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Sony A7S vs Sony HX1 Comparison

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Sony A7S

12 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony A7S
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Sony HX1

9 MP | 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) CMOS Sensor

Sony HX1
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Sony A7S vs Sony HX1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony cameras cameras with different body types: Sony A7S, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 12.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Sony HX1, which was introduced in April 2009 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 9.0MP 1/2.4" sensor. As you can see, HX1 is 5 years older than A7S. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing an interchangeble lens camera to a fixed lens camera is a bit tricky but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A7S and Sony HX1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7S Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-06
  • 12MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 409600
  • Sony E Mount
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 2359k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 5 fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • 120 fps High-Speed Video
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 489g. 127 x 94 x 48 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Sony HX1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2009-04-22
  • 9MP - 1/2.4" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 125 - 3200
  • 28-560 mm F2.8-5.2 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • - 1440 x 1080 video resolution
  • 544g. 115 x 83 x 92 mm

Sony A7S was replaced by Sony Alpha 7S II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Alpha A7S
Sony Alpha 7S II vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7S and Sony HX1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7S over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
12 MP vs 9 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
409.600 vs 3.200 12700% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
25 vs 9 16 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution
1.230k dots vs 230k dots 433% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Weight
489 g vs 544 g 55 g lighter
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Sensor Pixel Area
71.24µm2 vs 3.12µm2 2183% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1440 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 over Sony Alpha A7S
Image Stabilization
Optical vs None Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7S and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7S and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Sony A7S vs Sony HX1: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony A7S and Sony HX1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7S has external dimensions of 127 x 94 x 48 mm (5 x 3.7 x 1.89″) and weighs 489 g (1.08 lb / 17.25 oz) (including batteries). Sony HX1 has external dimensions of 115 x 83 x 92 mm (4.53 x 3.27 x 3.62″) and weighs 544 g (1.20 lb / 19.19 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7S and Sony HX1. Sony HX1 is 12mm narrower and 11mm shorter than Sony A7S but it is also 44mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony HX1 has a built-in lens but Sony A7S doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7S, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A7S vs Sony HX1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sony HX1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7S and Sony HX1.

Sony A7S vs Sony HX1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sony HX1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7S and Sony HX1.
Sony A7S vs Sony HX1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sony HX1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7S is 55g lighter than the Sony HX1 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A7S, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that A7S has a big advantage over HX1 which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7S and Sony HX1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.
Sony A7S vs Sony HX1: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7S has a 12.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Sony HX1 has a 9.0MP 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.

Below you can see the A7S and HX1 sensor size comparison.

Sony A7S vs Sony HX1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7S and Sony HX1 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7S has a 30.6x Larger sensor area than Sony HX1. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony A7S and Sony HX1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7S and Sony HX1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A7S for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony HX1 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 9.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Sony A7S for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony HX1 for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Sony A7S for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony HX1 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
560 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Sony A7S for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony HX1 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
489g
Body Thickness 48mm
Read the details
20.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
544g
Body Thickness 92mm
Read the details

Sony A7S for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sony HX1 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.9 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Read the details
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.4" (6.104 x 4.578 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 9.0MP
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7S vs Sony HX1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A7S and Sony HX1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A7S and Sony HX1 scores compare:

Sony A7S
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #39 out of 86 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #71 out of 1220 in all Cameras
Sony HX1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #85 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #694 out of 1220 in all Cameras

Sony A7S is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony HX1 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7S
Sony A7S
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Sony HX1
Sony HX1
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Sony HX1 vs Sony A7S Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7S Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2014-04-06 2009-04-22
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame 1/2.4"
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.9 mm 6.104 x 4.578 mm
Area 855.62mm2 27.94mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 9 megapixels
Max Resolution 4240 x 2832 3456 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity 409,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 125 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 25 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 28-560 mm (20×)
Max Aperture no lens F2.8-5.2
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3 3"
Resolution 1,230k dots 230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 2,359k dots n/a
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization No Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 9.20 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1440 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 489g 544g
Dimensions 127 x 94 x 48mm 115 x 83 x 92mm
Battery Life 360 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording With Downloadable App
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 87 not tested
DxO Color Depth 23.9 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3702 not tested
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