KODAK Pixpro AZ401 - 16 Megapixel Digital Bridge Camera, Video Recording, 24mm Wide Angle, 7.6 cm LCD Screen, 180° Panorama - Red

The media could not be loaded. At the Amazon Prime Day price of £139, this Bridge Camera from Kodak is a bit of a bargain. However, this is an older device (introduced in 2017) and some of the whistles and bells you might have expected are not there!In particular, there is no WiFi or Bluetooth capability. So, to get your pictures onto a PC/tablet, you have to move the SD card or purchase a compatible (micro) USB cable - for about £4 on Amazon. NOTE, on this device, such a cable is for data transfer only - it will not charge the camera batteries 🔋This camera only supports SD cards formatted in FAT32 - so the maximum card size is 32GB. That's despite Amazon rather disappointingly trying to sell you a 64GB card in the listing!That said, a 32GB SD card in this 16MP camera has the capacity for 6000+ (best quality) photos - that should be sufficient for most mere mortals. As they were also on offer, I used a Kodak 32GB card and experienced no issues or buffering delays. However, any Class 10 SDHC card should be fine.Disappointingly, no USB cable or SD card is provided with the camera. You just get a neck strap, a lens cover and 4 low power AA batteries (that are intended for initial testing only).You can use alkaline or rechargeable AA batteries in the device. I opted for 4x lithium rechargeable AA batteries as they are powerful (3000mah) and the voltage remains at a constant 1.5v until they are fully discharged. I get 400+ photos from a set. Note, as I said above, batteries cannot be charged in situ - an external charger is required.For a 16MP device, picture quality is surprisingly good - except in poor light when things get a little grainy. The 40x optical zoom is amazing, though a tripod is a must for longer focal lengths (when camera shake can cause the auto-focus to get a bit confused). Within its range, the inbuilt flash is good.Oddly, there is also a digital zoom facility which takes the zoom capability up to a rather impractical x160!Alas, there is no viewfinder - just the LCD display. This can be tricky to see properly in direct sunlight. Creating a shadow by standing between the display and the sun helps!I suspect most people will use the camera in its auto mode. However, shutter priority, aperture priority and manuals modes are available. There are also macro and panorama features. To explore the camera's full capabilities, I would suggest downloading the full manual from the Kodak support site - there is a QR code link in the Quick Start document provided with the camera.Any standard screw-on tripod can be fitted to the camera base. I have successfully tried a mini tripod (placed on a table top) - in conjunction with the shutter timer facility, that's great for group shots.While the camera body is plastic, the build quality is good and, for the price, I am pleased. With the optical zoom lens, the camera has significant advantages over a point and shoot mobile 📱 device. It is also much better than most similarly priced bridge cameras on Amazon (which generally feature digital zooms - with a corresponding lack of image quality)....I have only made a couple of trial videos, but, I am rather impressed with the picture and sound quality. Note that video resolution is 720p HD rather than 4K.So, I believe it's a case of horses for courses. For someone at the start of discovering photography or anyone wanting a bit more than simple "point and shoot", this is an excellent value device. Just don't expect all of the whistles and bells of (much) more expensive bridge cameras. My grandson (14yo) and I are having great fun 😁 with ours!

This is a 'superzoom' camera with an impressive 40x optical zoom and a pop up flash. It's chunkier than I prefer, but with a reduced field of options in this field, I was attracted by the good price as well as the features. In shape and size it's more like a bridge camera than a compact, but it's still quite portable and certainly not the size or weight of an SLR or mirrorless. But its capabilities are far in advance of a phone. Phone cameras are remarkably good for what they are, but wildlife photography in particular is where they fall down. And at under £200, if you are going on a big holiday to somewhere with decent wildlife, it is a worthwhile investment.The camera runs on AA batteries (4) which do make it heavier (bear that in mind when looking at the weight) and more limited on rechargeability than lithium batteries, but on the plus side means replacements are easily and cheaply available.It's easy to use with good auto modes and there is no interchangeable lenses to worry about, making it a good choice for a more casual photographer who doesn't want to fiddle with settings. However there are all the options you'd expect for someone who does want a greater degree of control.

This is a nice light camera to use, very well priced and shutter is well positioned. Many options and good zoom function. So far, sea photos are nice; video is fairly clear but will mostly take still images and wildlife zoomed. Was surprised no proper short manual and a connector lead maybe or attached website, would not mind paying 20-30 extra to get a starter SD card and a lead, or a proper rechargeable system.On the downside as mentioned, you must have an SD card, and battery consumption seems high, especially multiple shot or video modes, so have 4 spare AA batteries available.A little niggle with the strap supplied & the way the lens cap attaches all a bit wobbly - the strap pulled through after a few days on my shoulder and I was lucky camera was not damaged where it fell in sand - still waiting on a padded storage case which is essential and not supplied.Card is not a problem, can be read by my laptop directly but I cannot understand why cameras need 4 batteries and don't have Eco mode or similar. Is it because Kodak sell batteries? Hopefully this will change in 2021-2022.

Amazing little camera, lightweight, easy to set up and use. Takes great photos and the zoom is incredible. My only grumble? The lens cap protection cap isn't tight enough and comes off easily so if you don't attach it with the cord you could easily use it but don't let that stop you buying a brilliant lightweight bridge camera.