Cnet shared some pictures of the new Kodak MFT camera. And they also have the final specs:
The PixPro S-1 has decent specs, including a 16.8-megapixel sensor, 3-inch tilting 920,000-pixel display, Wi-Fi and 5fps continuous-shooting mode. It will ship with a slowish 12-45mm f3.5-6.3 collapsible lens; the collapsing mechanism looks a lot like Olympus’ original design for its 14-42mm lens, and the camera uses sensor-shift image stabilization like Olympus as well. There’s a second lens, a 42.5-160mm, as well as a spotting scope that may be part of a second bundle.
And JKImaging marketing director Austin Kazami shared some more thoughts at Amateur Photographer:
“It is a CSC designed for a smartphone audience“…”In Japan, CSCs and DSLRs are treated as two totally separate markets unlike in Europe and the US“…”There will also be an 42.5-160mmmm, plus an 400mm fixed focal length lens.“
ePhotozine published the official press text. This is the part concerning the new MFT camera:
Leveraging technical prowess and manufacturing excellence, the KODAK PIXPRO Camera line will introduce its first micro four thirds camera with the S-1. The S-1 is WiFi® enabled, boasts a 16MP BSI CMOS 4/3” sensor, a 3.0″ 920 articulating LCD, sensor shift OIS, 1080p 30fps H.264 FHD Video and lithium-ion battery. The S-1 is priced competitively at $499 MSRP for the entry-level single lens kit and $599 MSRP for a double lens kit and is perfect for the avid photographer looking for a high performance model in a slim and compact design.
95 Responses
What exactly is Kodak offering that anybody wants, as m43 user? Anything better from the specs or the lens kit?
I know.
Rhetorical.
Kodak is a zombie (i.e. just a licensed name).
I don’t think this camera has anything to offer compared (say) to an E-PM2 which was priced in the same way at launch (and now is cheaper).
Well, ok, the zoom starts at 12mm and that’s great, however if you care about 12mm you probable care about many other things, and you may want a Panny GM1 or any other m43 camera with other 12mm lenses (more expensive, but likely much better)
As I wrote already, I have mixed feeling about seeing another brand selling with the m43 logo. On one hand, I’m happy. But on the other hand, it’s a dead-zombie brand, what am I happy for?
Actually. the kit 12-45 lens offers better range than Olympus 14-42 II, 12mm is especially useful. And in the package about the same size, not as big as Oly 12-50 it seems. Nice. E-PM2 also does not have WiFi.
It is a unique kit lens that could be quite attractive to many, and these specs look darn good for an entry level camera!!
“The S-1 is WiFi® enabled, boasts a 16MP BSI CMOS 4/3” sensor, a 3.0″ 920 articulating LCD, sensor shift OIS, 1080p 30fps H.264 FHD Video ”
Especially having a BSI sensor 😮 😮 Haven’t seen that before with a 4/3″ camera.
This might, just maybe, perhaps even be a revolutionary camera with this new innovation. Maybe.
Either which way, I expect it will be rather good value for money! (especially after a price drop once it has been out for a few months)
Fingers crossed for decent reviews.
Hopefully this is Kodak just dipping a toe in the water before diving in as a serious competitor, or at least offering something we haven’t already had for years.
Kodak may “a little” behind Fuji in shifting to digital. 🙂
But a new m43 entry is always good to see.
Actually, the digital camera was invented by Kodak. 😉
I would be more excited and confident and hopeful if this JKI-Kodak was the real old Kodak. But it isn’t.
I agree, but that is crying over spilled milk 🙁 Remember that Kodak provided the sensors for the first few releases of the Olympus FT series cameras. For that matter, the imaging sensor division of Kodak was spun off some time before Kodak went into bankruptcy. It’s still around and produces 4/3 sensors for industrial camera purposes.
> “But a new m43 entry is always good to see.”
Exactly! Even if they’re offering nothing special and cutting edge, an extra brand joining the m4/3 system in making a cameras and lenses is only *a good thing* for the strength of the whole system.
+1000!
Exactly. It’s great news for the ever-expanding M4/3 system. Kodak brand recognition can’t hurt, either.
It’s a Kodak MFT “moment”!
Nice sensor in the thing, same one Sony uses in the RX100 series.
For me to be interested there would have to be a viewfinder and a nice UI.
Hmmm
What planet do the commenters here live on?
