Although Kodak developed a digital camera in 1975 , the first of its kind , the product was dropped for fear it would threaten Kodak 's photographic film business . In the 1990s , Kodak planned a decade-long journey to move to digital technology . CEO George M. C. Fisher reached out to Microsoft and other new consumer merchandisers . Apple 's pioneering QuickTake consumer digital cameras , introduced in 1994 , had the Apple label but were produced by Kodak . The DC-20 and DC-25 launched in 1996 . Overall , though , there was little implementation of the new digital strategy . Kodak 's core business faced no pressure from competing technologies , and as Kodak executives could not imagine a world without traditional film there was little incentive to deviate from that course . Consumers gradually switched to the digital offering from companies such as Sony . In 2001 film sales dropped , which was attributed by Kodak to the financial shocks caused by the September 11 attacks . Executives hoped that Kodak might be able to slow the shift to digital through aggressive marketing
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Kodak