The digital camera I bought — and the two I considered

Like seemingly everyone else on the internet, I wanted a digital camera.

I love the not quite perfect, nostalgic look of digital and film photography, they actually capture the feel of memories rather than sucking the emotion out of the picture like those perfectly crisp smart phone photos that seem to edit themselves even when you don’t want them to. I didn't, however, want to spend a fortune on a camera that I may well lose on a night out or buy something so complicated / expensive that I'd never actually take it anywhere.

So, I did some research.

I set out wanting something small enough to throw in my handbag or pocket, easy to use, capable of taking good-quality photos and (most importantly) something that would give me the slightly vintage, film-like look I wanted.

I ended up narrowing my search down to three affordable Kodak cameras: the PIXPRO FZ45, PIXPRO C1 and PIXPRO FZ55.

Spoiler: I bought the FZ55.

I've had it for almost two years now and have taken it to Singapore, all around Australia, to numerous events, and milestones, including my 21st.  So, as well as comparing the three cameras I thought I'd share why I decided to spend a little more to get the FZ55 and whether I think it was actually worth it.

First, what's the difference?

If you're currently staring at three almost-identically named Kodak cameras wondering what the heck the difference is, don’t worry I’ve been there. Here’s the short version:

The FZ45 and FZ55 are the most directly comparable as they’re both classic ‘point-and-shoot’ digital cameras, the FZ55 just has a few upgrades that cost a little more.

The C1 is fairly different from the other two, its flip-up screen makes it more useful for taking selfies or higher quality videos.

For me, the decision came down to whether the upgrades on the FZ55 were actually worth paying extra for, I decided that they were.

Kodak PIXPRO FZ45 — the most affordable option

This camera is for you if your main priority is a simple digital camera that won’t break the bank.

It has a 16 mega pixel (MP) sensor, 4x optical zoom and a 27mm wide-angle lens, as well as 1080 pixel HD video, it's a straightforward ‘point-and-shoot’ camera which is exactly what some people are after.

The biggest thing that made me hesitate was that it runs on two AA batteries.

That's not necessarily a negative as being able to buy replacement batteries practically anywhere could actually be quite useful when travelling, but personally I preferred the idea of being able to recharge my camera.

And when I was comparing them, the FZ55 was only around $50 more so once I compared what that extra money got me I decided I'd rather spend a little more upfront.

I'd go for the FZ45 if: you want a classic ‘point-and-shoot’ digital camera, don't particularly care about having the extra zoom, and see the rechargeable battery as a positive, also it’s slightly cheaper than the FZ55.

https://link.amazon/B01wntB2e

Kodak PIXPRO C1 — the cute little wildcard

The C1 is the most different of the three.

It's an ultra-compact 13MP camera with a ‘fixed-focus lens’ meaning it doesn’t have the zoom capabilities of the FZ45 or FZ55, what you do get instead is a 180-degree tilting screen! This immediately makes it the much easier option for taking selfies and framing yourself when filming, the C1 also offers 1080 pixel video at up to 60fps and USB-C charging.

So, although on paper some of its photography specifications aren't as strong as the FZ55 I don't think I'd describe it as the worse camera, it just seems to be aimed at a slightly different person.

For me, though, I wanted the slightly higher camera quality (16MP vs 13MP) and wanted the  option to zoom which ultimately pushed the C1 out of the running.

I'd go for the C1 if: you particularly want the flip-up screen, love taking selfies or little videos, and prioritise these over being able to zoom.

https://link.amazon/B0gZ8rB1b

Kodak PIXPRO FZ55 — the one I actually bought

And finally, the winner of my extensive camera research: the Kodak PIXPRO FZ55.

The FZ55 has a 16MP sensor, 5x optical zoom, 28mm wide-angle lens and rechargeable lithium-ion battery, there are also plenty of settings you can fiddle around with to change the look of your photos, which has been fun as I've gotten more comfortable using it. But there aren't so many settings that picking up the camera becomes intimidating.

Having owned it for a while, I'm really happy I spent the extra money. The biggest thing for me is that I really love the photos it takes.

They have exactly the slightly nostalgic, vintage feel I wanted from a digital camera.

They're still good-quality photos, but they don't have that almost too perfect quality that modern phone cameras can sometimes have, instead they’re the kind of pictures I want to print out, put in photo albums and find again in twenty years.

Probably the biggest compliment I can give it is that I regularly use it.

Photos I've taken with the FZ55

All of these photos were taken on my Kodak PIXPRO FZ55, I’ve left them unedited so you can see what comes straight from the camera.

https://link.amazon/B01cJfOcR

So, which one would I choose?

Having researched all three and actually bought one of them, I think it comes down to what you want from your camera.

If I just wanted the simplest ‘point-and-shoot’ option: I'd get the FZ45.

If I wanted something for selfies and videos: I'd get the C1.

If I wanted the best all-rounder and didn't mind spending a little more: I'd choose the FZ55.

And obviously, that's exactly what I did.

For me, spending that extra $50 (AUD) was worth it as I got the rechargeable battery and extra zoom and I've ended up with a camera that I really enjoy using.

Is it the fanciest camera in the world? Definitely not.

But that's not what I wanted.

I wanted a cute little camera that I could throw in my bag, carry around with me and use to document my life, without needing to become a professional photographer first.

And for that, the FZ55 has been pretty much exactly what I was looking for.