Kodak will stop making digital cameras within the next few months. The company, currently in bankruptcy protection, will also stop making pocket video cameras and photo frames as a cost-cutting measure. Instead it is looking to license its name to other manufacturers who wish to sell cameras under the Kodak brand. Closing the business will cost around $30m, mainly in the cost of laying-off workers, but will save around $100m per year in running costs. All product warranties will be honored.
There was an outburst of nostalgia when the company announced it was discontinuing its famous Kodachrome color film but today's announcement that one of the innovators in portable photography and digital camera technology is leaving the business is a sad one. The company's recent retreat into bankruptcy protection means this step won't come as a complete shock but, whatever now happens to the company, its link to everyday photography has been broken.
