The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V successor to the HX300 belongs to the kind of bridge cameras and falls through a generous feature on. At least for the data sheet, hardly anyone will be able to miss something. Only when operating Sony has not yet caught up with other manufacturers who now obstruct touch screens for easier operation for quite some time. Whether this is the Sony HX400 V is doomed and what the new 50x zoom camera in practice really does, you can read below. Anticipation should be said that the 400V in some areas does more than you might expect, with some features surprisingly lose out.
First, however, the really grandiose and impressive sheet in brief:
20.2 megapixel 1 / 2.3-inch CMOS image sensor
Converted Focal Length: 24-1200mm
very good image stabilization
ISO max. 3,200
GPS
WiFi & NFC
very good display
Since you can hardly read optimization requirements, except for the already mentioned lack of touch panel. Whereby some values are relativized later and a maximum aperture of 2.8 is not worth mentioning. But first to the externals.
Haptics
I must admit I prefer to photograph with an SLR in hand. It is easy to serve you better and you can include better when shooting. A bridge camera like the Sony Cyber-shot tries to position itself between the SLR and a compact camera. Although one must say clearly that they probably less resembles a compact camera. There are, for example, the Canon EOS 100D is still rather less than the HX400. Overall, the DSC-HX 400V so that looks more like a DSLR camera, not least due to the large lens.
The 660 gram Sony can keep quite excellent. I have long fingers and yet this feeling on the handle by the battery and the SD card to sit, very well. The handle is slightly curved and its rubberised surface offers good tack. All buttons are well grouped on the right side and can be really good use. After a day, I could use the HX400 blind in complete darkness. The most important buttons are clearly palpable and achieve good. The pressure points are good, even the shutter makes a very good impression.
The case is a little rough, what the feel is doing very well. The design is balanced, and it may also be slightly less inscriptions. I know that my camera GPS, HD, WiFi and a 20 MP sensor. The workmanship is good and robust. Thoughtful little nipple is below the lens. This camera is just on flat surfaces and not wobble forward. The display can be tilted downward by about 45 °, still up by about 90 °. It also projects slightly out when it is not folded. In the viewfinder protrudes further from the case, which I will later still cursing.
To operate the electronically controlled optical 50x zoom, is either the rickety rocker used to the shutter or the ring on the lens is rotated. The latter can be configured in the function. Although the ring on the lens haptic is great, I do not like it when this quickly becomes clear rotate the zoom but hardly moved. That's just as fast with the mentioned rocker. The overall impression, however, is good.
Why Sony did but still no touchscreen installed, is beyond me with such technology cars. Such a display would simplify the operation considerably. A real shame.
Technology
My Canon EOS 6D has but even WiFi and GPS will cost a bit more. The Sony has built into this category and price range in addition to the other facilities also WLAN, NFC and GPS, is commendable. And to make a long story short, everything works as it should. Of course, GPS tracks can be recorded with the HX400V.
The display is very good. It has a good color reproduction and easy to read. It is with nearly one million subpixels even retina sharp and 3 inches tall.
And it also should have followed my biggest gripe: the digital viewfinder. Such a bad viewfinder I have not seen in 7 years. 200,000 bad pixels that are unusable. If anything, the display has a 5 x higher resolution, but it is still worse than an optical viewfinder, why should you then use this viewfinder. It should be abolished and brings absolutely nothing. I have not used it, no one will use it;) A little tip to Sony: viewfinder (-), touch (+)!
The arguments presented by Sony 10 frames / sec. Are marketing nonsense. For whom has created the 10 images, you have to wait right until you can continue the series. Cameras make continuous 3 frames / sec., Are faster. This limits the Sony in sports photography already a bit. Nobody wants to make 10 images to wait for ages then. Datasheets to read but liked;)
Lens
The lens will zoom a bit too slow, even slower in video mode. The Zeiss lens does a good job, and it is slightly less sharp towards the edges of the bridge camera. The maximum aperture of 2.8 can be ignored because of the small image sensor, apart from the fact that this already decreases at 1200mm in Aperture 6.3.
