TIME Magazine has named the Kodak Brownie Camera and the Polaroid Camera as two of the most influential gadgets in history. Learn more
Articles tagged "kodak"
In a bit of a surprise, one of the hottest products to make an appearance at CES 2016 was an analog product: Kodak's Super 8 movie camera. Built around the classic Super 8 film format, the camera does make some nods to contemporary digital technology, but the film is the real thing. DPReview editor Dale Baskin talks with Kodak's Josh Coon to learn a bit more about this camera. Read more
Kodak has announced that it is to launch its first new Super 8 cine camera in over thirty years, with a model that mixes analogue and digital technology. The new camera, which doesn’t appear to have a name other than Kodak Super 8 Camera, will record its movies on normal Super 8 film cartridges but uses a digital LCD flip-out panel as viewfinder. Read more
Kodak licensee JK Imaging has introduced the PixPro SP360-4K camera, a variation of its PixPro SP360 Action Camera model that includes a 4K resolution option for still images and video. The camera comes with desktop software that transcribes recorded footage into YouTube's 360-degree video format. Read more
Kodak Moments unifies editing, sharing and printing in a single app.
JK Imaging has recently introduced the Kodak PixPro SP360 action camera to its lineup of active photo equipment. The SP360 offers an extreme 360 degree viewing range thanks to its ultra-wide F2.8 lens, which is able to capture full HD video footage along with 10MP photographs. Read more
A group of big name Hollywood directors has nudged studio executives into talks with Kodak, negotiating a deal that would keep the company's movie film in production. With support from the likes of Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, and J.J. Abrams, the deal would see studios commit to buying a certain amount of film from Kodak for the next few years. Read more
Kodak is arguably the most famous name of all in photography, but it ultimately failed to manage the transition from film to digital, and ended up exiting the consumer imaging business altogether in 2013. But now JK Imaging, which licenses the Kodak name, has created an interchangeable lens camera. The Pixpro S-1 is an entry-level model that's designed to attract budding photographers who are buying their first system camera. Click through to read our first impressions.
Kodak is arguably the most famous brand name of all in photography, at least in the Western world. But the company responsible for such iconic products as the Box Brownie and Kodachrome (and even the world's first digital camera in 1975) ultimately failed to manage the transition from film to digital, and ended up exiting the consumer imaging business altogether in 2013. The name itself has been licensed by JK Imaging Ltd, which has been quietly selling compact cameras under the Kodak brand for the past year or so, mainly long-range superzooms. But now it's got more ambitious, and has introduced its first interchangeable-lens camera: the Micro Four Thirds Pixpro S-1.
While many American cities have experienced the pains of a large population shift from the urban core to suburbs, there's a poignancy to the abandoned storefronts in downtown Rochester, New York. The city's name is inextricably tied to the name Eastman Kodak. Swiss photographer Catherine Leutenegger spent time photographing Rochester and Kodak's headquarters, first in 2007 and again in 2012, and answered a few of our questions about the project. See gallery
What was the first digital camera in space? It turns out in 1991 NASA sent a modified Nikon F3 with small Kodak CCD sensor and external processing unit on a shuttle mission. Called the Hawkeye II, this system used a RS-232 serial port to connect to its external gear. Kodak would use this platform as the basis for the DCS system, the first commercially available digital camera. Learn more
Kodak famously failed to adapt to the transition from film to digital photography, and finally stopped making digital cameras in early 2012. Now the famous old brand has been resurrected by JK Imaging Ltd, which is producing cameras in partnership with Asia Optical. We got a quick look at some of the 2014 product portfolio earlier this year at CES but this week we had a more detailed briefing at a European press event. Click through to take a closer look.
CES 2014: Among the cameras launched at this year's CES were a handful from JK Imaging, a worldwide licensee for Kodak 'PIXPRO' digital cameras and lenses. JK doesn't have a booth at the show, but we visited them in a hotel suite for a briefing and some hands-on time with the new S1 Micro Four Thirds camera, and the company's two new 'Smart Lens' camera modules. Click through to read more, and see some pictures of the new cameras.
CES 2014: JK Imaging has announced an array of Kodak-branded cameras, including a superzoom compact with a 65x optical zoom and a couple of 'Smart Lenses' designed to clip onto smartphones (very much like Sony's QX cameras). It's also given more details about its long-in-development Pixpro S-1 Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera. Click through to learn more.
