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Kodak Ektra

kodak.com

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Re: Kodak Ektra

#101

Post by st3v3r »

astrocat wrote: post #93

There's a missed opportunity here... this is not a smartphone, because as a phone, it will suck. It's a smartcamera, because as a point-and-shoot running Android with a cellular data connection, it will probably be quite cool. As mentioned already, Nokia tried the "photography first" smartphonecamera - it didn't fly. Because, honestly, iPhones are already top of the line smartphonecameras. The cameras are ridiculousl…

"As mentioned already, Nokia tried the "photography first" smartphonecamera - it didn't fly."

It didn't fly largely because it was running a 3rd rate OS that no one really wanted.

Re: Kodak Ektra

#102

Post by icanhackit »

It has phase detection at least. Something sorely missing from these camera phone/phone cameras is an internal optical zoom so that the lens barrel never protrudes from the body - like the Pentax Optio WS80 which uses a prism so that the optics/elements move along the x rather than z axis inside the camera body. Apple filed a patent for such a thing a year or so ago, but they've also filed patents for all kinds of shit that has never seen the light of day.

Calling the 56mm second lens on the iPhone 7 an "optical zoom" is taking things a bit far. I guess calling it a prime portrait lens would leave more than a few people scratching their heads.

Re: Kodak Ektra

#104

Post by astrocat »

noahmbarr wrote: post #99
astrocat wrote: post #93

There's a missed opportunity here... this is not a smartphone, because as a phone, it will suck. It's a smartcamera, because as a point-and-shoot running Android with a cellular data connection, it will probably be quite cool. As mentioned already, Nokia tried the "photography first" smartphonecamera - it didn't fly. Because, honestly, iPhones are already top of the line smartphonecameras. The cameras are ridiculousl…

You have to applaud Kodak for taking a risk. If the camera functionality is that much better, some customer segment might be compelled. It's hard to say until the product is available. Future iPhone customers will benefit from this product release. If it's at all better, you better believe this will only push Apple's camera engineering team harder.

Certainly - Kodak has been making some big, bold moves in an attempt to stay alive. They're not dying quietly, that's for sure.

But I will say that I doubt this will impact iPhone owners at all; Kodak would have to demonstrate some truly amazing tech - be it lenses, sensors, or image processing - that can blow iPhones out of the water. And I just don't see that happening. They're touting... filters. Ok, maybe be charitable and talk about the editing experience with access to raw camera data - histograms! - but iPhones just got that too. So it's parity, at best.

What DOES put pressure on the iPhone is the new Pixel that came out of nowhere with a ridiculously good camera. Everybody (ok, "I") thought Apple's camera and picture quality was one of their biggest competitive advantages, but clearly, great photo quality is more commodity now.

Re: Kodak Ektra

#105

Post by pgnas »

Looks like we may have a camera with the option of being a phone instead of a phone that has a camera..

Looks interesting and it is nice to not have to carry around multiple devices.

Re: Kodak Ektra

#106

Post by girvo »

jdmichal wrote: post #97
astrocat wrote: post #93

There's a missed opportunity here... this is not a smartphone, because as a phone, it will suck. It's a smartcamera, because as a point-and-shoot running Android with a cellular data connection, it will probably be quite cool. As mentioned already, Nokia tried the "photography first" smartphonecamera - it didn't fly. Because, honestly, iPhones are already top of the line smartphonecameras. The cameras are ridiculousl…

To add to your sentiment, I have a Sony camera that can: * Wirelessly transfer images to my phone. * Do so with a tap, as it has an embedded NFC tag. (Sets up a wifi-direct connection.) * Be remotely controlled by my phone, including a laggy but usable viewfinder display on my phone screen. Cameras that are phone accessories already exist, and they're pretty cool.

My Fujifilm cameras do the same (and the X30's implementation is pretty great as of the latest Remote App updates) -- the remote viewfinder and controls aren't even that laggy now! Crazy stuff considering it's consumer equipment :)

Re: Kodak Ektra

#107

Post by jbarham »

Fun fact: The digital camera was invented at Kodak (an American company) that has since gone bankrupt.

Here is a list of Japanese companies that currently all make excellent digital cameras:

  * Canon
  * Nikon
  * Sony (which bought Konica Minolta)
  * Fujifilm (Kodak's main competitor in the film market)
  * Olympus
  * Panasonic
  * Pentax/Ricoh
Discuss.

Re: Kodak Ektra

#108

Post by jbarham »

noahmbarr wrote: post #99
astrocat wrote: post #93

There's a missed opportunity here... this is not a smartphone, because as a phone, it will suck. It's a smartcamera, because as a point-and-shoot running Android with a cellular data connection, it will probably be quite cool. As mentioned already, Nokia tried the "photography first" smartphonecamera - it didn't fly. Because, honestly, iPhones are already top of the line smartphonecameras. The cameras are ridiculousl…

You have to applaud Kodak for taking a risk. If the camera functionality is that much better, some customer segment might be compelled. It's hard to say until the product is available. Future iPhone customers will benefit from this product release. If it's at all better, you better believe this will only push Apple's camera engineering team harder.

This device is not made by Kodak. It's made by a British company called Bullitt Group that is licensing the Kodak name.

Source: https://www.dpreview.com/news/7643905711/kodak-launches-ektr...

Re: Kodak Ektra

#109

Post by maaarghk »

noahmbarr wrote: post #99
astrocat wrote: post #93

There's a missed opportunity here... this is not a smartphone, because as a phone, it will suck. It's a smartcamera, because as a point-and-shoot running Android with a cellular data connection, it will probably be quite cool. As mentioned already, Nokia tried the "photography first" smartphonecamera - it didn't fly. Because, honestly, iPhones are already top of the line smartphonecameras. The cameras are ridiculousl…

You have to applaud Kodak for taking a risk. If the camera functionality is that much better, some customer segment might be compelled. It's hard to say until the product is available. Future iPhone customers will benefit from this product release. If it's at all better, you better believe this will only push Apple's camera engineering team harder.

Maybe. If the quality of those test shots on the OP are anything to go by I doubt it. I have some very similar outdoors photos (overcast and green) from my Nexus 5X which at least to my eye look a lot better - http://imgur.com/a/3U9sv - and allegedly the Pixel is even better still.

Certainly those on the page seem to be very noisy and strangely lit even when scaled down to thumbnails. i dunno, maybe it's like "hardware instagram".

Re: Kodak Ektra

#110

Post by throw2016 »

Kodak unfortunately self destructed and the business was sold. This seems to be an initiative by the new owners and given the positioning one would expect much more details about the sensor size, sensor type and lens.

Kodak has a wonderful history with the now out of favour CCD camera sensors. The first digital Leica's all used Kodak CCD sensors and are still highly rated. Sony is now among the leading makers of CMOS sensors for both cameras and cell phones and nearly all current cellphones use Sony sensors.

Phones of course cannot compare to larger sensor cameras but they have made great strides and at least knocked off the lower rung of camera market that sported small sensors.

The positioning has potential but this is something Samsung, Apple and other phone makers are already focussed on. The absence of details could make this more positioning and less product and completely fail to register in a market dominated by decent phone cameras in the Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7.

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