Firstly, I owe a sincere apology to Julie Pearce, who attended the meeting in October with her husband Brian, who judged the photo competition. I referred to her as Judy in my report on the meeting.
Secondly, it is very disturbing to read in the press that Kodak has filed for bankruptcy protection – see page 18 for more information. The company that brought photography to the masses and subsequently started the digital revolution which has turned into its demise.
In the 1990′s, Kodak planned, over the next ten years, to move over to digital technology, developing digital cameras for other companies. Apple’s pioneering QuickTake consumer digital cameras, introduced in 1994, had the Apple label but they were in fact produced by Kodak.
Although digital camera technology has been evolving since the 1950′s, from the technology that recorded television images, and many companies notably Texas Instruments, Sony and Kodak themselves have developed various systems, it was Kodak who invented the first megapixel sensor in 1986. They led the way and in 1991 released the first professional digital camera system aimed at photojournalists. It was a Nikon F-3 camera fitted with a 1.3 megapixel sensor.
The first consumer level digital cameras were the Apple Quick Take 100 in 1994 and the Kodak DC 40 in 1995. Kodak developed a determined marketing campaign to help introduce the idea of digital photography to the general public. Through collaboration with Microsoft and others, digital imaging software was developed, enabling the storage, transfer and incorporation of digital images within documents. It was Hewlett- Packard who were the first company to make inkjet colour printers that complemented the new digital camera images.
Kodak subsequently failed to keep up with the developments in top end digital camera technology, ignored the middle market and just concentrated on the bottom end – now taken over by mobile phones – because they felt that they had a safe market in silver film developments. Once they realised that the film market was shrinking rapidly, it was too late and they were too far behind the rest of the field.
Thirdly, did anybody watch the drama about David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton – “We’ll Take Manhattan” on BBC Four recently? A very enjoyable viewing. Don’t forget to submit for the April issue…. …. and don’t forget the Meeting!
Contents:
Front Cover: “Rollei Cross” by Frank Clark.
3 Sue’s New Kitchen by Mike Anson
4 Rolleimarin Nr.504
6 Your Forum
8 Wanted
9 Rollei Spare Parts
9 Edale by Jim Graves
10 The History of 120 Film by Carlos Manuel Freaza & John Wild
13 Hidden Images by Frank Clark
14 My Rolleiflex T by Ron Wootton
15 Rollei club Auction and more…
16 The Year of the Rabbit by Brian Pearce
20 The Rollei 35 Series by David Morgan
24 Toys for the taking by Raymund Livesey
28 In Passing by David Morgan
29 Magnum Contact Sheets – a review by John Wild
30 The Parker Page
Back Cover: Photos of Whitby by Peter Moyse
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