Kodak PIXPRO AZ405-BK Kodak - Review 🏆

The Kodak Pixpro AZ405 is a mid-range superzoom digital camera that aims to offer a good balance of features, performance, and value. Released in 2022, it features a 20MP BSI CMOS sensor and a massive 40x optical zoom lens with a 35mm focal length equivalent of 24-960mm. This provides exceptional versatility, allowing you to shoot wide landscapes and distant subjects without needing to change lenses. The AZ405 is designed as an easy-to-use camera for travel, family events, and everyday photography. Key features include full HD 1080p video, sensor-shift image stabilization, a 3" LCD screen, and built-in WiFi for sharing photos. The AZ405 delivers good image quality for its class, although low light performance is just average. Its superzoom lens maintains decent sharpness throughout the zoom range. Overall, the Kodak Pixpro AZ405 is a compelling choice for those seeking an affordable, high zoom camera for casual and vacation photography.

Design

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ405 has a sleek and stylish design that makes it easy to carry around. It measures 4.7 x 3.3 x 5.1 inches and weighs just over 1 pound, so it can fit into a bag or purse without adding too much bulk. Despite its light weight, the camera has a solid build quality thanks to its metal and high-grade plastic construction. The body has a textured grip on the right side to help provide a secure hold when shooting. Overall, the design allows for portability and one-handed use while still feeling sturdy. The lens also retracts into the body when powered off, maintaining the compact form factor for storage and transport. While not overly fancy, the simple design gets the job done for photographers needing a lightweight long zoom camera option.

The Kodak PIXPRO FZ45 offers a similar portable design with advanced features in a compact form. It measures 3.8 x 1.1 x 2.4 inches and weighs only 4.6 ounces, making it even more convenient for travel. The FZ45 boasts a 16-megapixel sensor and a 4x optical zoom lens, providing versatility for different shooting situations. Additionally, it includes various shooting modes and a simple interface, making it accessible for beginners and hobbyists alike. Its budget-friendly price combined with its feature set makes it a great option for those looking for an easy-to-use, compact camera.

Image Quality

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ405-BK features a 20MP CMOS image sensor, which delivers sharp and detailed photos. The camera utilizes a BIONZ X image processor, which helps produce vivid colors and good low-light performance.

Images have a resolution of 5184 x 3888 pixels, providing enough detail for printing enlarged photos. The sensor and processor combination enables the camera to capture fine details and textures in both bright and dim lighting.

While 20MP may be lower resolution than some advanced cameras, it's sufficient for most casual photographers who want to take high quality photos without dealing with extremely large image files. The image processing helps provide pleasing JPEG photos straight from the camera.

Overall, the image quality from the 20MP sensor and processing is suitable for vacation photos, family snapshots, and everyday use. It provides enough resolution for large prints while keeping file sizes manageable.

The Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2 is a rugged, waterproof camera designed for adventure enthusiasts. Featuring a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, it captures high-quality images even in challenging conditions. With waterproofing up to 15 meters, shockproofing from 2 meters, and freeze-proof capabilities down to -10°C, the WPZ2 is built to withstand extreme environments. Additionally, it includes wireless connectivity for easy sharing and remote control via a smartphone. This makes the Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2 an ideal companion for outdoor activities, ensuring you don't miss a moment.

Zoom Lens

The Kodak Pixpro AZ405-BK is equipped with a powerful 40x optical zoom lens, allowing you to get incredibly close to your subject without losing image quality. The wide 24mm angle is useful for capturing expansive landscapes and large group shots.

At the 40x maximum zoom, you can capture stunning close-up shots of wildlife, sports, and distant objects. The Intelligent Digital Zoom can further enhance the zoom up to 80x while minimizing loss of image quality. Even at full zoom, the lens maintains sharpness and detail across the frame.

The 24-960mm focal length range gives you great versatility for everything from wide landscape vistas to detailed telephoto shots. Whether you are shooting sweeping cityscapes or a shy bird perched on a branch, the impressive zoom range has you covered. Even in low light conditions, the lens performs well and keeps image stabilization steady.

Overall, the 40x optical zoom with 24mm wide angle provides exceptional flexibility and reach in a compact point-and-shoot camera body. It's a great all-around lens for travel and day-to-day use.

Video Recording

The PIXPRO AZ405-BK can record full HD 1080p video at 30 frames per second. This allows you to capture high-quality videos with smooth motion. The optical zoom is available while recording video, allowing you to zoom in up to 40x while maintaining full HD resolution. This gives you a lot of flexibility for shooting video at different focal lengths.

