm for very good quality, and 15.4 x 11.5 inches or 39 x 29.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Nikon Coolpix A1000 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V are ISO 80 to ISO 3200, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 80-12800.

In terms of underlying technology, the A1000 is build around a CMOS sensor, while the HX400V uses a BSI-CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. 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.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon A1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
2.		Sony HX400V	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.1	11.4	629	45
3.		Canon SX60	1/2.3	14.2	4608	3072	1080/60p	19.2	10.8	127	39
4.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
5.		Fujifilm XF10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/15p	24.0	13.4	1844	83
6.		Nikon B600	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	1080/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
7.		Nikon P950	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.7	12.3	1189	52
8.		Nikon P1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1044	51
9.		Panasonic TS7	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1028	51
10.		Panasonic ZS80	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1103	52
11.		Sony H300	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
12.		Sony H400	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
13.		Sony HX90V	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	738	47
14.		Sony HX95	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1057	51
15.		Sony HX99	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1058	51
16.		Sony HX350	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	896	49
17.		Sony WX800	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	4K/30p	20.6	12.2	1070	51
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

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, but the A1000 provides a higher video resolution than the HX400V. It can shoot video footage at 4K/30p, while the Sony is limited to 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the A1000 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the HX400V (1166k vs 210k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Nikon A1000, the Sony HX400V, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon A1000	1166	n	3.0 / 1036	tilting	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Sony HX400V	210	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon SX60	922	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	n	1/2000s	6.4/s	Y	Y
4.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Fujifilm XF10	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
6.		Nikon B600	none	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	7.4/s	Y	Y
7.		Nikon P950	2359	n	3.2 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Nikon P1000	2359	n	3.2 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Panasonic TS7	1170	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/1300s	10.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic ZS80	2330	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony H300	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
12.		Sony H400	210	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/2000s	0.7/s	Y	Y
13.		Sony HX90V	638	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
14.		Sony HX95	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony HX99	638	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
16.		Sony HX350	202	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony WX800	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One differentiating feature between the two cameras concerns the touch sensitivity of the rear screen. The A1000 has a touchscreen, while the HX400V has a conventional panel. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, for setting the focus point.

Both the A1000 and the HX400V have zoom lenses built in. The A1000 has a 24-840mm f/3.4-6.9 optic and the HX400V offers a 24-1200mm f/2.8-6.3 (focal lengths in full frame equivalent terms). Hence, the Nikon and Sony provide the same view at the wide-angle end, but the Sony has more tele-photo reach at the long end. The HX400V offers the faster maximum aperture.

The A1000 writes its imaging data to SDXC cards, while the HX400V uses SDXC or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards. The A1000 supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the HX400V cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity 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 Nikon Coolpix A1000 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon A1000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Sony HX400V	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon SX60	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Fujifilm XF10	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
6.		Nikon B600	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Nikon P950	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon P1000	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Panasonic TS7	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
10.		Panasonic ZS80	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Sony H300	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Sony H400	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
13.		Sony HX90V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Sony HX95	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
15.		Sony HX99	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony HX350	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Sony WX800	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

It is notable that the HX400V has a hotshoe, which makes it possible to easily attach optional accessories, such as an external flash gun. The A1000 does not feature such an accessory-socket.

Travel and landscape photographers will find it useful that the HX400V has an internal geolocalization sensor and can record GPS coordinates in its EXIF data.

Both the A1000 and the HX400V have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Nikon and Sony. Further information on the features and operation of the A1000 and HX400V can be found, respectively, in the Nikon A1000 Manual (free pdf) or the online Sony HX400V Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Nikon A1000 or the Sony HX400V – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Nikon Coolpix A1000:

• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (4K/30p vs 1080/60p).
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (1166k vs 210k dots).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1036k vs 921k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Is equipped with a touch-sensitive rear screen to facilitate handling.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• More compact: Is smaller (114x72mm vs 130x93mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 330g or 50 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (14 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 4 years and 11 months of technical progress since the HX400V launch.

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

• More detail: Has more megapixels (20.2 vs 15.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 13%.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (10 vs 7 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Better light gathering: Has a lens with a wider maximum aperture (f/2.8 vs f/3.4).
• More tele-reach: Has a longer tele-lens for perspective compression and subject magnification.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (300 versus 250) out of a single battery charge.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Easier geotagging: Features an internal GPS sensor to log localization data.
• Easier device pairing: Supports NFC for fast wireless image transfer over short distances.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in February 2014).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the A1000 emerges as the winner of the contest (11 : 9 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon A1000 and the Sony HX400V place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Superzoom Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the A1000 or the HX400V 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.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon A1000	..	+ +	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	US$ 429	ebay.com
2.		Sony HX400V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4/5	Feb 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
3.		Canon SX60	3/5	+ +	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	US$ 549	ebay.com
4.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	US$ 399	amazon.com
5.		Fujifilm XF10	..	..	4/5	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jul 2018	US$ 499	ebay.com
6.		Nikon B600	..	+	..	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	US$ 349	ebay.com
7.		Nikon P950	..	..	3/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jan 2020	US$ 799	amazon.com
8.		Nikon P1000	..	+	3.5/5	73/100	3.5/5	3.5/5	Jul 2018	US$ 999	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic TS7	..	+	..	..	..	3.5/5	May 2018	US$ 449	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic ZS80	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	..	Feb 2019	US$ 449	ebay.com
11.		Sony H300	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2014	US$ 219	ebay.com
12.		Sony H400	..	o	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 319	ebay.com
13.		Sony HX90V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2015	US$ 429	ebay.com
14.		Sony HX95	..	..	..	..	..	..	Aug 2018	US$ 429	ebay.com
15.		Sony HX99	..	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	US$ 449	ebay.com
16.		Sony HX350	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Dec 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
17.		Sony WX800	..	..	..	..	..	..	Oct 2018	US$ 399	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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