Kodak announces new EasyShare LS digicam
By
Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource
(Monday, September 23, 2002 - 20:27 EDT)
Eastman Kodak Co. has today announced the second model in its EasyShare LS line of digital cameras (originally scheduled for announcement at midnight Eastern time but now online on several other sites).
As with the EasyShare LS420 that was announced last April, the new EasyShare LS443 is designed with ease-of-use in mind and comes bundled with a USB dock that is specific to the camera, through which images can be transferred to a PC or Macintosh computer. Where the LS420 had a 2.1 megapixel sensor and a fixed focal-length lens, though, the new LS443 has a 4.2 megapixel CCD imager and a 3X optical zoom lens.
The lens itself is worthy of note for the name it bears a famous brand-name we've only seen on one other digital camera, Schneider-Kreuznach. Samsung's Digimax 210SE was the other camera, incidentally... Other features include a 1.8" Indoor / Outdoor LCD display, 16MB of internal memory, and MultiMediaCard or Secure Digital storage.
The Kodak EasyShare LS443 digital camera will ship next month for $499.95.
| Kodak EasyShare LS443 | | | | CCD Resolution | 4.2 megapixel (2530 x 1659 pixels) | | Image Resolution | 4.0 megapixel (2448 x 1632 pixels) | | Image Quality | | 4.0MP - best (print, enlargement) | | 2.2MP - better (small print) | | 1.0MP - good (e-mail) | | | Aperture | f/2.8, f/9.6 | | Optical Zoom | 3X optical (35mm - 105mm) | | Digital Zoom | 3.3X Advanced Digital Zoom | | Focus Distance | 0.6m (2 ft.) to infinity | | Macro Mode | 0.13 - 0.7m (5 - 28 in.) | | Lens Protection | Integrated | | Exposure Control | TTL-AE (multi-pattern - matrix metering, center weighted, center spot) | | Shutter Speed | 1/2 - 1/1000 second | | Low-Light | Auto-focus in low light conditions (with AF illuminator) | | Flash Mode | Automatic, fill, red-eye, off | | Flash Range | | Wide: 0.5 - 3.3m (1.6 - 10.8 ft.) | | Tele: 0.5 - 2.0m (1.6 - 6.6 ft.) | | | ISO Equivalent | | Automatic (100 - 200) | | Manual (100, 200, 400) | | | Magnify | 2X and 4X in review | | Auto-Focus | Multi-zone, center zone | | White Balance | Auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent | | Sharpness | Automatic | | LCD | | 1.8 in. (45.6 mm) | | Indoor / Outdoor display | | | Scene Modes | Auto, landscape, night, sport, macro | | Movie Capture | Video and audio capture and playback on camera | | Exposure Compensation | +/- 2 in 0.5 step increments | | Long Time Exposure | Up to 4 seconds | | Burst Mode | Maximum 3 pictures at any resolution | | Color Mode | Color, black and white, sepia | | Storage | 16MB internal memory and MMC / SD removable card slot | | File Format | JPEG / EXIF v2.2 | | Capture Mode | Automatic - always ready | | Auto-Orientation | On-camera picture rotation | | Delete | Dedicated delete button | | Viewfinder | Real-image optical viewfinder | | Share | Share button | | Software | Kodak EasyShare software | | Interface | USB, Kodak EasyShare LS443 camera dock, audio / video connectors | | Video Out | NTSC, PAL (user-selectable) | | DC In | DC-in jack on side of camera for 5V adapter | | Tripod Mount | 1/4 in. standard | | Self-Timer | 10 seconds | | Date / Time Stamp | Selectable | | Power | Kodak EasyShare Li-Ion rechargeable battery (3.7V) | | Weight | Without batteries: 225g (7.9 oz.) | | Dimensions | W x H x D: 109 x 61.5 x 37.5 mm (4.3 x 2.4 x 1.8 in.) | | Warranty | One year | | System Requirements | | Windows: - Windows 98, 98SE, 2000, millennium edition or XP OS
- 233 MHz processor or greater
- 64MB RAM (128MB RAM for Windows XP)
- 200MB hard drive disk space available
- CD-ROM drive
- Available USB port
- Color monitor, 800 x 600 pixels (16-bit or 24-bit recommended)
| | Macintosh: - PowerPC based Macintosh computer
- Macintosh OS X (OS 8.6 / 9.x - Share button functions not supported - OS X is recommended for full functionality)
- 128MB RAM for OS X (64MB RAM for OS 8.6 / 9.x)
- 200 MB hard drive disk space available
- CD-ROM drive
- Built-in USB port
- Color monitor, 800 x 600 pixels (thousands or millions of colors recommended)
| | | Package Contents | - Kodak EasyShare LS443 zoom digital camera
- Kodak EasyShare LS443 camera dock
- Kodak EasyShare Li-Ion rechargeable battery
- AC adapter - 5V
- Video out cable
- USB cable
- Wrist strap
- Kodak EasyShare software CD
- Documentation
| | More Photos | | | | | | | | | | | | | | . |
Source:
Eastman Kodak Co.
