Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 Kodak - Review 🏆

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 is a bridge camera featuring a 42x optical zoom lens and a 20MP BSI CMOS sensor. As a bridge camera, the AZ425 sits between compact point-and-shoot cameras and DSLRs, offering an extended zoom range in a relatively compact body compared to DSLRs. The AZ425's 42x zoom lens provides a very versatile 24-1,008mm equivalent focal length range, letting you capture wide landscapes and get extremely close to distant subjects. The 20MP sensor is capable of recording full HD 1080p video at 30fps. The AZ425 has a 3" LCD screen and an electronic viewfinder for composing shots. Overall, the AZ425 is designed to provide a high level of zoom versatility in a user-friendly package. It's a good option for photographers who want an extended zoom range for travel and everyday use but don't want the bulk of a DSLR and multiple lenses.

Design and Handling

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 has a sleek and stylish design with a matte black finish. It has a bridge camera form factor that combines aspects of DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras. The body dimensions are 5 x 3.1 x 4.6 inches and it weighs approximately 17 ounces, making it a lightweight and portable camera that can easily fit into a bag or backpack.

The AZ425 has a deep handgrip that allows you to firmly hold the camera, even with one hand. The grip is coated with a textured rubber material that provides extra stability. All of the buttons and dials are ergonomically placed for easy access. On the top you'll find the power button, mode dial, zoom lever, shutter button and a dedicated video record button. The back houses a 3-inch LCD screen and buttons for playback, menu, display and delete.

Overall, the AZ425 offers a well-designed body with thoughtful button placement that makes operating the camera comfortable and intuitive. The handgrip and light weight ensure steady handling for crisp photos and videos.

Similarly, the Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD is designed with user comfort in mind. It features a compact body that caters well to both novice and experienced photographers. The camera includes a 16 megapixel sensor and a powerful 25x optical zoom, allowing for versatile shooting options. Its lightweight design also emphasizes portability, making it an ideal choice for travel photography. For more details, check out the Kodak PIXPRO AZ252-RD.

Image Sensor and Processor

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 features a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with an effective resolution of 20 megapixels. This allows it to capture detailed images with a maximum resolution of 5184 x 3888 pixels.

The camera utilizes a Venus Engine image processor, which enables fast processing speeds and good high ISO performance. The sensor and processor combination enables a native ISO range of 100-3200, which can be expanded to 6400.

The 20MP 1/2.3-inch sensor provides plenty of resolution for large prints or heavy cropping. While high megapixel counts on small sensors can sometimes introduce more noise, the Venus Engine helps control noise levels even at higher ISOs. This makes the AZ425 well-suited for low light shooting.

In addition to the AZ425, the Kodak DC9200 is another excellent model from Kodak, known for its versatile features and user-friendly interface. With a focus on enhancing photography experiences, the DC9200 offers high-quality image output and reliable performance. It allows users to explore advanced photographic techniques while maintaining ease of use, making it suitable for both beginners and more experienced photographers.

Optics

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 features a powerful 42x optical zoom lens, offering an extremely versatile focal range equivalent to 24-1,008mm in 35mm format. This allows you to capture wide-angle landscapes and group shots at 24mm, all the way to super telephoto reach for distant subjects.

The lens has a maximum aperture range of f/3.1 at wide angle and f/6.8 at full telephoto. This allows for good light gathering ability and enables blurred background effects. The aspherical lens elements help control chromatic aberrations and distortions.

For steadying the long telephoto focal lengths, the AZ425 incorporates a lens-shift type optical image stabilization system. This compensates for camera shake and allows you to handhold the camera at slower shutter speeds, making it great for low light shooting without a tripod. The stabilization system is also essential when recording video footage.

Overall, the generous zoom range, fast aperture, and effective image stabilization make the optics on the Kodak AZ425 very versatile for an array of shooting scenarios.

Autofocus and Shooting Speed

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 has a contrast-detect autofocus system that is fairly quick and accurate for a bridge camera in this price range. It can lock focus in around 0.2 seconds in bright light and only slows down slightly in dim conditions.

Continuous shooting maxes out at 1fps, which is quite slow. This makes the AZ425 unsuitable for capturing fast action. The shutter lag is minimal at around 0.05 seconds. Shot-to-shot time is approximately 1.2 seconds when shooting JPEG images. This slows down when shooting in RAW mode or using the flash.

