Canon PowerShot SX540 HS vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC HX400V — Which Is Better?

The Canon PowerShot SX540 HS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC HX400V are both bridge superzoom cameras with fixed lenses, covering travel and wildlife shooting without changing glass. Canon released its model in 2016, two years after Sony's 2014 launch. Both pair 20 MP resolution with a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, so the framing and cropping room you start with is the same.

The bodies differ in scale. The Sony measures 130 x 93 x 103 mm and weighs 660 g, while the Canon is a smaller 120 x 82 x 92 mm and 442 g, so the Sony carries about 49 percent more mass. For a packed day bag or airline carry-on, the Canon leaves more spare weight allowance.

For fast action the HX400V is the stronger camera, shooting at 10 frames per second against the Canon's 5.9 fps maximum. Its electronic viewfinder, with about 2.36 million dots, lets you track subjects at eye level, where the Canon offers only its rear screen. In bright light the Sony's 1/4000 second shutter doubles the Canon's 1/2000 ceiling, giving a shorter exposure for freezing motion.

Both cameras stabilise the image, which helps at long zoom settings, and both use the same standard ISO range of 80 to 3200. Only the Sony offers expanded sensitivity, reaching 12800 ISO.

Full HD at up to 60 frames per second is the ceiling for both cameras, so neither offers 4K or in-camera slow motion. The practical difference is file format: the Sony records MPEG-4 and AVCHD, while the Canon writes MPEG-4 and MOV. Choose the Sony if your existing AVCHD library or editing workflow favours that format.

The HX400V is the more capable camera for framing and location work. Its 3-inch screen tilts for overhead or low-angle shots and responds to touch for setting focus, while the Canon's fixed screen does neither. Sony's screen also shows roughly twice the detail, 921600 dots against 461000, so playback checks look sharper.

The Sony adds GPS, so travel photos carry their shooting coordinates, and a hot shoe for an external flash alongside the built-in unit both cameras share. Wi-Fi on both handles wireless transfer to a phone. Canon's one extra is Bluetooth, so it can maintain a low-power link with a phone.

For a long day out, the Sony is rated for 300 shots per charge against 205 for the Canon, a 46 percent longer rating under their respective test conditions. It also charges over USB, so a power bank can top it up between locations. Sony accepts SD plus Memory Stick Duo cards; Canon takes SD only. Their batteries, NP-BX1 and NB-6LH, are different types, so spares do not interchange.