SX-70, Black & White Film, and Dealing With Slow Shutter Speeds

[Andrew O'Neill]

 

[Ben 4]

Thanks for this. The photos of the face-like features on the tree and the staircases look quite good. My first and only Polaroid camera was the mid-sixties "Swinger"—a fixed focus, adjustable exposure model that used the sort of b&w film that had to be coated outside the camera after development. I still have some of those pictures, though the overall experience was fiddly and unsatisfying. I did lust after the SX-70 when it came out, though never got one. Where does your SX-70 film come from?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Thanks for this. The photos of the face-like features on the tree and the staircases look quite good. My first and only Polaroid camera was the mid-sixties "Swinger"—a fixed focus, adjustable exposure model that used the sort of b&w film that had to be coated outside the camera after development. I still have some of those pictures, though the overall experience was fiddly and unsatisfying. I did lust after the SX-70 when it came out, though never got one. Where does your SX-70 film come from?

One can purchase it new. I buy it from a local camera shop. A tad on the expensive side, though. 8 shots for $30 Canadian.

 

[Donald Qualls]

One can purchase it new.

There's a long story behind that, but the short version is a small private group bought the last operating Polaroid integral film factory in Netherlands when the original Polaroid was circling the drain, and effectively reinvented the integral film materials and process, working around discontinued components and chemicals that had been behind Polaroid dropping out of the market. Then the Impossible Project, as it was originally, managed to first license, then buy the Polaroid name (as it applies to chemical film products, anyway).

 

[pentaxuser]

I won't be hunting for a Polariod as if my life depended on it, Andrew and certainly the b&w pack looks meeh( new word for me - N, American?)

We had where I worked a Polaroid with colour packs in the 90s and I agree that rated an "OK" but not much more

Using a cycling world comparison with a modern racing bike, I'd say the b&w is like a fixed wheel bike in the Alps i.e. not even close and the colour is like a fíxed wheel in a 10 mile time trial on a slightly undulating course - close but still not quite there

pentaxuser

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

There's a long story behind that, but the short version is a small private group bought the last operating Polaroid integral film factory in Netherlands when the original Polaroid was circling the drain, and effectively reinvented the integral film materials and process, working around discontinued components and chemicals that had been behind Polaroid dropping out of the market. Then the Impossible Project, as it was originally, managed to first license, then buy the Polaroid name (as it applies to chemical film products, anyway).

I'm well aware of the story, and bought Impossible Project films...even though they were crappy.

 

[Ben 4]

There's a long story behind that, but the short version is a small private group bought the last operating Polaroid integral film factory in Netherlands when the original Polaroid was circling the drain, and effectively reinvented the integral film materials and process, working around discontinued components and chemicals that had been behind Polaroid dropping out of the market. Then the Impossible Project, as it was originally, managed to first license, then buy the Polaroid name (as it applies to chemical film products, anyway).

Thanks for this explanation—it was the Polaroid name on the film packs Andy used that made me wonder!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

I won't be hunting for a Polariod as if my life depended on it, Andrew and certainly the b&w pack looks meeh( new word for me - N, American?)

We had where I worked a Polaroid with colour packs in the 90s and I agree that rated an "OK" but not much more

Using a cycling world comparison with a modern racing bike, I'd say the b&w is like a fixed wheel bike in the Alps i.e. not even close and the colour is like a fíxed wheel in a 10 mile time trial on a slightly undulating course - close but still not quite there

pentaxuser

meh is American. None of my friends utter it up here, other than one American Jewish friend of mine. The colour film isn't too bad. It has it's own look. But, I won't be using much of it due to cost, and the hit or miss results.

 

[pentaxuser]

meh is American. None of my friends utter it up here, other than one American Jewish friend of mine.

Useful to know. Sounds as if I might be able to speak the King's English in Canada and be understood Mind you when I think of the sound of the word "meeh" it is reasonably onomatopoeic in terms of its meaning

pentaxuser

 

[Donald Qualls]

From what little I've seen, Polaroid recently made a significant improvement in the SX-70 and 600 monochrome films. I should probably try a couple packs; I kind of liked monochrome in my SX-70 Model 2.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Useful to know. Sounds as if I might be able to speak the King's English in Canada and be understood Mind you when I think of the sound of the word "meeh" it is reasonably onomatopoeic in terms of its meaning

pentaxuser

Just stick "eh" at the end of most sentences.

 

[pentaxuser]

Just stick "eh" at the end of most sentences.

