The Kodak S1 MFt camera has been displayed in China. There are no specs but it should feature not yet definded “Sony sensor” and official release will be in Q3.
Source: Zol.
The Kodak S1 MFt camera has been displayed in China. There are no specs but it should feature not yet definded “Sony sensor” and official release will be in Q3.
Source: Zol.
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67 Responses
oh no,.looks so ugly and why is white,.
At least it looks somewhat unique.
I like how it looks.
Why is it ugly?
Actually, the black body isn’t bad. The lens is fugly though.
Asking why this camera is ugly is akin to asking why a Smart car is ugly. It just is, and there is no need to explain why.
Dude! The smart car is cute not ugly!!!
It’s hideous.
The body slopes up in a toilet fashion
I hope they have good distribution, and its cheap. Would love for this to go mass market, and support the growth of m43. I’ll never buy it, but I bet my sister in law (who has always bought Kodak cameras) would.
I thought the lens was a re-branded olympus lens, but it has another aperture range (3.7-5.3 vs. 3.5-5.6). Not a big difference, but are they planning to make leneses too? Or is it just a “nominal” thing?
Zoom is new – f/3.7-5.3 – it is not a copy of Oly or Panas. Who will produce it? Minolta-Konica? Will it be other lenses from this producer? I don’t care about cheap zooms, but if there will be cheap fast prime…
Shiny plastic white look makes it really cheap.
Must be the LEGO STAR WARS storm trooper version…
With stereo mics and something that looks like an external mic input on the front left, it could be focused on video shooters. My son constantly abuses my phone to do his Lego Star Wars YouTube uploads
I think maybe that’s the AF lamp rather than mic input… it doesn’t look the sort of camera to have mic input 🙂
Actually…this is just a miniature …it has a little hole so that you can attach it to your key chain!
No IS switch on the lens, so it must have IBIS. The camera is very small, perhaps too small for comfortable grip. about the size of the GF5. I don’t like the shiny surface although the black version does look better.
The grip is better than on GF5 at least…
It could well have no stabilization at all, to keep the price down. And the lack of an OIS switch is no indication, the smaller Panasonic zooms don’t feature one either, but refer the user to the camera menu instead.
Yes, you’re right. There is no mention of O.I.S in the lens markings, but it may well lack any kind of stabilization. This camera may be so inexpensive nobody will care anyway.
What is the hump for? New small 5-axis IBIS?! 🙂
It at least make the camera much more elegant with the flash on than any of the Olys.
Nice effort by Kodak, hopefully it will be like a cheap alternative body to EPM & GF models. Might even be less expensive than those two model series.
Now we have 4 different brands for u4/3 bodies: oly, pana, black magic, kodak… Maybe, we will see a leica brand G6 anytime soon?!
I doubt this will be cheaper than a used gf3 ($130?) though.
Way better sensor than GF3 + probable IBIS. What is worrying is the delay between the announcement (Q1) and the availability (Q3) – even worse than Panasonic :).
It’s not an effort by Kodak at all. It’s not made by Kodak, not engineered, not designed. Doesn’t use Kodak technology, probably will never be sold in the USA.
The company is licensing the name “Kodak” which is something Kodak is doing because it is bankrupt.
Looks very thin. I want a 25mm thick MFT to use with pancakes. I don’t need an LCD screen, only an EVF. Could this be it? Could the hump be an EVF?
Looks very thin. I want a 25mm thick MFT to use with pancakes. I don’t need an LCD screen, only an EVF. Could this be it? Could the hump be an EVF?
I think you need a frying pan 🙂
Grip is thin, but the lens mount is on the far left so at least there is plenty of finger space on the right. Very good to see another entrant/option in MFT. Welcome Kodak(JK Imaging or whoever you are!).
There’s only one Sony m4/3 sensor and that could mean that S-1 will be a serious competitor to entry level models from Olympus and Panasonic.
One other thing: no OIS written on the lens. S-1 and probably all other m4/3 Kodaks are likely to have IBIS!
