Minolta ProShot MN40Z Black

The 40x optical zoom is the only reason to consider this camera, and the stabilization helps make it usable. But the autofocus ranks dead last in our database with just five AF points, and the overall score of 26.3 out of 100 is rough. At around $320 in the US, you're paying for zoom reach and not much else.

Let's talk about that 40x optical zoom first, because it's the reason anyone would buy this camera. The 24-960mm equivalent range is genuinely versatile, and the optical image stabilization does real work here, ranking in the 76th percentile. That's solid for a budget bridge camera and it makes handheld shots at the long end actually possible. The 20MP 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor is a small sensor, ranking in the 28th percentile, so you're getting phone-camera-sized pixels with a big zoom lens bolted on. Low light performance will be limited, and the ISO 100-3200 range confirms that.

The burst mode hits 6fps mechanical, which lands in the 62nd percentile. Not bad for casual wildlife or sports shots, but the autofocus will struggle to keep up. Five AF points is the kind of spec you'd find on a camera from 2010, and it ranks in the 1st percentile. Dead last. Subject Detection sounds nice in the marketing copy, but with only five points to work with, it's more of a suggestion than a feature. Video tops out at 1080p at 30fps, which ranks in the 23rd percentile. Fine for casual clips, but this is not a video camera.

Stacked against the competition, the MN40Z doesn't hold up well. The Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX and Nikon Z5 are full-frame mirrorless cameras in a completely different league, but even the Sony Alpha a6400, which is a few years old now, has a 425-point AF system compared to the Minolta's five. The Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III and Fujifilm X-T3 both offer weather sealing and far better video specs. The only area where the MN40Z competes is zoom range, and even then, you're trading image quality and autofocus reliability for reach. For the same money as a used a6400 body, you're getting a camera that ranks in the 1st percentile for autofocus.

Pricing is all over the place depending on where you look. US listings hover around $320 to $330, which is budget territory for a bridge camera. But the EUR 915 listing in Italy is absurd for what you're getting. At the US price, you're paying for the zoom range and not much else. The 4x AAA battery setup means you'll be buying batteries constantly, and the included 32GB SD card is a nice touch but doesn't offset the weak autofocus and dated video specs. If you can find this under $300, it's a maybe. Above that, you're better off saving for something with a modern AF system.

The Minolta ProShot MN40Z is a bridge camera that promises a lot on paper, 40x optical zoom, 20MP stills, Wi-Fi, and a 24-960mm equivalent focal range. But our database tells a different story. This thing scores 26.3 out of 100 overall, which puts it near the bottom of the barrel for bridge cameras. The zoom range is genuinely useful, but almost everything else about the shooting experience feels like a compromise.

The headline number is that 40x zoom. You get a 24-960mm equivalent lens with optical image stabilization that ranks in the 76th percentile, which is actually the best thing about this camera. The stabilization helps tame that long end for handheld shots. But the autofocus system ranks dead last in our database, 1st percentile. Five AF points in 2024 is rough, and it shows in real-world use.

Skip this if you care about autofocus, video quality, or build. The five-point AF system ranks in the 1st percentile, which means moving subjects, low light, and even casual portraits will be a struggle. Video shooters should look elsewhere too, 1080p at 30fps in the 23rd percentile is not competitive. And if you're planning to shoot in anything but ideal conditions, the lack of weather sealing and the 17th percentile build quality should give you pause. This is a fair-weather zoom camera and nothing more.

The Minolta ProShot MN40Z is a one-trick pony, and that trick is the 40x zoom. If you need massive reach on a budget and you're willing to work around the autofocus limitations, it can work. But a 26.3 out of 100 overall score tells the real story. The stabilization is decent, the zoom is fun, and everything else feels like it's from a different era. For casual backyard birding or a kid's first camera with a big zoom, it's passable. For anything else, look elsewhere.