MSNBC: Kodak to stop selling traditional cameras
While serious photographers have never used Kodak cameras, I still find this announcement shocking. Kodak, a company so synonymous with photographic film that Simon and Garfunkel onced penned a tune about it ("Kodachrome"), is taking a huge risk here. True, more consumers are adopting digital cameras every year BUT that doesn't mean the market for traditional film-based cameras has completely disappeared. Yes, the company will continue to sell film, but look at the signals this announcement is giving its business partners and customers. Millions of people first experience the joys of photography through affordable, basic film cameras made by Kodak. Now it would appear the market will be left with disposable film cameras, professional film SLRs by Nikon, Canon, etc, consumer digital cameras and professional digital SLRs. Hmm...
Followup: The BBC makes a case for why digital cameras equal better photographers. Now that Yahoo! has shared the results of its "15 Seconds of Fame" consumer digital photography contest, you be the judge.
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