1 – No it is not the same sensor as the RX100, not even close.
2 – This is a company that is using the Kodak brand under license, not Kodak the company.
3 – @Doug “Kodak may “a little” behind Fuji in shifting to digital.” wtf, even if this was the actual Kodak, Kodak were the first company to prototype a digital camera in 1975, yes nineteen seventy five – not a typo. In 91 Kodak were the first to release a Digital SLR, the DCS 100.
Please, if you haven’t a clue, why comment. Now I know where the term commentard comes form I guess.
@Bob the company that makes Fuji cameras is a continuation and evolution of the Fuji that made film. Kodak made film and may have made early advances in digital, but they no longer exist in the same form. They may still technically exist as a brand portfolio, hold assets, etc, but they are no longer the powerhouse of old. This camera is licensed to use the Kodak brand, much like “Polaroid” lives on in name. But the “a little behind” comment was a jest, since Fuji found a digital path, survived and currently makes interesting cameras and Kodak, RIP, did not. “Commentard?” Seriously?
I clearly am aware of where Kodak is at, you look like you need to read and understand my post. You are arguing against a staw man.
I believe JK Imaging has been the manufacturer of Kodak’s digital cameras for quite a while.
Now, that Kodak is out of the game, they just rose up to make their own products, and the ability to use Kodak for licensing and marketing is a wise move.
It’s not a 1 inch 20 megapixel sensor…
…is it?
What’s the problem??
Here we have more choice, another maker of lenses and bodies for M43. Besides choices, it also means competition. The lenses have longer zoom ranges, and a collapsible 12-45mm kit zoom is very nice as an alternative versatile zoom lens to the Olympus 12-50mm which is not collapsible. The grip looks better than another similar priced and sized cameras from Panasonic and Olympus. This is offering lower price options to attract more people buying into M43, and that must be good to all M43 users even if you do not choose these camera since M43 will get more market share.
Besides, we do not know how its sensor performs yet. It might be too bad, being a 16MP one. Give it a chance.
I do agree that the name “Kodak” is not exciting. I wonder why JK want to use that name, which is synonymous with low grade and boring digital camera. Fine to license its patents, manufacturing and other know-how, but drop that name. I think many more people will be more willing to try products from a fresh new brand name than “Kodak”. Take a leaf from those who started Lenovo laptops (IBM).
I guess the name Kodak evokes different feelings depending on your age. I always admired their film-based products, especially Kodachrome, but those executive idiots at the top did not see the digital revolution despite having a front-row seat.
Certainly a few of their early digital cameras (and joint efforts with SLR makers) were impressive but now it is just a name with low credibility. However, I wish them well.
You admired their 126 format Instamatic cameras, their 110 format cameras, and their APS cameras too?
Those were as boring as their recent digital point-and-shoot cameras or vice versa.
you never heard about their DCS pro series I guess..My jump into dslr was with the dcs 520 and 760, which both had great sensors with huge raw lattitudes.
Don’t forget the infamous Kodak Disk camera!
Ektachrome. Kodachrome. Tri-X.
Carousel Slide Projectors.
That’s the Kodak I know.
look up BSI CMOS Sensor, you should be interested in that
I am not interested in this camera as presented because it’s really a consumer offering (CES) but the an M4/3rds BSI CMOS sensor might be very exciting at least a new look in M 4/3r’s which is long overdue
At least they are pricing it a little better right out of the gate. Hard to tell how this camera will handle, but with the articulating screen, I would think it’s comparble to the E-PL5, and priced $200 less with a lens.
Hard to say. Every little bit helps I guess.
Mode dial + hotshoe flash. Yeah, E-PL5 would be the closest comparison, at least on paper. But as for price, by the time this is actually available, the E-PL5’s successor will be out, and the E-PL5 will cost half of what it does today.
A 400 mm lens however, unless it’s a mirror like the Tokina, sounds quite interesting!
It does not seem to be a mirror. It will be competing with the Samyang T2 lentes.
At least this time it is an actual M43:)
I second the sentiment that the 400mm lens sounds interesting.
me too. this 400mm prime is interesting. any indicative specs and availability date? if it’s another mirror, forget it.
There’s a picture of it on cnet. It’s not a mirror lens. And it’s certainly not pocketable!
It seems thinner but perhaps even longer than the Canon 400mm f5.6 L, which is not expected given the sensor size.
