Uh, don't they have a line of digital cameras?

/Not good ones, mind you

If only they'd had the foresight to purchase legislation banning digital cameras and the .JPEG format.

I believe they were also trying to get into computer printers, although that was already very competitive before they showed up.

And now they're a patent troll. Welcome to the New America.

/patent lawyer
//but lucky to represent clients that still make shiat

I'm shocked, shocked that a company who made cheap ass plastic camera body cameras with awful performance and image quality is going bankrupt.

Seriously, their cameras were farking awful, even in their `high end' range.. Their selling point was always "BUT BUT BUT BUT IT HAS A LEICA LENSE!!!!!!"..

ha-ha-guy: If only they'd had the foresight to purchase legislation banning digital cameras and the .JPEG format.

No foolin'. As I understand it, Kodak fought digital tooth and nail, because they didn't want to kill their film processing and sales cash cow. Smart.

Adapt or die, RIAA Kodak.

Fireproof: Uh, don't they have a line of digital cameras?

/Not good ones, mind you

My first digital camera was a Kodak, probably about 13 or 14 years ago. I used it for maybe a month before I realized I had to get a decent digital camera.

I worked for them for 5 years(minus 1 week). I was downsized(*). Not surprised by this one bit. Actually, I am surprised that it took this long.


* why yes, I will be getting a kick out of these replies

The Retinette with the Schneider lens was a great little camera. Still got two of them, too.

/Kodark, RIP
//Digital, how do it work

styckx: I'm shocked, shocked that a company who made cheap ass plastic camera body cameras with awful performance and image quality is going bankrupt.

Seriously, their cameras were farking awful, even in their `high end' range.. Their selling point was always "BUT BUT BUT BUT IT HAS A LEICA LENSE!!!!!!"..

Leica cameras have Leitz lenses.

As a photographer and a programmer, I'd be happy if .jpg died. It's a horrible, obsolete format. jpeg2000 (.jpe) is far superior.

RIP KODIAK

Fireproof: Uh, don't they have a line of digital cameras?

/Not good ones, mind you

Ya, they stopped selling film cameras years ago. Been all digital cameras and film in recent years.

FTA: Kodak has long struggled to evolve from film and compete in the digital age, even though it was an early pioneer of digital photography.

That's some serious fail right there.

I don't care if Kodak dies as long as someone keeps making TMax.

They should have listened to this guy when he was on Celebrity Apprentice:

Eastman. He comes out of the east to fight the amazing bankruptcy judge!

The buggy whip salesman shakes his head.

clyph: I don't care if Kodak dies as long as someone keeps making TMax.

Unlikely. Switch to Ilford.

Shake it....shake it....shake it....shake it....shake it like a Chapter 11.

I'm kind of sad about this, because they were a huge part of my family life growing up. My mother was a photography buff, and we had Kodak rolls of film around the house all the time. The first roll of film I ever developed was Kodakhrome for a 4-H Photography project. When I was a tiny child (around 3ish), when we would go for a drive and I'd see the yellow and black signs around curves with a left or right bracket/arrow on them, I'd yell out "SMILE!" as we passed each one going through the curve. My parents finally figured out I was doing it because the signs resembled the K on the Kodak film boxes.

/CSB

Kodak INVENTED the digital camera in 1975.

Link (new window)

Perfect for family vacations, hiking, etc.

styckx: I'm shocked, shocked that a company who made cheap ass plastic camera body cameras with awful performance and image quality is going bankrupt.

Seriously, their cameras were farking awful, even in their `high end' range.. Their selling point was always "BUT BUT BUT BUT IT HAS A LEICA LENSE!!!!!!"..

They also made the best film in the world.

WTF?

Kodak had one of (if not the absolute) first consumer-level digital cameras on the market, and they've never stopped making them. They've been selling digicams since the early 90s (I know because I worked on the PC-side software for them, by first job out of college).

tankjr: Unlikely. Switch to Ilford.

Ilford makes some great B&W films, including some Tri-X replacements, but nothing exactly like TMax (AFIK).

I have a Kodak digital camera. It takes great pics but it's a pain in the neck to upload anything. The complete opposite of user friendly. I would say, "never again" but it looks like I won't have to.

cleek: WTF?

Kodak had one of (if not the absolute) first consumer-level digital cameras on the market, and they've never stopped making them. They've been selling digicams since the early 90s (I know because I worked on the PC-side software for them, by first job out of college).

But they've never had a really GOOD digital camera compared to Canon and Nikon. Even second tier makers like Casio and Sony are kicking their butt.

rufus-t-firefly: Kodak INVENTED the digital camera in 1975.