Overall, the 1080p video capabilities make the AZ405-BK a capable camera for casual videography. The quality is good enough for sharing vacation videos online or creating short films. However, advanced users may want a camera with higher frame rates at 1080p or 4K video capabilities. The AZ405-BK is best suited for hobbyists looking for good HD video on a budget.

LCD Screen

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ405-BK has a 3 inch LCD screen on the back of the camera. The screen is bright and colorful, making it easy to compose shots and review images and videos. The LCD has a resolution of 460,000 dots, providing a sharp and detailed view even in bright daylight.

One handy feature of the screen is that it can tilt up to 180 degrees, allowing you to easily take selfies or shoot at high or low angles. The screen flips out and swivels to face forwards. This vari-angle design adds a lot of versatility for composing creative shots from otherwise difficult positions.

Overall, the LCD screen on the AZ405 performs well. It's sharp, vivid, and the vari-angle design expands your creative options. The screen makes it easy to see your shots for framing and reviewing. While not as large as some screens, the 3 inch display gets the job done and offers good quality.

Connectivity

The Kodak Pixpro AZ405-BK has decent connectivity options for a budget camera. It has a micro HDMI port to connect to TVs for viewing photos and videos on a larger screen. There is also a micro USB 2.0 port which can be used to charge the camera and transfer photos to a computer.

For wireless connectivity, the AZ405-BK has built-in WiFi. This allows you to connect the camera to your smartphone via the Pixpro app to transfer images, as well as remotely control the camera. Bluetooth is unfortunately not included.

Overall the connectivity options are fairly basic but suitable for a camera in this price range. The addition of WiFi is a nice touch and adds convenience for transferring photos wirelessly. However, the lack of Bluetooth and NFC is a bit disappointing. The micro HDMI and USB ports provide wired connectivity for image transfer and charging when needed.

Battery Life

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ405 has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides enough power for around 180 shots per charge, based on CIPA standards. This is a relatively low battery rating compared to some other superzoom cameras which can snap over 300 shots before needing to be recharged.

The battery life should be sufficient for day trips and short excursions. However, on longer trips, carrying a spare battery is recommended. The camera uses a micro USB port for charging, so it's easy to bring along a portable USB battery pack for topping it up on the go if needed.

Overall, the battery performance is mediocre. Casual users won't have too much of an issue, but more active photographers may want to invest in extra batteries. Just be aware that you'll need to charge frequently if you're taking a lot of photos or videos in a single day.

Pros and Cons

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ405 has some notable pros and cons to consider:

Pros

• Impressive 40x optical zoom lens provides a ton of versatility for shooting subjects near and far
• 20MP sensor delivers good image quality and resolution for printing
• 1080p full HD video recording
• Large 3-inch LCD screen makes composing shots and reviewing images easy
• Good value and affordable price point for a superzoom camera
• Compact, lightweight design that's easy to carry around

Cons

• Image quality suffers a bit at high ISOs, especially in low light
• No RAW shooting format for advanced editing
• Lacks manual exposure controls
• Autofocus can struggle in low light conditions
• Some plastic build quality feels a bit cheap
• No built-in viewfinder
• Mediocre battery life

Overall, the AZ405 packs in a long zoom range and decent specs for the price, making it a good choice for beginners looking for an easy-to-use superzoom. More advanced users may want more controls and better low light performance. But if you want an affordable camera to capture subjects near and far, the AZ405 is a solid option.

Conclusion

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ405 is a decent budget-friendly superzoom camera for those wanting an extremely versatile zoom range. It packs in a 40x optical zoom lens starting from a wide 24mm, allowing you to capture everything from wide landscapes to distant subjects. Image quality is fairly decent for a camera at this price point, producing good color and detail as long as lighting is sufficient. Low light performance does suffer, but that's expected for this class of camera.

Video recording goes up to 1080p at 30fps, which is standard but won't provide buttery smooth footage. Autofocus can also struggle a bit when zooming in video mode. The rear LCD screen is adequate but on the smaller side at 3". Connectivity options are limited, with no built-in WiFi. Battery life is rated at around 200 shots per charge, so you'll want to pack a spare battery for all-day outings.

Overall, the AZ405 is a solid option for beginners seeking an ultra versatile zoom range to capture anything from wide landscapes to distant wildlife. Just don't expect stellar image quality in low light. For the price, it packs in an impressive 40x optical zoom that's hard to beat. If zoom range is your top priority for casual shooting, the Kodak PIXPRO AZ405 is a recommended choice.