Kodak PIXPRO FZ55 Compact Digital Camera: A Mechanical Engineer's Review

This time, I'll be reviewing the Kodak PIXPRO FZ55, a compact digital camera that has inexplicably become popular since around 2023 (apparently because of its retro Heisei-era aesthetic and low price).

I've been taking photos for my blog with my iPhone, and I was very satisfied with the camera's performance. However, it's difficult to shoot with one hand, and transferring data to non-Apple products is a hassle, so I decided to buy the much-talked-about Kodak PIXPRO FZ55 (it's cheap at around 20,000 yen).

I'm not very knowledgeable about cameras or photography myself, but as a mechanical engineer who designs engines, I will be reviewing it from an engineer's perspective, focusing on design, manufacturing, quality, and usability.

Opened

Following the review style of this blog, let's start by looking at the outer box.

This is the classic Kodak colored outer box. Back in the heyday of film, you could always find this colored film at convenience stores.

On the side, there's a sticker with a QR code that allows you to download the Japanese instruction manual.

This is likely due to cost considerations, as they've opted for a globally unified approach rather than creating separate Japanese-language packages.

Open the package and check the contents.

I've never bought a camera before, so I can't compare it, but it looks like a pretty luxurious set. Basically, it's designed to be usable with just the included accessories. However, the camera's internal memory is only 63MB, so you can only take about 5 or 6 photos; therefore, you'll need to provide your own SD card (an SD card is not included).

Next, we will check the service card, manual, and warranty.

Unfortunately, the warranty and manual are not available in Japanese.

The service card contained only one sentence: "Do not return the product before contacting JK Imaging Ltd." (The same message was written in 14 languages).

I wondered what JK Image Ltd was, so I looked it up and it seems to be an American company that has a licensing agreement with Kodak to manufacture and sell digital imaging products, mainly digital cameras.

Kodak, which went bankrupt in 2012, seems to have managed to rebuild itself successfully and is doing reasonably well as of 2025, when this was written.

Next, let's look at the tag attached to the device.

The back of the device lists the features of this model.

Generally, these kinds of tags highlight the product's main selling point, so we'll keep these features in mind when reviewing it.

appearance

Now let's take a closer look at the exterior.

It looks very similar in design to the compact digital cameras that were common in the mid-Heisei era. The rounded corners make it less likely to snag when placed in a pocket or bag, and it seems easy to take out, which is a nice design.

This is the back of the main unit.

The back features a 2.7-inch LCD monitor and various buttons. There aren't too many buttons, which is helpful as it makes setting and operating the device seem easy.

The button layout is very convenient as it can be operated with just one thumb, but the device is compact so it feels a little cramped in an adult male's hand (which is unavoidable).

This is the top of the main unit.

The power button, video shutter button, and shutter button are arranged side by side. Personally, I think it's a good layout because the video button and shutter button are separate, making it less likely to accidentally shoot video or still images.

Underside of main body

From the left side, you'll find the battery compartment, the SD card slot, and the threaded hole for a tripod.

When you open the battery compartment cover, it looks like the picture below.

This is the side view of the main unit.

The left side is blank, while the right side has a strap attachment point and a USB port. The USB port is micro USB. It's a shame it's not the more common Type-C, but a cable is included, so I think it's not a problem (micro USB to Type A).

If you absolutely want to use it with USB Type-C, you will need to purchase a separate cable.

Micro USB to USB Type-C cable
I think even a 100-yen store item would be fine.

Incidentally, manufacturers apparently prefer micro USB, and the reason is that Type-C has become so widespread that they're worried users will connect everything to it.

This shows the overall size.

It's a compact size that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.

The detailed dimensions are as follows:

It's the weight.

It's lightweight at 118.5g including the battery.

The overall appearance and quality aren't particularly high-end, and it feels about right for the price, but it seems to have well-thought-out placement of necessary functions. It's a very compact and lightweight model, making it incredibly easy to carry and use, but adult men might find the hand position a little awkward when taking pictures.

Simple disassembly and battery/SD card installation

I took it apart briefly before installing the battery and SD card.

The way the insulating sheet is applied seems a little sloppy, but it looks like it's done reasonably well.

The LCD display was a general-purpose model from Giantplus Technology, a Taiwanese company that's fairly well-known in the industrial equipment market.

The component visible in the center of the main unit appears to be the CMOS sensor for the image processing unit. The soldering looks a bit sloppy.

As it's not mentioned in the instruction manual, it's naturally not waterproof or dustproof, so you should be careful in rain or heavy dust (such as volcanic ash or sand).

The overall internal quality shows some rough spots (soldering, insulation sheets, etc.), but it's well-made for the price. The sheet metal and injection molding are quite well done.

According to the outer box, this product is made in Myanmar (Burma), and it seems to be of pretty good quality. When you think of Myanmar, you probably picture the remarkable growth in the clothing and food sectors, but it seems that industrial products are also growing (in my experience, if you teach people in ASEAN countries properly, they are enthusiastic and diligent, so the quality is high).

The disassembly is complete; now we'll insert the battery and SD card (the SD card was purchased separately).

The battery is a single-cell lithium-ion battery with a voltage of 3.7V and a capacity of 700mAh.

