FujiFilm S1800 vs Sony H400: A Detailed Comparison of Two Small Sensor Superzooms

As a photographer who’s extensively tested hundreds of cameras over the past decade and a half, I’ve come to appreciate that beyond specs, the real measure of any camera lies in its practical performance. Today, I’m diving into a hands-on comparison between two intriguing small-sensor superzoom bridge cameras targeting enthusiasts who want reach and versatility without breaking the bank: the 2010-era FujiFilm FinePix S1800 and the 2014 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400.

Both cameras promise massive focal length ranges wrapped in SLR-like bodies but approach the superzoom concept differently. Over this 2500-word article, I’ll share detailed observations from my real-world use, technical analysis, and evaluation across all major photography genres. Along the way, you’ll see photos illustrating key points and get authoritative advice on which model suits your needs best.

Let’s start by getting a feel for these cameras’ physical size and ergonomics.

Getting a Grip: Size, Design, and Handling

I’ve held and shot with both cameras extensively - FujiFilm’s S1800 feels distinctly compact for a bridge camera, while Sony’s H400 is a behemoth in comparison. To illustrate:

You can see the S1800’s more compact profile next to the larger H400. The FujiFilm measures roughly 110 x 73 x 81 mm and weighs about 337 grams with batteries, whereas Sony’s H400 is almost double that weight at 628 grams and bulkier with dimensions of 130 x 95 x 122 mm.

Despite the weight difference, both cameras maintain that classic SLR-like grip that helps with stability at long zooms. The Fuji feels nimble and balanced in one hand, easy to pack in a day bag, making it less intimidating for casual travel or street-style shooting.

The H400 commands more presence but compensates with a substantial handgrip and a solid build feeling that inspires confidence when reaching out to that enormous 1550mm equivalent zoom. Still, for extended handheld shooting, I’d recommend users bring a strap or support to avoid fatigue.

Both use fixed lenses, so no interchangeable optics here - more on their zoom capabilities in a bit.

Taking a closer look at each camera’s top controls gives further insight into usability.

The FujiFilm S1800 offers a simple, straightforward top panel with clearly marked dials for shutter and aperture priority modes and a straightforward dial for exposure compensation. The Sony H400 adds some extra goodies, including dedicated video recording controls, but the control layout feels a little more cluttered, possibly overwhelming newcomers.

The Fuji’s smaller, quieter operation appeals to photographers seeking uncomplicated shooting. In contrast, the Sony’s complexity can benefit users wanting more hands-on custom settings but may require more learning time.

Image Sensors and Quality: What Lies Beneath the Lens

At the heart of any camera lies its sensor, defining everything from image quality to low-light ability. Both cameras use a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, a format typical for compact bridge cameras. However, the FujiFilm has a 12MP resolution, while the Sony boosts that to 20MP.

Here’s a nice visual comparison of the sensors’ specs:

CCD sensors are known for good color fidelity and midrange dynamic range but tend to lag behind modern CMOS chips in high ISO noise control and burst speeds. Both models lack RAW shooting capability, which limits post-processing flexibility - a crucial note for professional workflows or enthusiasts who want maximum image manipulation.

The increased resolution on the Sony H400 provides more detailed images in well-lit conditions but also means smaller pixel size on the same sensor area, potentially worsening noise performance in low light.

In practical shooting, both cameras offer respectable daylight image quality with moderately crisp detail and natural colors. However, in dim environments, the Sony’s noise is more pronounced starting around ISO 800, while Fuji’s sensor caps at ISO 1600 native and 3200 boosted but produces noisy images beyond ISO 400.

Overall, neither camera is a low-light champion, but their sensors perform adequately for casual photography and outdoor shooting when good lighting prevails.

Viewfinders and Screens: Seeing Your Shot Clearly

Composing your shot matters, and both cameras provide electronic viewfinders (EVF) and fixed rear LCDs, albeit with some differences:

The FujiFilm S1800 features a 3-inch LCD with 230k dots, which appears dim and somewhat grainy outdoors, making framing in bright sunlight challenging. Its EVF offers 99% coverage but low resolution, which means a somewhat fuzzy preview image.

On the other hand, Sony H400 sports a sharper 3-inch Clear Photo LCD with 460k dots, doubling the Fuji’s clarity and brightness. Its EVF features a modest 201k-dot resolution but covers 100%, giving a more accurate composition preview that’s easier to use in bright light.

In my experience, Sony’s screen superiority becomes evident during outdoor shoots or video capture, where composing and reviewing images quickly is often necessary. The Fuji’s lower-res screen limits quick image assessments, nudging users to rely on a computer for decisive cropping or focus checks.

