Kodak Debuts EasyShare M590 Camera, Playtouch Video Camera

Kodak says its EasyShare M590 is the world's thinnest camera with a 5x optical zoom, while its Playtouch video camera features a 3-inch touchscreen and 1080p video capture.

Kodak has taken the wraps off two new consumer imaging products, the EasyShare M590 camera, which the company says is the world’s thinnest camera with a 5× optical zoom, and new Playtouch video camera, which can shoot 1080p high-definition video and features a 3-inch touchscreen interface. Both cameras are designed to appeal to consumers through easy-to-use interfaces and simple sharing technologies that enable quick sharing to services like Facebook, Flickr, and YouTube.

First up, the EasyShare M590 offers a 14 megapixel resolution and that signature 5× optical zoom in a case that’s just 3.8 inches wide, 2.3 inches tall, and just 0.6 inches thick. The M590 has a 2.7-inch LCD display stores images to microSD/microSDHC cards and has 64 MB of memory to ease card swapping while shooting, plus optical image stabilization, face-priority autofocus, and sensitivity down to ISO 3200 for low-light shooting. The camera features a number of common scene modes, and can shoot 720p high-definition video. A Share button enables users to quickly upload images and video to the Kodak Gallery, as well as social sites like Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, and (yes) Orkut. The M590 runs on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries; Kodak says it’ll be available this fall in red, purple, silver, and blue for a suggested price of $199.95.

Next, the Playtouch video camera aims to capitalize on the popularity of devices like the Flip Video series by adding features like a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen display and in-camera video editing features in addition to easy sharing—plus it shoots 1080p high-definition video and can shoot 5 megapixel still images. The 3-inch display is designed for easy viewing of landscape video, and the camera features face-tracking technology so human subjects remain clear and in-focus. The camera features four capture effects (sepia, black and white, 70’s, and high-saturation) and has a built-in mono mic: users can hook up an external stereo mic if they want to capture stereo sound. The Playtouch has 128 MB of internal memory and takes microSD/microSDHC cards for storage, and features an HDMI output for pushing video and pictures to a HDTV display. The Share button offers a simple way to get video to YouTube and Facebook. Kodak says the PlayTouch will be available this fall for a suggested price of $229.95 in black, magenta, orange, chrome, and blue.