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Kodak EasyShare Z915

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The only announcement to come from Kodak at PMA 2009 was for the EasyShare Z915: a $199.95 pocketable 10-megapixel compact camera with a 10X optical zoom lens and optical image stabilization. It's also powered by two, AA batteries and features a smallish (by today's standards at least) 2.5-inch LCD.

So it's a lot like the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS, except slightly higher resolution and a smaller LCD, but $50 less expensive. Or like the $299 Samsung HZ10W minus the 24mm-equivalent wide-angle lens or the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, though that one's $399 and features a 28mm lens with 12X optical zoom. Guess this compact megazoom category is more crowded than I thought.

The announcement of the Z915 follows the CES 2009 launch of the Z980 IS, a 12-megapixel dSLR-style shooter with a 24X optical zoom. (Hmmm, could Kodak want a bigger piece of the megazoom market?)

Color options for the Z915 include red, blue, black, and gray (more colors--another differentiator for Kodak in this category). Look for it in April.

(Credit: Crave Asia)

We never expected to see the day when Kodak branched out into beads and handbags, especially for a target market of females 14 and up. But yesterday, during its launch for its new M-series EasyShare cameras, was that day.

Like Nokia, which began offering beaded wrist straps for its 6085 fashion phone, Kodak will soon begin selling fashion wrist and neckstraps for its cameras (though we suspect they'll fit any point-and-shoot). There are a variety of bead shapes and colors for the straps, including red, pink, silver and black, all priced around $18.

The bags range in size from a brown wristlet through aqua and pink clutches (pictured here) to a larger green bag with in-built purse. Each bag features a compartment that will snugly fit a camera, as well as slide-in holders for SD cards. The larger ones also sport a pocket for mobile phones.

(Source: Crave Asia)

It's been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon busy week for digital cameras. Casio, Kodak, Nikon, and Panasonic all unveiled their latest cameras, and that means plenty of posts here on Crave. Here's a handy roundup of the new cameras announced this week.

• Casio's new V8 and Z1080 have nothing to do with engines or HDTV
  
• Kodak brings high-def video to two new cameras
  
• Kodak's new superzoom
  
• Panasonic gets serious about SLRs
  
• Nikon introduces two new affordable amateur cameras
  
• Nikon's latest Wi-Fi slimcam
  
• Nikon's new slim shooters
  
• Two new basic budget Nikons

Kodak EasyShare V1253

Kodak kicks off its fall lineup with two new cameras that pack a lot of resolution into a pocketable package. The camera company just announced the EasyShare V1233 and V1253, a pair of compact 12-megapixel cameras that focus on portability and simplicity. Measuring just 0.9 inch deep each, both models feature the same 12-megapixel sensor, 37 to 111mm-equivalent f/3.4-5.3 lens, face detection autofocus/autoexposure, and HDTV compatibility (with optional dock). For once, this HDTV compatibility doesn't just mean you can show off your photos on your high-def TV; both the V1233 and V1253 offer high-definition video modes that can record 720p Quicktime movies at 30 frames per second.

The two cameras are identical, save for their displays. The V1233 uses a 2.5-inch LCD while the V1253 features a 3.1-inch screen, the largest display we've yet seen on a compact camera. Of course, the big display means a bigger price tag; the Kodak EasyShare V1233 will retail for about $250 and the V1253 will retail for about $300 when both cameras ship later this month. Both models will be available in black, silver, and white versions.

Kodak EasyShare Z712

Kodak just announced four new digital cameras at PMA 2007. The different models range from budget snapshooters to photographer-minded ultrazooms, and none of them cost more than $300.

The Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS is the company's newest superzoom camera. With a 36- to 432mm-equivalent, optically stabilized lens, the 7-megapixel Z712 IS offers a generous 12X zoom power. Like most ultrazooms, the Z712 IS is modeled more after digital SLRs than snapshot cameras, with many more manual controls and a much bulkier design. The Z712 IS's 12X zoom isn't quite as impressive as the upcoming 15X Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H7 and DSC-H9, or the 18X Olympus SP-550UZ, but it's also not nearly as expensive. The Kodak EasyShare Z712 IS ships in April with a suggested retail price of $300, far less than the DSC-H7, DSC-H9, and SP-550UZ's $400, $480, and $500 price tags.