Still, it will AF better with m43 cameras than anything else on the market. However, it won’t be so good for Panasonic users since Kodak is going the Oly way with IBIS instead of OIS. The way I see it, only Oly cameras with 5-axis will get proper stabilization with it. I don’t think 2-axis would be good enough with a dark 800mm equivalent (though we don’t know f value yet).
The image at cnet says 400mm F/6.7. I think it is manual focus only. It looks like a spotting scope adapted for m43.
Yep. You’re right about f6.7. Didn’t see it at first.
I hoped at least for good AF, since Kodak seems to release AF lenses, but you may well be right.
Not much use for that lens, in the end. One might as well adapt old non stabilized 400mm f5.6.
i agree it will be usable in regular manner only with omd’s 5 axis stabilization. size and weight can be mitigated if there is provision for a lens collar for tripod support. however, if it is a manual focus lens, while one can use the evf’s good magnification capabilities, it would never be a viable substitute to my legacy 4/3s long lenses especially the 300mm f2.8. i would still prefer an m4/3 300mm f4 and a tc 1.4, both weather-sealed. as long as it is handholdable even if heavier than the lumix 100-300mm, it would still be a significant step-up in addressing my needs in wild bird photography.
You mean the spotting scope?
Use a Tripod? A 400mm pretty much demands one.
Assuming ephotozine is right,then it is the first camera carrying BSI 4/3 sensor
Back side illuminated 43 sensor? Wow. That’s something specail. To date only 1″ sensors and smaller had that possibility.
Expect great performance.
That collapseble lens is a dark champion though f6.3 gee
Interesting tech, at least. As for quality, I’ll believe it when I see it.
http://www.adorama.com/alc/0012961/article/FAQ-Whats-a-Backside-Illuminated-Sensor
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/149742-how-back-illuminated-sensors-work-and-why-theyre-the-future-of-digital-photography
While I doubt that these will have competitive image quality, it’s always nice to have more options in the MFC ecosystem!
As far as I’m concerned, the more options the better. Whining about a camera you have no intention of buying seems like a silly waste of time. If anything, I think we should be inviting participation from other manufacturers. The more companies who have a stake in micro four thirds, the more likely the format will survive.
+1 Lots of people remember the Kodak name fondly. Even if this camera is Kodak in name only, having another player in the M43 ecosystem should be good for everyone. Buyers of this camera may eventually buy another lens, or upgrade. If this does well for the company, second or third generation products that appeal to the enthusiast market could follow. Having two major players who partner/compete in the is space seems to have been very good for product innovation. The variety of shapes and styles of bodies, and the diverse selection of lenses is what drew me to M43. The more the merrier.
I think it is a nice looking camera. Can’t wait to see some reviews.
Hi
I think they look alright. If the bodies are reasonable then it might be the sort of thing I buy for one of my daughters. Then they can use my lenses if their interest in photography grows past taking selfies.
Lets hope there will be a higher model with a small built-in EVF and a basic flash. That would make it better than anything else in M43 as an all-in-one affordable and small camera. With that collapsible 12-45mm lens, such a camera should be fine for many beginners and P&S/compact upgraders, and give them access to other lenses when and if they are ready to get more serious. And if more is needed, that extra lens in a 2-lens kit only costs $100 more. This is great for M43. While Olympus and Panasonic abandon the low-end market, it is nice to have someone else joining and providing basic models to attract less serious photographers to M43. This is great news!
Exactly my thoughts. And the introduction timing is perfect.
This one is probably already their high end model: it’s labelled PIXPRO all over…
(Don’t kick me, I’m already out 😉 )
This makes all other M43 stuff suddenly look even more overprized.
Good news, competition is good. And finally some innovation on the sensor front.
The camera seems to be based on an Olympus older model, but include the newer Sony 16MP sensor (same used in OM-Ds?). The lens also seems to be a design based in the older Olympus 14-45mm. “The camera body is made in China, while JK Imaging’s lenses are made by Asia Optical in Taiwan.”
It uses a back side illuminated sensor, so it’s apparently brand new (and not Sony’s).
Olympus never made a micro 4/3 14-45mm, they only made a regular 4/3 one.
What happened with the 25mm 0.95 that Kodak announced months ago?
A camera for hipsters, presumably easy to use – a good counterweight against the pro with skyrocketing prices from O & P.
