Kodak Launches New Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera That Makes Pictures Really Zoom; Kodak Digital Science DC50 Zoom Camera Takes Great Close-up Shots, Saves Them on Removable Storage Cards

Business Wire, Jan 9, 1996

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 9, 1996--Eastman Kodak Company today announced a new zoom-lens digital camera, priced under $1,000, that allows people to store their pictures on removable storage cards.

The Kodak Digital Science DC50 zoom camera joins the company's family of digital cameras that make working with pictures as easy as "point, shoot and compute." The camera uses the same Kodak image sensor as the popular Kodak Digital Science DC40 camera, but offer three key advances. They are:

o 3x zoom lens. A motor-driven lens lets picture-takers go from a wide-angle view to as much as three times the magnification for close-up shots, all at the touch of a button, with automatic focus and exposure control.

o Higher-quality pictures. Users can select "Good," "Better" or "Best" options for every shot, adding a new and superior image option to satisfy more demanding requirements for high-quality pictures.

o PCMCIA removable storage cards. Along with 1 MB permanent memory inside the camera, the DC50 zoom camera also can store pictures on removable PCMCIA storage cards that allow much faster access to pictures. With this new option, users can remove the cards at any time to access pictures. Users can also pop in a new card when one is full to shoot pictures continuously without interruption.

The DC50 zoom camera is the only digital camera, priced under $1,000, to support PCMCIA removable storage cards that are ATA-compatible (Type I or II). By complying with this industry standard, these cards can be recognized and read by any PCMCIA-ATA card reader, with no special software drivers required, a feature that is unique to the DC50 zoom camera. As a result, people using this card will be able to transfer a picture to their computer in a few seconds--about twice as fast as access through a camera's serial port interface.

Applications

Like the DC40 camera, the DC50 zoom camera's outstanding picture quality and flexibility make it well-suited for those who want to add the power of pictures to their communications. For example, mobile workers such as insurance adjusters preparing claim reports or real estate agents developing property listings are already using Kodak Digital Science cameras to incorporate pictures into their work.

"Compared to other digital cameras in its class, the DC50 zoom camera is a more fully featured product for customers who require increased flexibility, portability and improved picture quality for mobile and desktop situations," said Marianna O'Brien, worldwide product manager, digital cameras, Eastman Kodak Company. "Like the DC40, the new DC50 camera combines our best conventional and digital technologies in an affordable, easy-to-use product. It's a clear case of point-and- shoot meeting plug-and-play."

CONTACT: Charles S. Smith David P.Beigie

Eastman Kodak Company or Eastman Kodak Company

Ph: 716-724-4513 Ph: 716-726-0751

Fax: 716-724-0964 Fax: 716-726-0757