Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 Black 2024

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 is a budget bridge camera with a massive 42X optical zoom and a shockingly fast 120fps burst mode. But the 9-point autofocus and 240-shot battery life are serious weak spots. It's a decent buy if you only care about zoom reach and don't mind working around its limitations.

The burst mode is the one spec that jumps off the page. Kodak claims 120fps mechanical burst, which puts the AZ425 in the 98th percentile in our database. That's wild for a sub-$250 camera. But there's a catch: the buffer fills fast and the autofocus can't keep up with anything moving quickly. So you get a lot of frames, but not necessarily a lot of keepers.

Video tops out at 1080p, with a 1080p@120fps slow-motion mode, Log profile, MOV container, and Linear PCM audio. That's a surprisingly complete video feature set for the price, and it lands in the 67th percentile for video in our database. The IBIS helps steady handheld shots, sitting at the 76th percentile for stabilization. But the fixed screen makes vlogging awkward, and the 9-point AF system is one of the weakest we've seen, ranking in the 2nd percentile. In practice, you'll get decent footage of static scenes, but tracking a kid or a pet will test your patience.

Stacked against the Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX, Nikon D7500, Sony Alpha a6400, Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, or OM System OM-5, the Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 looks like it wandered into the wrong room. Those cameras cost several times more and deliver dramatically better autofocus, build quality, and battery life. The Sony a6400, for example, has one of the best AF systems in its class, while the Nikon D7500 offers a proper optical viewfinder and rugged body. The Kodak's only real advantage is the 42X zoom in a single fixed lens.

But that's the thing: none of those competitors can do 42X zoom without swapping lenses. The Olympus and OM System bodies have great stabilization and weather sealing, but you'd need a long telephoto lens to match the Kodak's reach, and that setup costs way more. So the AZ425 isn't competing on image quality or speed. It's competing on convenience and price. For a casual birder or a parent at a school play who wants to zoom in from the back row, the Kodak does something those premium bodies can't do out of the box.

At around $230 USD or 270 EUR, the AZ425 is one of the cheapest ways to get 42X optical zoom in a new camera. That's the entire value proposition. You're not paying for autofocus performance, build quality, or battery life. You're paying for reach. If you mostly shoot stationary subjects in good light, the math works. But if you need reliable autofocus or all-day battery life, you'll end up spending more on a used Panasonic or Nikon anyway. The Kodak undercuts everything on price, and that's genuinely appealing for a specific kind of buyer.

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 is a bridge camera that tries to do a lot for not much money. You get a 42X optical zoom, a 20.7MP 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor, and 1080p video in a body that weighs 444g. It's aimed at people who want big zoom reach without buying interchangeable lenses, and the price usually lands around $230 USD or 270 EUR depending on where you shop. That's cheap for a camera with this much glass attached.

But cheap doesn't mean cheerful in every department. The AZ425 has a fixed 3-inch LCD, no weather sealing, and a 9-point autofocus system that feels like it's from a different decade. The battery is rated for 240 shots per charge, which is rough if you plan to shoot all day. Still, for casual wildlife watching, backyard birding, or vacation snapshots where you don't want to lug a bag of lenses, the zoom range is the whole story here.

So is the Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 good for beginners? Sort of. It's simple to operate and the 24mm wide end is handy for landscapes. But the autofocus and battery life will frustrate anyone who shoots moving subjects or forgets to charge overnight. This is a camera you buy for the zoom, not for the overall experience.

Skip the AZ425 if you shoot fast-moving subjects like sports, kids, or pets. The 9-point autofocus will miss more than it hits. Also skip it if you need all-day battery life, weather sealing, or a tilting screen for vlogging. Travel photographers should look elsewhere too, since the battery and build quality make it a liability on long trips. For a bit more money, a used Panasonic FZ series bridge camera or an entry-level mirrorless body with a kit lens will give you better autofocus and battery life, though you'll sacrifice some zoom reach.

Should you buy the Kodak PIXPRO AZ425? If you want maximum zoom for minimum money and you're willing to work around slow autofocus and terrible battery life, yes. It's a niche tool, but it fills that niche cheaply. The 42X zoom is genuinely fun, and the IBIS helps more than you'd expect at this price.

But if you need a camera that focuses quickly, lasts more than a few hours, or feels like it won't break if you sneeze on it, skip this. The AZ425 is a one-trick pony, and the trick is zoom. For everyone else, a used mirrorless body or a higher-end bridge camera from Panasonic or Sony will serve you better in the long run.