New Line of Cameras, Film Built Around Unique Disc
Amateur picture-taking takes a substantial leap forward in automation and improved results with Kodak's worldwide announcement today of a new line of compact cameras built around a unique rotating disc of film. Kodak Chairman Walter Fallon said the new cameras and film combine to produce a new system for decision-free photography. "They will enable users to take good pictures virtually anywhere," he said. At the touch of a button the new Kodak disc cameras, by means of two integrated electronic circuits, will analyze the scene, set the proper exposure, activate the built-in flash if necessary, take the picture, advance the film to the next frame and recharge the flash, all in a split second's time. Fallon said, "the yield of good to excellent pictures routinely produced by consumers is expected to increase by 25 percent" when disc cameras and film are used. The three new Kodak disc cameras are powered by new lithium cells that contain more energy than most users will need for years of camera use. Combined with an electronic brain, the Ultralife energy source provides 1V 3-second electronic flash recycling, automatic film advance and automatic exposure control. "This means," Fallon said, "that users can take pictures practically as fast as they can press the shutter release ... indoors or out. And they'll find themselves getting more good pictures in previously marginal or difficult picture-taking situations." NEW PRODUCTS-Kodak's new disc cameras and film. A key to the new system is the development of Kodacolor HR disc reduce camera shake that results in The Kodak disc 4000 camera outfit, camera and only fits one way. film for use in the extremely small blurry pictures to less than two which lists for $67.95, features a slide Film frame numbers are visible (approximately 8 x 10 mm) format percent, and cut the number of blank which covers the lens and viewfinder. through the camera back, as is the the system requires to provide frames and flash failures to less than The Kodak disc 6000 camera outfit, film type. An individual film maximum user benefits. To permit a fraction of one percent." with a list price of $89.95, offers a identification number makes it the smaller size, the 200 !SO-speed Fallon described the new cameras capability for pictures at subject extremely convenient for customers to film has lower granularity and more as "pocket-size, precision distances as close as 18 inches order extra prints and enlargements. sharpness than current 100-speed instruments" that are truly (0.5 m). It also has a cover/handle It also helps photofinishers match Kodacolor II film . decision-free and always ready to take which protects the lens and viewfinder prints with processed disc negatives. With the small format came the a picture. when the camera is not in use and Kodak and other photofinishers can design of a short focal-length lens that He said the new system is the serves as a handle for picture-taking. provide a combination of information, combines a fast speed (f/2.8) and the biggest innovation in amateur The Kodak disc 8000 camera outfit, including frame number and date, on depth of field needed for most photography since easy-load Kodak listing for $142.95, includes all the the back of each print. In addition to picture-taking situations with Instamatic cameras were introduced features of the 6000 camera plus a receiving the same 3R-size prints fixed-focus cameras. The lens, which 19 years ago and a substantial leap self-timer, a rapid-sequence film customers now get from 110-size is near the theoretical limits of forward in giving the user consistently advance, a digital alarm clock, and a negatives, enlargements measuring perfection, contains four glass better pictures under conditions where gold-anodized appearance. 5 x 7 or 8 x 10-inches will be possible. elements. The format also permitted in the past picture-taking A disc of film, containing All three cameras and the Ultralife the design of cameras that fit easily disappointments have been liable to 15 exposures, will list for $3.19. energy source carry five-year into a shirt pocket. occur. Nearly Perfect Lens warranties from Kodak. The new The company also announced an The new Ultralite energy source, he cameras will first be available in the "Our selection of the disc format extensive line of photofinishing said, will power camera and U.S. , Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan and followed the development of a unique equipment to handle the new disc electronic flash for more than 2,000 Panama. Worldwide availability is and nearly perfect lens," Fallon said. film . The line ranges from fully exposures with normal usage. The expected before the end of the year. "The lens and an advanced Kodacolor automated high-output equipment for flash automatically turns on and off, Commenting on prices, Fallon said emulsion of very high resolution led high-volume labs to smaller, manually