The EasyShare Z885 doesn't have quite as big a lens as the Z712 IS, but its higher resolution and extremely sensitive sensor make it just as notable. The Z885 sports a 36- to 180mm-equivalent 5Z zoom lens, and can reach up to ISO 8000 sensitivity. Higher ISO settings let photographers capture photos at higher speeds and in darker environments, but they also create a great deal of grainy noise in images. ISO 8000 might sound handy on paper, but we'll have to see for ourselves if the images are actually usable or not. The EasyShare Z885 ships in May, with a suggested retail price of $200.

Kodak is also releasing two new budget snapshot cameras, the EasyShare C613 and C763. These two simple 6- and 7-megapixel snapshooters sport 3X zoom lenses, compact bodies, and small price tags. The Kodak EasyShare C713 and C763 ship in April, with suggested retail prices of $120 and $180.

Kodak's Value Pack offers 4x6s at 10 cents per print.

(Credit: Kodak)

As our own David Carnoy predicted, and as News.com reported, Kodak announced a new line of inkjet printers yesterday at a lavish press event in Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. All three models are all-in-one printers, meaning they include built-in flatbed scanners--and in the case of the flagship model EasyShare 5500, a fax machine, too. Kodak is billing them all as six-ink printers, though they function as four-ink printers when producing color photos; the other two inks are a nonphoto-black and a clear, protective coating.

Kodak is making a big deal over the price of ink for its new printers, and rightfully so. Ink is one of the most expensive aspects of home printing. The company has even gone so far as to create a Web site called Ink is It, which goes to great lengths to compare the cost of inkjet ink to the cost of various luxury items. Of course, it comes as no surprise that the ink is more expensive. Anyone who has paid attention to the inkjet market has known this for a long time, and those who have had to order ink cartridges have felt the pain their bank accounts.

Kodak's battle cry in the inkjet war is clear: "50-percent less." That's what the company claims their inks cost when compared to the competition. All three of Kodak's new printers, the EasyShare 5100 ($150), EasyShare 5300 ($200), and EasyShare 5500 ($300), use two ink cartridges. One holds only black ink and sells for $10, while the other holds five colors of ink and sells for $15.

Kodak makes its 50-percent-less claim by comparing their new printers to other all-in-one printers, but it's difficult to make that comparison. For one, most inkjet printers, all-in-ones or not, have switched to individual ink cartridges for their color inks. That's because one of the inks almost always runs out first, and it's wasteful to throw away a multi-ink cartridge while two or more of its tanks still has some of that uber-expensive ink left. Kodak's multi-ink color cartridge includes cyan, magenta, yellow, and photo-black inks, as well as a clear protective coating. In my book, a clear coating, though certainly useful, doesn't count as ink, but let's not quibble. Also, since Kodak refuses to quote the amount of ink in their cartridges (some manufacturers list the number of milliliters of ink included in their cartridges), it's even more difficult to make a direct comparison.

To be clear, a larger volume of ink doesn't necessarily translate directly into more prints. Some printers waste more than others through head cleaning, thirsty paper, or other issues. However, it's useful and comforting to know how much ink is in the cartridge. If nothing else, it makes you feel that your printer manufacturer isn't trying to hide anything.

One of the ways that Kodak says they're able to save money in the production of ink cartridges is by eliminating the microchips that some manufacturers include for monitoring the remaining ink levels. Kodak also chose not to include print heads on their new cartridges, opting to just have one in the printer. The latter shouldn't cause a problem, but eliminating the microchip monitor means Kodak shouldn't be able to prevent its customers from using third-party ink cartridges. If they think that a 50-percent savings over their competition is attractive, wait until someone undercuts them by 50 percent on cartridges for their own printers. This could turn out to be a heyday for bargain hunters, or the world might end up with a lot of Kodak printers clogged by substandard third-party inks.

I applaud Kodak's attempt to put pressure on its new competitors to bring ink prices down. It's about time someone started talking about the price of ink. However, I hope they'll start being more forthcoming about the issue. And hopefully they won't further confuse potential inkjet buyers by padding the number of inks their printers use. I'll be kind this time and chalk it up to a rookie mistake.

