Kodak unveils new HD cameras

Remember how Charice Pempengco ended up being a guest at Ellen DeGeneres’ show when the famous talk show host watched a YouTube video of the petite Filipina singer belting her heart out in a Korean show?

Or when a penitentiary in Cebu gained worldwide fame when YouTube carried its inmates’ rendition of “Thriller” as part of their morning exercise?

Or how Christine Gambito, a US-based Filipina, became popular on the Internet through her Happy Slip comedy sketches?

Indeed, with a little imagination, Internet access, and a decent digital or video camera, almost anybody can be catapulted into instant online stardom!

Keeping itself in step with the YouTube generation, Eastman Kodak Co. launched recently the latest addition to its growing portfolio of award-winning cameras now power-packed with high-definition (HD) functionality — the Kodak EasyShare V1073 and the Kodak EasyShare M1033.

“Be the star of your own short film, capture those priceless family moments, or take a souvenir of every Kodak moment with just a click of the Kodak EasyShare V1073 and EasyShare M1033,” said Angie Francisco, business development manager for Kodak digital still cameras and home printing products in the Philippines. 

“Who knows, you can be the next Internet superstar?” she adds.

The new Kodak EasyShare M1003 and V1073 combine the technology found in all Kodak cameras like the Perfect Touch Technology that allows users to have better, brighter pictures all the time; Multiple scene modes that allow photo creativity; and the Kodak Science Color chip that assures users of vibrant, vivid colors.

The new EasyShare cameras also carry technological breakthroughs in the form of the Smart Capture and HD technology.

The EasyShare V1073 and M1033 feature the latest picture-taking technology with the innovative Smart Capture function that automatically identifies the scene, adjusts the camera settings, and applies custom image processing, allowing great photos to be taken at a touch of a finger.

But it does not stop at capturing HD still images. The V1073 and M1003 are also able to capture HD-quality video with MPEG-4 compression. Using less memory, the compression allows for longer video capture time. An optional Kodak EasyShare HDTV dock even lets you view your photos on an HDTV.

Just connect to your Kodak HDTV Dock however you want. You can place the V1073 camera on it, use an SD card, USB flash drive, or card reader attached to the USB port. The camera can play back HD video at 720p and 1080i resolution.

The Kodak V1073 boasts 10-megapixel resolution and 3x zoom lens with optical image stabilization. This new camera incorporates an all-glass Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens, which delivers high-quality sharpness and remarkable precision.

The optical image stabilization automatically minimizes camera shake to deliver sharper pictures.

With a large three-inch LCD touch-screen display and intuitive user interface, the V1073 makes viewing, editing and organizing pictures a breeze.

With the Kodak EasyShare V1073, one can capture HD picture quality in wide-screen 16:9 format. And through its HD interface you can view your picture in High Definition on an HDTV or other HDTV–compatible devices.

The EasyShare M1033, on the other hand, is a colorful, slim and stylish 10-megapixel camera equipped with a 3x optical zoom lens and three-inch wide-angle LCD screen. It also captures HD pictures and videos.

In addition to the growing M-series line, Kodak also introduced the point-and-shoot 7-MP Kodak EasyShare M763 and 8-MP EasyShare M863, both with large 2.7-inch LCD displays as well as a wide range of color options.

Both are equipped with face-detection auto-focus ensuring that pictures come out in perfect focus, while VGA Movie Mode with Sound allows users to make their own home movies. 

The Kodak EasyShare V1073 is priced at P19,995 while the EasyShare M1033 retails for P16,995.

The Kodak EasyShare M763 and M863 sticker at P12,995 and P14,995, respectively. Both models come with free Ipanema flip-flops from Brazil for this summer.

Also hitting the market is the Kodak EasyShare V1273, the 12-megapixel version of the V1073. Its price was not announced at the launch.

The new Kodak cameras are available in IT and appliance stores as well as at Kodak Express Stores and retail outlets nationwide.