Most manufacturers build point-and-shoot digicams with 3x zoom lenses. That's great for shooting faraway subjects, but the zoom function narrows the camera's field of vision, making it impossible to shoot broad landscapes or to squeeze all of your friends into one close-up frame. Owners of pricey SLRs solve the problem by popping a wide-angle lens onto the camera body; Kodak (EK) engineers gave the EasyShare V570 pocket camera the same capability by equipping it with two independent lenses - one zoom and one wide-angle - that switch automatically. To draw attention to Kodak's breakthrough configuration, industrial design consultant BlueMap highlighted the dual-lens system and shrouded the camera in a retro-cool design. The combination clicked. With the V570 a leader in Kodak's premium product range, earnings for the company's consumer digital group soared in the last two quarters of 2006.
PRODUCT EasyShare V570
MANUFACTURER Kodak
DESIGNER BlueMap Design
BOTTOM LINE The V570 has sold well and helped boost sales of cheaper cameras, putting Kodak's consumer-digital group solidly in the black.
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