Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD Kodak - Review 🏆

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD is a compact digital camera with a 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 25x optical zoom lens, and 3 inch LCD screen. Some of the key specifications include:

• 16MP 1/2.3" BSI CMOS sensor
• 25-625mm equivalent F3.1-5.8 lens
• 25x optical zoom
• 3 inch 920k dot LCD screen
• 1080p Full HD video recording
• ISO 80-3200
• 8fps continuous shooting
• Built-in WiFi and NFC
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery

The AZ252-RD is designed to be an affordable ultra zoom camera for those looking for high zoom capabilities in a compact form factor. It offers an impressive 25x optical zoom lens while still being small enough to fit in your pocket. Some of the notable features include built-in WiFi for wirelessly transferring images, full HD 1080p video recording, and a 16 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor.

Design & Build Quality

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD has a compact and lightweight design despite its powerful 25x optical zoom lens. The camera body is made of high-quality polycarbonate plastic which keeps the weight down to just 341g. The materials feel durable enough to withstand normal wear and tear.

The dimensions of the AZ252-RD are 4.7 x 3.1 x 3.8 inches, so it can fit into a pants pocket or small bag when not using the zoom lens. Overall the build quality is decent for a budget superzoom camera, though not as rugged as higher-end models. The mostly plastic construction helps make this an affordable zoom camera for beginners.

In comparison, the Kodak PIXPRO AZ401-BK offers enhanced features, including a 40x optical zoom lens, making it an excellent choice for capturing distant subjects. Despite the increased zoom capacity, it maintains a lightweight body, weighing around 408g. The AZ401-BK's design is user-friendly, accommodating both seasoned photographers and newcomers, ensuring ease of use while producing high-quality images. For more information, check out the Kodak PIXPRO AZ401-BK.

Image Quality

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252 has a 16MP 1/2.3-inch BSI CMOS sensor, which is fairly standard for bridge cameras in this price range. It can capture images at up to 4608 x 3456 pixels, which allows for prints up to 13 x 19 inches.

The sensor and DIGIC 4+ image processor deliver good image quality overall for a budget superzoom camera. Photos show decent color reproduction and sharpness in bright lighting conditions. However, low light performance is limited, with more visible noise in dim conditions or high ISO settings. The maximum ISO is 3200, but image quality starts to deteriorate noticeably around ISO 800. This can make it challenging to capture sharper handheld shots indoors or at night without flash.

The AZ252 has various scene modes to help optimize settings for different shooting situations, such as landscapes, portraits, night scenes, and more. There are also manual controls and semi-manual modes like shutter priority and aperture priority, allowing more advanced users to take creative control over exposure settings. Overall, image quality is quite good for casual use, but not on par with higher-end bridge cameras. Low light shooting is the main limitation.

In contrast, the Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 is equipped with a 20MP sensor and a powerful 42x optical zoom, which enhances its versatility, especially for outdoor photography. This camera's advanced image stabilization helps to prevent blurriness in photos, making it a great choice for capturing distant subjects. For more features and information, visit the Kodak PIXPRO AZ425.

Zoom Capabilities

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD has impressive zoom capabilities thanks to its 25x optical zoom lens, which provides a 35mm focal length equivalent of 22.5-562.5mm. This versatile zoom range lets you capture wide landscapes and architecture shots on the wide end, and get super close to distant subjects like wildlife and sports on the telephoto end.

The lens also features optical image stabilization to help reduce blur from camera shake when shooting at long zoom lengths or in low light conditions. This is useful for getting sharper handheld shots when zoomed in. According to Kodak, the stabilization provides up to a 3.0 stop advantage for reducing blur. Overall, the generous 25x optical zoom lens with image stabilization makes this camera quite capable for travel, nature, and general photography needing flexibility in focal lengths.

Video Quality

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252 has decent video capabilities for a budget camera. It can shoot full HD 1080p video at 30fps, which will provide reasonably smooth and detailed footage. The camera also offers 720p HD video at 60fps for smoother motion capture of fast moving subjects.

For standard definition video, the AZ252 can record in 480p at 30fps. It supports MP4 video format for easy sharing and playback on computers and mobile devices. Overall, while not outstanding, the video quality is quite good for a camera in this price range and should suffice for casual home videos and online sharing. Just don't expect professional level video on par with higher-end cameras.