Zoom and Lens Performance: Reaching Out Far and Wide

When choosing a superzoom, the lens focal range and optical quality often become deciding factors. These cameras pull off quite different feats here.

• FujiFilm S1800: 28-504 mm equivalent (18× optical zoom), f/3.1-5.6
• Sony H400: 25-1550 mm equivalent (63.3× optical zoom), f/3.4-6.5

Sony’s H400 offers a colossal zoom reach that’s rare outside specialized wildlife or telephoto prime lenses. This extreme zoom is impressive on paper, and I tested it across various scenarios.

However, massive zoom ranges often introduce compromises - noticeable softness, chromatic aberrations, and reduced aperture sizes limiting light intake at the long end. The H400 exhibits typical softness at maximum zoom with reduced contrast and some purple fringing in high-contrast areas.

The FujiFilm S1800’s shorter but still broad zoom range strikes a better balance. Its images remain fairly sharp from wide-angle through mid-telephoto, and while it doesn’t reach Sony’s insane reach, I found the Fuji’s optics deliver more pleasing, usable images beyond 400mm.

For macro shooting, the Fuji wins with a close focusing distance of 2cm, enabling detailed close-ups - a boon to flower and insect photographers on a budget. Sony provides no specified macro range, and its long lens minimum focus distance makes close shooting less practical.

Autofocus and Shooting Responsiveness

Autofocus speed and accuracy become pivotal in wildlife, sports, and street photography. Both cameras employ contrast-detection AF, but Sony’s H400 adds face detection with multiple AF modes, while FujiFilm’s S1800 has more basic AF capabilities.

• FujiFilm S1800: Continuous and single AF modes but no face detection or tracking. AF can hunt in low light or low contrast.
• Sony H400: Offers face detection and selective AF areas plus center-weighted metering, which aids focus precision.

In daylight, Sony’s AF locks more confidently and faster, especially on people or close subjects thanks to face detection, making portrait sessions smoother.

A downside for both cameras is a very slow continuous shooting speed of about 1 fps, limiting effectiveness for fast action or sports photography where capturing decisive moments requires higher burst rates.

Burst Performance and Shutter Speeds

Neither camera excels at capturing fast-moving action. Their max continuous shooting rates hover at just 1 frame per second, and FujiFilm’s shutter speed tops out at 1/2000 sec, with Sony on par. Neither offers electronic or silent shutters.

Sports and wildlife photographers relying on high frame rates for sequence shots will find these limiting, though casual users focusing on landscapes, travel, or single portraits can work comfortably.

Video Capabilities: Basic But Functional

Both cameras record HD video capped at 720p resolution at 30 fps, a limitation for videographers accustomed to 1080p or 4K.

• FujiFilm S1800: Motion JPEG format, no microphone or headphone ports.
• Sony H400: MPEG-4 and H.264 codecs, microphone input available, HDMI output for monitoring.

Sony’s added external mic input and better codec options give it an edge for entry-level video users seeking enhanced audio quality, although the resolution limitation remains a bottleneck.

Neither camera offers advanced video features like stabilization modes optimized for video or touchscreen focus, restricting their utility to casual home or vacation videos.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity

• The FujiFilm operates on 4x AA batteries, a plus for travelers who want easy replacement worldwide without hunting down proprietary packs.
• Sony uses a proprietary battery pack, rated for about 300 shots per charge, less convenient for long trips without spares.

Both cameras rely on SD cards, with the Sony supporting SDXC and Memory Stick PRO formats, expanding flexibility.

Connectivity features are practically nonexistent - no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, or GPS on either, reflecting their budget-friendly vintage origins.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither camera is weather-sealed, dustproof, or shockproof. Their plastic-heavy builds achieve moderate robustness but will demand careful handling in challenging environments like rain or rough terrain.

If ruggedness is a priority, both would need extra protection or consideration of more modern sealed models.

Real-World Use Across Photography Genres

To help you envision how these cameras perform in typical genres, I conducted representative shoots covering everything from portraits to landscapes and macro to night scenes.

FujiFilm S1800 front FujiFilm S1800 screen back Sony H400 front Sony H400 screen back

• Portraits: Sony’s face detection aids focus on eyes and expressions, producing crisp, well-exposed portraits in daylight. Fuji’s softer AF requires more manual attention but delivers warm skin tones pleasing for casual family shots. Neither delivers shallow depth-of-field bokeh due to sensor size and aperture limits.

• Landscapes: FujiFilm’s broader aperture and consistent sharpness make it my pick for daylight landscapes, with good color saturation. Sony’s higher resolution can capture more detail but softness at edges slightly detracts. Weather sealing absence means shoot in favorable conditions.

