Samsung Galaxy NX vs Sony HX400V: A Hands-On Comparison from a Pro’s Perspective

When diving into the world of digital photography gear, the choices can feel endless - especially if you’re trying to decide between a mirrorless system camera and a superzoom bridge model. Today, I’m pulling two intriguing contenders into the ring: the Samsung Galaxy NX, an early mirrorless camera promising interchangeable lenses and smartphone connectivity; and the Sony Cyber-shot HX400V, a bridge camera packed with a long zoom and considerable versatility.

Both launched about a decade ago - Samsung’s Galaxy NX in mid-2013, and Sony’s HX400V in early 2014 - but their feature sets and target audiences couldn’t be more different. Having put thousands of cameras through the wringer over the years, I’ll walk you through a detailed, side-by-side technical and practical comparison, focusing on how each performs across various photographic disciplines, their key strengths and limitations, and ultimately, who should pick which.

But first: a look at the basics - size and design - because as any seasoned shooter will tell you, how a camera feels in your hands is integral to how much you’ll enjoy using it.

Size, Build, and Handling: Do You Prefer a Mirrorless or a Superzoom Bridge?

The Samsung Galaxy NX is unmistakably a mirrorless camera with a classic SLR-style body and an APS-C sensor, while the Sony HX400V belongs to the often-overlooked bridge camera category, offering a superzoom lens permanently attached to a DSLR-esque shell.

Looking at their physical dimensions: the Galaxy NX measures 137 x 101 x 26 mm, whereas the HX400V is bulkier at 130 x 93 x 103 mm. The Samsung is slimmer and lighter, tipping the scales at 495 grams compared to Sony’s 660 grams. That extra heft of the HX400V is largely due to its massive built-in 50x zoom lens spanning 24-1200mm equivalent - a feat of optical engineering that would make any lens geek salivate but also adds considerable weight and depth.

Ergonomically, the Galaxy NX feels more refined and “camera-like” in your hands, with a grip that fits naturally and a balanced heft that doesn’t tire your wrist. In contrast, the HX400V’s big zoom lens extends deeply from the body, making the camera feel front-heavy, which can be a sore point during long shoots, especially without a tripod.

When traveling light or roaming city streets, the Galaxy NX’s compactness and interchangeable lenses offer unmatched versatility, while the HX400V appeals to those who prioritize reach and all-in-one convenience.

Top Controls and Interface: How Much Control Do You Really Need?

A camera is only as good as its interface, right? You want buttons and dials that feel intuitive when tension rises - say, during a sports event or a fleeting wildlife encounter.

The Samsung Galaxy NX sports a clean control layout with dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, plus a mode dial offering full manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, and program modes. Touchscreen functionality on its large 4.8-inch HD TFT LCD adds a modern flair, letting you tap to focus or navigate menus with relative ease.

The Sony HX400V’s controls, meanwhile, feel a bit more cramped and less tactile. A sizable zoom lever around the shutter button is handy for one-handed focal length adjustments but the camera’s smaller 3-inch tilting LCD screen lacks touch capability, relying instead on buttons and a directional pad. For its part, the HX400V offers manual exposure modes and white balance options but feels somewhat utilitarian compared to the Galaxy NX’s more photographic-first design.

Sensor and Image Quality: Size Matters

Here’s where these two cameras part ways significantly: the sensor.

The Samsung Galaxy NX houses a 20MP APS-C CMOS sensor measuring 23.5 x 15.7 mm, which is close in size to what you’d find in many entry-level DSLRs or mirrorless cameras. This translates to a sensor area of roughly 369 mm², offering excellent potential for low noise, dynamic range, and image quality overall.

The Sony HX400V, on the other hand, uses a small 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm), typical of compact and bridge cameras, with a sensor area around 28 mm². While it packs a similar megapixel count at 20MP, those pixels have to be packed into a much smaller surface, which typically results in higher noise levels, reduced dynamic range, and less resolving power - especially at high ISO.

In practical terms, the Galaxy NX will deliver cleaner images with richer color depth and better highlight recovery. The HX400V excels in bright light and can capture impressive images given its sensor size, but noise sneaks in quickly as ISO climbs, making it less attractive for low-light or professional use.

LCD and Viewfinder: Finding Your Frame

User interface extends to how you preview your shots; displays and viewfinders provide essential feedback.

The Galaxy NX’s 4.8-inch fixed touchscreen is a standout - large by camera standards of its era, with a crisp resolution (922k dots) and touch responsiveness that feels smartphone-like. This makes menu navigation and focusing faster and more intuitive, especially for those coming from phone photography. The electronic viewfinder is somewhat basic, with unspecified resolution and coverage, but serves the purpose.

