Kodak Retina IIIS — This site is dedicated to collecting odd cameras and the most intersting is the Kodak Retina. There are a lot of reasons to go after this old camera, but I was fascinated by the fact that Kodak STILL works with Schneider lenses (used on the Retina) on its newer digital cameras. Old alliances never die.
Most recently I’ve become fascinated with Kodak’s sub culture since the company has been so primal in all aspects of photogrpahy, but is always seen as just a film company on the road to oblivion. I have to remind people that Kodak INVENTED the digital camera.
Inventing means nothing. Who invented the GUI, using a mouse, emailing, browsing networking, etc? It certainly wasn’t Apple or MS.
Winners don’t necessarily invent. Winners succeed.
Aside from Ayn Rand’s offspring [above], old cameras can be interesting as hell. Before they were Kodak, they were the Eastman Camera Company — and, of course, for as long as film cameras were predominant, they DID win. How long was that?
Anyway, one day, if I get hard up for cash, I’ll sell my grandfather’s Eastman, circa 1910. Wood body and wood cut film holders. I still have the original Rollei 35B I bought for backpacking in 1971 — the last year that camera was made with German lenses. Turned down $500 for it, so far.
Ed, I’ve only read “The Fountainhead” but I would guess that any person who “won” without creating would be frowned upon by Rand. She seems to hold any false success with contempt.
But then again, I’ve only made it through one of her books, so maybe I’m getting the wrong impression.
I didn’t know they invented it!
Whether inventors win and succeed or not, people stereotype Kodak as being chased down by all of this technology. I’m betting that they have a pretty good idea how to make money off of a “filmless” world. There’s probably a killer-app of the digital camera world waiting to be developed by Kodak – what Polaroid did for regular film, Kodak is betting to do something amazing-and-can’t-live-without for digital.
Has anyone picked up that the some of the most expensive printing houses use “Kodak” paper to print digital images with?
Ima, if we ever nudge John all the way over into a proper threaded forum as part of this blog, the Ayn Rand syndrome would be a delightful topic. Frankly, not one I run into much, nowadays; but, it was a “must” for the strength through will-types for decades.
My criticism — in that vein — was that trying to break down success in any venture to a one-sentence infomercial is crap. Sure, my corporate business mentors, used to say — to build a successful business, start by selling something. They, of course, were mostly salesman — as I have been for longer than I was paid for it.
But, selling something that turned out to be crap, or had lousy QC even when it was a good design, or distribution sucked — and another several reasons — are all part of a proper analysis and equation for success. For example, my greatest criticism of Apple has always been not what they designed; but, when they decided to market that “what”. They’ve learned to consider market research — finally — before they introduce stuff.
A one-liner is rarely more than a bad or good one-liner.
…people stereotype Kodak as being chased down by all of this technology. I’m betting that they have a pretty good idea how to make money off of a “filmless” world.
I tend to agree with Chad, but Fuji is giving Kodak a run for their money in the print-it-yourself market (i.e Walgreens, Walmart, Costco, etc) – and Adobe’s push for converting everyone-else’s RAW format into Photoshop’s digital negative format has got to be reducing Kodak’s “oxygen supply” in the software market.
One area that seems promising is their concentration on sensors for high-end cameras, i.e. the 13+ megapixel sensors on their DCS SLR cameras – which come in Nikon and Canon versions, for people who already have serious money invested in lenses (and if you are willing to pay $4k+ for a camera body, odds are you do).
The low end of the market will be overtaken by the Samsungs of the world, who are announcing 7-megapixel OEM units for cell-phones. Kodak needs to find a niche in the high-end camera , and/or digital print markets. IMHO