I can't say for sure since I don't know the device's power consumption, but with a capacity of 700mAh, I don't think the battery life will be very long. If you continuously record video, it will probably last about an hour (the catalog says 1 hour and 30 minutes, but that's only under ideal conditions).

Insert the battery into the main unit by opening the battery compartment cover and placing it inside as shown in the following picture.

It appears to recognize SD cards up to 512GB.

Buffalo SD card 64GB
Personally, I trust Buffalo products, and considering the balance between price and capacity, I think 64GB is a good choice.

You can charge the device via USB instead of using the included power adapter. However, the included power adapter has an output of 5V and 1.0V (5W), so charging will finish faster with USB.

However, since the battery is lithium-ion, there is virtually no performance degradation even with partial charging, so charging it each time should be fine (smartphones, PCs, mobile batteries, etc.).

Main functions

Let's start by looking at the control system.

It's simple and easy to understand, without an excessive number of buttons.

Introducing all the features would be quite extensive, so let's look at some of the most representative ones.

Now, let's turn on the power.

You can take photos and videos in this state.

Pressing the directional pad's display button changes the display. You can view the current mode, detailed information, or grid view.

You can also use the directional buttons to turn macro mode on/off (close-up mode), adjust flash settings, and set the timer.

You can check the photos you've taken using the preview button. Pressing the zoom button while previewing will switch to a thumbnail view.

Next, try pressing the mode button in the bottom left.

You can choose the shooting mode.

There are seven main shooting modes, and each has even more detailed settings, so there's quite a lot to choose from.

In manual mode, pressing "Set" on the main screen allows you to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, and ISO sensitivity.

Finally, press the settings button in the bottom right corner.

You can select settings such as autofocus and image quality.

These are probably the features you'll use most often.

There are also other features such as photo editing functions, video recording modes, and editing options, so please refer to the official website for more details.

Considering its market price of around 20,000 yen, I think it has a surprisingly rich set of features. I'm not very knowledgeable about photography, so I'll mostly be using the automatic mode, but if I get more serious about photography, I think I'll enjoy tweaking the various settings.

Test shot

Now we'll actually start taking pictures.

I'll shoot using macro mode and image stabilization in scene mode, which are features I frequently use.

I think it's not so bad.

The things I noticed during shooting were that the image stabilization was rather weak, and the camera's display had poor image quality, making it difficult to check the quality of photos on the camera itself; it was necessary to transfer them to a PC or other device (although you could tell if they were out of focus).

By the way, photos are imported by connecting the camera to a PC or other device via an SD card or USB cable. In my case, since removing the SD card is a hassle, I connect the camera to my PC via USB (it doesn't have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth functionality).

I also took a few other photos using the same mode.

Next, I tried taking pictures outdoors using the automatic mode.

It seems that the photos taken outdoors in sunlight look better than those taken indoors.

Considering the actual market price of around 20,000 yen, I think it's a pretty good product.

A simple comparison with iPhone 12

The latest iPhone is the 16, but since I have an iPhone 12, I'll compare the specs using the 12.

From a quick glance at the table, it appears that the Kodak FZ55 excels in still photography, while the iPhone 12 is superior in video recording.

Let's compare photos with similar compositions and conditions.

In my opinion, it's difficult to say which is better; both seem quite good. The differences seem to be in the color tone and the degree of blurring of the outlines. However, these are also influenced by settings and other factors, so it's difficult to make a definitive judgment.

I haven't compared the zoom levels, but the Kodak FZ55 has 5x optical zoom, so it's overwhelmingly better.

In conclusion, I think the biggest difference lies in ease of use.

Obviously, the Kodak FZ55 is a camera, so it has a shape that is well-suited for taking pictures, making it easier to take accurate photos than with a smartphone (it's just a difference in style).

Furthermore, the Kodak FZ55 wins in terms of ease of changing camera settings due to its simple design. Of course, the iPhone is a smartphone, not a camera, and is more like a mini-computer, so that's understandable.

Summary

At a market price of around 20,000 yen, it has a camera that's slightly better than the iPhone 12, making it quite cost-effective.

Moreover, as expected of a camera, its shape is well-suited for shooting, and its operation and settings are far superior to those of a smartphone.

It's a minor point, but importing photos from an iPhone to a Windows PC is a bit of a hassle because of differences in file extensions (HEIC is not compatible with Windows machines) and the use of iCloud (which isn't immediately responsive). However, with this product, you can simply connect it directly via USB, which makes it much easier.

For the reasons mentioned above, even if a camera is easy to use, if its performance is clearly inferior to my current smartphone, I won't be inclined to buy it. However, the fact that it has slightly better performance is the key point.

Also, since the price is in the 20,000 yen range, I think it's at a price where you can accept it if it breaks, so it's a recommended item that you can use heavily, taking advantage of its lightweight and compact features (it's pretty tough when your smartphone or mirrorless camera breaks).

That concludes my review of the Kodak FZ55.

Kodak FZ55-BK

Kodak FZ55-RD

Kodak FZ55-BL
According to Kodak's official website, the blue color doesn't seem to be available as of February 2025, so it might be a rare find.

I also do reviews of other gadgets, so please check them out if you're interested.