Overall, the autofocus system is decent but the slow continuous shooting rate limits the AZ425's capabilities for action photography. It performs fine for stationary subjects but struggles to keep up with moving subjects. The shutter lag and shot-to-shot times are typical for an affordable bridge camera.

Video Quality

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 can record Full HD 1080p video at 30fps, delivering smooth and detailed footage. It also offers 720p HD recording at 60fps for capturing fast action smoothly. The high resolution 1080p mode is great for everyday videos and vlogging, while the faster frame rate of 720p is useful for sports and action shots.

For file formats, you can choose between MOV and MP4. MOV offers higher quality but larger files, while MP4 provides more convenience and smaller files for sharing online. The camera records stereo audio using its built-in microphones. While the quality is decent, an external mic can help capture improved sound for vlogging or interviews. The mic port allows you to connect an external microphone.

Overall, the video capabilities of the AZ425 are strong for its class. The combination of 1080p resolution with 30fps and 720p at 60fps provides versatility for different types of videos. The ability to connect an external microphone is also a nice touch.

Display

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 has a 3.0-inch LCD screen with 460k dots resolution. The screen is fixed and does not articulate. There is no electronic viewfinder, you compose images using the rear LCD screen. A 3-inch screen is fairly standard for bridge cameras in this class. The 460k dot resolution delivers a decent level of detail for reviewing photos and video, but is not as sharp as higher resolution screens. Overall the fixed LCD screen is functional but unremarkable. An articulating screen would have been a nice feature for flexibility when shooting from challenging positions. The lack of a viewfinder may be an issue for photographers who prefer composing shots through a viewfinder. But the AZ425 targets more casual users who are accustomed to shooting with the LCD screen.

Connectivity

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 offers a decent range of connectivity options for a bridge camera in this price range. On the side there is a mini HDMI port for connecting to TVs or external monitors. There's also a micro USB port for charging and data transfer.

For audio, there is a microphone input if you want to use an external microphone for improved sound quality on videos. A headphone jack allows monitoring audio while recording.

For wireless connectivity, the AZ425 has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. The WiFi makes it easy to transfer photos to your smartphone for sharing. Bluetooth allows pairing with smart devices.

The AZ425 does not have built-in GPS for geotagging images. However, you can geotag photos by pairing the camera with a smartphone that has GPS and using the PIXPRO remote viewfinder app.

Overall the connectivity options are quite good for a bridge camera at this price point. The inclusion of mic and headphone jacks, HDMI, and wireless connectivity provides a range of ways to transfer and share photos and videos from the camera.

Battery Life

The Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that provides enough power for approximately 400 shots per charge based on CIPA standards. This is decent battery life for a bridge superzoom camera.

Charging options for the AZ425 include charging the battery in-camera via the supplied USB cable and AC adapter. This allows you to charge the battery while it's inserted in the camera body. There is also an external charger included that charges the battery outside of the camera. So you can charge one battery in the camera while charging a spare battery in the external charger simultaneously. Having a spare battery is recommended for all-day shooting sessions or travel so you don't miss photo opportunities while recharging.

Overall, the AZ425 offers solid battery performance for its class. The lithium-ion battery capacity combined with external charging options help maximize shooting time. Just be sure to pack a spare battery for long days of photography.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Powerful 42x optical zoom lens provides excellent versatility and reach

• Wide 24mm angle lens great for landscapes and architecture

• Large 1/2.3" image sensor captures good quality 20MP photos

• Fast autofocus and 10fps burst shooting capability

• Shoots full HD 1080p video

• Good manual controls and customization options

• Articulating 3" LCD makes shooting at odd angles easier

• WiFi and NFC connectivity for image transfer

• Long battery life - up to 400 shots per charge

Cons:

• Image quality suffers a bit at high ISOs above 800

• No RAW shooting capability

• No electronic viewfinder - LCD can be hard to see in bright sunlight

• Bulky and heavy body not ideal for travel

• No external mic input for video recording

• Autofocus can struggle in low light conditions

• No 4K video recording option

Overall, the Kodak PIXPRO AZ425 offers a lot of zoom range and decent photo/video features for the price. Image quality is fairly good but not spectacular. The lack of RAW support and a viewfinder may limit enthusiasts. Still a good value bridge camera for those seeking long zoom range without interchangeable lenses.