AfterDawn: News

Kodak to stop making digital cameras

Kodak has announced it will stop making digital cameras in an effort to focus on its more profitable businesses.

Additionally, the company will also stop making digital picture frames. Both lines of products will be phased out by the end of the quarter, adds the company.



Into the future, the company will focus only on photo printing and desktop inkjet printers. By dropping the other products, the company should save $100 million per year.

Last month, the storied company filed for bankruptcy protection, looking to shred major expenses.

Kodak released the world's first consumer camera in 1888 and is still looking to sell off some of its patent portfolio and a successful deal would keep the company out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company has 1100 very valuable photography and digital photography patents and internally they value the portfolio at around $2 billion.

Despite inventing the digital camera in 1975, the company never capitalized on it, instead sticking to their film business, which has all but disappeared and had already begun shrinking in the 1990s.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 9 Feb 2012 21:58

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• 7 comments

• hearme0

  Rather run-of-the-mill garbage cameras anyway.
  
  Yet another pioneer stuck in a rut of original technology and lack of innovation. Complacency kills business!

  10.2.2012 11:49 #1

• attar

  Photography - as a hobby - took a hit when digital cameras came out;Kodak are merely the first to get out of the business.
  I would guess that most photos - and even video - are shot with cell phones now - similar to the way that the Walkman killed audio as a hobby.
  

  10.2.2012 14:41 #2

• Jeffrey_P

  Originally posted by attar: Photography - as a hobby - took a hit when digital cameras came out;Kodak are merely the first to get out of the business.
  I would guess that most photos - and even video - are shot with cell phones now - similar to the way that the Walkman killed audio as a hobby. Kodak makes some okay DLSR's but really nothing special.
  
  Still shoot with my old Nikon D70.
  
  Just a shame another business is going down.
  
  Cellphone cameras are good for spur of the moment pictures but really can't be taken seriously for photography.
  
  Where's my Land camera?
  
  Jeff
  

  Cars, Guitars & Radiation.

  10.2.2012 16:03 #3

• xaznboitx

  digital photo frames,wonder why people use them.. waste of money imo
  

  11.2.2012 07:17 #4

• Jeffrey_P

  Originally posted by xaznboitx: digital photo frames,wonder why people use them.. waste of money imo To slideshow pics just about anywhere.
  
  A lot of people own them. Even my cats veterinarians office has one to slideshow all the animals they have treated.
  
  Jeff

  11.2.2012 07:23 #5

• nbfreak2

  To bad the fall of another U.S. icon...Hopefully they can stay afloat.
  

  11.2.2012 09:13 #6

• catfreak

  Kodak cameras, while not the best, have always been an excellent value
  
  Another pioneer company getting flushed due to bad corporate management . . .
  
  I think that I'll go out and purchase a Kodak digital camera, just to have one
  
  . . . although most of the time, I still use my 35mm Argus
  

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  13.2.2012 23:47 #7