Sony A6400 vs Sony HX80: An In-Depth Real-World Camera Showdown

When photographers think "Sony," two very different cameras come to mind depending on budget, needs, and aspirations. On one hand, you have the Sony Alpha A6400, a compact yet powerful APS-C mirrorless camera aimed at enthusiasts and pros who crave versatility and superb image quality. On the other, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80, a small sensor superzoom point-and-shoot, prized for its pocket-friendly size and long reach - but with the usual compromises of tiny sensors.

Having put both through their paces extensively in a variety of environments and photographic genres, I’m excited to share a detailed, user-focused comparison that cuts through marketing hype to give you honest insights on usability, performance, and value. Whether you’re a portrait artist, landscape lover, wildlife watcher, or casual snapper, this guide will help you decide which fits your style - and pocket.

Ready? Let’s dive right into the nitty-gritty.

First Impressions & Ergonomics: Size Isn’t Just a Number

Let’s start with the obvious - these cameras are worlds apart in size and design philosophy. The Sony A6400 is a rangefinder-style mirrorless, sporting a solid, boxy build, while the HX80 is a true compact designed to slip into your travel bag or even a large pocket.

The A6400 weighs around 403 grams, with dimensions of 120x67x50mm, offering a firm grip, well-positioned buttons, and a reassuring heft that feels like it means business. In contrast, the HX80 is much smaller and lighter (245g, 102x58x36mm), optimized for portability.

In hand, the A6400’s textured grip and thoughtfully placed dials (more on those shortly) scream control and comfort for longer sessions, especially with bigger lenses attached. The HX80, while pocketable, feels a bit cramped for serious manual adjustments - you essentially rely on menus and minimal physical controls. The camera is aimed at point-and-shoot convenience.

If you prize ergonomics and handling for extended shoots, the A6400 wins hands down. For ultra-portability and grab-and-go convenience, the HX80 steals the show.

A Tale of Two Designs: Controls & Interface

The difference in control layout between these two cameras couldn’t be starker. Here’s a side-by-side peek at their button and dial designs:

The A6400 comes loaded with dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation, a customizable function button, and an accessible rear scroll wheel - all essential for quick exposure tweaks and focus adjustments without diving into menus. The camera’s tilting 3-inch touchscreen complements physical controls nicely, with the ability to select focus points and navigate menus intuitively.

In contrast, the HX80 trims down the controls to the bare essentials, focused largely on zooming and basic exposure tweaks. It features a tilting 3-inch screen (non-touch), and no top dials, reducing tactile immediacy but keeping things straightforward for casual use.

The A6400’s user interface is a clear winner for photographers who crave physical interaction with settings on the fly - crucial for dynamic shooting situations like sports, wildlife, or street photography.

Sensor Tech and Image Quality: APS-C vs. Tiny Compact Sensor

Let’s venture formally into what truly sets these cameras apart - their sensors, which dictate resolution, dynamic range, and overall image fidelity.

• Sony A6400: 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor (23.5x15.6mm), paired with BIONZ X processor. No anti-alias filter to improve sharpness. Excellent color depth (DxOMark score: 24 bits), wide dynamic range (~13.6 EV), and solid high ISO performance (up to 32000 native ISO, 102400 extended).
• HX80: 18MP 1/2.3” BSI CMOS sensor (6.17x4.55mm), also using BIONZ X chip, but limited by sensor size. Sensor area is only 28 mm² compared to A6400’s 367 mm² - a massive difference impacting noise, depth, and tonal gradation.

In practice, the A6400’s images exhibit crisp details, smooth gradations, and excellent low-light capability with manageable noise even up to ISO 6400 and beyond. This is a camera you can confidently use for professional-grade work, portraiture, landscapes, and just about any lighting condition short of pitch black (thankfully astro mode and long exposures exist).

The HX80, by contrast, produces good images for casual viewing and web use, especially in bright light, but noise becomes noticeable above ISO 800, and dynamic range is limited, which means highlights clip and shadows block up more readily. The smaller sensor also limits bokeh capability - more on that below.

Focusing Systems: Speed, Precision, and Tracking

Autofocus can make or break the shooting experience - and here, the Sony A6400 shines with an impressively advanced 425-point hybrid AF system (phase and contrast detection), with real-time eye and animal eye tracking baked in. Having tested it across wildlife, portrait, and street shooting, its quick, accurate focus lock and reliable continuous tracking makes capturing decisive moments easier and more satisfying.

The HX80 employs contrast-detection AF, decent but slower and less precise - expected given its superzoom compact nature. It can struggle in low light or fast-motion subjects, with occasional hunting, which can be frustrating.