as needed. that while the company suggests list operated equipment to meet the needs us to develop ways of maintaining sharpness throughout the prices for its merchandise, the dealer of the smallest lab. Basic Features determines the actual selling price. The three cameras all have the same system-from camera to photo finishing to the final customer print." Fallon said the disc photography Electronically Sophisticated basic features: a six-volt lithium system from Kodak will make Fallon said the new cameras, power source; four-element, 12.5 mm, When Kodak disc cameras millions of people better available in the U.S. this May, are the f/2.8 glass lens; an automatic built-in measuring little more than %-inch photographers than they could have most electronically sophisticated in electronic flash with a flash range (20 mm) in thickness-are loaded with been before. "It's truly a technology the company's history. Combined with from 4 to 18 feet (1.2 to 5.5 m); Kodacolor HR disc film, all the user for the '80s. That these cameras the new film, they can produce a automatic film advance; 1VJ-second has to do is aim and press the button. combine extremely advanced features ·higher percentage of good to excellent flash recycling time, and auto There are no decisions to make, no and capability at an affordable price pictures over a dramatically wider exposure control which selects the . settings, switching or waiting. is a tribute to Kodak's constant range of picture-taking conditions. correct shutter speed and aperture. Kodacolor HR disc film is packaged efforts to increase productivity, "Kodak disc cameras and The fixed-focus lens provides sharp in a light-tight disc. Each 15-picture simplify manufacturing, and still Kodacolor HR disc film should reduce pictures from 4 feet (1.2 m) to disc is slim and flat for ease of advance the state of the art." the chance of underexposure by half, infinity. carrying. The Kodak disc drops in the
KDdakely OEastman Kodak Company 1982 I An Equal Opportunity Employer I VoL 40 No. 5 1 Thousands of Kodakers Bring Idea to Reality
"I did not know then-in fact, I do not "In the past, these equations had know now after years of been dealt with separately," Tom experiments-just how simple explained. "What I did was take the photography can be made." two and combine them. When this is George Eastman, 1920 done, you can see in a quantitative sense what changing the different Kodak founder George Eastman built parameters will do." his company around the idea that From Tom's work it became clear photography should be easy for that a short focal length was the key everyone and, over the years, that to making this new system work. A philosophy has remained as a driving short-focal-length lens allows camera force for researchers, scientists and designers to increase depth of field or engineers who have designed and to increase light-gathering capability, developed new cameras and film . This thereby increasing the number of idea, coupled with the desire to situations in which photographers can increase the capabilities and get good pictures. performance of the photographic "As the program began taking components, has been a century-long shape, management and coordination challenge for Kodak men and women became a key concern," said Jim the world over. Dierks, KP Photographic Technology, And now, simplicity and versatility the corporate project coordinator. Jim have been brought together as never headed up a multi-disciplinary team before in the new Kodak disc camera that had been formed a couple of system that is being announced today. years earlier to study the feasibility of With the introduction of these the new format. Once Tom's work products, Kodak crosses the threshold established the feasibility, the team's into a new era in photography. DELICATE WORK-George D'Ambrosia, KAD Electrical Engineering, uses a special computer design system to design an integrated circuit for use in the new products. activities shifted to development and At no time in the company's history implementation. have the talents, skills and resources "We started with a project of so many Kodak people been "We started with the idea that a "We had a lot of human factors person would like a camera that is no information and knew that customers management matrix," he said. "In brought to bear on a single project. essence, we pretended this ·system Thousands of Kodak men and women bigger than a man's wallet." get bad pictures because of user error As the program grew, responsibility and because scene conditions don't was the sole product of a new have played a part in turning this independent organization. Then we idea-this dream-into reality. shifted to a development group meet the capabilities of the camera," headed by Dave Monks, now KAD Tom said. "I sat down and started tried to strip away our preconceptions A Concept Evolves Consumer Products. Working with looking at the parts of the system that and ask what talent