By Tony field
The company that for so long ruled the photographic world has filed for bankruptcy.
Kodak has become a text book lesson in how even the mightiest of companies can fall victim to changing technology.
It was one of the twentieth century's most profitable companies - with one of the world's most iconic brands - the little yellow box of film, with the red logo.
Even, Sir Edmund Hilary used a Kodak camera on the summit of Mount Everest, but now the iconic firm has fallen victim to the digital age.
“I think it's really, really sad that such an amazing brand and… pioneering organisation has struck really hard times,” says photographer Simon Woolf.
The company's founder George Eastman was the Steve Jobs of his day – a man who mixed with the likes of inventor Thomas Edison, his simple, cheap cameras brought photography to the masses.
“The famous box brownie, there are many differant models of it, but this is the one that really put Kodak on the map for a lot of people,” says photographic supplier Barry Aikin, who showed several old examples to 3 News.
But George Eastman did not just make cameras.
He sold the film, provided places to get the film developed - even sold the printing paper.
Kodak grew so big Paul Simon wrote a song about its colour film.
Kodak developed the first consumer digital camera, but it did not push the technology because it was scared of cannibalising its film business.
That allowed its rivals to leap ahead with their own digital cameras.
“I don’t think Kodak were great change managers they just didn’t keep up with their customer base,” says Mr Woolf.
Mr Aikin was in agreement.
“Isn't it amazing how quickly technology changes things. One moment you are the middle of the whole industry, the next moment you are the twenty first century wooden wheelmakers,” he says.
Kodak is one of several companies still making photographic film - although the number of stores that sell it in New Zealand is shrinking.
Kodak says it's business as usual for its New Zealand operation.
Filing for bankruptcy protection buys the US company time to try to develop its printer business.
3 News