It will be on the market for one year, interesting to see gen 2. This one has a lot of performance for the price anyway.
Three brands for the same format/mount makes it v. strong.
I have to disagree with you on hipsters. Hipsters use film 😉
A real hipster wouldn’t be caught dead with a camera, sketching is what’s in.
Bob you are so correct, I was walking past a protest in Bangkok the other day and was amazed to see a girl sketching the scene in between a throng of photographers.
Ah, Amalric, how easy it must be to be you !
If a photographic instrument is affordable and doesn’t interest you, you dismiss it as being for women and hipsters.
If a photographic instrument is expensive and doesn’t interest you, you dismiss it as being for dentists and investment bankers.
If a photographic instrument is very expensive, atrociously ugly and doesn’t interest you, you dismiss it as being for chinese billionaires and arab sheikhs.
Oh wait, you’re right on that last one.
You see, because of my former job, I am used to separate fact from opinion. I might not be interested to buy the Pixpro, but i welcome it in the m4/3 environment.
Similarly, I might not be interested by a pseudo-Leica 1600 $ portrait lens, but I understand that it might not be too much for a marriage hack.
Capish? Feshten?
If you don’t have satire or sarcasm, be patient: you might have other virtues 🙂
Now if only you acted on what you claim to have learned.
But you see officer, I was painting “Jude Raus” ironically on that shop, I’m no antisemite, my best friends are jews, really.
What’s worse, to have idiotic opinions and not act on them, or not to have them and act as if you had ?
When it becomes habitual for one to behave like a jackass, no amount of pretending to irony or sarcasm will change the fact that one’s habitually behaving like a jackass.
Looks like a GF6 level competitor, with potentially a better performing sensor (BSI). Kit lens is interesting, would love to see how it performs – aside from the macro mode, it looks like a near match for the Oly 12-50, at about half the size. Nobody else offers a compact/cheap 12mm lens at the moment, would consider it just for that.
If they can get it in-store for $399, they might have a chance, especially with the faux DSLR styling…
pany 12-32 seems both compact and cheap and is supposedly quite good quality.
that said, a 12-45 is certainly a very good offering for a kit lens.
it was mentioned before that this kodak S1 would be aimed at the Chinese market – so it might not be very common elsewhere.
but hey, a decently priced, high volume item that’s decently specced – this might well be a better than a last gen OLY/PANA camera.
This could turn out to be a wedge for driving m43 marketshare.
The one on the right — is that the Kodak Chrome? 🙂
Off-Topic, another preview for the Nocticron at http://www.ephotozine.com/article/panasonic-leica-dg-nocticron-42-5mm-f-1-2-asph–lens-preview-23737
Execellent sharpness wide open for an F1.2 lens!
yes it looks pretty good
We don’t need more camera manufacturers but lens makers.
They build lenses as well… And to be true, a new camera manufacture, is good for every user. even if it’s cameras are (most likely) low end, out will get more customers into mFT & maybe lower the basic body prices.
I didn’t realise that we’d appointed you as the MFT community spokesperson, clown.
If thos BSI sensor was the best among all current MFT ones I’d laugh out loud. And there are chances to be…
Time for panasonic to fight back, organic sensors and light splitting technology are the weapons.
I just hope that the jazz venture stuff speed things up rather then slowing it down
I wish them to make a lot of money, especially in China which would be a giant market for m4/3. That in turn would allow to keep prices low 🙂
Shameful. They taint the m43 format as cheap and amateurish.
At least Polaroid reborn offers some interesting products.
T
Have you even held or used the camera? No you haven’t.
How then do you know whether it will “cheapen” the system? You don’t.
We don’t know of the quality is low too… 😉
And just because a camera uses the same mount & sensor, the high quality won’t get bad. If kids talk about cars, they don’t talk about the atiny hatchback but the big sportscar from the same company 😉
a bad photographer only random take good pix with expensive equipment but a good photographer can take systematically good pix with cheap gears.
JK, the owner of Kodak has a different marketing strategy: they *don’t* want their cameras to be seen as dSLR.
Will this work better in the US, or in China, selling a simpler object?
If you think this was the original Kodak strategy with the Brownie and it worked well enough.
@amalric
JK do not own Kodak, they have licensed the trademark for use in cameras for a fixed period of time. Kodak is still a company that is traded on the NY Stock Exchange.