and what The new disc photography program him was Tom Rice, a systems we have control over-the camera and resources were needed to design and started in the early 1970s with work analyst in Advanced Development. film-to see how we could balance manufacture our product." that was being done in camera design Dave's group took the film and those parameters." The first step, Jim said, was to by Don Harvey and Dana Wolcott, -camera concept and began working- With that in mind, Tom began break the product into key tasks: Advanced Development, KAD. on ways to use the small-format size mathematically manipulating two camera, film, disc, photofinishing "The 110-size cameras had been to the best advantage. One of their standard photographic equations. One equipment and the system itself. introduced at that time but indications goals was to make picture-taking deals with the interaction of scene Leaders were appointed for each task. were that there was still room for simple, while reducing the opportunity illumination, film speed and lens The result was a Product improvement in camera pocketability for customers to make mistakes and aperture, and the other deals with Implementation Team which included and other features," Don said. get bad pictures. depth of field determination. task leaders, marketing
Sharpness Will Be Feature Of Disc Pix, Via Lens Design All models of the new Kodak disc assembly belongs to the second camera lens with the world's first camera feature a four-element, glass element which has an aspheric mass-produced glass aspheric lens," f/2.8 lens which has been designed to (non-spherical) surface. The primary said Donald DeJager, Optical provide image quality nearly function of this aspheric surface is to Engineering. equivalent to that of a theoretically correct spherical aberration, one of By incorporating an aspheric perfect lens with that aperture. several varieties of common optical surface, designers were able to "Physicists would describe the errors that must be overcome in a satisfactorily correct the spherical performance of our lens as high-quality lens system. Spherical aberration. A lens designer's job is to approaching the diffraction limit aberration occurs because different perform an optical balancing act, imposed by the wave nature of light," sections of a spherical surface fail to canceling optical errors of one type said Bill Price, KAD Optical bring all the light rays from an object by introducing opposing errors. Engineering. "Photographers will point to a single focus. Another major innovation of the simply discover that the new camera "We could have designed a lens of lens design was the positioning of the system yields very sharp pictures. equal quality without an aspheric aperture and shutter between the "This lens went through about a element but we would have had to second and third lens elements. This dozen design modifications before we either use one more element and design conserves space, but it makes found the right combination to make the lens bigger, or else not pairing of lens assembly and camera maximize manufacturability without achieve the desired f/2.8 aperture," body all the more difficult. jeopardizing quality. We are using Bill said. "The aspheric surface A critical element is the lens very sophisticated automated permitted us to meet the high quality, barrel, which must be made with as manufacturing processes that enable f/2.8 goals in a very compact design." much care as the precision glass us to hold tolerances to a few The mathematical computations elements. wavelengths of light." (A wavelength required to design aspheric lens CAMERA LENSES-James Sage, KAD "Computerized drawings of lenses of light measures about 20 millionths surfaces are more complex than those Mechanized Lens Assembly, examines always assume that multiple lens of an inch.) for spherical surfaces, as are the lenses used in the new cameras. elements are perfectly positioned and The four-element lens has a focal manufacturing and testing process squared to exactly align the centers of length of 12.5 mm and covers a requirements. That's one reason option for camera lenses. curvature along the same optical 58 degree field of view. The four aspheres were uncommon in lenses "Then the mass-produced axis," Bill said. "To make reality elements are made of three different until the 1970s, when computer design fabrication process development approach this design assumption, types of glass chosen for both optical techniques, laser interferometers for followed for the next decade and manufacturing tolerances for critical properties and physical or testing, and mass-production finally in the '80s we are able to reap dimensions of the barrel structure manufacturing properties. fabrication processes all came the benefits of our efforts, and must be held to within a thousandth However, the lead role in the lens together to make aspheres a practical enhance the quality of the Kodak disc of an inch."