Apropos: 24mm x 50 zoom factor = 1200mm. Actually I do not like this x-times zoom information, because they do not say anything about the focal length basically. Apart from having the Sony HX400V a very practicable focal range. 24mm wide-angle as are okay to use and well. Many other cameras have only about 28mm wide angle, which is not often enough. For maximum focal length I do not have to say much at ease. 1200mm are much, much more. More hardly a need. in terms of focal length Sony has done a reasonable job. But I have to mention that the focal length information corresponding to the small picture format has been converted. In fact, the Sony HX400V has a focal length of 4,3-215mm.
Macro mode is somewhat mixed. Although you can focus at 24mm subjects that are about 1 cm away, but if man zooms something it quickly a few meters. That's too bad. Could we at 1200mm closer to the subject, the HX400 would be more exciting. In backlight incidentally significant and sometimes even disturbing lens flares can be seen.
I have put together two series of images, ranging from 24mm to 1200mm in order to obtain an idea of the gigantic zoom range.
Image Quality
The image quality and optical performance of Sony DSC-HX400 is good, and in some places criticisms can be found. First, however, the praiseworthy characteristics. The images of the HX400V are balanced appropriately illuminated, the white balance usually sits properly and the images are sharply focused and properly. The dynamic range of Sony's okay, but not particularly high. In the image processing can be a little lightened and darkened, but unfortunately not much. The fact that the camera only jpegs and no RAW files takes, you are somewhat limited in the post.
Actually, the photos of Sony detailed and good. They just must not watch in a 100% view, because then they are faded and muddy. Impressive are cropping recorded at 1200mm. 20MP zoom at 1200mm is fun. This can be seen television, which has been photographed by about 3 meters, and the pixels are clearly visible particularly on the basis of the sample image from the Full HD.
And a panorama mode has the Sony of course.
Noise
Not the pinnacle of the HX400V, but at least Sony has the bridge camera with a small image sensor no ISO 25,600 donated, but a maximum of ISO 3,200. That's a good thing! From ISO 400 a slight noise is visible from ISO 1600 go some details are lost, but at ISO 3200 dark image content are colored somewhat purple, so I would use a maximum ISO of 1600.
ISO Test series, image sections 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200
Comparison between normal and night mode creates the HX400V in low light freehand. Both want I did not like, unfortunately.
Operating practice
Overall, Sony responded a bit sluggish. Although it focuses quickly and accurately, but often you have to wait until the image is saved or HDR is calculated. The small image sensor you also have an experienced photographer not switch to A mode commonly used, because by the small image sensor, the diaphragm is virtually no stylistic device. An effect with shallow depth of field can only be achieved by a high focal length. Why does this principle only the P or S mode sense.
What I but am thrilled to be the superior automatic mode, the HX400V. Is the difference between light and dark areas is too high, an HDR is automatically created, which also acts well. Disadvantage: It takes a few seconds until the HDR is created and until then the camera is blocked.
Ordinary image and an HDR:
Video mode
The Sony Cybershot takes Full HD video at up to 50 frames per second. The videos are good and sharp enough, where there are better cameras. Very Good working the image stabilizer. So very good camera movements are possible even without a tripod with 24mm, so far you have not consumed too much coffee. The zoom works very well and smoothly. Although Sony has an integrated stereo microphone, but who wants to reach a really good audio quality, is characterized externally.
Conclusion
Those who have no reflex camera and do not want to spend much money for lenses, may waive RAW images and does not use viewfinder, can be very happy with the Sony DSC-HX400V. In particular, landscapes, cities and even portraits at high focal length to shoot well with the Sony. Due to the regular continuous shooting speed sports photographers should withhold something. Overall, Sony has succeeded and is really fun but without constantly having to adjust a lot.
Who wants to look at an alternative, a DSLR is perhaps well-served with the Canon 100D. Those who want it but then more compact, may waive some focal length, but will benefit from a good image quality, is RX100 II very well served with the Sony.