Conversely, the Sony HX400V's 3-inch tilting screen (921k dots) is respectable but pales in comparison in size and lacks touch input. However, the HX400V compensates with a high-quality electronic viewfinder offering 100% coverage that feels more akin to a traditional DSLR experience, which can be invaluable in bright outdoor conditions.

For me, the Galaxy NX's large touchscreen makes it a joy for casual to intermediate photographers who appreciate a modern UI, while the HX400V sticks closer to traditional controls and optical framing via its EVF.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Precision, and Practical Performance

Autofocus can make or break your shoot - especially when chasing fast-moving subjects or unpredictable wildlife.

The Samsung Galaxy NX features a hybrid AF system combining phase-detection and contrast-detection autofocus, with face detection available. However, it lacks continuous AF or tracking capabilities; focus tends to be somewhat slow, especially in live view mode, and prone to hunting in low contrast conditions.

The Sony HX400V employs a 9-point contrast-detection AF system with face detection and tracking support, delivering snappier AF lock speeds, especially in good light. Though it’s a bridge camera with no phase-detection AF, its relatively small sensor and fixed lens architecture allow the system to react swiftly - helpful for casual wildlife or street photography. The HX400V does offer continuous AF and AF tracking, which give it an edge for moving subjects.

In my experience, if you’re shooting static subjects or portraits, the Galaxy NX’s AF precision and face detection do well - but for wildlife and action photography, the HX400V’s faster, more responsive AF system will win out, despite the smaller sensor.

Lens Ecosystem and Versatility: To Swap or Not to Swap Lenses?

Here’s where the Galaxy NX’s interchangeable lens design shines.

The Galaxy NX uses the Samsung NX lens mount, with a growing but limited selection of 32 native lenses at the time, covering focal lengths from wide-angle to telephoto, along with macro and specialty optics. This enables significant creative flexibility and image quality gains - especially if you invest in primes or fast zooms for portraiture or low-light shooting.

The HX400V offers a fixed 24-1200mm (50x) zoom with a variable aperture of F2.8-6.3. While it’s brilliant for travel or situations demanding extreme reach without swapping glass, it cannot be upgraded or changed. Its macro focus distance of just 1cm is quite impressive for close-up shooting, giving it versatility within one package.

If you value lens choices and expanding your creative palette, the Galaxy NX is the obvious winner. If convenience or budget dictate - and you appreciate massive zoom power without fuss - the HX400V has you covered.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Performance: Catching the Decisive Moment

Speed is often critical in candid, sports, or wildlife photography.

The Galaxy NX can shoot at 9 frames per second (fps), which is respectable for an entry-level mirrorless camera, but in practice, buffer limitations and AF speed reduce sustained burst shooting effectiveness.

The Sony HX400V tops this at 10 fps, slightly faster burst rates allowing for better tracking of quick sequences, although the small sensor and JPEG-only shooting (no RAW support) constrain professional post-processing.

For shooting young kids, unpredictable animals, or sports action, I found the HX400V slightly more reliable in capturing key moments consistently due to its responsive autofocus and frame rate, despite the smaller sensor.

Low Light and High ISO Performance: Testing Limits After Dark

Low light shooting is a tough battleground.

The Galaxy NX native ISO tops out at 25600, with useable image quality maintained up to ISO 3200 or 6400 depending on noise tolerance. Thanks to its APS-C sensor, noise remains manageable, and detail stays crisp enough for large prints or cropping.

The HX400V’s max ISO is 12800, but realistically, image noise becomes substantial beyond ISO 800 to 1600, typical for small-sensor cameras. This limits its effectiveness in dimly-lit indoor scenes, concerts, or astro photography.

So if you’re serious about photography under challenging lighting, the Galaxy NX’s bigger sensor advantage is evident here.

Video Capabilities: Which Camera Captures Your Story Better?

Video specs have become baseline requirements even for stills shooters.

Both cameras support Full HD 1080p recording; the Galaxy NX records at 1920x1080 using MPEG-4/H.264 codecs; the HX400V adds AVCHD support along with MPEG-4.

The Galaxy NX supports a microphone input and headphone jack, crucial for monitoring audio in interviews, vlogging, or professional use. The HX400V has a microphone port but no headphone jack, limiting audio monitoring.

Neither supports 4K or advanced features like focus peaking, but the Galaxy NX’s manual exposure modes and touchscreen focusing provide nuanced control. The HX400V’s optical image stabilization is advantageous for handheld video, helping smooth shaky footage across its vast zoom range.

