Sony HX400V Compact Digital Camera with 50x Optical Zoom, Black

There are a lot of reviews online about this camera saying that the image quality isn’t good. Ignore those reviews. This is an excellent bridge camera. A lot of people are expecting the image quality from this camera to be comparable to the quality you get from a DSLR, but that cannot be. The sensor in this camera is substantially smaller than the one found in a DSLR (crop-sensor or full-frame). Because the sensor is smaller, the dynamic range and overall image quality cannot be equal to the dynamic range and image quality of a DSLR. But if you know what you’re doing, you can use this camera to get some great images. I’ve had this camera for a few months now, and used it mainly to photograph birds, and I am extremely satisfied with it. The zoom range is fantastic, and the autofocus is pretty good. You can achieve pretty good bokeh (the quality of the out of focus areas in a photograph) and nice, shallow depth of field once you zoom in and isolate your subject. Colors are pretty true, and the camera can yield very sharp images provided your technique is good. I recommend that you use a tripod with this camera and any camera if you’re going to be using it in telephoto mode a lot, as I do. Being a bridge camera (a fixed-lens camera that is between a point and shoot and a DSLR), you’re able to use this camera in Aperture Priority Mode, Shutter Priority, and Manual Mode. There are some automatic modes, but I never use modes like those on any of the cameras I own because they limit your creative flexibility when taking photographs. You’re able to take HD video as well, but since I’m not too much into video I haven’t tested the video capabilities of this camera yet. But I have shot some simple, short clips of birds flying around, and those videos came out great. This is an excellent bridge camera, and I recommend it to anyone. Even if you shoot predominantly with DSLRs (like I do), this is still a great camera to have for those days you don’t feel like lugging around a bag full of lenses or a really heavy DSLR body. I've attached some photos I took using this camera so you can get a taste of the camera's performance. All of the pictures were taken in an aspect ratio of 16:9, and all of the photos were taken with the camera being handheld.

Well, my journey with Sony started a few years back in 2010 with a Cybershot camera. One of the coolest gadgets I owned as a young man. However, I lost track of it as I moved around. I didn't 'need' a camera for a while. Then, I got settled where I am now and I purchased a used WX-100. Quite a step up from my 2010 Cybershot. It had plenty of processing functions and auto shoot modes. It lasted about a year, under heavy use. That camera's zoom gear's initiating gear had been worn out. I needed a replacement for my established hobby. I began looking for a new camera with better specifications, but with the same basic functions I loved in the WX-100. Obviously, I began my search with Sony's Cybershot cameras. Then, I discovered the Big Zoom Bridge Cameras. I loved them. I went to Best Buy to get a feel for them before I bought. I was so impressed with the ease of use that I decided to invest in the newest release in the line of Big Zoom Bridge Cameras. The HX-400V. Power. First thing with this camera, out of the box.. you have to charge it with a USB cable. Yeah, it's a ball buster. But if you're like me or thousands of other photographers, amateur or professional, you'll buy a battery charger that plugs into the wall. And possibly extra batteries. Extra batteries will come in handy if you are like me, or other people, and carry your camera in a camera bag EVERYWHERE. You won't be on top of charging your one single battery every night. So it's easy to see that it's dying, and pop in a new one. I've had this happen. It's great to have the backups. Storage. There seems to be some misunderstanding about which kind of card this camera, or any Sony camera, will accept. This camera will accept Memory Stick Pro Duo AND SD cards; just not at the same time. You need to work out orientation for putting each type of card in the card slot(s). Pins up for Pro Duo, and pins down for SD card. It's a really cool system, I think. Zoom. As the specifications will state, this camera has 50x zoom with a 20MP sensor; pretty powerful. There is also another 50x digital zoom. Depending on distance and subject, this can come in real handy. I use it for taking photographing the moon; if you try this, you might try using manual focus and setting it to ∞. Shooting Features. Like I mentioned before, there are plenty of ways to shot with this camera. Auto selection, auto with noise correction, creative styles, long exposure, picture effects, 1080p video quality, manual shutter, aperture control, many many more.There is a built in flash, the button to flip up is on the left hand side of the camera in the frontal area. To wrap it up, this is a really great camera. A little pricey, but I don't miss the money. Not at all.