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Original Source Press Release:
| Kodak Unveils Flagship 4.0 Megapixel Digital Camera with New Schneider Professional-Quality Lens Kodak EasyShare LS443 Zoom Digital Camera Features Large Indoor/Outdoor LCD for Better Viewing
ROCHESTER, NY, Sept. 24 - Eastman Kodak Company today announced the LS443 Zoom Digital Camera, the flagship model in Kodak's 2002 EasyShare portfolio. The camera combines form and function with its sleek, ultra-stylish design, professional quality lens and 4.0 Megapixel (MP) resolution, producing stunning prints to fit wallets and walls.
Continuing its tradition of quality and innovation, Kodak has teamed up with Schneider-Kreuznach, the German producer of the world's highest-quality professional lenses and a leader in lens technology and design for 89 years. Together, the companies developed the professional-quality Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens used by the LS443. The precision engineered 3X optical lens, coupled with Kodak's proprietary color science technology, ensures LS443 camera users get stunning pictures - from edge to edge - every time.
"In keeping with the company's commitment to digital image quality, the LS443 is the first Kodak digital camera to utilize the new Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens, a feature that delivers professional-level sharpness and picture quality on a consumer digital camera," said Pierre Schaeffer, chief marketing officer and vice president of Kodak's Digital & Applied Imaging division. "Though the lens is of professional quality, users will still enjoy the intelligent simplicity of an EasyShare digital camera. The LS443 is 'the' digital camera to own, combining ease of use, high style, quality prints - a complete solution at a great price."
The LS443 is the latest addition to Kodak's award-winning EasyShare digital photography system, the recognized industry benchmark for ease-of-use in consumer digital photography. In addition to the Kodak EasyShare software, which simplifies editing, organizing, emailing and printing, the LS443 comes with a new special edition dock. The complete package will be available in October with a suggested retail price of $499.95.
The LS443 delivers crispness and unmatched color in every shot. The powerful 10X zoom capability - combining the Schneider 3X optical unit with Kodak's proprietary 3.3X Advanced Digital Zoom - allows users to take impeccably crisp close-ups. In addition, the camera's built-in proprietary Kodak color science, the result of decades of Kodak research and development, ensures unsurpassed color accuracy in every picture.
Additional features include: - The recently introduced 1.8" Indoor/Outdoor LCD screen, allowing users to easily preview and review their shots even in direct sunlight. The screen's state-of-the-art non-glare coating significantly reduces the sun's glare on its surface, while maintaining exceptional viewing quality.
- An on-camera "Share" button makes printing, e-mailing and organizing a snap.
- A special edition dock for one-touch picture transfer and fast recharging of the high performance Li-Ion rechargeable battery, ensuring that the camera is always ready to shoot, capture and print at the touch of a button.
- A feature dial is used to access five scene modes - close-up, landscape, sport, night and movie - giving consumers the controls to take the perfect picture in any situation.
- Other creative controls include a menu of three color modes; a burst mode for high -speed sequence shooting; advanced auto focus options for low light and off -center subjects.
- The LS443 even captures life in motion with a continuous video and playback option with built in speaker.
Easily accessed features on the LS443 guide consumers effortlessly from photo capture and sharing through printing. The LS443's automatic picture rotation feature ensures that pictures always appear right side up on the camera, computer or TV. With the special 'camera always ready' feature, consumers can snap a picture even when the camera is not in the 'capture' setting. The LS443 also comes with 16MB of internal memory, which means consumers don't even need a memory card to start shooting right away. A MultiMediaCard or Secure Digital memory card inserted into the camera's expansion slot increases picture-taking capacity.
As with all of the digital cameras in the Kodak EasyShare portfolio, the LS443 is packed with the best image technology and built with ease and simplicity in mind so that picture takers are just one step from stunning photo prints. Using the Kodak EasyShare software, consumers have even more options to help them print, share, edit and organize their pictures. The EasyShare system, including the EasyShare software, makes getting prints virtually effortless, giving consumers the option to print at home using Kodak's proprietary One Touch to Better Pictures feature with Kodak's extensive line of inkjet paper products; from home by uploading to either the EasyShare print service or another online photofinisher; in or at retail using Kodak digitally-enabled kiosks or over the counter.
Eastman Kodak Company and Infoimaging
Kodak is the leader in helping people take, share, enhance, preserve, print and enjoy pictures - for memories, for information, for entertainment. The company is a major participant in "infoimaging" - a $ 385 billion industry composed of devices (digital cameras and PDAs), infrastructure (online networks and delivery systems for images) and services & media (software, film and paper enabling people to access, analyze and print images). Kodak harnesses its technology, market reach and a host of industry partnerships to provide innovative products and services for customers who need the information-rich content that images contain. The company, with sales last year of $13.2 billion, is organized into four major businesses: Photography, providing consumers, professionals and cinematographers with digital and traditional products and services; Commercial Imaging, offering image capture, output and storage products and services to businesses and government; Components, delivering flat-panel displays, optics and sensors to original equipment manufacturers; and Health, supplying the healthcare industry with traditional and digital image capture and output products and services.
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(Kodak and EasyShare are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company.)
Editor's Note: For additional information about Kodak, visit our Web site at www.kodak.com. |
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