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 1766. 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 50 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3-star performance rating.

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 similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony HX400V	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	660 g	300	n	Feb 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
2.		Canon G9 X	98 mm	58 mm	31 mm	209 g	220	n	Oct 2015	US$ 529	ebay.com
3.		Leica Q Typ 116	130 mm	80 mm	93 mm	640 g	300	n	Jun 2015	US$ 4 249	ebay.com
4.		Sony A6000	120 mm	67 mm	45 mm	344 g	360	n	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
5.		Sony H300	128 mm	89 mm	92 mm	590 g	350	n	Feb 2014	US$ 219	ebay.com
6.		Sony H400	130 mm	95 mm	122 mm	628 g	300	n	Feb 2014	US$ 319	ebay.com
7.		Sony HX90V	102 mm	58 mm	36 mm	245 g	360	n	Apr 2015	US$ 429	ebay.com
8.		Sony HX350	130 mm	93 mm	103 mm	652 g	300	n	Dec 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX1R	113 mm	65 mm	70 mm	482 g	270	n	Jun 2013	US$ 2 799	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 III	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	290 g	320	n	May 2014	US$ 799	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 IV	102 mm	58 mm	41 mm	298 g	280	n	Jun 2015	US$ 999	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 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.

Check HX400V offers at
ebay.com

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 alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Sony HX400V	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	1080/60p	20.1	11.4	629	45
2.		Canon G9 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.5	12.3	495	63
3.		Leica Q Typ 116	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.7	2221	85
4.		Sony A6000	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.1	13.1	1347	82
5.		Sony H300	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
6.		Sony H400	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	720/30p	20.1	11.4	630	45
7.		Sony HX90V	1/2.3	18.0	4896	3672	1080/60p	20.2	11.6	738	47
8.		Sony HX350	1/2.3	19.9	5152	3864	1080/60p	20.5	11.9	896	49
9.		Sony RX1R	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	13.6	2537	91
10.		Sony RX100 III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	12.3	495	67
11.		Sony RX100 IV	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.8	12.6	591	70
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 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.

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.		Sony HX400V	210	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon G9 X	none	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	6.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Leica Q Typ 116	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
4.		Sony A6000	1440	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	Y	n
5.		Sony H300	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/1500s	0.8/s	Y	Y
6.		Sony H400	210	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/2000s	0.7/s	Y	Y
7.		Sony HX90V	638	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Sony HX350	202	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Sony RX1R	optional	n	3.0 / 1229	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Sony RX100 III	1440	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	n	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony RX100 IV	2359	n	3.0 / 1228	tilting	n	1/2000s	16.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

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.

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.		Sony HX400V	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
2.		Canon G9 X	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Leica Q Typ 116	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
4.		Sony A6000	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Sony H300	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Sony H400	-	mono / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Sony HX90V	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Sony HX350	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Sony RX1R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Sony RX100 III	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Sony RX100 IV	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-

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 (4.3-215mm 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.

Further information on the features and operation of the HX400V can be found in the free online Sony HX400V Manual or on the Sony support site.

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 (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Sony HX400V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4/5	Feb 2014	US$ 499	ebay.com
2.		Canon G9 X	3.5/5	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	US$ 529	ebay.com
3.		Leica Q Typ 116	5/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	US$ 4 249	ebay.com
4.		Sony A6000	5/5	+	4.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 599	ebay.com
5.		Sony H300	..	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2014	US$ 219	ebay.com
6.		Sony H400	..	o	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2014	US$ 319	ebay.com
7.		Sony HX90V	4/5	+ +	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Apr 2015	US$ 429	ebay.com
8.		Sony HX350	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Dec 2016	US$ 449	ebay.com
9.		Sony RX1R	5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2013	US$ 2 799	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 III	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	4.5/5	5/5	May 2014	US$ 799	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 IV	4.5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	US$ 999	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) 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.

Check HX400V offers at
ebay.com

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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