I’ve been testing the Kodak PIXPRO C1 — and it's ideal for those who don't mind imperfection

The best cheap cameras can help you experiment with photography and take decent images without spending a lot of money, and the Kodak PIXPRO C1 is one such camera. It’s very compact and portable, and it features a flip-up screen for selfies. Its 26mm focal length is wide enough for group selfies and landscape shots, and there’s a dedicated macro mode for close-up photography.

However, the PIXPRO C1 feels a little too plasticky and hollow, and there’s no stabilization to help with photos taken at slow shutter speeds. Image quality is hit or miss too as the 13MP sensor’s resolution is quite low, and the monitor is too dim to see in bright conditions.

To find out if you should still buy it, read my full Kodak PIXPRO C1 review.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? Kodak’s latest compact camera with a 13MP sensor and 4x digital zoom
• Who is it for? Anyone who wants a cheap camera that takes decent photos
• How much does it cost? The Kodak PIXPRO C1 is available for $99 / £79
• What do we like? Its compact and portable size, flip-up screen for selfies, 1080p/60fps video capture, and dedicated macro mode
• What don’t we like? The plasticky build, hit-or-miss image quality, dim screen, and lack of any stabilization

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Specs

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Price & availability

The Kodak PIXPRO C1, at the time of writing, is the brand’s latest compact camera, having launched in June 2025. It’s very cheap, retailing for just $99 / £79 at Amazon. The camera is available in either black or brown colors.

Similarly priced to the Kodak PIXPRO FZ45 ($99), the PIXPRO C1 is one of the cheapest cameras I’ve tested here at Tom’s Guide. It’s also cheaper than the Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2 ($179), the Pentax WG-1000 ($196), and the Panasonic Lumix ZS99 ($499). While a little pricier than the AgfaPhoto Realishot DC5500 ($68), I’d still recommend the PIXPRO C1 over the AgfaPhoto as Kodak’s offering didn’t wipe my memory card in testing.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Design & build quality

As is the nature of compact cameras, the Kodak PIXPRO C1 is small and portable, measuring 4.05 x 2.36 x 0.79 inches. I was able to carry it in my jeans’ pocket with ease, and because it’s so thin, I barely felt it in my front pocket. It doesn’t weigh a lot either at just 4.05oz (including battery), so I never felt weighed down by it.

Given the PIXPRO C1’s compact size, I found it easy to use with just one hand, and because it’s not heavy at all, my hand or arm never hurt, even while shooting video for long periods of time.

I do, however, have an issue with the PIXPRO C1’s build quality which feels extremely plasticky. The camera is made entirely of plastic which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the PIXPRO C1 feels cheap and hollow. When I tapped my fingernail on the camera’s front, I could hear the hollow interior, which didn’t instill confidence in me regarding the camera’s potential longevity.

Ports

Ports on the PIXPRO C1 are limited to a USB-C port on the camera’s right-hand side for charging and data transfer. There is no micro HDMI, no 3.5mm audio jack, nothing else, as this is a stripped-back, simple point-and-shoot camera.

On the camera’s underside, you’ll find a slot for a microSD card and the maximum limit this camera can take is 32GB, so plan your shoots and offloading time accordingly. I’m surprised the microSD card slot isn’t protected by a rubber flap or plastic casing, as is usually the case, so you’ll need to be very careful and avoid placing the camera on, say, a wet patch on a coffee table.

Monitor

Like many other compact cameras, the PIXPRO C1 doesn’t have a viewfinder so you’ll need to rely solely on the monitor to frame your shots. The 2.8-inch color LCD monitor features a 180° flip-up design, so you can use it for selfies. I didn’t think I’d like this feature as much as I did, but it was really nice to be able to quickly flip it up and snap a selfie. This is something that you won’t find on the similarly priced Kodak PIXPRO FZ45, the pricier Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2, or even the Panasonic Lumix ZS99.

Kodak doesn’t specify the PIXPRO C1’s screen’s resolution so it’s difficult to compare it to other cameras. But I can tell you that in practical terms, it’s near unusable in bright sunlight. I struggled to read the screen properly when it was too bright out, so I was guessing (and hoping) I was pointing at the subject I wanted to photograph.

Weather-sealing

The PIXPRO C1 isn’t weather-sealed so I wouldn’t recommend using it in rainy or dusty conditions. If you want a rugged camera that can survive in most environments and can even take a few tumbles, I’d recommend either the Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2 or the Pentax WG-1000.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Lens

The Kodak PIXPRO C1 is fitted with a 13MP 1/3-inch BSI CMOS sensor with a focal length of 26mm. This focal length is wide enough for arm-length selfies, group photos, landscapes and casual travel photography. You get two focus ranges at your disposal: 60cm-∞ when shooting in normal mode, and 8cm-∞ when Macro mode is toggled on.

You also have access to a 4x digital zoom which isn’t anything to write home about. Because the sensor is small and the resolution is limited to 13MP, you quickly lose pixels and notice a downgrade in image quality the more you zoom in.

The PIXPRO C1’s f/2 aperture is bright and can aid in dimly lit environments but in my testing, low-light performance was still generally poor due to the camera’s noisy sensor (more on this soon). Also, photos taken on the PIXPRO C1 seem to have some chromatic aberration as you’ll soon see, which is to do with the lens’ optics.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Controls

If you want a no-frills compact camera that’s extremely easy to use, you’ll enjoy the Kodak PIXPRO C1. Thanks to a straightforward and intuitive control scheme, anyone can use the camera. All the buttons and menus are well-signposted and laid out.

