Tag Archives: kodak

Barbie x Kodak collab gives instant photo printing a splash of pink

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Although it was never really gone, the Barbie franchise recently got a resurgence of popularity thanks to a fun yet odd live-action film. The toy has changed dramatically over the decades, but what has always stayed the same is its spirit of fun, whimsy, and connecting with loved ones. Oh, and the overabundance of the hot pink color. Just in time for the Barbielicious renaissance, Kodak and Mattel have joined hands to create a special limited edition instant camera and photo printer that embody those qualities, encouraging people of all ages and genders to shoot and share those special moments with big smiles and very pink accessories.

Designers: Kodak x Mattel

Instant cameras in the vein of the iconic Polaroid have very limited uses and printouts, but it’s that scarcity and rarity that have actually endeared these products to people, including the younger generation who may be hearing about the idea for the first time. There’s just something exciting about the thought of pressing a shutter button and instantly printing out a photo that you can share or treasure, knowing that that exact moment and that exact photo will never happen again. There’s a huge market for this retro camera design, and what can be more retro and more fun at the same time than Barbie?

The KODAK Printomatic Barbie Edition pours a splash of pink on the instant camera and scribbles the iconic toy line’s name all over the surface. The instant camera uses ZINK technology to print out those lively colors without the dangers of spilling ink in your bag or even your pocket. The 5MP sensor, while sounding like a bummer, lets you also have a retro-quality photo that you can save on a microSD card for future viewing or, better yet, reprinting.

Yes, it might feel like a bit of a cop-out, but you don’t have to sacrifice versatility just to get that nostalgic photography experience, at least not if you also grab the Barbie-themed KODAK STEP Slim Instant Photo Printer. Connected to a smartphone, you can easily print images on that same 2×3 inch instant photo paper format, from the photos you took using your smartphone, to photos you save from the Kodak Printomatic Barbie Edition camera as well. It’s the best of all worlds, allowing you to experience the instant joy of printing photos while still leaving the option to share that over and over again.

The Kodak x Mattel collab is a fun nod to the iconic Barbie brand and could give fans and collectors alike something to vie for when the products do launch. Unfortunately, availability details have yet to be disclosed, but the windows of opportunity to launch Barbie-themed products, like the HMD Barbie phone, are getting smaller.

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Kodak digital film scanner lets you preserve your analog film negatives

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As someone who took a lot of pictures back in the good old days of film cameras and also took up photography classes in my film major university days, I used to have boxes of films in my room. Of course eventually they became useless and I had to throw them away since there was no easy way to scan and preserve them. Now I am regretting that decision since there are devices that can make it easy to digitize these rolls of films.

Designer: Kodak

One such easy-to-use and relatively affordable devices is the Kodak Slide N Scan Digital Film Scanner. Basically it’s almost the size of a regular camera and its main function is to view, edit, and convert your old negatives. It is able to do that for both color and b&w negatives with 135, 110, and 126mm sizes and it can also convert 50mm slides in those sizes as well. You can also adjust everything into a gallery, edit date and time stamps, and transfer them to your computer or hard drive.

You can get one that has a 5-inch or a 7-inch LCD, depending on how small or big you want that screen to view and edit your film strips. It uses a quick-feeding tray technology so you can have a continuous loading action and also comes with the adapter for the different sizes. It can also help you resize and convert the photos with an easy scan button. You can also do some basic editing things like adjust brightness, enhance, crop, and adjust the quality of the images as you digitize them.

I also discovered that a lot of Gen Z kids are going back to film cameras to preserve their memories. So this device will be useful for the older generation who experienced the heyday of film cameras and to the younger ones who are discovering their joys. Both would want to preserve these images and a portable film scanner is the best way to do so.

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Kodak Super 8 film camera revival is finally happening but there’s a huge catch

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The Super 8 film camera has become an important part of photography history, particularly when it comes to cinematography. The distinctive design of the camera and its unique format inspired many amateurs who would later become industry veterans, and that legacy is fondly remembered and even commemorated in a 2011 movie bearing the camera’s very name. Not long after that film was released, Kodak, whose name has become closely associated with the camera, announced a new version of this beloved camera that sticks true to its unique analog experience while adding a few digital conveniences. Almost 8 years later, that camera might finally be ready to roll, but it seems that very few fans will actually be able to get their hands on it.

Designer: Kodak

The Super 8 camera can probably be credited for giving birth to home movies that are now made using smartphones. Making motion picture cameras more accessible to the masses helped aspiring moviemakers get started without having to burn through their savings. Although Super 8 cameras are actually still available today, they are already considered vintage by today’s standards, especially because of their use of physical film. That said, a faithful Super 8 successor won’t be able to win hearts unless it also stays true to that format and medium.