We spoke to Kodak Alaris about the future of the legendary brand.
The first consumer point-and-shoots didn't have art effect modes or face detection smile-shutters. They looked like the Kodak 1, a leather-encased box with a key to wind the film, a shutter release and not much else. Introduced to the public in 1888, each Kodak 1 contained a roll of film with 100 exposures. The UK's National Media Museum owns a collection of prints from these first consumer 'compacts.' Click through to take a look at a set of these early snapshots.
The Kodak planning to exit from bankruptcy on September 3rd looks very different from the familiar imaging company that filed for Chapter 11 last year. The U.S. Bankruptcy court has approved Kodak's plan for reorganization, a step that means the company can resume independent operation soon. CEO Antonio M. Perez issued a statement emphasizing Kodak's move into commercial imaging for a profitable future, including "packaging, functional printing and professional services." Click through to read more about where Kodak now stands.
Kodak hopes to sell its consumer film and processing kiosk businesses to its UK pension scheme, to allow it to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The move pays off the company's biggest debt - an estimated $2.8bn it was expected to have to pay to the pension scheme over the coming years. The pension scheme is reported to be paying $650m for the Personalized Imaging and Document Imaging units the company announced it would sell last August.
Olympus has issued a press release confirming JK Imaging and four other companies have formally signed-up to the Micro Four Thirds standard. JK Imaging announced last week that it would be offering MFT cameras under the Kodak brand. Australian company Blackmagic Design, which already offers a movie camera with a passive Micro Four Thirds mount and is rumored to be working on a fully compliant version, also joins. The other three signatories are less consumer-facing.
Just a week after announcing it was licensing the Kodak brand name, JK Imaging has been showing a Micro Four Thirds camera at a press conference in China. Details are vague but the camera, reported to be called the S1, does appear to be sporting the official Micro Four Thirds logo. The camera, which will offer Wi-Fi for communication with smartphones, is said to be based around a Sony CMOS sensor. (via PetaPixel)
Facebook, Shutterfly and Adobe join hardware makers to purchase digital imaging technology.
Financial news service Bloomberg is reporting Apple and Google are working together to purchase some of Kodak's imaging patents. The companies are said to be working together - lending more weight to reports in the Wall Street Journal from back in August. The story suggests the two companies, along with the groups of smaller companies with whom they'd been preparing bids, will offer more than $500m for the patents. Such a figure would give Kodak access to $830m of external funding that is dependent on the value of the patent deal.
The mobile giants are buying up rights to Kodak’s imaging technology.
Kodak has announced it will sell two of its business divisions, ending its role as a consumer-facing photographic company. The Personalized Imaging business includes print kiosks and consumer film, while the Document Imaging business includes scanners and commercial document management. Both businesses will be sold as going concerns. Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal has reported that many of the world's biggest technology companies, including Samsung, Apple and Google, have formed a consortium to bid for Kodak's digital imaging patents, significantly lowering the price the amount the sale is likely to raise.
Kodak will stop making digital cameras within the next few months. The company, currently in bankruptcy protection, will also stop making pocket video cameras and photo frames as a cost-cutting measure. Instead it is looking to license its name to other manufacturers who wish to sell cameras under the Kodak brand. Closing the business will cost around $30m, mainly in the cost of laying-off workers, but will save around $100m per year in running costs. All product warranties will be honored.
As film giant Kodak files for bankruptcy protection, everyone from photographers to economists is looking back at the company that was, for so long, synonymous with American photography. The company has entered the US 'Chapter 11' process by which a court oversees its restructuring and protects it from its creditors as it attempts to reorganize into a profitable business. However it emerges from the process, Kodak will never again be the photographic titan it was during the film era. This has prompted many retrospective articles, including a heartfelt and personal piece by New York Times writer and photography blogger David Gonzalez.
Pre-CES: Kodak has announced the Easyshare M750 Wi-Fi enabled compact cameras, along with its release of four other compacts. The M750 is a 16MP camera from which images can be pulled, wirelessly, from the camera using the Easyshare Camera App on iOS, Android or Blackberry devices. It can also connect to Wi-Fi networks, to allow simple uploading to social networks such as Facebook and YouTube. The company also says it is releasing the M215 and M565 14MP 5x zoom compacts, the C135 rugged camera and the Z5120 superzoom to its Easyshare range.
