polaroid SX-70

[Alex Hawley]

Uh-Oh. I just got intrigued by this camera. Anyone have any experience with it? There seems to be several models. Which one is the one to have?

 

[oriecat]

I got one off ebay a couple months ago, because I wanted to try the timezero manipulations. Mine doesn't work very good, it seems a little out of whack and sometimes it won't spit the film out. Then if I take the whole pack out, it will work again (but that wastes the next pic). So I kinda gave up on it, plus I wasn't any good at the manips anyway. Ok, so I didn't help at all.

 

[Canuck]

Uh-Oh. I just got intrigued by this camera. Anyone have any experience with it? There seems to be several models. Which one is the one to have?

I got mine years ago, and it was the leather and chrome model. It offered nice closeup and relatively wide exposure adjsutment range. The newer version was, I believe, had plastic fake leatherette skin with ivory colored trim, instead of the chrome. Didn't have quite the exposure range, as I recall. Nice little toy but at $2.50 per pix, it adds rather quickly.

 

[Grady O]

I got mine a few months ago as well. It's chrome with black leather and has the sonar autofocus. It's alot of fun to use and the pictures come out suprisingly well. Considering the age of it, the autofocus works great. People love it and its very neat how it folds up. Mike Slack (http://art.webesteem.pl/6/slack_en.php) uses either a SX-70 or something like it, I think his work is pretty neat.

 

[Shmoo]

Take a look at the Kathleen Thormond Carr books on SX70 manipulations. You can also modify another Polaroid camera (600?) by putting a .6 ND filter over the meter, and using a piece of card stock under the cartridge to slide the film in. The book has the details.

S

 

[Wally H]

Uh-Oh. I just got intrigued by this camera. Anyone have any experience with it? There seems to be several models. Which one is the one to have?

Any of those that use the TimeZero film... I've used several slightly different models with equal results... It can be difficult to find one that is in good working order... Also note that bad film can mask problems and fool one into thinking the camera is failing... There are some samples of that kind of work on my web pages (I refer to them as Altered Polaroids)...

 

[ann]

i have several, one auto focus the other manual. they are great fun and i enjoy to manuilations , use it is a mind clearning exercise.

I would definatley second sharon suggestion about Kathleen Carrs' book (s)

 

[kswatapug]

I'll bump the recommendation on Kathleen's book. It includes great examples from a wide variety of SX-70 artists and has explanations on how to modify equipment to accept the all-important Time-zero film. Though many camera shops carry the film, it is often old and a tad pricey ($2 per sheet) so you're likely to get better deals through the larger mail order houses. I buy mine ten boxes of ten at a time.

You might also check this link: SX-70 Cameras @ Polaroid.com which lists the various models and the self-dubbed "hackers site to the SX-70" at http://www.chemie.unibas.ch/~holder/SX70.html. The most common are the version that is manual focus and requires either a flash bar or separate flash unit. The most sophisticated model is the 680 SE which has sonar autofocus and a built-in flash.

The most common failings on these units are corroded mirrors that make it difficult to focus and sometime degrade image quality and gooked up rollers. The film is not very responsive to flat light. It is geared for high contrast and rich saturation. But, finding your own personal take on the media makes it all the more fun.

 

[juan]

I still use mine occasionally. Some of the cameras are not SLRs - which I don't find desirable.
juan

 

[Alex Hawley]

Thanks to everyone for the info. For a "fun" camera, this looks cheaper than a Graphic and much less hassle than a Holga.

 

[sionnac]

Just got one for Christmas from my sweetheart - (who loves his Xmas APUG shirt). Anyone used the flash bars?

 

[ann]

some times, but you may also be able to find a flash attachment.

they work fine, just as any on camera flash would

 

[Donald Qualls]

I've used flash bars many-many years ago; once had an accessory that let me use a flashbar and anywhere from 1 to 5 bulbs at once on a hot shoe (with ISO 400 film, lemme tellya, that could really reach out; feet GN was something like 450 with all five bulbs).

Like any other magnesium flash, flashbars haven't been manufactured in something like 25 years. The thing to do is look for a Polaflash, an electronic unit that replaces the flashbar. However, do be aware that flash photography with the 600 film conversion will be a trial, because the camera sets the lens opening via information from the focus, and you'll want it two stops smaller with 600 film. Simple solution: mount a permanent filter on the flash unit, so you cut the output by two stops.

 

[ann]

try this for flashbars.

http://www.flashbulbs.com/polaroid.htm

 

[Poptart]

I have three. The different finishes had nothing to do with the camera and were just marketing; all were plastic & vinyl. The changes were slight, like addition of a tripod socket in later models.
The SX-70 is still the most expensive photo product ever produced, and one of the most advanced. The camera failed to remain a competitive product. It sold for a fairly high price for its day and of course the film has always been expensive. I understand that time zero has now been altered to make manipulations near-impossible.

 

[ann]

the flaw with the manipulation issues was resolved; however, that film will not longer be produced after March 2006