That’s exactly what Kodak was going for when it revealed plans to upgrade the Super 8 camera back in 2016 at CES. It would still be a film camera like its predecessors, but it would add a few convenient features taken from digital cameras. The new Super 8 would also retain the same basic shape, especially the gun-like pistol grip that has become iconic of the camera’s design. There’s an addition of a top handle with an integrated run button for more difficult angles. It does modernize the aesthetic, though, adopting a more industrial appearance with plenty of flat planes and sharp angles. It is a look that’s both fresh and new yet still unambiguously Super 8.

As for those modern conveniences, it sports a 4-inch LCD swiveling viewfinder, similar to all video cameras today. It comes with a detachable wide-angle 6mm 1:1.2 C-mount lens, so you can actually use any other C-mount prime lens or adapters, depending on what you need. There’s an SD card reader for recording audio directly into storage, as well as a micro HDMI port for connecting an external monitor. Ironically, despite all the new hardware, the camera still charges with an old and slow micro USB connection. And yes, it still shoots on analog film, so you’ll need to make sure to have a stock of KODAK’s Super 8 cartridges at hand.

Given how long ago the announcement was, there were perhaps some doubts about whether Kodak would actually be able to pull this off at all. The good news is that Kodak has finally opened up sign-ups, with shipping expected to start next month. The bad news is that, in addition to limited availability, the price tag for this new Kodak Super 8 film camera is a whopping $5,495, more than twice the announced SRP back in 2016. This immediately puts it out of the reach of all but the most dedicated collectors, a rather disappointing U-turn for a camera that originally catered to amateurs and aspiring moviemakers.

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Bring in some old-school feels with this retro camera-looking speaker

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Kodak, as we all know, has a very peculiar visual style. They value results over aesthetics. It began with a simple box camera with a 100-exposure roll of film. And now, the newest proposal for a new Kodak Bluetooth speaker concept is designed for audio enjoyment rather than visual pleasure as a new product lineup after Kodak’s corporate expansion.

Designer: Hyunjun Yu

The field of audio technology is continually developing, bringing us chic and new products that improve our listening experience. The Kodak C400R Bluetooth Speaker combines the appeal of retro design with the practicality of contemporary wireless technology. With its retro-inspired design and advanced audio capabilities, this speaker not only delivers high-quality sound but also adds a touch of nostalgia to any space.

The Kodak C400R Bluetooth Speaker honors the classic aesthetics of old-school audio gear. Inspired by archival film cameras, this speaker’s slim, minimal, and portable design makes it look like a vintage camera. A genuine vintage feel is produced by retro-inspired elements, including textured fabric, metallic highlights, and the Kodak branding. The speaker becomes a focal point that delivers excellent music and gives any space a nostalgic and upscale feel.

The minimalism of the design seems to follow the principles of Dieter Rams, who truly believes in the concept of ‘less is more.’ This design has a minimum variety of tangible elements which aligns with their tagline; you press the button, and we do the rest. The speaker only has two buttons for UI requiring minimum user intervention. Just press the button and get quality audio feedback.

It is a perfect fit for people who focus on quality and functionality over the aesthetic value of products. With its cutting-edge audio components, it reproduces sound in a clear and balanced manner. The speaker can nonetheless create deep bass, clear highs, and finely detailed midrange tones, resulting in an immersive listening experience despite its small size. The Kodak C400R Bluetooth Speaker provides excellent sound quality whether you’re listening to music, viewing a movie, or participating in a conference call.

The Kodak C400R Bluetooth Speaker uses contemporary wireless technologies despite its retro look. It effortlessly links with smartphones, tablets, and other compatible devices using Bluetooth connectivity, enabling a hassle-free wireless music experience. Because of the speaker’s wireless range, you can walk around and fully enjoy the sound of your favorite music or podcasts without being tied to your device. The speaker comes with two rechargeable batteries and a charger, so you always have one charged to use, and your speaker never runs out of charge, just like a camera.

The Kodak C400R Bluetooth Speaker skillfully integrates contemporary wireless technologies with retro looks. This speaker offers a distinctive audio experience that mixes nostalgia with portability with its retro-inspired design, cutting-edge audio capabilities, and portability. The Kodak C400R Bluetooth Speaker is a tribute to the ongoing attraction of both classic appeal and cutting-edge audio technology, whether you’re a fan of vintage aesthetics, a music fanatic, or simply appreciate the fusion of classic design with modern functionality.

