Kodak

Kodak's large and colorful stand features several new cameras in the popular EasyShare range. First up is the budget EasyShare C300, a $99 3 megapixel compact with fixed focus, no zoom, 1.5-inch LCD and 16MB of internal memory. This is joined by the $249 C340, a surprisingly well designed budget 5 megapixel model with 3x zoom, 1.6-inch screen and 16MB of internal memory. Both models are compatible with Kodak's (optional) dock and printer dock systems. Also new for 2005 is the C730, a 5 megpixel EasyShare camera with 4x Schneider lens and a grand total of 22 subject/scene modes.

Of more interest, and already gathering a small crowd when we arrived on the stand, is the EasyShare One, a very nice 4MP compact with 3-inch flip out and twist touch screen, a whopping 256MB of internal memory and wireless email and print capabilities (using an optional WiFi SD card). The EasyShare One's metal and pearlescent white finish is something of a departure for Kodak, and a welcome one at that. The same white finish also features on another new product debuting at PMA 2005, the Kodak Picture Viewer. This credit-card sized cutie has a 2.5 inch LCD screen, 32MB of internal memory (enough for around 150 shots), and can print directly to a Kodak printer dock. It's expected in May with a retail price of around $149.

Finally Kodak is showing the first fruits of an initiative first announced at Photokina last September. The Image Link system is a development of the company's popular EasyShare/Printer Dock using a new much smaller 26 pin connector. The interesting part is that Kodak has licensed the system to several other camera manufacturers (some of whom have engineering samples on the Kodak booth). This means that in the near future Nikon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, Olympus, Sanyo and Pentax cameras will be compatible with Kodak's printer docks, and that, if they so desire, those companies can also produce their own docks/printer docks. Expect to see the new Image Link logo appearing on cameras and printer towards the end of 2005.