You don’t understand the irony. Think if Kodak conquers China (even if allowed for 99yrs only), or if the Chinese conquer the US under an American name.
Priceless. The midbrow will never forgive us: the Plot against America 🙂
Hopefully this will put price pressure on the established micro 4/3 players, and their launch prices will come down. There should be plenty of margin in Olympus, given lower costs to manufacture in mirrorless, and seeing how its lifecycle pricing plan is to gradually skim lower prices over 12 or 30 months while remaining profitable.
Funny, I just realised that the lens on the picture above IS the Olympus 14-42II
Until now the rumors said this was going to be a camera that used the m43 lens mount but had a smaller sensor. An inexpensive kit zoom that starts at 12mm and backside illuminated sensor make me wonder if that is not the case. I need to see a full test report with the sensor size to be sure it is really a 4/3 sized sensor
I wonder if the 400mm lens is any good. It kind of reminds me of the 400mm f6.3 preset lenses that were commonly sold for $40 in the 70s. I hope it does not perform like one.
From admin’s post: “Leveraging technical prowess and manufacturing excellence, the KODAK PIXPRO Camera line will introduce its first micro four thirds camera with the S-1. The S-1 is WiFi® enabled, boasts a 16MP BSI CMOS 4/3” sensor…”
Well, maybe a 4/3″ sensor isn’t a 4/3″ sensor?
“Well, maybe a 4/3″ sensor isn’t a 4/3″ sensor?”
Not always after an aggressive marketing department writes a press release. There are sometimes translation issues too. It could be a 4/3 sensor but until I see more information I would not count on it. I did not see anything about the m43 cameras on the link to the JK website, only the compacts.
Well, you’re maybe right after all… But then, the focal lenght of the zoom would be a bit strange (and/or useless) with a crop factor > 3 (4/3″ is 2 FF feqv if I recall right).
As you say: we’ll see 🙂
If it starts at $500, I wonder what the street price of the kit would be after a half year?
They should put out a retro digital brownie. Who knows, may be kind of neato.
I like the quote that “In Japan (and presumably Asia as a whole), CSCs and SLRs are treated as two separate markets”, rather than in N.America where the CSC is seen as the “pretender” to the SLR’s throne – hence the battles that rage over them. It is a good philosophy, the Asian view. As to those who fancy this Kodak may pressure OlyPan prices, I suspect that will not happen. With the Kodak camera in a competitive niche in China, It may emerge that OlyPan will be perceived at a higher level, and – far from pushing them into cutting prices, OlyPan goods may be seen as premium products. Overall, it is another concern that may show CaNikon in an ever more isolated position, for I feel Europe could buy this Kodak camera, given the chance, and that would only strengthen the mirrorless camp, especially since we now know that Leica is to bring out its own mirrorless with an APS-C sensor. It begins to resemble an Apple-versus-all-the-Androids tussle.
Yes, I agree v. much. Mind you success will depend v. much from the initial market. JK is from California.
Will they start to sell from there, or say, from China or Japan?
Associating the camera to smartphones, and separating it from dSLR does nothing for me, but it’s the logical next move, one that Samsung is already doing.
We are really lucky to have so many interpretations of m4/3 and levels of price. One can’t go wrong, it’s like a great safety net. As the numbers increase, sensor makers will also put more R&D in the format, and hence it will yet increase performance.
looks good it will be interesting to see how good the sensor is
any f numbers for the other lens
the 400mm is not for me too slow
lets hope that they bring out some more intersting lens in the future
i will be whacting to see what they do next 25mm f95 sounds good if done
right
a good start
Interesting to see that they call it a 4/3″ sensor, not a mFT sensor. It’s also BSI, which doesn’t exist and wouldn’t make much sense on larger than 1″ sensors. My guess is that it’s mFT mount, Sony RX100 MK II sensor (which is 3:2) cropped to 4:3 and 16MP and the lenses are mFT-equivalents…
The other option is that the info in this rumor is wrong, which might be even more likely.
It sounds crazy, but I feel like you might be onto something. That would take the nice 24-90mm equivalent kit lens and turn it into something like a 32-122 though. Maybe not wide enough for most these days.
Both the kit lens look very interesting! I am glad they are not the same 14-42 iteration that Panasonic/Olympus always churn out and that the telephoto also has a slightly different range. While I may not get one, this is great that there is another company joining the m43 system and using the mount.