They shouldn’t have bothered.
Says the man with Canikon shares……
I;d rather buy Fuji shares for the cameras, Sony for the Sensors.
Love it! More brands doing the m43 will only strenghten the system.
Or cheapen it entirely…
M43 is not a luxury system to start with, hence there is no risk that a diversity of brands and qualities of cameras will “cheapen” the system. It will only make the system larger, more versatile and less obscure!
+10
+1
Theoretically more brands doing the m43 will only strenghten the system, but it works only if Kodak brand will be able to capture new users for micro43, not to steal them from Panasonic or Olympus.
Kodak has to be able offer something unique, new, to differentiate Kodak from other cameras.
What is the strength of micro43 system?
Wide choice of lenses?
Fast AF (in mirrorless world)?
Small size?
Good IQ (Olympus with Sony sensors)?
Good movies (Panasonic bodies)?
Profesional movies – Blackmagic?
What will be the strength of micro43 from Kodak? Price? Wi-Fi and good cooperation with smartphones?
Panasonic showed fifth generation of bodies (G1,G2,G3,G5,G6). Kodak will start with first. There is plenty of mirrorless systems – Fuji, Sony NEX, Samsung NX, Canon M, Nikon… Will it be able to compete?
1. it looks very plastic, maybe very cheap?
2. dont underestimate the market power of china
There is no very much place on it for new brand on the market.
Who is the main competitior of Kodak micro43? Compact cameras? Cheapest DSLR? Other mirrorless (micro43 or others)?
It takes time to make good, mature body. There is a big difference between first PEN and current models (AF especially). Will be Kodak able to make mature body at one to be able with newest mirrorless cameras? Or it will make very cheap body to compete with compact market?
Price will be key for success…
It would be targeted at the Chinese market. Perhaps it won’t even be sold outside Asia. Price should be this camera’s strongest selling point.
I also think that it will never hit markets outside Asia. China’s market is big enough for that.
The company that licensed the Kodak brand and contracted out the engineering is Jaacx Distributors, a Miami firm that distributes cameras to Latin America.
It’s not for the Asian market.
Perhaps it will have Kodak film filters like the Fujifilm cameras have their own?
I doubt it. This camera has no relation to Kodak other than the name. In fact I’m curious of the quality of image processing. Producing decent JPEGs is an immense challenge to established manufacturers, let alone new players.
This is going to put the heat on O&P entry levels, especially since it has built in Wi Fi.
Hope is that the O& P founders will climb the value chain, and provide more innovative models, *with built in EVF* from the first to the last – or a google wearable 🙂
Quality lenses are another area where O&P can fight back.
And finally, who knows, a larger 4/3 sensor, to ruin Canon, Nikon and Leica, all at the same time 🙂
The sensor wars are not finished yet…
“larger 4/3 sensor”? If it’s larger, wouldn’t it be something else other than Four-Thirds and be incapable of using the lenses to advantage?
Larger sensor, larger lenses.
its funny that the number one criteria in camera buying here is how pretty it is
Since there are no specs, what else is more important at this moment 🙂
El Cheapo m43 camera. That is great news! This is exactly what the system needs to steal some attention from P&S upgraders looking toward the Nikon 1. For these consumers, aesthetics, name brand and price are very important. Hopefully as a “Kodak” product, this will win points from this crowd!
Many readers have commented on it being ‘Plastic’, perhaps this plastic body and lens is no more than a Plastic pre production model, just as car makers make clay models of their new models during development. Even if it is the genuine article, that look will certainly appeal to a great deal of people who think that Olympus bodies look to old fashioned while Panasonic bodies have grown too big. This Kodak could be the perfect intro to u43.
Entry for the system for people in Asia?
It should be:
– cheap
– Android OS
– Wi-Fi with easy connection with smarphones and dedicated Apps
If it is mirrorless it needs more lenses in offer. Of course – there is wide choice of micro43 lenses, but there should be more Kodak brand lenses. Cheap lenses – 14-42, longer zoom and cheap fast prime – plastic 25/1.8 for example, and maybe cheap macro 50/3.5… To differenciate if from compact and smartphone cameras.