2 representatives and coordinators to A New Camera ability and support from Research represent Kodak Research At KAD, a team of designers, quality and Engineering. Laboratories, Kodak Park, Kodak control specialists, manufacturing and "The real challenge, though, was to Apparatus Div. and Photographic systems engineers and others began fit everything in a camera body that Technology. coming together. They were charged was only 20 mm thick." Jim said the biggest complication of with taking the list of tough product To help conserve space, designers managing this project was the goals and building a camera that incorporated two companion non-linear nature of product would meet them. integrated circuits to handle the development. If, for example, camera "This was not just a change in camera logic. One measures the scene designers had been handed a camera format but a whole new light level and communicates with the completed disc and told to develop a concept for us," said Brad Paxton, master IC which controls camera camera to use it, there would have KAD project coordinator. "The functions. been no need to negotiate tolerances in the camera are so Acting in concert, the I Cs measure disc/camera interface characteristics. critical that it required improvements scene brightness, charge the flash According to Jim, computer across the board in manufacturing capacitor if necessary, set lens modeling proved a valuable aid in and design operations." aperture and shutter speed, clamp the determining the precise contribution From a design standpoint, the new film to hold it flat, fire the flash if each system element had to make to disc cameras were a technological necessary, release the shutter, rotate reach image quality and sensitometric challenge. Dick Close, Still Camera the disc to the next picture and system goals. Product Design, the project design recharge the flash. All this happens in "When quantifiable and realistic supervisor, said the new models are less than a second. contributions were assigned to more advanced mechanically and At the heart of the camera's individual components, film electronically than any other mechanical operations is a researchers, lens makers, camera consumer camera ever built by KAD . micro-precision gear train driven by a designers and developers of other "Conventional camera design people reversible electric motor. This system system elements were faced with had a difficult challenge because of transfers power to the exposure VISUAL INSPECTION-An inspector at demanding goals," Jim said. "But at all the new technology that's been control and film advance systems. KAD looks over circuit boards. least those goals were clearly defined. incorporated into these products," Because the movements of the gear That meant work could proceed much Dick said. "The job required a lot of train were so precise and critical, manufacturing engineers took more effectively and productively." sophisticated analytical tools,and KAD designers traveled to equipment that was commercially Switzerland to learn from the experts available and adapted it to handle the CAREFUL INSPECTION-Lisa Ciarpelli, KAD Manual Assembly and Packaging, in such matters-Swiss watchmakers. unique needs of these subassemblies. inspects a camera at a test point in the assembly operation. An important contributor to the State-of-the-art technologies also design and development activities was were vital in the design and the systems analysis group at KAD. manufacture of the camera's unique "This program represents the first lens. An aspheric surface has been time in the history of Kodak consumer included in the all-glass, four-element products that a systems analysis design, to provide enhanced effort has been carried out in photographic sharpness and contrast. conjunction with a camera design and "This design innovation is coupled development effort," said Tom Rice. with the manufacture and assembly of "We were involved in providing all components to tolerance levels not analysis support to the entire gamut previously attainable," said Bill of engineering activities such as Sexton, Optics Manufacturing development of camera requirements, Engineering. " It's been made possible modeling/analysis of flash and battery now through a sophisticated, systems, gear train analysis, highly-automated process where each development of human factors tests, lens assembly is tested 100 percent red-eye analysis and modeling and during manufacture." analysis of overall system Lou Tiberio, Opaque Plastic performance.'' Molding, said the disc camera project Even as designers worked on the also served as an opportunity to bring basic camera design, men and women new concepts to the molding in various KAD manufacturing operations. organizations were coming together to In the traditional setup for molding begin planning their strategies for machines, four machines are producing the cameras. Since the clustered together with a lot of manufacturing equipment would be support equipment such as heaters new rather than just an adaptation of and coolers in the central area. Boxes existing equipment, the desire was to of plastic pellets usually are nearby take advantage of state-of-the-art with hoses drawing out material for manufacturing technologies. each machine. "What we foresaw was a relatively In the new area constructed for this low number of parts, high production project, the molding machines are volume and very special challenges in supplied with plastic pellets and other the areas of optics and electronics," support services through overhead said John Schmits, project manager, hoses that originate on a mezzanine. KAD Manufacturing. "We felt this This setup helps to conserve space combination of factors presented and allows for better