Link (new window)

Perfect for family vacations, hiking, etc.

===============================================

Came here to point that out

Also they were the first to market digital Cameras for both Pro and consumer

I remember Kodak digitals with Canon and nikon bodies -- and I think they manufactured the Apple 100
need more coffee and too lazy to look it up .

Sorry if reality clashes with some of you people's kodak makes film narrative

Really? Chapter 11? That's almost like committing suicide, Kodak.

Carth: But they've never had a really GOOD digital camera compared to Canon and Nikon. Even second tier makers like Casio and Sony are kicking their butt.

Early on (starting in 1991), Kodak and Nikon were digital partners.

It's funny how the younger guys think Kodak=old fashion film cameras. As was pointed out, they invented digital camera. They made the best film in the world. They invented developing processes that are still used today to develop digital images into prints.

They just sucked at marketing.

I Mash Grains: They should have listened to this guy when he was on Celebrity Apprentice:

[img2-3.timeinc.net image 300x400]

Why? Did he tell them to clean their room and do their homework?

Just pulled my DC-50 camera from the desk drawer. Over $1000 in 1996, took lots of pics for us. A whole lot cheaper than the Polaroids we'd been using to take pics of equipment in the field.

We splurged and got the 10 MB memory card. Did you really need more than 4MB?

Subby is retarded.

Not only did Kodak INVENT the digital camera, they were first with almost everything. They still own a huge swath of patents and IP relating to digital photography. My first two digital cameras in the 90s were Kodaks

The reason Kodak is strugling is because their film empire didn't translate well with digital. Previously, the consumer bought a camera from some other company, but bought film and did developing with Kodak materials. Not only did the need for film disappear, but prints have gone into a massive decline as well. People keep their photos electronically.

They aren't the only ones hurting in the industry either. Margins are slim everywhere. Even titans like Canon and Nikon are hurting, and they have spendy lenses to help prop them up. Minolta got rescued/bought by Sony. Pentax is on lifesupport. Olympus has corporate problems.The rapid commoditization of the market have been tough all around.

However, the clear winner is the consumer. The tools available now at such prices are astounding. Kodak is worth a fortune in IP alone. The company just isn't designed around making consumer gadgets, which is what the industry has evolved into. They really should have merged with Canon or Nikon about 5 years ago.

tankjr: clyph: I don't care if Kodak dies as long as someone keeps making TMax.

Unlikely. Switch to Ilford.

As a photographer, I see no reason to work in anything but digital. Yes, some people still prefer film, Tmax in particular, for shooting b&w, but I always thought this is like professional musicians clinging to the supposed superiority of ancient instruments.

There is nothing magical about film. When 35mm was introduced there were those who claimed glass plates were so much better and clung to their old technology. This is what I believe people who claim to prefer film are doing. Technology marches on and makes what came before obsolete.

Right out of high school, used to work night security at George's house, which is now a museum. So I'm not really getting a kick out of this.

Chapter 11, Chapter 12...whatever it takes.

Yesterday I spent a stupid amount of time trying to set up a KODAK printer on a friend's computer. You know, the sort of thing that should be just plug and play in this day and age?

So, I can say say that they do have some digital media products.

Also, that they suck.

Fireproof: Uh, don't they have a line of digital cameras?

/Not good ones, mind you

Oh yeah! Mine failed while under warranty and they refused to fix it. Said the part broke because of user error. A part deep inside the camera's view finder, under complete control of the computer!

Nihilist's Guide to Reticent Entropy: It's funny how the younger guys think Kodak=old fashion film cameras. As was pointed out, they invented digital camera. They made the best film in the world. They invented developing processes that are still used today to develop digital images into prints.

They just sucked at marketing.

I wouldn't say they sucked at marketing. I'd say they either had no long term business plan or the people responsible for looking 5-10-20 years down the road and projecting where the market would be and how to remain competitive just sucked.

As a former Rochestarian, this makes me sad. Even though I never had a parent that worked for Kodak, at one point 80% of my classmates did. It was SUCH a company town. Rust belt for the fail.

Fireproof: Uh, don't they have a line of digital cameras?

/Not good ones, mind you


Got one of their clunky DX3500 digital cameras right here on my desk. Takes good enough pictures for documentation purposes, but the best part is: it doesn't walk 'cause nobody wants it.

Kodak also makes the CCD chips for a lot (most?) of the high-end astronomy imagers. These are NOT the CMOS sensors they plunk into the Canon Rebel you bought at Target.

SBIG (new window)

They may suck at the consumer-level stuff, but don't count them out just yet.