Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 review: Official Fifa World Cup camera decent value

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400. Courtesy Sony

If you want to get up close and personal without getting up close and personal, then Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-H400 is a very good way to do so.
Being Fifa's official digital camera, it would also have been an ideal tool to capture a detailed snap of the aftermath of Luis Suarez's teeth-first "stumble" into the Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.
The Japanese company has produced a good-looking, well-priced bridge camera - one that falls between point-and-shoot and a proper SLR and sports an almost ludicrous 63x zoom.
It features a huge lens at the front allied to a 20.1 megapixel top resolution that seems pretty much standard across the Sony Cyber-shot range. At its heart is a 1/2.3-inch sized CCD sensor as opposed to the CMOS alternative typically found in higher-priced cameras and ultimately more favoured in terms of picture quality.
It offers the ease of use of a point-and-shoot but the look and feel of a DSLR and at about Dh1,400 that is an achievement. It feels good in the hand and looks the part, too.
The lens barrel has a ridged edge to allow for a firm grip when holding the camera in both hands, rather than providing a means to manually extend or retrieve it, as with a DSLR, and the grip is slightly rubberised, which helps handling.
If you assume the DSC-H400 is pretty much an "auto everything" camera, it's true to an extent. The camera also includes a 3-inch LCD monitor, face detection and an intelligent scenes mode, which allows the camera to automatically match current lighting and shooting conditions.
That is useful for family gatherings or group shots outdoors. Not only can it zoom to incredible distances, a panorama setting allows users to capture wide desert sand-scapes or ocean vistas from almost any vantage point.
Ultimately, for the price, it is not surprising the DSC-H400 does not have all the bells and whistles you might expect if you were spending twice the money. It may not be the best bridge camera on the market but Sony can argue convincingly it is the best for the value.
Q&A
You rate this camera quite highly. Any downsides to it?
There are some disappointments: the video is 720p rather than the full high-definition 1080p. There is no reason why this should be, other than Sony wanting to differentiate the H400 from models higher up its range. The DSC-H400's rear LCD is also so small it is practically unusable, especially when viewing images at full zoom. But that is one of the perils of combining a small sensor and a high 20.1 megapixel resolution
How well does it work in the real world?
It's definitely a camera to be worn around the neck, slung over a shoulder, with a strap provided. The handgrip is large enough to squeeze three fingers comfortably around and usefully has indentations for your top two fingers. It is on the heavy side for a modern bridge camera but that helps to provide a steadier hold when shooting towards the telephoto end of the zoom. To further help prevent blurred shots in such circumstances and in low light, Sony has also provided optical image stabilisation.
So, would you recommend buying the DSC-H400?
If you are looking for the power of a big zoom but only have the budget to pay a little more than your average point and shoot, the Cyber-shot DSC-H400 is an excellent buy. However, there is some obvious cost-cutting and if you are able to stretch your budget to a super-zoom with a larger sensor such as the Cyber-shot DSC-RX10, the investment would be worth it.
[e-mail]
Follow The National's Business section on Twitter