Holding the Kodak PIXPRO C1 in my hands is such an internal push and pull in so many different ways. Back in August, we reported on how they’re at the top of the compact camera game. And even through October, it was clear they weren’t going anywhere. When I power it on, let the focus confirm something has been acquired, and snap a photo, I’m fighting back two decades of voices that sound like older photographers who tell me that this camera is crap. My own voice tells me that it’s fun, but it’s even a bit too modern and not authentic enough to the digicam craze. But consumers are loving it. Make no mistake, the Kodak PIXPRO C1 is a camera that feels so much like the early iPhone if it was stuffed into a camera body. But it’s missing a critical component: the Instagram filters of the time.
The Kodak PIXPRO C1 has a 13MP sensor with a digital zoom built in. To compose your photos, you’ll use a cheap LCD screen that can flip up. With said screen, you’ll also choose from various settings like a retro filter, vivid, black and white, negative, and even spot color effects. And like the early iPhones, it uses an LED flash that does the job, but acts similar to a glass ceiling if you’re aware of what a real flash could do for your photos.
This camera is unmistakably cheap with a current price of around $99 when I’m writing this — but considering that the iPod Touch came back into vogue as a camera this year, it’s probably one of the best experiences you can get that’s close to the retro digital music player’s camera.
If you own a higher-end digital camera, there’s a lot that the Kodak PIXPRO C1 has that you’d be envious of. First off, it’s bound to get attention because most people are just using their phones these days. It’s also small, fashionable in a sense that Peak Design would never comprehend, and it will easily accompany you everywhere. Women can throw it into their bags, their jean pockets, etc. Men can put it in any pockets we have with real ease. It also boasts excellent battery life — in my week of testing the camera, I only needed to charge it once. In contrast, my Nikon Zf ate through two batteries. At times, it felt like a plant you didn’t ask for but decided to try out — and you constantly forgot to water it.
The Kodak PIXPRO C1 lacks image stabilization, so I recommend shooting images with two hands or having the LED flash automatically enabled.
And the image quality is more or less exactly what you’d expect. If you ever dive into your archives of images and looked back with fondness at the late 2000s, then you’ve probably ran into images from similar devices. That’s where the big conflict comes into play. The current self is bound to berate how soft, unsharp, blurred, or crappy the image quality is. But the long-term self will probably look back on the moment with nostalgia and wish that that version of you had just lightened up, laughed a little, and enjoyed life more instead of continuing the past traumas of our photographic predecessors.
Photography doesn’t need to be that serious all the time. You don’t need to pixel-peep every single image to see every single detail. If you can’t enjoy the image as a whole, then it’s probably not worth making in the first place. That’s similar to ordering a burger with a side salad when what you really want is fries, so that you can enjoy the whole meal. The Kodak PIXPRO C1 is a wonderful reminder of that in a time when the world around us is burning.
Don’t think of this as going back in time because you’re not getting your youth back. You’re instead picking up from where you left off.
If you end up buying the Kodak PIXPRO C1, treat it like you’re shooting with one of the first generations of iPhones. Don’t just use the standard camera — apply the filters that Kodak is giving you. Know that in low light, you’re going to have to use the LED light. And expect to have really decent battery life in a device that you’ll always want to bring with you. Just accept that this isn’t the camera that you’re going to be using to create work that AI can’t plagiarize.
I’m giving the Kodak PIXPRO C1 four out of five stars. Want one? Check it out on Amazon.
