tagged w/ Kodak
-
"Another sign that digital cameras are slowly phasing out analog comes with Kodak's announcement to discontinue Kodachrome film. This should come as no surprise as Polaroid film was phased out long ago. At least the analog photography industry knows how to change with the times.""Another sign that digital cameras are slowly phasing out analog comes with... more
-
-
With apologies to Paul Simon and his hit song, the Eastman Kodak company is taking Kodachrome film off the market this year.
Based in Rochester New York, the company made the announcement Monday, saying it was a hard decision to retire the famous brand.
"KODACHROME Film is an iconic product and a testament to Kodak’s long and continuing leadership in imaging technology,” said Mary Jane Hellyar, the president of Kodak's film, photofinishing and entertainment division.
"It was certainly a difficult decision to retire it, given its rich history. However, the majority of today's photographers have voiced their preference to capture images with newer technology – both film and digital."
Introduced in 1935, Kodachrome became the first color film to score large-scale commercial success.
more in the link...
Another sad day for the photography world.With apologies to Paul Simon and his hit song, the Eastman Kodak company is taking... more
-
-
Another Zi6 test. This time, in 60fps mode, and leaning on a parking meter to try and keep it steady. Still a bit jiggly, but better than nothing.Another Zi6 test. This time, in 60fps mode, and leaning on a parking meter to try and... more
-
-
A quick test of my new Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera -- http://rdbgb.us/zi6 -- made walking down the street near Current HQ.
Summary: Lovely high quality video, but unwatchably shaky.A quick test of my new Kodak Zi6 Pocket Video Camera -- http://rdbgb.us/zi6 -- made... more
-
-
Kodak retirees take a hit in the pocketbook and on Wednesday they hit the streets to protest. 40,000 retirees are losing their benefits. The company says it just can't foot the bill for retirees anymore. Effective January 1, employees will lose their life insurance policy and dental insurance. Anyone who retired after 1991 will lose these benefits.
A detailed newsletter was just sent out this week spelling out the changes in full, which includes an increase in health care premiums. Close to 100 local retirees gathered at a park adjacent to Kodak headquarters. They're just starting to the fight the cuts and they have no plans of backing down.
(more on this story at the link above)Kodak retirees take a hit in the pocketbook and on Wednesday they hit the streets to... more
-
-
The company is cutting back on its health care benefits and its former workers are not too happy about it.
“When I retired I signed a piece of paper that promised certain benefits."
Vic Vinkey left Kodak in 1998 after 40 years with the company. He says, “I don't see why anyone should trust Kodak after year after year of losses. And now they want it to be on retirees."
Kodak says it spends more than $200 million each year for retiree benefits. A cost many of its competitors in other countries do not have to budget for.
Kodak says in order to remain competitive and financially strong it is making cuts to its retiree benefits. They will affect half of its 40,000 retirees in the U.S.
Starting in 2009, Kodak will no longer provide dental coverage or company paid life insurance for retirees. Over the next 10 years, it will phase out health care coverage for dependents while retirees will have to pay more for their health care.
"Health care is very important. We worked many years for those benefits, and now they're being taken away. We were told 'if you get a union that your benefits, you won't have the compensation benefits that we had,' and now they're taking them away anyway," said Joanne Cammilleri. "Most of us lost our jobs because they shipped them all offshore and we were told we would have medical, dental and life insurance. And now we don't even have dental or we don't have life insurance."
How much more depends on when they retired, their age and their length of time with Kodak. All its retirees and employees are covered through Preferred Care.
“It seems like the only part of Kodak that needs to be reduced are the pieces that hurt the average worker,” says Eddie Gartz. He spent 34 years at Kodak and organized this protest even though he's not relying on the company’s benefits in his retirement.
Gartz says most retirees expected to pay more if there was an increase in benefits. "No one expected them to just shoo...take them away."
Kodak issued this statement about the cut in benefits: “We feel that our approach strikes the right balance between individual and company interests, recognizing that keeping Kodak competitive is the best thing we can do for employees and retirees."
It says nearly all non-medicare retirees will have access to a no cost or low cost consumer directed health care plan next year. It carries a deductible of $2,300 a year.
Vic Vinkey isn't sure how much more he'll have to pay for health care. A more detailed letter goes out to retirees this week. After 40 years with Kodak, his one wish: “I wish I would have left a lot sooner."
The company is cutting back on its health care benefits and its former workers are... more
-
-
Kodak retirees say they may soon have to decide between going to the dentist or buying groceries. This is because Kodak will eliminate part of their current healthcare benefit.
Scores of Kodak retirees turned out at noon today to "March on Kodak". They are protesting some proposes to retiree's healthcare coverage. These people rallied this afternoon to send a message to the company.
Kodak retirees have been told that as of January 1, 2009 Kodak will no longer pay for retirees dental coverage and life insurance. In a statement a company spokesperson says, “We realize that these changes put an extra burden on retirees, and it pains us to do this. This is not a decision we took lightly. We feel that our approach strikes the right balance between individual and company interests, recognizing that keeping Kodak competitive is the best thing we can do for employees and retirees.”
Ed Gartz said, “We anticipated increases and that we would have to absorb them. We never anticipated that they were going to take these benefits away and it's unfair that they did.”
Kodak retiree Michael Donnelly said, “Basically five years ago I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and I went through extensive abdominal surgery at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center and fortunately I'm a survivor. So an insurance company when they're doing underwriting will look at your health records and say this person really isn't a good risk.”
The retirees say these changes will be devastating and they're willing to take it as far as necessary even filing a lawsuit.
Dental insurance runs from between $50 and $150 a month. Life insurance premiums vary greatly depending upon health history and age. As for health insurance, a Kodak newsletter says retirees not eligible for Medicare, can expect an increase of $100 per month for the two-person PPO plan in 2009 and $500 to $800 a month for the max plan.
Kodak retirees say they may soon have to decide between going to the dentist or buying... more
-
