Kodak PIXPRO AZ255 White

A $200 zoom lens with a mediocre camera attached. The 25x reach is fun, but everything else feels like a compromise.

The 25x optical zoom is the headline feature, and it's genuinely useful for getting close to distant subjects without moving. But the 1/2.3-inch sensor is small, and our database puts it right in the middle of the pack for sensor quality. The 1080p video is fine for casual clips, but there's no stabilization, so handheld footage gets shaky fast. The 3-inch fixed LCD is basic, and the burst shooting sits near the bottom third of cameras we've tested. Eye AF sounds fancy, but on this sensor it's more of a checkbox than a feature.

The Sony Alpha a6400 and Nikon Z50 are in a completely different league, with larger APS-C sensors, better autofocus, and 4K video. They cost three to four times as much, but the gap in image quality is enormous. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and Panasonic Lumix G85 both offer in-body stabilization, which the AZ255 completely lacks. If you want a budget zoom camera, the AZ255 competes more with older point-and-shoots than with any of these mirrorless options.

At $200-215 with a memory card thrown in, it's cheap. But cheap doesn't mean good value. You're paying for the zoom range and not much else. The sensor, display, and stabilization all lag behind what you'd get from a used mirrorless or even a decent smartphone. If you just want a camera for family snapshots and don't care about image quality, fine. Otherwise, save your money.

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ255 is a budget bridge camera that feels like it wandered into the wrong party. It's listed as a mirrorless camera, but it's really a point-and-shoot with a big zoom lens bolted on. The one thing to know: you're getting a 25x optical zoom and a 16MP sensor for around $200, which sounds tempting until you realize the compromises stack up fast.

If you're looking for a real mirrorless camera with interchangeable lenses, 4K video, or any kind of stabilization, this isn't it. Go get a used Sony a6400 or Panasonic G85 instead. If you want something for vlogging or low light, skip this entirely and use your phone or save up for a proper camera.

Skip it. The Kodak PIXPRO AZ255 is a bridge camera pretending to be a mirrorless camera, and it doesn't do either job well. The zoom is nice, but without stabilization and with a small sensor, you're better off with a used mirrorless body and a kit lens, or even your phone for most shots.