Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: BJL on February 09, 2012, 02:57:13 pm
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Press release from Rochester:
Eastman Kodak Company (the “Company”) (OTB: EKDKQ.PK) announced today that ... it plans to phase out its dedicated capture devices business – comprising digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames ... Kodak will instead ... seek licensees in these categories.
The saddest part is what I underlined: renting the former prestige of the name to anonymous makers, as has already happened with Polaroid. So now the same cheap junk could be sold under both Kodak and Polaroid branding. Sometimes, a "brand" is just skin damage.
No, the saddest part is this:
Kodak’s Consumer Business will include online and retail-based photo printing, as well as desktop inkjet printing.
Hoping for printing to be a growth opportunity?!
Edit: some good news from another report:
"Kodak's continuing consumer products and services will include the traditional film capture and photographic paper business, which continues to provide high-quality and innovative products and solutions to consumers, photographers, retailers, photofinishers and professional labs" --- http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2145203/kodak-phases-digital-businesses-film-alive#ixzz1luu6CDrR
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The way I see it, Kodak's remaining management is totally clueless. They expect the retail and online printing business to grow? Facebook is today's photo album? What are they thinking?
Either someone comes up with a revolutionary idea, or they are dead. Finito.
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The way I see it, Kodak's remaining management is totally clueless. They expect the retail and online printing business to grow? Facebook is today's photo album? What are they thinking?
Either someone comes up with a revolutionary idea, or they are dead. Finito.
And yet they're getting out of the camera business, an area that's desperately in need of innovation at the low end.
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The way I see it, Kodak's remaining management is totally clueless. They expect the retail and online printing business to grow? Facebook is today's photo album? What are they thinking?
Either someone comes up with a revolutionary idea, or they are dead. Finito.
I have read that 80% of Chapter 11 reorganization efforts end in liquidation. But maybe we can hope for at least a gradual shrinking, as the film and printing markets will shrink over some years, not vanish overnight. At least that could ease the pain to employees and to the people of Rochester. Oh and license the patents as widely as possible on "fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms", so that all active product makers have access to the technologies.
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The way I see it, Kodak's remaining management is totally clueless. They expect the retail and online printing business to grow? Facebook is today's photo album? What are they thinking?
Interesting. My silver halide photo printing business is up 181% YtoD. I think there is more demand than many realize out there. (I'm not saying it will be Kodak's saving grace, but it has been rebounding the past couple of years)
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Kodak's management has been clueless for some time. The things you hear from people close to the company. I don't see print production as any growth. Not with everyone carrying smartphones with screens as big as 4x6 inches. That leaves big prints for a very few vendors. Vendors might make money simply because they held on long enough that everyone else left the business. I believe Kodak will be gone completely in 4 years max.
What is lost will be all the R&D they did. Were reaping the benefits now but I am unsure who is doing it today. Sony, Nikon, or Canon not sure.
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Not sure Chapter 11 helps when your profitable markets disappeared in barely half a decade (like film).
I agree (sadly) that it may be completely over in 2 years.
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What is lost will be all the R&D they did.
I am optimistic that even in the worst case scenario, the patents will be sold/licensed, putting that technology on the market, and the skilled R&D staff should find work elsewhere. This has already happened in part, with Kodak's CCD sensor division now re-opening for business next door at Truesense Imaging, Inc. (http://www.truesenseimaging.com/)
P. S. The company's fate hinges largely on the planned sale of 1,100 digital patents, a step required by its lenders. --- WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203824904577212873966942132.html)
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camera has became electronic business, and traditional lens maker are slowly became the accessory maker - which the electronic companies also involves. I think it is wise that Kodak leaves the camera business, in fact they should do it 10 years ago and spare their brain and money developing something else. This is not to say optical performance of a camera is not important, but it is not as important as it was before for most. For some, optical performance is still the most important thing of photogrpahy hardware, just that those people are not the decision makers. I think no one is wrong, just that photography, among many other things, evolves; and like many things in history, not all evolement is right.
Pingang
Shanghai
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Hi,
Can you be a little more specific? Silver halid photo printing, what does that mean? Photochemical printing, like Durst Lambda, or photochemical all the way from film to print?
Sorry for asking, I simply don't know the context of your business.
Best regards
Erik
Interesting. My silver halide photo printing business is up 181% YtoD. I think there is more demand than many realize out there. (I'm not saying it will be Kodak's saving grace, but it has been rebounding the past couple of years)