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These KODAK travel cases let you have memorable ‘Kodak Moments’ by exploring the world

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Who knew that Kodak’s visual language would translate so wonderfully onto luggage design?! The bulbous forms are reminiscent of Kodak’s M35 and disposable FunSaver camera designs, and I can’t begin to tell you how MUCH I love that bold splash of yellow. You’d see that bag on the airport luggage belt from a mile away!

Designer: Hypt Design & Andy Kim

Designed as a set of three bags ranging from a small carry-on to a medium cabin/check-in case and a large check-in case, the Kodak luggage is a clever reinterpretation of the ‘Kodak Moment’ – the company’s famous slogan. Instead of photographs, however, the luggage focuses on travel, helping you create memorable experiences that are worthy of photographs. In doing so, Kodak still manages to be an integral part of the memory-making experience, but in an absolutely new way.

The three cases cover a wide range of travel needs and can be bought either individually or as a comprehensive traveling kit. The smallest is a perfect hard-case replacement for your laptop bag, letting you carry just the essentials and tech accessories (and probably your toiletries too), while the medium and large cases are ideal for clothes, footwear, food, and everything else you need on your holidays. All three bags come with hard-shell exteriors, with the Kodak logo embossed onto them through the vacuum-forming process. The medium and large cases have a smaller red Kodak logo on the top right corner too.

“The project was carried out with two goals: utilization of Kodak brand assets and satisfaction of the essence of luggage products,” says Hypt Design. Kodak is currently expanding to apparel and developing various brands with a strong focus on the ‘moment’, a key part of the Kodak experience from its camera-making days. “Therefore, the design story was set as a trip for the moment you want to leave behind,” Hypt Design adds.

The iconic Kodak logo inlaid into the bag as visual branding.

TSA-friendly combination lock

Caster wheels with the Kodak logo too

The bags are a combination of being flashy and functional, something that one could argue it has in common with Kodak’s cameras from its heyday too. Available in 5 colors, they’re distinctly different from other travel cases we’ve seen just given their color palette. There’s little you can do to deviate from the cuboidal nature of the bags, given that they need to have rectangular empty spaces, but the vibrant yellow and red variants make for a lasting impact, while the cream, olive, and black are a little more understated, for the kind of traveler who wants to make experiences and have Kodak moments without drawing attention!

A look at all the Kodak Luggage color variants

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Kodak’s making a grand comeback with this comprehensive smartphone photography kit!

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Familiar within the photography circuit as one of the absolute biggest companies in film-camera photography, Kodak famously lost out on one of the largest opportunities to pivot to the digital format as the world was slowly moving away from purchasing camera reels and towards the now-ubiquitous SD cards. The company lay low for a while, but is now making its comeback with accessories for the most powerful camera to sit in billions of pockets… the one on your phone!

Kodak’s Smartphone Photography Kit has everything you need to take stunning pictures. They add to your phone’s ability to create great images by giving you depth, lighting, and stability. The kit comes as a collective of three accessories (which can be bought separately too), namely a mini tripod specifically for smartphones, a portrait ring-light that clips onto your phone for great low-light selfies, and a set of 2 clip-on smartphone lenses to give your phone the ability to click ultra-wide and macro images, allowing you to either look at the bigger picture, or to zoom into minute details. With Kodak’s comprehensive smartphone photography kit, you can take that powerful camera in your pocket and click pictures that are incredibly stable, thanks to the tripod, or have a beautiful diffused glow, courtesy the ring light, or just explore the world through literally a different set of lenses! It’s a Kodak Comeback!

Designer: Kodak

Drink Some Beer, Develop Some Film with It

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Meet Dogfish Head SuperEIGHT, a Gose beer created in collaboration with Kodak. Why would Kodak be involved with beer you ask? Well, this beer has the perfect pH to develop film when you add some ingredients.

If you happen to be in need of developing some Super 8 film, you can now drink and develop to your heart’s content. The beer is brewed with eight ingredients that include prickly pear, mango, boysenberry, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry, kiwi juices, toasted quinoa and an ample addition of red Hawaiian sea salt. And that’s how it gets its vibrant red color.

By combining the beer with vitamin C, baking soda, and a couple of Kodak development chemicals, it’s able to develop Super 8 film just fine. Just be careful not to drink the beer after developing the film. You can check out a video right here of a trip to Philadelphia that was processed with the beer.

Is there anything that beer can’t do? And my second question is why this needed to be invented. Who thought of this? Are Super 8 film photographers drunk? I have no idea. I think I’ll just stick to Photoshop, and pretend that the beer in my hand is actually helping my project.

[via Laughing Squid via Geekologie]

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