quality control. many opportunities for the application "In addition, each machine is of state-of-the-art technologies in our computer monitored and production manufacturing process. data is constantly being updated," "One key element in our planning Lou added. "This enables supervisors was the establishment of or quality control people to determine manufacturing facilities solely for this current machine operating product. This represented a significant parameters or the conditions that change in approach when compared existed when parts were made." to all previous projects." State-of-the-art technologies and Camera Assembly dedicated parts manufacturing The various parts and subassemblies facilities were brought together in the from throughout KAD come together electronics assembly area where in the final assembly area where new circuit board assemblies for the technologies also are playing an camera are produced. Here, Continued on Page 4
3 Program Challenged Many EKers
Continued from Page 3 the complete circuit board and again While this data is valuable for the that researchers first began tackling a important role. Among the in the final camera. KAD operations, it also provided a tough assignment-to build a film that innovations, according to Neil Ober, Along with the on-line testing, the continuous source of information for was faster, yet sharper and less KAD Manufacturing, Consumer quality control group regularly selects Kodakers who were working the other grainy than Kodacolor II film . Product Assembly, is a computer link cameras from the assembly line for aspects of the disc system. "Never before had we been asked between parts manufacturing and audits. In the audits, cameras are put to make such a huge improvement in assembly departments. through actual picture-taking KP Challenges one film," said Dave Nelander, who "Using real time information, we exercises and are subjected to a As men and women at KAD struggled coordinated the Research Labs efforts know what parts have been assembled multitude of stress tests including a to build the new camera, people at for the project. "It's not unusual to be and how many parts we'll need," Neil 30-inch drop onto concrete. Kodak Park were facing two faced with a request for a faster film said. "The parts manufacturing people As quality control people conduct challenges of their own-to develop a with the same grain and sharpness can watch our use of parts on their their evaluations and manufacturing new film and a disc. characteristics as its predecessor, or computer terminals, compare that and assembly people produce their The Kodak Park effort got under even a finer-grain film which has the with the requirements and plan their products, a mass of valuable way in early 1976. In the fall of same speed. But here we were asked production schedules accordingly.'' information is generated. Helping 1977, Frank Allen, then KP division to pull out all stops to obtain Another innovative change in record, analyze and share this data is coordinator and the first disc task simultaneous improvements in speed, assembly operations is the handling of a complex computerized information leader, pulled together an grain and sharpness." cameras on individual pallets. Each network that links the operations interdivisional group and organized a Because researchers were achieving camera moves along the assembly together. matrix approach to disc development. new levels in film sharpness, they line on an individual carrier, thus Maury Wills, Assembly Buffer, who This group worked across divisional also had to replace conventional eliminating the need for assemblers to coordinated development of the lines and established the measuring tools with new devices that handle large trays of cameras. information system, said it became communications channels that were so were much more precise. One The single-pallet system minimizes apparent very early that the important in those early stages. researcher designed a new optics work that does not add value to the magnitude of the program required "In any project or task, there are system for measuring sharpness product, namely product and tray sophisticated information many stages, including concept, which has since been shared with the handling," Neil said. "Because they're management. feasibility, development and world's scientific community. on individual pallets, we're able to "Without computers, information production," he said. "In this project, "The previous optical system didn't automatically integrate mechanized would have to be gathered and we tried to be extremely sensitive to offer the precision that Kodak camera assembly and extensive testing maintained manually, requiring the transitions between those stages." designers planned to build into the operations into a manual assembly additional people," he said. "Manually The new film grew out of work that new lens for the Kodak disc line." maintained records tend to be less was being conducted at the Kodak cameras," Dave said. "Manufacturing A bar code, similar to the universal timely and accurate. " Research Laboratories. It was here precision is such that the camera lens product codes seen on grocery items, is calibrated to focus on the is put on each camera so a computer green-sensitive recording layers in the can keep track of it through the middle of the new film emulsion." assembly operation. This code Throughout much of the becomes particularly valuable if a development process, KRL people camera shows a problem at one of worked closely with the KP Film the numerous quality-,..n.ntr'7\T-7
5 1 00-Pius New Items in Photofinishing Line
