Kodak PIXPRO Astro Zoom AZ421-BK 16MP Digital Camera with 42X Optical Zoom and 3" LCD Screen (Black)

I love my camera. This was a great value for quality, all the different functions, easy to handle, the size, and it's so easy to use. I also purchased this case from Amazon that it's sitting in. I love it!!

The pictures were taken from 300 ft (I measured with rope & tape measure) First picture was taken with no zoom. Last picture was not the max zoom, about 75% After this range pictures start to blur.I took a video of these guys at about 50-60% zoom worked pretty good. A tripod was used for all pictures. I've gotten some decent pictures shooting freehand, but cannot go much past 50% zoom before blurring. I've used several different kinds of cameras throughout my life (lose or break them) This is a nice camera.Note on battery issues: I see many reviews for cameras & other items that use this type of battery complaining of battery issues. First, batteries must be fully charged before first use. They must be brought to full charge withoutinterruption. 2nd, these type of batteries need to be used and recharged after 3-4 months, they will last longer with less problems. Last, turning camera on & off to conserve battery does not work. every time camera comes on or off the motor comes on, same with zooming. Try limiting motor use. I always carry 2 extra batteries

I bought this because I wanted to do some bird photography, and clip-on zoom lenses with my smartphone weren't cutting it in terms of quality OR zoom level.I adore this camera. The zoom is POWERFUL and the macro function works well. The image stabilization is great -- zoom without image stabilization is kind of useless, so that's always an important thing in a camera. The batteries also seem to last a long time.It isn't the *perfect* camera, so be sure to read the description and make sure it's right for you before you buy. Zooming in on things closer than about 50 feet results in less than stellar image quality (compare the photos of the eagle and woodpecker, 55' and 40' away, vs. the chipmunk and sparrow, 10' and 25' away).Also note that it does not support certain memory cards. Although, honestly, I've used certain unsupported memory cards with it and they've worked fine -- but I've used other unsupported memory cards and they didn't work at all. So best to just use one of the cards that it supports.I also want to point out that the higher you go in terms of zoom number (the "32x" or whatever), the smaller a difference it makes. The difference between 1x and 2x is huge, but the difference between 49x and 50x is pretty small. So if you wanted to save some money by getting a 40x zoom instead of a 45x zoom or whatever, it probably wouldn't make that much of a difference.My only minor complaint is straps. I wasn't sure how to attach the camera strap so I just kind of tied it on there and I don't know if it's right -- also there's a little hook on the lens cap to attach a string and keep it from falling and getting lost when you turn the camera on, but there's no place on the camera to tie the other end of the string. But those are EXTREMELY minor issues, and well worth everything else.In short -- BUY THIS CAMERA, it's an amazing thing to get for under $100.

Some reviews say "my phone can take better photos!". At close range, your $1000+ flagship can probably take better photos. At a distance, though, this camera shines. It can go up to 100x digital zoom, and 42x optical zoom. Let me explain quick. Digital zoom zooms using AI basically. It looses quality the further you zoom. You can do that up to 100x. Optical zoom is where the camera takes a photo with up to 42x zoom with the same quality as 1x zoom. Which is how this camera shines. The first photo was taken at 32x zoom (white and red plane). The second photo was taken at 7x zoom (green, white and blue plane). The third photo was taken at no zoom (black plane). And the last photo was taken at 20x zoom on a 100 degree day (so heat blur). It is an amazing camera for a lot of zoom. Sturdy as well, I have dropped it a few times with no visible damage, and the value is amazing! $150-175 for a camera this good is amazing.

16MP photos with 42x optical zoom for less than $160! This camera is a terrific value for the options you get. I once had a Fuji camera that was comparable, but I paid way more than $160 for it. This camera is a beauty and will be in my possession for a long time. Perfect.Update: 12/8/2017. After having this camera for over a year, I still stand by my original statement in that it is a great camera. I have had problems however with indoor, low-lighting shots. For example, a children's Christmas singing pageant had pics and videos that came out very orange and blurry, no matter what setting I used (and I was using a tripod), and also in 'It's a Small World' at Disney. Hope that song isn't stuck in your head now. But the lighting in there is similar (low-light, moving animatronics), and all of the shots I took were blurry and useless. Was trying to get reaction shots of a three-year-old (my granddaughter), but none were usable. Outdoor pics and videos are ace! Long zoom photos are ace if you use a tripod and delayed shutter. I use the two second delay so the camera has time to stabilize after I've hit the shutter button. Indoor shots with low-lighting are a problem. Not sure how to overcome this.