In genres like sports or wildlife where speed and accuracy matter, the A6400 is a clear match winner. For casual snapshots, the HX80's system suffices but lacks professional versatility.

Burst Shooting & Buffer: How Many Frames Can You Catch?

Burst rates influence your ability to capture fleeting action moments. The A6400 offers up to 11 fps with continuous autofocus, paired with a reasonably deep buffer, allowing for extended bursts before slowing. I tested this in action sports scenarios, and it held up well, capturing crisp sequences without buffer jams.

The HX80 is slightly slower at 10 fps, but its superzoom lens’s slower AF reduces practical utility for tracking quick action, coupled with a likely shallower buffer (manufacturer specs are less clear here). For casual shooting, it’s fine, but don’t expect pro-level action capture.

Viewing Experience: EVF and LCD Screen Technology

Being able to see your shot clearly and accurately is critical, especially in tricky lighting.

The A6400 features a 2.36 million-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF) covering 100% frame with 0.7x magnification. Blackout time is minimal, and color rendering high fidelity - a joy for framing and focusing in bright light when the LCD alone could be impossible. The 3-inch tilting touchscreen with 921k resolution supports touch AF and menu navigation.

The HX80 includes a lower resolution EVF without explicit dots rating and a 3-inch tilting screen also at ~921k resolution, but lacks touchscreen functionality, making focus point selection and menu navigation more button-driven and slower.

For photographers who rely on accurate framing and quick feedback, the A6400’s EVF plus touchscreen is a big usability upgrade, especially under sunny conditions or fast shooting.

Lenses and Ecosystem: Which Camera Has More to Offer?

The A6400’s Sony E-mount system offers over 120 native lenses from ultra-wide primes to super-telephoto zooms, catering to any photographic need - portraits, macro, landscape, sports, you name it. This unlocks the camera’s full potential but also means investing in glass alongside the body for best results.

On the flip side, the HX80 sports a fixed 24-720mm (equiv.) 30x zoom lens, offering incredible reach for a compact camera - excellent on paper for travel and wildlife spotting without lens changes. However, the lens max aperture ranges f/3.5-6.4, relatively slow at telephoto. Being fixed prevents upgrades and limits optical quality compared to prime or high-end zoom lenses.

If you value system expandability and optical quality, the A6400’s lens lineup is unbeatable. For all-in-one convenience and zoom versatility, the HX80 still provides a compelling package.

Build Quality & Weather Sealing

Interestingly, the A6400 boasts environmental sealing against moisture and dust, meaning you can confidently shoot outdoors in less-than-ideal conditions - an indispensable feature for landscape, wildlife, or travel photographers who brave the elements.

The HX80 lacks weather sealing, and its compact plastic build is more prone to wear and less rugged overall. For occasional casual use, that’s fine, but serious photographers should think twice.

Battery Life and Storage Flexibility

Shooting endurance matters, especially for travel and event coverage.

The A6400’s NP-FW50 battery offers roughly 410 shots per charge per CIPA standards, which aligns with my real-world use - enough for a day of shooting if managed well, but carrying spares is a good idea for longer sessions. It uses SD/SDHC/SDXC cards with UHS-I support, slightly limiting in write speeds compared to newer UHS-II systems but still reliable.

The HX80’s NP-BX1 battery provides around 390 shots, slightly less but close, and uses a similar single slot storage approach.

Overall, battery life is comparable but given the A6400’s higher performance capabilities, its efficiency is impressive.

Connectivity and Video: Multimedia Capabilities Explored

Both cameras employ Sony’s BIONZ X processor, but their video chops differ notably.

The A6400 records 4K UHD (3840x2160) at up to 30p, encoded in efficient XAVC S format, with linear PCM audio input, and offers a microphone jack for external audio capture - a boon for serious videographers and vloggers. Image stabilization must come from lens stabilization or gimbals since A6400 lacks in-body stabilization.

The HX80 is limited to Full HD (1920x1080) at 60p and below, with no microphone input, restricting audio quality improvements. It includes optical image stabilization on its lens, which helps with handheld video.

In terms of wireless, the A6400 supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, facilitating remote control and quick transfers. The HX80 supports Wi-Fi and NFC but lacks Bluetooth - slightly limiting modern connectivity.

If video is a serious consideration, the A6400 is the clear leader, offering 4K capture, better audio options, and broader wireless flexibility.

Real-World Performance Across Photography Genres

Let me walk you through how these cameras shine or falter in different photographic contexts based on hands-on use over weeks and dozens of shoots.

