Kodak, the company largely credited with popularizing photography, says it will no longer make cameras. Instead it will shift its focus on digital photography printers and camera accessories. It hopes the move will save it a $100,000,000 a year.
"I remember Kodak on their packaging during the Christmas time, they came out with 'open me first' on their package. So you'd open that first and take pictures of everyone else opening the rest of their presents," says Bob Moler of Moler's Camera in downtown Wichita. He says the company's cameras were so popular, every other camera was called a "Kodak."
The company plans to phase out all of its cameras by the end of June. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last month.
Moler says even though other camera companies will continue to push the art form forward in the digital world, the move is still a bittersweet one.
"At one time originally, Kodak was the great yellow father, you know, the big yellow brother. They're the ones that really popularized photography, they really did."
Analysts say Kodak had trouble competing in with other digital camera makers, even though it helped create the medium.