While Kodak people throughout the company concentrated on producing the new cameras and film, another group of EK men and women were bringing state-of-the-art technology to bear on a new line of photofinishing equipment for the disc film. This new line, which includes more than 100 separate products, is intended to satisfy the needs of high- , medium- and low-volume photofinishers. At the core of this product line are 13 mainframe items that handle opening of the disc enclosure, film processing, printing and finishing. The major responsibility for the new products was shouldered by the Business and Professional Products group at KAD . Working closely with KP Photographic Technology Div., Customer Equipment Services Div., and other groups within KAD, they directed design, development, and building of the new products. Dave Schwardt, B&PP Professional and Finishing Products Engineering, said development of the photofinishing PRODUCT TEST-Bonnie Jimerson, FINAL CHECK-Frank Baron, B&PP CLOSE LOOK-Earl Pankratz, B&PP products started some six years ago, Professional Products Quality Control, tests Equipment Assembly, does a final check Equipment Assembly, looks over a spindle one of the photofinishing products at KAD. on a printer attachment. loaded with disc film. about the same time as camera and film activities. A considerable part of this early effort on photofinishing which would have adversely affected had to be ready without any sort of Multi-Division Effort concepts, feasibility studies and design photofinishing productivity." trade test, a tremendous burden of Joining in the development effort for bread boards was based on work done responsibility was placed on the the photofinishing equipment were at Photo Tech. Product Assembly quality control organization. These experts from KP Photographic The parallel development of With the design concepts in hand, the KADers had to test and evaluate all Technology Div. Harry Walker, who consumer and professional products photofinishing efforts shifted to the the components and verify that the headed up the Photo Tech group, said put a greater strain on the talents of tooling up and building of the equipment would perform reliably opening, processing, printing and Kodak people but it was necessary to products. Rol Campbell, B&PP once it reached the customer. finishing people were involved from bring the entire system to market by Operations, was given the task of "These are the most complex the beginning because Kodak realized launch date. pulling together an action team to products we've made," said Bob success was contingent on a systems coordinate that phase. Sestrick, Professional Products approach and on the company's The New Challenge From the beginning, time was a Quality Control. "The mechanical ability to supply customers of all sizes One of the first challenges that the constant concern for the purchasing, parts required more precision than with equipment that would fit into equipment designers faced was how to manufacturing and assembly ever before and tighter tolerances." their existing operations. handle efficiently the new film organizations. The photofinishing Though many of the products are Photo Tech, in conjunction with format. In traditional photofinishing, equipment had to be ready for equipped with microprocessors and KAD and KP, also spent considerable many rolls of film are spliced shipping at the time of announcement have complicated electro-mechanical time and effort in developing the film together and handled as a giant so that photofinishers could be ready interfaces, one of the most critical identification number that appears on composite roll, but that system to process customer film as soon as components in the system is a simple the film and label. It's intended to aid wouldn't work with film in disc form. cameras were available. looking spindle that holds the disc film photofinishers in keeping track of " Eventually the concept of handling "This meant that there were no through the photofinishing process. customer orders as they pass through the film on spindles evolved," Dave opportunities for trade testing the "What makes this spindle so critical the processing lab. said. "The benefit for the equipment," Rol said. "We did more is that it has to interface with ten "We developed photofinishing photofinisher is that stacking the film in-company and interdivisional testing pieces of equipment," Bob explained. equipment that automatically on spindles provides a compact on these units than with any other "We had to make sure it was transfers the number on the label to batch." product line because we had to have produced with correct tolerances and an order envelope and, with some Another requirement of the everything ready up front." remained in tolerance throughout the equipment, backprints that number on program was high volume. The color Adding to the technical complexity process cycle." every print," Harry said. "This printing attachment, for example, had of the equipment are a large number Part of the testing process for the system reduces manual intervention to produce about 9,000 prints per hour. of electrical components. Many QC organization was not only to use and translates to higher productivity "To get that kind of volume functions handled mechanically on the products but abuse them. The idea and better record control for the required a great deal of automation," other equipment are now handled with behind this, Bob said, was to make photofinisher." Dave said. "That's why we're using electronics. sure the equipment continued Harry noted that Photo Tech and microprocessors in the equipment." Rol called the new products both performing reliably even after it was KAD often turned for advice to one A key contribution to the high electrical and mechanical challenges. subjected to some of the worst future user of the new volume