At the Photo Marketing Association trade show on Thursday, Kodak debuted five new digital cameras and a new brand of photo paper.
New EASYSHARE digital cameras
The EASYSHARE DX7630 digital camera led off four new additions to the EASYSHARE line-up. It features 6 megapixel resolution, a 3x optical zoom lens, a low-light auto-focus system, 16 scene modes in addition to program and custom modes, and more. It’s capable of capturing full-motion video at 24 frames per second, and it comes with Kodak’s EASYSHARE software that allows you to organization, edit, and print your images. The company will ship the camera in April with 32MB of internal memory; an SD/MultiMediaCard expansion slot allows you to add more. The expected retail price is US$499.
The EASYSHARE CX line also received three new additions at PMA: the CX7430, which offers 4 megapixels of resolution and 3x optical zoom; the CX7300, with 3 megapixels and a fixed-focus lens; and the CX7220, with 2 megapixels and 2x optical zoom. Like the DX7630, all three will include EASYSHARE software for organizing, editing, and printing photos.
Kodak recently upgraded its EASYSHARE software on the Mac to version 3.3, which is a free download from the company’s Web site. The new version offers the ability to create custom home printing layouts and automatically create albums from individual folders when importing photos, improved slideshow and full-screen viewing, and enhancements to the search functions.
The CX7430 and CX7300 will be available in March will the CX7220 will ship in May. Prices will be $279.95, $129.95, and $149.95, respectively. No page was available for the CX7220 on the Kodak Web site at press time.
Kodak Professional DCS Pro SLR/n digital camera
Kodak also introduced a new digital camera pro-level photographers: the Kodak Professional DCS Pro SLR/n digital camera.
The DCS Pro SLR/n was built on an F-mount compatible body and features 14 megapixels of resolution and a total available ISO range of 6 to 1600. It sports a new imaging system and a new 35mm size, 12-bit CMOS sensor capable of 4536 x 3024 pixels. The latter allows you to still use your F-mount SLR lenses and regain the benefits of a true wide-angle lens.
The DCS Pro SLR/n also features three options for image sizes — 14 megapixels, 6 megapixels, and 3 megapixels — as well as a 512MB RAM buffer and a sleep mode that conserves battery life. It can snap approximately 1.7 frames per second and save images as DCR raw files, JPEG, or ERI JPEG on CompactFlash, MultiMediaCard, or SD memory cards. A FireWire interface allows for top-speed downloads to your Mac. The included software bundle features Kodak Professional DCS Photo Desk, Camera Manager, File Format Module, and Extended Range Imaging Technology File Format Module.
When tethered to your computer, system requirements call for Mac OS X v.10.3.2 (Panther) or higher, a PowerPC G3 processor (G4 recommended), 256MB RAM (512MB recommended), and 200MB of free hard drive space.
Kodak expects to ship the DCS Pro SLR/n in early March. No pricing was given; the company asks that you contact an authorized Kodak dealer for more information.
Ultima Picture Paper with COLORLAST technology
Finally, Kodak also announced that its new Ultima Picture Paper with COLORLAST technology is now available everywhere. The company estimates that photos printed with it will last more than 100 years in a typical display.
The new paper is available in both high floss and satin finishes in 4 x 6-inch, 5 x 7-inch (high gloss only) and 8.5 x 11-inch sheet sizes. Sheet counts per package and suggested retail pricing vary; check the Ultima Picture Paper Web page for more information.