All of them give good tactile feedback when pressed — especially the shutter button, which is important. All the other buttons are exactly what you’d find on any other compact camera: navigation, playback, “W” and “T” zoom, menu, etc.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Image quality

I’ll be honest: the Kodak PIXPRO C1 isn’t meant for professional photographers or anyone who’s always chasing the perfect shot. It’s for amateur photographers or someone who wants a simple camera that takes decent images, and especially those who don’t care about the semantics of photography.

That’s because the resolution is limited to 13MP, which doesn’t give you a lot to play with, and that’s fine. The resulting images have a vintage aesthetic to them that remind me of prints I see in photo albums my mom has lovingly compiled — so I can best describe it as nostalgic and imperfect.

Image 1 of 5

You can see what photos taken on the PIXPRO C1 look like in the gallery above. I’m happy with these shots. The colors look good and true-to-life in all the images, and they’re fairly sharp too. There is some chromatic aberration — or color fringing — in the trees in front of the building in the third slide, for instance. It doesn’t ruin the image but it does exist.

Image 1 of 3

The PIXPRO C1 features ‘good enough’ human autofocus. While it isn’t as fast or accurate as the autofocus systems on the best mirrorless cameras, it can still aid in capturing in-focus shots. I tested this by photographing my partner, as you can see in the gallery above. Her face is sharp in both the first and second slides (even though her face is behind the glass in the second shot). The third slide is a selfie of us, taken using the flip-up screen to frame ourselves, and it’s slightly blurry but not unusable.

Image 1 of 3

The PIXPRO C1’s Macro mode works well too. You can see some photos I took in this mode in the gallery above. I love the colors as they look bright. However, while there’s some nice background bokeh, not all the subjects are in focus — the blackberries look very soft, for instance.

Image 1 of 2

As I mentioned earlier, the PIXPRO C1 has an f/2 maximum aperture, which is helpful for low-light conditions. However, because there is no digital or electronic stabilization, it’s very difficult shooting handheld at slow shutter speeds, which is something you end up doing when there isn’t sufficient light.

The first photo in the gallery above, taken without zooming in, is blurry, and the issue only becomes worse in the second slide, taken at 4x zoom. This shot is blurrier and it has, disappointingly, lost all sharpness.

Both photos are fairly noisy too with a lot of grain creeping in, even though the photos were taken at ISO1600 only. This isn’t very high but due to the camera’s small sensor, the problem feels more pronounced. Regardless, the camera’s ISO range of 100-1600 just isn’t good enough for low-light photography.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Video quality

Kodak PIXPRO C1 — Sample video - YouTube

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Alongside capturing stills, the Kodak PIXPRO C1 can record 1080p video at 60fps or 30fps, as well as 720P video at the same frame rates. You can see a sample video above, shot at 1080p/60fps. The clips aren’t choppy thanks to 60fps, but they are not stable, as again, there’s no stabilization. Also, I personally found it difficult to focus on the subject. Regardless of what I did, I couldn’t get the focus to stay locked onto, say, the flowers, which proved to be frustrating.

Kodak PIXRPO C1 — Black and white video - YouTube

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You can also apply color profiles to videos, the same way you can to photos. There are many to choose from, such as sepia, vintage, color sketch, and more, but black and white is my favorite, and the one I think will be most useful for anyone wanting to capture dramatic footage. You can see what it looks like in the video above.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Battery life

Unlike its stablemate, the Kodak PIXPRO FZ45, the Kodak PIXPRO C1 doesn’t use disposable batteries and instead is fitted with a rechargeable battery. The camera is CIPA-rated for 200 shots on a single charge, depending on usage conditions. In my testing, I was able to capture just over that number while using the monitor to preview images I’d captured and changing settings — so it’s best to take the CIPA rating as the reference point.

The PIXPRO C1’s battery life is longer than the PIXPRO FZ45’s (120 shots) and the AgfaPhoto Realishot DC5500’s (90 shots). It’s similar to the CIPA rating of the PIXPRO WPZ2 (also 200 shots), and slightly less than the Pentax WG-1000 (300 shots) and the Panasonic Lumix ZS99’s (380 shots). I wouldn't expect more from a camera of the PIXPRO C1’s size, so I’m happy with its battery life.

Kodak PIXPRO C1 review: Verdict

The Kodak PIXPRO C1 is a cheap and (a little) cheerful camera. It’s compact and highly portable so you can take it virtually anywhere with ease, and I love its flip-up screen for framing and taking selfies. There’s a dedicated Macro mode for when you want to take close-up photos of flowers, and it works well, as well as an array of color profiles for extra creativity.

But the PIXPRO C1 isn’t without flaws. Its image quality is hit or miss while the dim monitor makes it difficult to focus and frame subjects — or read in bright sunlight. I also wish the camera didn’t feel so plasticky and hollow, and some form of stabilization would have been much appreciated.

Overall, if you don’t care about imperfections, you won’t mind the PIXPRO C1. But if you want a more serious compact camera, it’s worth considering the likes of the Pentax WG-1000 or the Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2.