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Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V Comparison

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Sony A7R III

42 MP | Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R III
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Sony HX400V

20 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony HX400V
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Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony cameras cameras with different body types: Sony A7R III, which was introduced in October 2017 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 42.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Sony HX400V, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 20.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, HX400V is 3 years older than A7R III. 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 the Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R III Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2017-10-25
  • 42MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 3686k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 657g. 127 x 96 x 74 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A7R II Compare

Sony HX400V Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-12
  • 20MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • 24-1200 mm F2.8-6.3 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 660g. 130 x 93 x 103 mm
  • Replaced Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 Compare

Sony A7R III was replaced by Sony Alpha A7R IV. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Sony Alpha A7R III
Sony Alpha A7R IV vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R III over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Sensor Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP 110% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 12.800 150% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
425 vs 9 416 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.440k dots vs 921k dots 56% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
650 shots vs 300 shots 350 more frames with a single charge
Weight
657 g vs 660 g 3 g lighter
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Sensor Pixel Area
20.43µm2 vs 1.39µm2 1369% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range
±5 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Pixel Shift High-Res Mode
Yes (169. 6) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.1 Gen 1(5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Animal Eye AF Tracking
Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Eye Tracking Focus
Yes vs No Autofocus system locks on the eye and tracks the subject
CHECK A7R III PRICE


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V over Sony Alpha A7R III
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
GPS
BuiltIn vs None track your location
CHECK HX400V PRICE

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R III and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Tilting Flexible shooting positions
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
42 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
Max Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 10.0fps Fast shooting speeds
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
NFC Connection
Yes vs Yes Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R III and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V
Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A7R III has external dimensions of 127 x 96 x 74 mm (5 x 3.78 x 2.91″) and weighs 657 g (1.45 lb / 23.17 oz) (including batteries). Sony HX400V has external dimensions of 130 x 93 x 103 mm (5.1 x 3.67 x 4.06″) and weighs 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A7R III and the Sony HX400V. Sony A7R III is 3mm narrower and 29mm thinner than Sony HX400V but it is also 3mm taller. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony HX400V has a built-in lens but Sony A7R III doesn't. Once you put a lens on A7R III, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V.

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V.
Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R III is 3g lighter than the Sony HX400V 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 A7R III, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather sealed body, we believe that the A7R III has a big advantage over the HX400V which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

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 A7R III vs Sony HX400V: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R III has a 42.0MP Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Sony HX400V has a 20.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor.

Sony A7R III's sensor provides 22MP more than Sony HX400V's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R III's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R III and HX400V sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V Cameras


As seen above, Sony A7R III has a 30.7x Larger sensor area than Sony HX400V. 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 A7R III and Sony HX400V Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R III and Sony HX400V 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 A7R III for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony HX400V for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony HX400V for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony HX400V for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
425 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 650 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Read the details
Image Stabilization
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Wireless Connection
1200 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.30
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony HX400V for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
657g
Body Thickness 74mm
Read the details
50.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
660g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details

Sony A7R III for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Sony HX400V for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (35.9 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 42.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Built-in GPS
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A7R III vs Sony HX400V: 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 A7R III and Sony HX400V, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 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 A7R III and Sony HX400V scores compare:

Sony A7R III
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #12 out of 111 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #13 out of 1259 in all Cameras
Sony HX400V
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #28 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #437 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Sony A7R III is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony HX400V in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7R III
Sony A7R III
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Sony HX400V
Sony HX400V
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Sony HX400V vs Sony A7R III Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R III Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2017-10-25 2014-02-12
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size Full frame 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 35.9 x 24 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 861.60mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 42 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 7952 x 5304 5184 x 3888
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 80 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 425 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 24-1200 mm (50x)
Max Aperture no lens F2.8-6.3
Macro Focus Range no lens 1cm
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,440k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution 3,686k dots n/a
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range no built-in flash 8.50 m (ISO Auto)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 10.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 657g 660g
Dimensions 127 x 96 x 74mm 130 x 93 x 103mm
Battery Life 650 shots 300 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 100 not tested
DxO Color Depth 26.0 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 14.7 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 3523 not tested
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