Since we really need to give credit where it's due, Kodak did deliver in one very remarkable way. In addition to single cartridges, they're also offering packages of paper and color-ink cartridges. The Photo Value Pack includes 180 sheets of 4x6-inch glossy photo paper and a color-ink cartridge that should yield at least that many prints at that size. That means you'll be able to make 4x6 prints for 10 cents each at home, which means Kodak's new printers are some of the few that can make home printing compete with online processors. If you want to step up to fancier paper with a finish akin to the luster papers offered by some competitors, you can opt for the Premium Photo Value Pack, which includes 135 sheets of 4x6 paper and a color cartridge for $20, bringing the per-print cost to about 15 cents.

We look forward to reviewing these printers when they hit stores. The EasyShare 5100 and EasyShare 5300 will hit Best Buy shelves in March, while the EasyShare 5500 isn't expected to ship until May. However, the printers will be available for order on Kodak's online store starting in April.

A few months back, when we asked Kodak reps why the company wouldn't have its new digital photo frames available in time for the 2006 holiday buying season, they said it was because the frames that Kodak would announce at CES 2007 were going to be ambitious, and the company needed time to get them right. Well, now that I have final specs and pricing, it's hard to argue with that strategy. On paper, at least, the new frames--the top-end ones anyway--offer most of the features I'd want in a digital photo frame and should put a scare into photo-frame pioneer Ceiva Logic, which also has announced a line of new frames.

Kodak's new photo frames arrive in March.

(Credit: Kodak)

In total, Kodak will offer four new models, with a 10-inch and an 8-inch model that have wireless capabilities to allow streaming photos from your home PC or online Kodak gallery. The part that should worry Ceiva is that Kodak doesn't charge for this service. All the frames not only display pictures but also play sound (MP3 playback) and video (MPEG-1 and MPEG-4, MOV, AVI) files and accept the main memory card formats (CF, SD, MMC, xD, and MS). You can also directly plug in a camera or a thumbdrive via USB 2.0. Stereo speakers are built into the frames, so you can add a soundtrack to your slide shows. Plus, a small remote is included, and optional frame faceplates will be sold so that you can customize the frame's look.

Here's a look at the specs on the four picture frames, all of which Kodak says will be available in early March.

• The Kodak EasyShare EX1011 has 10-inch (diagonal) 800x480 high-resolution digital display in 16:9 aspect ratio, Wi-Fi, 128MB of built-in memory, built-in stereo speakers, and a headphone jack for music. Price: $279.95 (MSRP).
• The Kodak EasyShare EX811 has an 8-inch (diagonal) 800x480 high-resolution digital display in 16:9 aspect ratio with identical features to the EX1011. Price: $229.95 (MSRP).
• The Kodak EasyShare SV811 Digital Picture Frame is an 8-inch frame with the same features as the EX811 Frame, but with no wireless capabilities. Price: $179.95 (MSRP).
• The Kodak EasyShare SV710 has a 7-inch (diagonal) 480x234-resolution analog display in 16:9 aspect ratio without wireless capabilities. Price: $129.95 (MSRP).

Kodak's contribution to this week's camera announcements are a pair of high-resolution compact digital cameras. The EasyShare V803 and V1003 are two colorful, inexpensive shooters with some handy automatic features.

The two new cameras focus on style, with slim, inch-thick metal bodies that come in a variety of colors. Kodak hasn't finalized what colors will be available, but you can assume a nice selection including black, silver, red, pink, and blue models. If the solid colors don't offer enough variety, Kodak will offer an entire catalog of vinyl skins to further decorate your camera.

With suggested price tags of $200 and $250 and resolutions of 8 and 10 megapixels, the V803 and V1003 join the growing ranks of budget-priced, high-resolution cameras. Besides their style and resolution, however, they're fairly standard point-and-shoot cameras. Both models use a 36 to 108mm-equivalent lens, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and the usual selection of scene presets. While their lenses aren't especially powerful, both cameras have digital image stabilization and can reach up to ISO 1600 sensitivity.

The Kodak EasyShare V803 ships in February, and the V1003 hits stores in March.