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

Best camera I have ever had. Too bad Sony discontinued the entire CyberShot line of products

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.

I couldn't care less about a few silly, post-capture, in-camera picture effects. The purpose of a good camera is to take pictures out in the field, not play around with them afterward. There's plenty of time for that, after you get home.The image quality and the quick, effective functions of this model, put it far ahead of the deficient HX300 of last year. I sent that one back after 5 days, but this one is a keeper. Even at full-size, most of its photos look presentable and at normal full-screen viewing sizes, they are sparkling good. I didn't think anyone could put 21 Megapixels on a tiny sensor like this and get good results, but Sony has proved me wrong.The photo and video quality clear out to the end of the 1,200mm lens is sharp. The HX300 lost resolution at full zoom. With video, you can engage the Active Stabilization Mode and get 1.41X, or a 1,692mm equivalent in focal-length and there's no loss of quality. There are several other superzoom brands on sale now, that seem to match the HX400V in some specifications, but their overall performance for all purposes falls behind this one.I recommend getting the Sony ECM-XYST1M stereo hotshoe mike, to put on this camera. It picks up distant sounds well and mostly eliminates wind noise using a furnished furry wind sock. Breathing sounds from the operator are not recorded, which is a problem if the built-in mikes are used. The two elements can be swiveled out wide or pointed ahead for varied pickup patterns. I also bought two sets of Wasabi NP-BX1 batteries and chargers here on Amazon. You don't get an external charger with the camera and having 5 batteries and two chargers gives me plenty of backup power and charging capability. This brand of battery seems to have the best reputation for an after-market source.The autofocus for both photos and video is quick and solid. There is no better camera for shooting flying birds or aircraft. The low-light abilities of it are amazing and the unique multiple-exposure modes make it possible to get good photos in very dim light.There's a KiwiFotos lens adaptor tube here on Amazon that is built to fit the HX300. Although it is claimed that the lens is the same size as that of the HX400V, it is not. The HX400V outer lens housing is 1mm larger in diameter and this adaptor will not fit. Perhaps KiwiFotos will build a new one later that matches the HX400V.Although this camera is listed here and at other dealers in the USA as the HX400 (B), it is in fact the HX400V (B) they are selling. This model has GPS and the HX400 that is sold in some other countries, does not have GPS.