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*Las Vegas, Nevada, January 2, 2006 - *Kodak unveiled their first dual lens digital camera today as part of their stylish V-series. The Kodak EasyShare V570 incorporates Retina dual lens technology to offer 5x optical zoom within non-extending lenses on a 0.8-inch thick camera body. The unique look is backed up with features characteristic of Kodak EasyShare V series digital cameras. The V570 has 5 megapixels and a Kodak Color Science Chip. It also has a high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD screen. The Kodak EasyShare V570 has 32 MB of internal memory, comes with a Kodak Photo Frame Dock 2, and is compatible with both PictBridge and ImageLink printers. The innovative new flagship of the V series line will be available later this month for a retail price of $399.
The V570’s top lens has an ultra wide angle of 23 mm and a wide f/2.8 aperture. The wide angle has a natural fish-eye effect that users can allow or disable with the V570’s distortion correction technology. This wide lens combines with the 3x optical zoom lens on the bottom to give users 5x optical zoom power. A single 5x optical zoom lens would have been too large for a camera body of this size, so the Kodak EasyShare V570 uses both lenses to take pictures near or far. Kodak believes the true wide angle and plenty of zoom power will entice consumers to the V570.
"Today’s picture takers expect high-performance features in an attractive package," said Mary Hadley, general manager of digital cameras for Kodak’s Consumer Digital Imaging Group, in today’s press release. "Kodak is first to give them a coveted but previously unavailable ultra-wide angle lens in a pocket-size camera. Capturing high quality photos, regardless of the setting, with maximum ease of use are at the top of people’s lists when buying a new digital camera. By delivering on these needs in a completely new way, the EasyShare V570 camera pushes the boundaries of innovative design for ultra-compact cameras."
Another big draw to this Kodak camera will be the large 2.5-inch LCD screen with 230,000 pixels. The size and resolution of the screen are the same as the Kodak V550 and the resolution is the same as the Kodak V530. The large screen is centered on the EasyShare V570, much like its V-series siblings. Controls are placed on both sides of the screen – like its siblings – but the buttons are placed to the left and the multi-selector to the right. This should allow for slightly better handling.
The Kodak EasyShare V570 shares a lot in common with the other V series digital cameras. All of the models have 5 megapixels, large high-resolution screens, Favorites modes, and great movie modes. All of the cameras can shoot 640 x 480 or 320 x 240 video at 30 frames per second with digital image stabilization and still use the optical zoom. They also have in-camera cropping, blur reduction, and red-eye removal capabilities. Many of the functions like shutter speed, ISO, and white balance are the same in all of the models as well.
Still, it’s the differences that distinguish the Kodak EasyShare V570 as the flagship model. The body is longer at 4 inches, shorter at 2 inches, and skinnier at only 0.8 inches thick. The dual lens technology also sets the EasyShare V570 apart. Its zoom range is the longest in a compact camera with a non-extending lens – or two. This model has 21 scene modes, one of which is new to the V-series. A Panorama scene mode automatically stitches three pictures together, using a template, to create 180-degree views. The burst mode is a bit slower than the V550 and V530; it takes 2.3 frames per second.