My experience with superzooms has involved a great deal of frustration with autofocus whenever I was using the telephoto feature to capture a subject at a distance. The Sony HX400 has a terrific lens ring that controls manual focus. In fact, it has a hybrid setting that allows you to use autofocus to get a start on achieving a clear, detailed picture, after which you can use the manual focus to gain perfection. Having the manual focus right on the lens could not be more desirable. There is also a setting that allows you to turn a wheel up near the shutter in order to get the exact exposure you want. You can, of course, control aperture, ISO, etc. individually, but for situations where you need to take a photo quickly the exposure control is a great blessing. In general, this is an exceptionally well-built and well-designed camera that seems like it will last a long time. The only downside is that the Electric Viewfinder is not as powerful as the ones on many cameras in 2024 (the HX400 came out in 2014), but it is good enough to allow me to compose my shots as I wish. In short, a truly first-rate bridge camera. Sony really ought to bring it back, perhaps in an enhanced version.

I bought this camera along with a Wasabi battery pack and a 64 gig memory card so I'd be ready to rock. Rock I have! Animal shots, nature shots, long shots and short shots. I stepped waaaay back and shot a full frame pic of a passion flower that is stunningly crisp. I sent it to friends all over the world and they were all amazed it was a long lens shot. What artifacts and shifting there is in the long lens pics is my fault. Shooting the moon and other full lens extension shots need to be done on a tripod. The human hand, especially in low light conditions, simply isn't stable enough. I have seen this camera described as 'toy like' and 'has a plastic feel'. I didn't find that at all. I'm 6'2" and have large hands. The camera is comfortable in my hand, and has a good feel. It doesn't feel like my F100 film camera, and I didn't expect it to. With the motor drive and a long lens that camera can be fatiguing to smaller hands, and hard to hold up and use. This camera is a great weight and size. Love the wi-fi and NFC! Easy to connect, streamed beautifully. Plenty of apps available. It has a hot shoe for accessories. You'll want a 55 mm polarizing lens to go with it. Lots of people forget that, and it's the best way to cut glare, artifacts, and protect your lens.plus you can get fun ones, stars, colors, all kinds of cool stuff. The one thing that disappointed me is that it's not touch screen. You have to manually input info with buttons, and that has an old fashioned feel to it. Lol, how spoiled am I? For what this camera is designed to do it's terrific. It might not have every feature you want, but what camera does? If only the engineers would talk to me before the next design it would be! They never call, they never write, what's up with that? ;) Five stars if it has a touch screen in its next iteration. This is a fun camera I think lots of people will enjoy. 20.4 MP in an easy to use form factor is hard to beat. Oh oh oh, one more thing. Be prepared for a bit of a learning curve. There's a bunch of features. Your documentation will have a site address for the full manual. Bookmark it on your phone for easy access. I'm a manual guy and like to fiddle. Have fun and enjoy your new camera! Wasbi battery link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008SFPMRK

This is a phenomenal camera for the price. I bought this as a second camera for my wife to use while on safari. She's kryptonite to anything technology if it can break or stop working she will find a way to make it happen. With this camera however, she ended up taking some amazing photos on our trip of fast moving animals at distances I couldn't believe. The videos turned out even better. Reasons to buy: -This a great does-it-all camera: Enough megapixels to take photos for large print, good enough glass to make them clear and more -The 50x (1600mm equivalent) zoom takes great photos at long distances with the right lighting - my wife got photos of monkeys at 500 yards that my 200mm/F2.8 would never be able to. The clarity was phenomenal and some will be on our wall, you'd swear we were closer -The video quality is outstanding and the slow zoom makes for great landscape shots that zoom in on objects far away -GPS- We were deep in the African bush and when I synced our photos all of them were geotagged, pretty cool -Wifi - Using the playmemories app on Android or iPhone, you can control the camera and take photos or send your best ones to your phone from the camera for sharing online -If you are already bought into Sony's camera line: this takes the same batteries and has the same menus as many others -Viewfinder is good enough, it gets the job done. For better long distance shots, this is a must and is why the cheaper long zoom cameras without an EVF are just about useless -Build quality is really good. The camera is also super light Reasons not to: -The RX10 is slightly more and is easily the best all in one for those not looking for a full frame or compact system. -The Lumix FZ200 and FZ1000 are great alternatives: I'd still have bought this camera for the price howeverr

