Kodak to release Micro Four Thirds camera in 2013

Beleaguered imaging company Kodak has licensed its name to another manufacturer that will produce an interchangeable lens camera (ILC) later this year.

Kodak made headlines for all the wrong reasons during 2012, after filing for bankruptcy in the US. A series of litigation attempts over alleged patent violations followed. Finally, Kodak sold a series of patents to a consortium of technology companies, including Google, Facebook and Apple, in order to raise capital.

During the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January, the company announced plans to license its name for a range of products, including cameras and camcorders, to JK Imaging.

Not much is known about the privately held JK Imaging, but the first result of the agreement has just emerged. The Kodak S1 will be an ILC that uses the Micro Four Thirds system, just like cameras that are manufactured by Olympus and Panasonic.

The S1 itself doesn't look particularly revolutionary — you can see images of the initial prototype over at this Weibo thread. Specs are thin on the ground, with the only confirmed feature at this stage being Wi-Fi.

The camera is slated for release in the third quarter of 2013.