The Kodak PIXPRO AZ252 is a budget bridge camera from JK Imaging's 'Astro Zoom' line, released in 2017 as a refresh of the AZ251, and it remained a supermarket and Argos staple in the UK for years afterwards.
It offers a 16-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor behind a 25x optical zoom spanning 24-600mm equivalent, optical image stabilisation, a 3-inch LCD, 720p HD video and PASM-free simplicity aimed squarely at beginners, all powered by AA batteries in a DSLR-styled grip body.
Its significance is as the archetypal cheap UK superzoom: for buyers wanting 600mm reach for under £100 used it has almost no rivals, and its CCD sensor and huge retail footprint keep it circulating steadily through the second-hand market — 11 listings in the current sweep.
UK used-buying checks: the long zoom mechanism is the critical test — power it on and run 24mm to 600mm repeatedly, listening for stalling, and reject anything showing 'lens error'; check the AA compartment for leakage corrosion and the door latch for cracks; test OIS at full telephoto since a 600mm-equivalent without working stabilisation is nearly unusable handheld; remember its successor the AZ255 (2022) exists, so don't pay AZ255 money for an AZ252; and confirm 720p video works, as it is this model's ceiling — sellers occasionally claim Full HD incorrectly.