New HD Cameras Don't Cut It

Yes, including digital ones

(NEWSER) - It's the end of an era: Eastman Kodak, the company that invented the hand-held camera, announced today that it intends to stop making them in an effort to save money—and yes, that includes digital cameras. It will also stop making pocket video cameras and digital picture frames, reports the Democrat and Chronicle . Executives say the move is a "logical extension" of their current strategy, and will save Kodak more than $100 million a year. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month. More»

Picture-perfect phone closes the shutter on camera phone rivals

(NEWSER) - Adding a camera to a phone isn't exactly a novel concept, but the Motozine ZN5 breaks the mold by making it a proper digital camera instead of a feeble afterthought, David Pogue writes in the New York Times. For quality, he raves, "the ZN5’s photos trump anything offered by any carrier in the United States." More»

48 tiny videos yield intimate close-ups from around the world

(NEWSER) - Featuring 48 judge-selected short movies, each of them shot using a camera phone, Japan's Pocket Film Festival marks the dawning of a new era in amateur film making. Without special effects or fancy camera-work, the pocket-flicks, like winners "Thumb Girl" and "Walkers," are all close-up and intimate (albeit grainy) windows to the ordinary, the Associated Press reports. More»

The WSJ examines the competition

(NEWSER) - Yahoo is shuttering its popular photo sharing site in September, but never fear—there are plenty of alternative places to dock your digital pics. The Journal surveys the field:

• Kodak Gallery is the easiest to navigate, but lacks editing tools and requires a yearly purchase commitment.
• Shutterfly is totally, no-strings-attached free, but it's simple to a fault. Users can't upload videos or submit images from a mobile device.

New low-light sensor could snap flagging company out of slump

(NEWSER) - Kodak showed off a new technology today that enables digital cameras to capture clearer pictures in low light—without a flash. Kodak revealed the innovation just as the enduring photography company finishes up its long and costly transformation to digital and begins to tap into its valuable portfolio of patents. More»