The Sony HX400V camera is pretty big, about the same size and weight as a budget digital SLR. But it also has lots of attention-grabbing features. There’s a 50x zoom lens and a 20-megapixel sensor, 1080p video recording at frame rates up to 60 frames per second (fps), a hinged screen, an electronic eyepiece, Wi-Fi, GPS and a mount for an external flash.
The plastic build quality could be better. The control dial that sits under your right thumb feels particularly cheap (like something out of a Christmas cracker) and it didn’t rotate smoothly. The curvy contours mean it fits snugly in your hand, while the 50x zoom is great for sports and wildlife photography which require fast performance so you don’t miss the crucial moment. The HX400V can capture 10 shots a second, hut then takes 12 frustrating seconds to save them, during which time you can’t use the camera. There’s an alternative mode that takes two shots per second, hut after 10 shots this still takes 12 seconds to save them. Both modes show captured shots on the screen or in the eyepiece, rather than using a live preview of what you’re seeing, which makes tracking moving subjects virtually impossible.
We like cameras that appeal to all types of photographers and can turn novices into enthusiasts. The HX400V caters well for casual users with a sophisticated automatic mode that employs various advanced shooting techniques to improve image quality There’s also an excellent In -Camera Guide that displays technical and creative tips to help you take the best shots.
More experienced users will appreciate the quick access to 12 key settings via the Function button at the top of the camera. There’s also a Custom button, but it’s worth re-assigning this from its default EV Compensation function as there’s a dedicated button for this on the back. Twisting the lens adjusts the zoom, except in manual focus mode, when it adjusts focus instead - a nice touch.
Image quality is generally up to scratch but it’s let down by the clarity of details. This is partly because 50x zooms rarely deliver sharp focus at maximum zoom, although surprisingly the HX400V fares reasonably well in this respect. It’s more down to the use of a small sensor — it’s the same size as sensors used in far cheaper budget compact cameras. This results in photos with a lot of noise, especially those taken in low light. It can also cause problems when zooming in or capturing scenes with shady areas. The resulting photos looked fine at first, but cropping the photos on a computer showed lots of image flaws. Videos looked much better than photos, with the optical stabilization keeping footage steady even at the full 50x zoom.
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