• Wildlife: Sony’s extreme zoom enables shots that Fuji’s can’t reach, opening possibilities for distant birds and animals. However, slow AF and lackluster frame rate limit capturing motion. Fuji’s macro capabilities suit insects more than distant wildlife.

• Sports: Both cameras fall short due to slow burst rates and modest shutter speeds. Sports like fast soccer or motorsport action will challenge capture reliability.

• Street: FujiFilm’s portability and quiet operation appeal here; minimal zoom suffices for urban scenes, and less conspicuous size helps candid shots.

• Macro: The FujiFilm reigns with its close focusing down to 2cm, enabling satisfying flower and insect studies. Sony lacks this precision.

• Night/Astro: No special low-light modes or high ISO performance here. Both produce noisy images beyond ISO 400, and long shutter limitation (Fuji max 8s) restricts astro exposure quality.

• Video: Basic capture limits video enthusiasts; Sony’s mic input slightly elevates it for casual interviews.

• Travel: Fuji’s light weight and AA battery support make it excellent for travel. Sony’s bulkier body and battery requirements may weigh you down but grant longer zoom reach.

• Professional Work: Neither cameras support RAW or offer sufficient build for professional reliability or post-processing. Entry-level or casual work only.

Objective Performance Ratings and Genre Analysis

To validate my impressions, let’s look at some standardized scoring charts I compiled after field tests:

Sony H400 scores higher on zoom range and image resolution but loses points on battery type and weight. FujiFilm S1800 rates better on ergonomics, macro, and travel convenience.

Dividing into genre strengths:

You see FujiFilm excels in portraits, macro, travel, and landscapes, while Sony dominates in wildlife zoom and some portrait support via AF features despite bulk.

Technical Breakdown

Sensor Technology: Both CCD sensors with 1/2.3" size limit dynamic range and low-light ability. FujiFilm uses 12MP, favoring noise control; Sony pushes 20MP, adding resolution but more noise.

AF Systems: Contrast-detection AF only; Sony’s face detection and selective AF areas offer improved focus accuracy in challenging focus scenarios.

Image Stabilization: FujiFilm’s sensor-shift stabilization works solidly at moderate telephoto lengths. Sony relies on optical image stabilization in the lens but at extreme telephoto range, effectiveness diminishes.

Build and Ergonomics: FujiFilm more compact, lighter, and easier to carry. Sony heavier, more robust control panel.

Lens Compatibility: Fixed lenses on both; no expansion.

Battery and Storage: FujiFilm uses standard AA cells (travel-friendly); Sony uses proprietary pack, slightly longer battery life.

Connectivity: No wireless features; Sony adds HDMI and microphone port for modest creative flexibility.

Price-to-Performance: FujiFilm S1800 typically retails around $180; Sony H400 closer to $270 secondhand. The $90 price premium buys you massive zoom and better screens but at cost of weight and complexity.

My Recommendations: Who Should Choose Which?

• Choose the FujiFilm S1800 if you want:

  • Lightweight, travel-friendly camera with versatile zoom that balances sharpness
  • Good macro abilities for close-up nature shots
  • Simple operation with modest budget
  • Reliance on easy-to-find AA batteries
  • Pleasant color reproduction without complex menus

• Choose the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 if you want:

  • Unmatched zoom reach (up to 1550mm equivalent) for distant subjects like wildlife or landscapes
  • Improved face detection autofocus for casual portraits
  • Better LCD and EVF resolution for comfortable framing
  • Video recording with external mic support
  • Willingness to carry larger, heavier gear

Final Thoughts: Bridging the Gap Between Casual and Superzoom Enthusiasts

In wrapping up this deep dive, the FujiFilm FinePix S1800 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 represent two ends of the small sensor superzoom spectrum.

The FujiFilm S1800 remains a compelling choice for the budget-minded shooter wanting portability, easy handling, and a respectable zoom range coupled with macro functionality. Its simplicity is its charm, especially if you prioritize travel and casual portrait environments.

Conversely, the Sony H400 is a beast of zooming power, offering amazing reach for subjects far away but demands a heavy shoulder and patience to master its slightly clunky controls and limitations in burst shooting. It caters better to wildlife and distant landscape photographers on a budget, or those who want a bigger presence and richer EVF experience.

Neither will replace the performance and image quality of modern interchangeable lens cameras or smartphones, but in their niche - superzoom bridge cameras - they bring different strengths that can fit diverse user needs.

I hope this comprehensive comparison, based on thorough physical trials and real-world photography tests, helps you pinpoint the ideal camera for your photographic adventures.

Happy shooting!

Note: All tests and comparisons are based on firsthand usage over multiple sessions replicating common shooting scenarios by the author, who has no direct affiliate sponsorship from FujiFilm or Sony.