Coming from the perspective of a novice who had almost always used simple point and shoot cameras, the Sony HX400V/B is an excellent first step up to a better quality camera. I had an HX300 prior to this (stolen, may the thief and recipient find no peace) and I was a little disappointed that the HX400 didn't offer all of the HX300's features--especially the 3-D options, which I had a lot of fun with. But the HX400 more than makes up for it with a superior zoom, better quality low-light pictures at full zoom and more forgiving automatic exposure settings. It has the features you'd expect; such as video, panorama, picture effects, burst shooting, preset modes, and the ability to adjust the shutter, aperture, and ISO settings. You do still get some noise at low light levels using the full zoom, but the degree is greatly reduced when compared to the HX300. In bright light the pictures are sharp and clean. While I do like to experiment with manual settings, I find the preset options work pretty well for most of my needs. Some of the negatives I list may be user inexperience. They include a lack of quick access to a macro setting, (I got used to that little flower icon on the options dial which doesn't appear on this camera--but the camera does have a macro setting), loopy auto-focus when the battery starts to weaken, lousy view finder image quality and somewhat confusing methods for using the manual settings. The manual focus switch is on side of the lens and not easy to adjust on the fly. It also can be bumped into the wrong mode while storing the camera. While battery consumption is not really a problem, they do drop down pretty quickly when they start to weaken and weak batteries affect how the camera responds, so keep an extra charged battery handy. I also get frustrated when the automatic focus seems to lock in on everything except the subject I am trying to shoot despite having my subject squarely in the focus brackets. This is not consistent and probably user error, but I haven't figured it out yet. Autofocus is also a problem in rain or snow as the camera tends to focus on the foreground precipitation rather than the subject. Overall I think a novice photographer will be more than happy with the new horizons this camera opens compared to cameras designed for general picture taking.

What a terrific bridge camera. Works like a single lens reflex camera without having to change lenses. Can zoom in and focus quickly to capture images that would otherwise easily be missed in fractions of a second. Personally, I'd be lost without the live view finder. Great camera for the price and ease of use.

I read every review I could find and researched different cameras, wanting the best bridge camera at a good price. I bought a "used like new" camera; it was in perfect condition. I've had it for a month and am very pleased with the picture quality and the user-friendly menu system. I tested it on a very bright, windy day on the prairie, taking photos of birds. Not all the pictures were good because I was learning how to use the camera as well as seeing what it could do at full zoom. I always take numerous photos, hoping that out of the bunch, there will be several keepers. I was amazed how many shots were excellent, crisp, and clear, even when at full zoom! Others have long reviews and comparisons of like cameras so you can read what they've said. Like other reviewers, the only con that I have is the cycle time between photos, and I can definitely live with it because everything else about this Sony is in the 'I love it' column: size, zoom, picture quality, menu system, options, and all. I LOVE this camera!!! p.s. EXTRAS you'll want: do buy 1 or 2 extra batteries and a battery charger. I bought a package of lens filters, primarily to protect the Zeiss lens; it also included a stick-on lens cap strap that I attached to the camera strap. Otherwise, you're good to go .... and HAVE FUN!!

Excelente câmara! Superou minhas expectativas tanto na qualidade do conjunto ótico quanto na do sensor e processador.

Great camera

Expect to have fun with this camera!

very satisfied

Gostei do zoom, da facilidade de fotografar, do preço, do peso não muito grande, tudo ótimo.