capabilities of the printers There are more than 50 circuit boards possible conditions. equipment-Kodak's Color Print and was made by the Kodak Research and 800 electrical assemblies in them. In one test, for example, equipment Processing Organization. Laboratories. EKers in the Physics The boards, assemblies and wiring was operated at very low and very "We continually bounced ideas back Div. invented a unique device which harnesses were built and tested in high voltages to make sure the and forth," he said. "Each group had is used on all the high-intensity KAD Electronic Products Assembly. electronics continued to function. important contributions to make and printers to keep the negatives cool A combination of automatic and Some of the disc openers require legitimate concerns. KAD stressed the during printing. semi-automatic equipment was used gravity to feed the disc enclosures need to design models that met "The amount of light which must to insert the components into the into the unit, so the equipment was system specifications and were go through an 8 x 10 mm negative is boards, solder the connections and run tested on a variety of tilted floors. practical from a manufacturing sufficient to damage the negative," comprehensive tests. Since the products will be available viewpoint. CP&P served as a said Dave Nelander, who coordinated "This program required a great in foreign countries as well as in the development resource, critically the KRL activities. "The device uses deal of integrated circuit technology," U.S., quality control people had to evaluating equipment performance a cooling ribbon of air that reaches said Dick Hamer, Electronic Products make sure they met foreign electrical from the viewpoint of a large, the surface of the film when needed, Assembly. "ICs make the boards less standards. That required a multitude quality-conscious lab interested in yet doesn't move or disturb the complex to build but much more of complex and difficult tests because productivity." negative. Without this invention, the complicated to test." the standards varied, Bob noted. Another resource that was valuable printers would have had to use less Because the processors, printers, in the development process was light and work at a slower pace, work centers and other equipment Customer Equipment Services Div.,
6 the organization that will install and service the equipment. CESD personnel were present at KAD throughout the development process to advise and to learn about the Human Aspects Factored in Early equipment as it was being designed and built. - "We had more than 30 people working full time at KAD for more than three years," said Bob Wynne, CESD Program Management. "Their job was to work with designers to ensure that reliability and serviceability were built into the equipment." With the new technology that has gone into the photofinishing equipment, CESD needed state-of-the-art technology for service, too. CESD engineers assisted in developing a portable computer diagnostic tool that will help equipment service representatives more accurately and quickly diagnose a problem. "Today, an ESR may spend up to 70 percent of the time on a service call finding out what's wrong and what caused it," Bob said. "With all the electronics in the new equipment, we knew the ESRs would have to do a lot more diagnosing and we wanted to give them a tool to help do the job more effectively in less time." Another major effort for CESD was the preparation of more than 65 HUMAN FACTORS-Debbie Trottier, KP Management Services, tries out one of different service manuals in several several model cameras during a test conducted by Terry Faulkner, Health, Safety and Human Factors Laboratory. different languages. "We have developed the Kodak International Service Language What features should be included in order for preference and explain why flash when the lens cover is opened. (KISL) which uses a limited the new disc cameras? they liked or disliked each one. Human Factors studies showed that vocabulary and a lot of photos and How should the cameras look? "One thing we discovered was that most people close the lens cover when line drawings," Bob said. "KISL helps How should they feel? people took more than one factor into they put away their camera, Terry eliminate some of the problems that Those questions and dozens of consideration when rating cameras," said, so when they reopen the cover you encounter when you have to try others faced camera designers as he said. "They didn't like the pop-up to take a picture the flash will be to translate words." they began developing the new Kodak flash that was on some of the cameras automatically recharged. During tbe next several months, disc cameras. To he! find the but many liked a cover handle." To protect the smaller group that installation teams of ESRs and TSRs answers, they turned to experts at As the Human Factors researchers stores the camera with the lens cover will be traveling throughout the Kodak's Health, Safety and Human foc used in further on the cover open, a "wake up" switch was added country to install the new equipment Factors Laboratory. handle, they discovered an almost to the shutter release. A light touch of in photofinishing plants. Terry Faulkner, who headed up the even split between those who liked it the button will wake-up the camera Human Factors activities on the and those who didn't. The ones who and recharge the flash. Additional project, said the first step was to look liked it felt the handle offered more Human Factors experiments showed at the print evaluation data base protection for the lens or made the that most people touch the shutter Programs Planned maintained by the Human Factors camera easier to hold, while the other release well before