This is great news and I like how it looks.
i think this kodak lens will match very well with my GF1 white :p
waddabout the bl00dy viewfinder
Sony 16 mpix sensor is a cheap camera is good, but you can get the same in E-PM2 for 8 months now, and with IBIS too.
Much of the success will depend on the interface – Android?
So perhaps m4/3 will split in two – recall collectors & social media addicts – and old fashioned photogs. They will have some gear in common, but their purposes might be at variance.
On the whole however, a great success for m4/3 as a system – the most universal, or scalable as they say. Probably m4/3 forums will have to be more differentiated to avoid chaos.
I think this is designed for and will be marketed to emerging markets.
I see the lens says ‘PixPro’ on it, not sure if that is just a mock-up or if they intend to produce lenses as well. Any word on lenses from JK/Kodak? It would be nice to see them capture the entry-level market and allow Olympus & Panasonic to concentrate more on higher-end cameras & lenses. Though, judging by the fast lens on JK/Kodak’s fixed lens camera mentioned earlier this week, they might not stick just to the lower end of the market.
JK Imaging is just a brand holding company owned by Jaacx Distributors, a Miami firm that distributes cameras to Latin America (JaacxKodak Imaging?). No design/manufacturing expertise there.
It seems design and manufacture will be by Asia Optical, a Taiwanese firm with manufacturing in China which has been around for 30+ years. Some of their listed milestones are in copier/scanner markets, but highlights in camera/lenses include:
1982: Ricoh 35mm autofocus lenses
1984: Kenko telescope
1997: Nikon camera / lens production in China
Asia Optical currently makes a number of compact camera lenses and smart phone camera assemblies (some no doubt used by major brands), as well as budget digital cameras, but the the largest digital sensor they’ve designed lenses for in their own line appears to be 1/2.3” CCD. Obviously they have past expertise with larger image circles for film cameras.
I hope it brings out some new refreshing things like Wifi, apps, slow motion video, stupidly fast burst modes (6ofps anyone?), even on-sensor PDAF (why not? Kodak is crazy!) and some new lenses (we need cheap *native* alternatives to the 75 f1.8 and f2.8 zooms, for example)…
Who makes it? Kodak sold everything off to become a kiosk company.
JKI is already selling couple of new Kodak models. This one looks similar to the last of Kodak ultrazooms. Hopefully the image quality is better. They talk about optical stabilization:
“PIXPRO is a new line of KODAK Digital Cameras, offered by JK Imaging under a licensing agreement with Kodak. JK Imaging is launching the Astro Zoom AZ361 bridge camera, which is the first sneak peek into the KODAK PIXPRO Digital Camera Line, as their answer to heightened consumer demand in one of the fastest growing digital camera segments in the US market*. This launch is only the first of many new cutting-edge products on the horizon from JK Imaging, whose expertise is focused on providing high quality, long zoom lenses at attractive prices for today’s consumers.
Poised in the top tier of cameras within the recently launched KODAK PIXPRO Digital Camera brand, the AZ361 is designed with a powerful 36x mega long zoom, 26mm wide-angle lens, 16 Megapixel Resolution and can be purchased on HSN in a bundle (with an 8GB SD Card and software) for a special introductory price of $199.95, valid through 11:59 p.m. ET on 4/6/2013. The AZ361 includes a host of easy-to-use features and functions like 720p HD video, optical image stabilization, panorama and over 30 additional custom settings designed to capture life’s most treasured moments, big and small.
For more information about the KODAK PIXPRO digital camera debuting on HSN, please visit http://www.HSN.com and join in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.”
The features will make the difference between what I’m buying this year – if the Kodak falls short, then it’s going to be the Oly E-PL5 or the OM-D. By falling short, I mean things like OIS only, bad control positioning, cheap sensor, 230k LCD, and similar missteps. If it measures up to a decent 16MP Pen, I’ll go for it.