Sony HX400V vs Sony A55

Let's take a closer look at the Sony HX400V and Sony A55, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are sold by Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the HX400V (20MP) and A55 (16MP) and the HX400V (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

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The HX400V was unveiled 3 years after the A55 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony HX400V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a short overview of how the HX400V matches up vs the A55 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V and Sony SLT-A55. The full galleries are provided at Sony HX400V Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to take into account its weight and measurements. The Sony HX400V offers exterior measurements of 130mm x 93mm x 103mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 4.1") and a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs) while the Sony A55 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Examine the Sony HX400V and Sony A55 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. Following is a front view overall size comparison of the HX400V against the A55.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the HX400V and A55 is 62 and 67 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizes purely by researching a spec sheet. The pic underneath will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the HX400V and A55.

As you can see, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The HX400V having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony HX400V will result in extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern HX400V is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.