The optical zoom can be used while recording video for dynamic zooming effects. There is also a dedicated video recording button to quickly switch to video mode. In terms of audio, the AZ252 has a built-in mono microphone. For better sound quality, you may want to use an external mic input.

Autofocus & Shooting Speed

The PIXPRO AZ252-RD has decent autofocus performance for a budget camera. It offers several autofocus modes including Face Detection, Tracking, Multi-area, Center, and Spot.

Face Detection works fairly well at identifying and locking focus on people's faces. This is useful for portraits and group shots. Tracking mode allows you to select a subject to stay focused on as it moves around the frame.

In good lighting conditions, autofocus is relatively quick and accurate. However, in low light it can struggle and hunt back and forth before locking focus.

The shot-to-shot delay is acceptable but not lighting fast. You'll wait about 1-2 seconds between shots when using the viewfinder. When shooting continuously, it can capture around 1 fps. This is decent but not ideal for fast action.

Overall, the autofocus system gets the job done well for casual shooting and snapshots. Just don't expect pro-level performance for sports or fast action photography. The focus speed and tracking ability is simply not on par with higher-end cameras. But for general everyday use, it's capable enough.

Display & Viewfinder

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252 has a 3 inch LCD display on the rear which is fairly standard for cameras in this class. The screen resolution is 460k dots which produces images that are reasonably sharp and detailed for previewing shots and reviewing photos. It would be nice if the screen was a bit bigger and higher resolution, but the AZ252's display gets the job done well enough.

One omission with the AZ252 is the lack of an eye-level viewfinder. You are limited to only using the rear LCD for composing photos and videos. An electronic viewfinder can be handy when shooting in very bright sunlight where glare on the rear screen can make it harder to see your subject. But not having a viewfinder does help keep the cost and size of the camera down. For the target audience, the rear LCD is likely sufficient for their needs.

Connectivity & Ports

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD offers a decent selection of connectivity options. It has built-in WiFi which allows you to wirelessly transfer photos and videos to your smartphone or tablet using the PIXPRO Remote Viewer app. Setting up the WiFi connection is straightforward.

For times when you want a faster or more reliable connection, the AZ252-RD has a micro HDMI port to connect directly to an HDTV. Images and videos display clearly in up to 1080p resolution. The camera lacks NFC and Bluetooth capabilities.

For charging and file transfers, the AZ252-RD has a micro USB 2.0 port. A USB cable is included in the box. The port can be used to charge the battery in-camera from a computer or wall charger. You can also plug the camera directly into a computer to transfer photos and videos. Transfer speeds feel a bit slow due to the older USB 2.0 standard, but get the job done.

Battery Life

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD uses a rechargeable LB-070 Lithium-Ion battery. This provides enough power for around 220 shots per charge, according to Kodak's estimates.

The battery life is decent but not exceptional. 220 shots per charge should be sufficient for a day or two of casual shooting. However, enthusiasts who plan to use the camera heavily may want to invest in a spare battery.

The battery takes around 3 hours to fully recharge once depleted. This is about average for this type of camera battery.

Overall, the battery life is solid if unremarkable. Casual users should get enough shots per charge for typical use. But heavy users will probably want a backup battery option for extended outings or trips.

Pros and Cons

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD has a number of notable pros and cons that are worth considering.

Pros

• Powerful 25x optical zoom lens provides excellent versatility for wide angle to super telephoto shots
• 16MP sensor captures decent image quality and resolution for a budget bridge camera
• Large 3" LCD screen makes composing shots and reviewing images easy
• Full HD 1080p video recording capability
• Good range of shooting modes for different situations
• Lightweight and compact body that is still comfortable to hold
• Affordable price point compared to higher-end bridge cameras

Cons

• Image quality is just average, especially in low light conditions
• Autofocus can be slow and struggle in low contrast scenarios
• No RAW shooting mode limits editing flexibility
• No electronic viewfinder only optical viewfinder
• Maximum aperture range of f/3.1-6.5 limits low light performance
• No wireless connectivity for image transfer or remote control
• Battery life could be better when shooting a lot of photos and videos

Overall, the AZ252-RD packs an impressive zoom range and feature set into an affordable package. Image quality and performance is suitable for casual users, but more demanding photographers may want more manual controls and better low light capability. Still, it's a versatile bridge camera for those on a budget.