From Polaroid: SX-70 Manipulation Issues

[ann]

oh , how painful this is going to be to a lot of folks

 

[kswatapug]

Oh, that hurts big time.

 

[Alex Hawley]

Nice words, especially when take into account this news http://www.polaroid.com/sx70/en/index.html.

THAT FRIGGIN' FIGURES!

 

[Donald Qualls]

FWIW, I've seen information that suggests it may be possible to permanently alter an SX-70 SLR type camera to expose correctly on 600/779 film without a filter. There's supposed to be a capacitor that can be replaced with one of a smaller value, causing the shutter to close sooner (as it should with the faster film).

Unfortunately, this requires a) opening the electronics housing around the lens of the camera (much harder on a sonar model), and b) unsoldering and replacing a component on a circuit board with another that must still fit inside the reassembled camera.

Polaroid's suggestion, at least, doesn't require major modification of the camera (though finding a 1- or 2-stop ND filter to fit an SX-70 could be a little too much fun).

For good or ill, my SX-70 seems to have died; I found recently that I left a film pack in it for about 10 years, and even a newer pack with a known good battery (operates a 600 camera, in which I bought it) doesn't wake up the SX-70. I'll try it next time I have a fresher pack, just in case it needs more power than the 600 (P&S), but if it's corroded internally, it's almost certainly not worth fixing compared to getting an SLR-680 to replace it...

 

[Jim Chinn]

If all you want to do is shoot the 600 film you don't need an SX70. easier just to go buy one of the cheap ones ($40 at Wal-mart last time I looked.)

I was more interested in the ablility to alter the palette of Time Zero film by heating and cooling cycles before exposing. 600/779 film is not the same and does not provide the manipulation possibilities, so most people who use an SX70 and time zero film could give a rats ass about the 600/779 film.

 

[Jim Chinn]

I just went back and read the Polaroid notice. What a bunch of ________ idiots! (fill in your favorite expletive on the line)

 

[ann]

Donald,

It is not the speed of the film that interest us, or the ability to modify a 600 to use time zero film or the other way around.

It is what we do with the film(time zero) after the image has been made that is important.

And at this time and perhaps forever, no other film will allow one to manipulate the emulsion in the same manner. This is what is painful.

 

[Shmoo]

This is sad news. It's like the public execution of an art form.