Financial paper the Wall Street Journal is reporting that former photography giant Kodak is preparing for 'Chapter 11' bankruptcy protection. The company's shares fell below $1 per share yesterday, with the New York Stock Exchange announcing that the price must rise above this level within the next six months if the company is to avoid being de-listed (the share price must exceed $1 at the end of a calendar month and have averaged above $1 for the preceding 30 days). Reports claim that the company is planning to enter the court-administered Chapter 11 process if it cannot find a buyer for its portfolio of 1,100 patents covering many aspects of digital imaging.
Kodak has sold its Image Sensor Solutions business to Platinum Equity in a bid to strengthen its financial position. The company, which has struggled to manage the shift in the consumer photographic market from film to digital, also recently revealed that it may have to raise cash by the sale of more than 1100 patents to survive the coming year. Image Sensor Solutions provides sensors for the Leica M9 and S2 and a number of medium format backs, as well as a wide range of specialist imaging applications.
Kodak has released three cameras, including the Easyshare Touch M5370; a 16MP, 5x zoom touch-screen compact. It features a 28-140mm equivalent lens and follows Samsung's trend of using MicroSD cards. The company has also created the Z5010 14MP 21x (25-525mm equiv.) superzoom and the M5350, which appears to offer a similar spec to the M5370 but without touch-screen and taking full-size SD cards.
Pre-CES 2011: Kodak has announced its latest additions to be exhibited at CES 2011 including its first waterproof camera, rugged pocket camcorder and a 3D photo printing service. The three compact cameras introduced are the 12Mp waterproof EasyShare Sport, 14Mp touch-enabled EasyShare Touch and the 10Mp Easyshare Mini with a built-in front-mirror for self-portraits. The cameras will retail at $79.95, $149.95 and $99.95 respectively.
Kodak has announced the ESP 9250 Wi-fi-enabled all-in-one inkjet printer with print, copy, scan and fax capability. It includes the company's proprietary fade-resistant inks with what it claims the lowest total ink replacement cost in the industry. The printer features a 2.4-inch LCD, built-in templates and supports various memory card formats. The printer is now available at $249.99.
Kodak has released what it calls the world's thinnest 5x optical zoom compact. Measuring 15mm on its thinnest side, the EasyShare M950 digital compact offers 14Mp sensor, 35-175mm equiv. lens and 2.7" LCD. It includes features such as 720p HD recording, direct online sharing options and takes Micro SD/SDHC memory cards. The company has also announced the Pulse 10-inch touchscreen digital frame with internet access. Both the camera and digital frame are priced at $199.95 each and will be available from the end of this month.
Kodak and Samsung Electronics have agreed a licensing pact that will allow access to each other’s patent portfolio, settling a dispute between them. The agreement also saw Samsung pay towards what Kodak describes as 'its royalty obligation.' In November 2009 Kodak had challenged Samsung over alleged patent infringement of technology used in their Blackjack II camera phone.
Kodak has announced the 'Slice' touchscreen camera built around a 3.5" LCD. It features a 14MP sensor, 5x optically stabilized zoom lens and will be available in black, nickel and 'radish' colors for US $349.95 from April 2010. It also has internal memory to store 5000 HD-resolution images. The camera' combines its share and face recognition functions to tag pictures directly for easy upload ito popular social networking websites.
Kodak has announced four EasyShare M-series digital compacts. As usual, Kodak is promoting the cameras' ease of use - the new models feature improved in-camera tagging and searching based on face recognition. The M580, M575, M550 and M530 are 14MP and 12 MP cameras featuring a variety of lenses from 8x to 3x with the the top two models extending from 28mm equivalent.
Kodak has introduced the Pic Flick print and share application for Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. Currently available only in the US, the free app allows users to wirelessly print images from their iPhone and iPod Touch on Kodak's recently released Wi-Fi-enabled ESP 5250 All-in-One printer or upload them on the Easyshare W820 and W1020 wireless digital frames.
Kodak has reported that its business division that includes digital cameras suffered a 49% fall in sales (compared to the same period last year) in the third quarter of 2009. "Continued declines in consumer spending have had significant impacts in the company's digital camera and digital picture frame businesses," it said. The sales drop has primarily been due to a decline of approximately $157 million in intellectual property royalty revenues, the company said.
