NEW: Kodak Smartphone Lenses
Remember Kodak? Well, they never really went away. But once upon a time they were the Apple of consumer film and cameras. Then, famously, when the digital revolution was about to change photography forever, they put their fingers in their ears and went “lalalalalala not listening!”
As late as 1976, Kodak commanded 90% of film sales and 85% of camera sales in the U.S. A year before, Kodak had actually developed one of the world’s first digital cameras. But, fearing it would ruin their film stock sales, they buried it (in the sand, along with their heads, I guess).
Rather then embrace the revolution and be at the front, innovating, Kodak chose to delay it as long as possible. Even in the early 2000s, Kodak executives hoped they might be able to slow the shift to digital through aggressive marketing. However, they got their act together and by 2005, Kodak ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in digital camera sales.
Unfortunately, the company was not prepared for the cheaper Asian digital cameras coming onto the market. And Kodak were losing $60 for every camera they sold. In 2013 Kodak escaped bankruptcy determined to become a leader as a technology company focused on imaging for business.
Kodak Ektra
In 2014, Kodak announced their first smartphone – the Kodak Ektra. This smartphone offers a manual control mode, stills shooting in RAW format and 4K video. It has a 21MP main camera with an aperture of f2.0. It also has OIS (Optical Image Stabilization).
As you can see, the Kodak Ektra has a very cool retro design. Well, it’s cool to me because it brings back happy childhood memories of taking photos.
I love the look of the lens, even though it protrudes from the case. Don’t you think this looks more beautiful than the trend for square lumps housing lenses in modern phones? There’s also the curling grip at one end, making this look like a camera that also happens to be a phone.
I even like the way the chrome bezel creates a lip around the screen. It’s like a steampunk smartphone!
Here’s a sample video shot with it, back in 2017. And you know what… that looks nice doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, video has no manual control mode. So like Samsung, Kodak appears to believe only stills shooters need manual control. But does FiLMiC Pro work with it?
Kodak Smartphone Lenses
Anyway, back to the new Kodak smartphone conversion lenses. In fact, the are produced by a company called Eye Caramba but are Kodak-branded. There’s a 2-in-1 and a 3-in-1 lens set.
The 3-in-1 comes with a 100° ultra-wide angle, a 15x macro and a circular fisheye. Meanwhile the 2-in-1 is an ultra wide and macro. But whereas the Ektra smartphone had a cool retro look, those red and yellow clips look a bit cheap don’t they?
There are other Kodak-branded smartphone accessories such as a selfie-lamp and a mini-tripod.
All of the accessories will be available online in “early October.” The 3-in-1 kit with all three lens options will cost $40, the tripod will be $30, the miniature ring light will cost $20, or you can pick up a kit with all five accessories and handy carrying case for $70.
But do these lenses really have anything to do with Kodak? Rather, they appear to have sold the brand to Eye Caramba (whoever they are), which is kind of sad for those of us who suffer from nostalgia. By the way, Kodak even have a form on their website asking people to get in touch if they have an idea for a branded item.
Anyway, you can find the lenses and accessories here in the official Kodak store.
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