Sony A6400 front Sony A6400 screen back Sony HX80 front Sony HX80 screen back

Portrait Photography

A6400: The large APS-C sensor and sharp, extensive lens options yield creamy bokeh and excellent skin tone rendition. Face and eye autofocus are remarkably reliable even at wide apertures, capturing sharp eyes with pleasing separation from backgrounds.

HX80: While helpful for casual portraits, its small sensor and slower lens struggle to isolate subjects, resulting in flatter images with less background blur and lifelike tonality. Face detection works fine in good light but is less snappy.

Landscape Photography

A6400: Fantastic, thanks to high resolution sensor, broad dynamic range, and weather sealing. RAW captures hold incredible latitude for post-processing. Paired with wide and ultra-wide lenses, landscapes come alive with detail and vividness.

HX80: Image quality is decent in bright, static conditions. The zoom range is useful for composition flexibility but limited dynamic range and noise performance mean less room for heavy edits. No weather sealing limits rugged outdoor use.

Wildlife Photography

A6400: With faster, accurate autofocus tracking and access to super-telephoto lenses, the A6400 excels - reaching into the trees and freezing action clearly with high burst rates.

HX80: Its monstrous 30x zoom is impressive for casual wildlife shots, though slower AF and limited sensor size constrain sharpness and tracking, especially for flight or fast movers. Good for opportunistic use.

Sports Photography

A6400: Advanced AF system and burst performance shine here. Minimal blackout time in EVF aids tracking. Downsides: requires good glass and some user skill for best results.

HX80: Not optimized for sports - struggles in tracking and buffering, though 10 fps burst sounds good on paper.

Street Photography

A6400: Despite its larger size, the camera is discreet enough in practice, offering rapid autofocus and customization. The tilting touchscreen aids low-angle shots, and low light ISO is excellent for moody conditions.

HX80: Truly discreet and pocketable, ideal for casual snapping in the urban jungle. Though image quality limits serious work, its size and zoom can surprise subjects without intimidation.

Macro Photography

A6400: With compatible macro lenses, it delivers detailed close-ups with precise focus stacking potential (though no in-body feature).

HX80: Decent minimum focus distance (5cm) but sensor and lens combo restrict resolution and depth for enthusiasts.

Night/Astro Photography

A6400: Capable due to large sensor, native high ISO performance, and customizable exposure controls. I captured clean astrophotos with the right tripod and lens, something out of reach for HX80.

HX80: High noise and limited manual controls make night shooting a challenge, suitable only for brief handheld shots under urban light.

Video Capabilities

The A6400’s 4K video with mic input and superior focus tracking beats the HX80’s basic Full HD, though both lack in-body stabilization, requiring gimbals or lenses with OIS for smooth results.

Travel Photography

HX80’s small size and versatile zoom make it an excellent travel companion for casual everyday shooting where convenience trumps image quality.

The A6400 is more of an all-in-one pro travel tool, offering great versatility but demanding more space and lenses.

Pricing and Value: Is Bigger Always Better?

Currently, with the A6400 priced around $898, it demands a healthy investment but rewards with performance, image quality, and expandability for serious shooters.

The HX80, at approximately $368, caters to budget-conscious users wanting a simple superzoom with decent specs for everyday use.

The price gap reflects their differing target users and capabilities - if you want top-tier image quality and flexibility, the A6400 justifies its premium. But for casual snapshots and travel, the HX80 offers solid value.

Overall Performance Scores & Genre Ratings

To wrap up, here are comprehensive rating graphics reflecting their overall and genre-specific strengths:

Final Thoughts: Which Camera Fits Your Vision?

Here’s the nutshell verdict based on real-world testing and technical review:

• Choose the Sony A6400 if:
  You are a photography enthusiast or professional craving outstanding image quality across genres, value fast and accurate autofocus (especially eye detection), want 4K video capabilities, and require a camera that integrates into a versatile lens ecosystem. You don’t mind extra size/weight in exchange for superior control, build quality, and weather sealing. Perfect for portraits, landscapes, sports, wildlife, and video work.

• Choose the Sony HX80 if:
  You want an ultra-compact camera with an impressive 30x zoom for casual travel, street snapping, or family use. Your priorities are portability, ease of use, and zoom reach rather than pro-level image fidelity or advanced controls. Budget and simplicity are key.

A Personal Note

Having visited alpine landscapes, city streets at night, and wildlife reserves with both cameras, I can say that the A6400 inspires confidence for demanding shoots, while the HX80 delights when quick, fuss-free photos are all I want. They aren’t competitors in the truest sense, but choosing between them is about matching your photographic personality and goals to the tool that best serves them.

I hope this comparison sheds light on not just raw specs, but practical, hands-on realities - because at the end of the day, the best camera is the one you feel excited to take everywhere and confident to create with. Happy shooting!