Kodak has announced three 12 megapixel compact cameras. The Z950 offers 10x image stabilized lens, 3 inch LCD and HD video recording. No indication is given of the range of its Schneider-branded lens, leading us to suspect it has no wide-angle capability. The company has also refreshed its 'M' range, adding the M381 and M341 with 5x and 3x zooms, and 3.0" and 2.7" LCDs, respectively to slot nicely into popular price points. All three cameras have Kodak's Smart Capture scene recognition and exposure system.
PMA 2009: Kodak has announced the EasyShare Z915 digital compact camera. This 10 Mp camera offers a 10x image stabilized optical zoom lens and a 2.5 inch LCD. It also includes a Smart Capture mode that automatically analyses scenes and adjusts the camera settings accordingly. Priced at £179.99, the Z915 will be available from May 2009 in red, blue, black and gray.
Kodak has announced the Z980 mega-zoom digital camera. This 12 MP camera sports a 26mm wide angle lens with 24x zoom, a detachable vertical grip with shutter release and is capable of HD recording. Kodak has also announced the addition of three new models to its EasyShare M series. The M380 features a 10 megapixel sensor, a 2.7" LCD and 5x optical zoom. The 10MP M340 and the 9MP M320 feature 2.7" LCDs and 3x optical zoom.
Kodak is challenging Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and related companies over alleged patent infringement. Kodak is claiming technologies used in LG and Samsung camera phones are covered by its patents. Documents filed with the International Trade Commission highlight technologies in the Samsung Blackjack II and LG Dare handsets.
Photokina 2008: Kodak has designed a new line of advanced CCD image sensors to power the latest medium format DSLRs, including the Leica S2, Sinar HY6-65 and Hasselblad H3DII-50. The Leica S2 features the KAF-37500 37.5MP sensor with an imaging area of 45mm x 30mm, bringing in a completely new format; interestingly it also includes a novel slimline infrared filter, which we'd guess could eventually find its way into a future Leica M sensor. The Sinar Hy6-65 sports the KAF-31600 34.6MP sensor with an imaging area of 46mm x 35mm, and the Hasselblad H3DII-50's KAF-50100 50MP, 48mm x 36mm sensor sets a new benchmark in medium format camera resolution.
Kodak has announced the creation of a new medium format 50MP chip, to be used in the newly-unveiled Hasselblad H3DII-50. The KAF-50100 Image Sensor offers a sensitivity range of ISO 50 - 400 and the highest resolution currently available in the 36 x 48mm format. The company spoke to us to explain the chip and the technologies behind it.
Kodak has launched new versions of its professional image retouching plug-ins range compatible with the latest software. V2.1 of the ROC Pro, SHO Pro, GEM Pro and GEM Airbrush Pro plug-ins are compatible with Windows Vista, Intel-based Macs and Adobe Photoshop CS3. Trial versions are available from the company's website, with discounts available to customers buying more than one plug-in.
Kodak has announced a new sensor which promises to improve the efficiency of CMOS designs with extremely small photosites. The new technology is to be offered initially in 1/4" format suitable for mobile phone cameras but should be scalable to larger formats should the concept prove successful. Conventional designs count electrons which are generated when light hits the silicon from which they are constructed but this new chip works in roughly the opposite fashion, reversing the 'polarity' of the silicon in order to measure the 'holes' which remain when electrons are generated. The Kodak KAC-05020 also incorporates Kodak's TRUESENSE Color Filter Pattern which adds panchromatic (transparent) filters to the usual Red Green and Blue, further improving luminance sensitivity. Click through for the lowdown. Updated with further details.
CES 2008: Kodak has used CES 2008 to launch a phalanx of compact digital cameras. All feature the ability to output their stills in both 720p and 1080i HD formats. Here we look at the M763, M863, M893 and M1033, the last of which is able to record 720p30 HD video. (This may not be as fast as 720p60 or as high res as 1080i, but it's still a big jump from the VGA that is standard issue on most compacts).
CES 2008: The latest Z series digital cameras from Kodak, the Z1085 IS, Z1285 and Z8612 all feature the ability to output their stills in both 720p and 1080i HD formats. The Z1085 IS and Z1285 are also able to record 720p30 HD video. (This may not be as fast as 720p60 or as high res as 1080i, but it's still a big jump from the VGA that is standard issue on most compacts).
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