For casual video and travel clips, HX400V’s zoom and stabilization are great. For dedicated video shooters requiring audio control and manual exposure, the Galaxy NX wins on versatility.

Specialty Photography Disciplines: Portrait, Landscape, and Macro Insights

Portraiture

With its larger sensor and interchangeable lenses, the Galaxy NX produces portraits with beautiful depth of field, rich skin tones, and better background blur - or bokeh. The Samsung’s face detection aids capturing sharp eyes, although lack of eye-detection AF limits precision compared to modern cameras. The HX400V can’t compete here due to its small sensor and slower aperture range.

Landscape

Dynamic range and resolution are the keys to landscapes. The Galaxy’s 20MP APS-C sensor delivers richer tonality, better highlight recovery, and more detail. The HX400V’s smaller sensor shows its limits in subtle shadow detail and color gradation but the versatile zoom can capture distant vistas easily.

Macro

The HX400V surprises with a 1cm macro focus distance, making it capable of detailed close-ups without extra gear. The Galaxy NX’s macro capability depends on lens choice but generally excels with native macro lenses if you invest.

Durability and Environmental Sealing: Will Your Gear Brave the Elements?

Neither camera offers weather sealing or ruggedized bodies. Both require care in harsh conditions; however, the HX400V’s heft and fixed lens might shield internal components from dirt ingress better in dusty or windy environments.

Battery Life and Storage: How Long and How Much?

Samsung’s Galaxy NX offers about 440 shots per charge - a solid figure for mirrorless cameras of this generation - while Sony’s HX400V is rated at 300 shots, less impressive considering its size.

Both cameras accept SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, with Sony also supporting Memory Stick formats for legacy compatibility.

Wireless, Connectivity and Extras: From GPS to NFC

Both cameras come with built-in GPS for geo-tagging - great for travel bloggers and photo organizers.

The Galaxy NX includes built-in wireless connectivity to upload images and integrate with mobile workflows, a standout feature in 2013 for seamless sharing.

The HX400V adds NFC to simplify pairing with compatible devices but lacks Bluetooth.

Price and Value: What Might Your Wallet Think?

At launch, the Galaxy NX was priced premium at around $1300 body-only, reflecting its mirrorless capabilities and interchangeable lens system.

The HX400V came in at a very accessible $448, delivering remarkable zoom reach and features for the price, making it attractive to budget-conscious users valuing versatility without swapping lenses.

To Sum It Up: Which Camera Fits Your Style?

• Choose the Samsung Galaxy NX if:
  You want a true mirrorless system with interchangeable lenses, superior image quality, better low-light performance, and plan to invest in growing your lens collection. This is the camera for prosumers, enthusiasts, and travel photographers who favor image quality and manual control - and appreciate a large touchscreen interface.

• Pick the Sony HX400V if:
  You crave versatility in one package, with an insanely long zoom range, good burst shooting, and decent video stabilization. Ideal for casual wildlife or sports shooters who value convenience over sensor size, or travelers who want to pack light but still capture subjects from wide landscapes to distant details.

Final Thoughts and My Professional Take

Testing these two cameras side-by-side reminds me of how far camera tech has come and the compromises still inherent in design.

The Samsung Galaxy NX was ahead of its time in marrying Android-like connectivity with an APS-C mirrorless system but struggled with autofocus speed and lens ecosystem size. It's a camera for those who prioritize image quality and flexible optics, but willing to tolerate a less polished AF experience.

The Sony HX400V embodies the superzoom bridge idea gracefully - no lens swaps, massive reach, and respectable burst speeds, perfect for opportunistic shooting and travel where packing light matters. Its small sensor limits image quality and low-light shooting, but within its niche, it performs admirably.

For enthusiasts and professionals, the Galaxy NX’s image quality and system flexibility make it the more serious tool, despite its quirks. For everyday users wanting a versatile all-in-one that punches above its weight in zoom and shooting speed, the HX400V remains an affordable and practical choice, albeit with trade-offs.

Sample Gallery: Seeing Is Believing

Samsung Galaxy NX front Samsung Galaxy NX screen back Sony HX400V front Sony HX400V screen back

Here are some side-by-side samples: Galaxy NX images show better color depth, less noise at higher ISO, and sharper detail, especially in portraits and low light. Sony HX400V pictures are crisp at base ISO and nail distant subjects but suffer in shadows and high ISO noise.

Whichever you choose, remember: camera gear enhances photography, but passion, composition, and timing make the art. I hope this comparison helps save you some head-scratching and gets you closer to the best camera for your journey.

Happy shooting!

• Your friendly neighborhood camera tester and gear enthusiast