taking a picture, section. This computerized data base group felt that it was just a bother. thus providing time for the recharge. For Employees was started in 1976 to help provide a "These opinions were held quite The third level of protection is for Kodak people throughout the country better understanding of how people strongly, too," Terry said. "The result the very few people who leave the will have an opportunity to learn use their cameras. was that we decided to offer cameras lens cover open and who don't touch more about the new disc photography The data base contains some 50 bits with and without the cover handle." the shutter release before taking a system through a variety of programs of information on each of more than Besides the preference experiments, picture. In this situation, there is a and exhibits that have been planned 30,000 prints. It includes, for example, six additional experiments were slight delay between the time the for announcement week. data on whether a picture was taken conducted to measure the effect of button is depressed and the picture is Special tabletop exhibits showing indoors or outdoors, with or without configuration on aspects of taken to allow for topping off of the pictures taken with the new cameras flash, if there is a problem and the performance. Researchers looked at capacitor. plus an inside look at the camera nature of that problem. such things as the probability of a There also was some concern that a mechanism will be on display at "From this data we knew that user putting a finger over the lens or camera carried in a purse might be facilities across the U.S. With these underexposure was the most frequent flash and the vulnerability of the continuously activated by objects displays will be literature on the new problem and that inadequate flash camera to camera shake. banging against the shutter button. products and copies of this special range was the leading cause of it," The participants were told to pick "We had the insides of one camera issue of Kodakery. Terry said. "The data base allowed us up each camera and try taking a removed and replaced with a logging An 11-minute movie covering key not only to set priorities on the picture 10 times, both in the horizontal computer," Terry said. "Volunteers elements of the new system will be problems but to understand the and vertical position. carried it in their purses for several shown at company facilities following circumstances under which they "We discovered, for example, that a days so we could see how many announcement. Bulletin board posters occurred. We could then concentrate user's hands tend to take opposite but actuations it received. As a result of will give times and locations. on correcting them with the new symmetrical positions on the camera," these tests, a small ridge was put On Thursday, Feb. 4, and Monday, system." he said. "That meant that if the lens around the button to help prevent Feb. 8, a special presentation of As the development process was directly opposite the shutter accidental actuations." "Kodak Products in Review," will be progressed, Human Factors was release, a finger might cover the lens." Working closely with KP made in the auditorium of the EK called on again to evaluate camera A key objective for camera Photographic Technology, Human Recreation Center, KP Bldg. 28. configurations. In a series of four designers was to incorporate an Factors helped set up and run a Admission is by invitation only. preference tests, more than 250 people electronic flash that would fire series of weekend home tests in which A management letter also will looked at 23 different cameras. whenever it was needed without more than 400 employee volunteers be distributed. "For security reasons we used manual intervention. Because the used the cameras on weekends and Kodak people, but we went to great flash system was so critical, Human later rated their results. Terry said lengths to get people who represented Factors was asked to help evaluate the same volunteers also took home typical customers," Terry said. several elements of its operation. 110-size cameras to compare them In each experiment, six to nine To be sure that the flash is always with the new system. models made in the KAD model shop fully charged and ready to take a In all, Human Factors conducted were shown to volunteers. They had picture, three levels of protection 36 experiments and tests on the new to rate models in terms of were built into the cameras. First, products. More than 1,400 employee acceptability, place them in rank there is a switch that turns on the volunteers took part.
7 To Kodak Men and Women:
In 1888, Kodak founder George Eastman made amateur picture-taking a convenient reality with the invention of roll film and a small box camera. Nearly 100 years later, Kodak is introducing another new era in amateur photography. Disc photography represents a fundamental change in film format. Just as Eastman's roll film revolutionized photography in his day, disc photography will have a profound impact on the photographic field as we know it today. I know there is a special satisfaction for many of you in seeing these products publicly announced because you have contributed your skills and talents to their development. You can be proud of your accomplishments. It's been a job well done.
FLASH ASSEMBLY-Eunice Cochran, KAD Electronic Assembly, solders a connection on the electronic flash subassembly.
Editor·iJI.Chtef Ron Wiley Managing Editor Marge Petschke Publtshed weekly Senior Editor Tom McCormack by Corporate Commumcations AI Brakonieckl Editors {John Hurst and printed at Kodak Park Kaye Lechleuner (Kodakery in Rochester, New York International)
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