As do the burgers of Edinburgh and despite the appearance of this word "eh"and the way a sentence is finished there it is not a questíon

A bit like the words : "Gonnay no dae that, eh" It may sound like a polite request but that assumption can have fatal consequences in a pub at closing time, especially when it is accompanied with a hard stare

pentaxuser

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Eh can have different meanings here. Usually though, it's a voiced exclamation mark, question mark, or want of approval/agreement. Americans think us Canucks all talk like Bob and Doug McKenzie.

 

[Truzi]

Eh can have different meanings here. Usually though, it's a voiced exclamation mark, question mark, or want of approval/agreement. Americans think us Canucks all talk like Bob and Doug McKenzie.

You mean you don't? LOL.

One summer during my undergrad I went on a road trip to Canada (near Niagra Falls) with my two best friends. We were staying at a camp grounds, cooking over a fire, when a Canadian couple next to us introduced themselves.

We started talking about various things - like currency exchange rate, cost differences, wage and benefit differences, cultural differences, etc. The gentleman also played some guitar for us (The Joker, from Steve Miller Band).

At one point he turned to us and said "Do we have an accent to you? Because you're just killing us."
We all laughed.

It was a fun and interesting evening, and was the highlight of our trip - better than the tourist traps and such.

They did say "eh" a lot.

 

[MattKing]

(near Niagra Falls)

And that's how it's often pronounced up here!
We probably should say it more like how it shows on the map: Niagara

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

You mean you don't? LOL.

One summer during my undergrad I went on a road trip to Canada (near Niagra Falls) with my two best friends. We were staying at a camp grounds, cooking over a fire, when a Canadian couple next to us introduced themselves.

We started talking about various things - like currency exchange rate, cost differences, wage and benefit differences, cultural differences, etc. The gentleman also played some guitar for us (The Joker, from Steve Miller Band).

At one point he turned to us and said "Do we have an accent to you? Because you're just killing us."
We all laughed.

It was a fun and interesting evening, and was the highlight of our trip - better than the tourist traps and such.

They did say "eh" a lot.

We do only do the eh thing for America tourists

 

[SMD]

30 years ago I bought a second hand completly new (as in never used) original packed gorgeous bright brown skin SX-70. It lives in the cupboard, as SX-70 film was even back than not avaible. Now that it can be had again, although not the original, I thougt to feed it a pack. Your video convinced me not to.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

30 years ago I bought a second hand completly new (as in never used) original packed gorgeous bright brown skin SX-70. It lives in the cupboard, as SX-70 film was even back than not avaible. Now that it can be had again, although not the original, I thougt to feed it a pack. Your video convinced me not to.

Sorry, SMD! It really is a lot of work to get at least ONE decent print. If I had bottomless pockets I wouldn't care, and just shoot it with reckless abandon...I'd probably buy one of those MiNT modified SX-70's, where you can use f stops and the zone system...

 

[SMD]

I'd probably buy one of those MiNT modified SX-70's, where you can use f stops and the zone system...

Regarding zone system: You say in your video, that the dial darkens/lightens the image overall (4:45). But is that not what happens in any camera? Give it half a stop more, the entire image will go half a stop lighter, it is not selective like with preflashing.

 

[Truzi]

So I'm reading this thread while playing fetch with one of my cats. I tossed her rattle mouse past a shelving unit, and noticed I have a pack of B&W SX-70 on a shelf. It's probably about a year old.

I had inherited my grandfather's original SX-70, with the brown leather. This thread makes me want to pull it out and try the film.
I've not used the camera in a while, and I just take snapshots, so I won't get anything interesting.

Back when the film was still "Impossible," I handed the SX-70 (with color film) to a coworker who does professional photography, explained the limitations of the film and the camera, and his first shot was quite good. He's adept at working within the constraints given - even when those constraints are merely told to him.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

@Truzi, take some shots of your cats! The first pack that I shot in the video was over a year old, and it was fine.

 

[loccdor]

Hey. Today I was taking pictures of Canadians with a 600mm across the Niagara Gorge. Curious creatures they are!

I remember shooting a pack of Polaroid film, possibly with the same camera, as a kid in the 90s. I was told it cost over $1 per shot so make it count. Adjusted for inflation, it sounds pretty comparable to today's prices.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Hey. Today I was taking pictures of Canadians with a 600mm across the Niagara Gorge. Curious creatures they are!

I remember shooting a pack of Polaroid film, possibly with the same camera, as a kid in the 90s. I was told it cost over $1 per shot so make it count. Adjusted for inflation, it sounds pretty comparable to today's prices.

HAHA I wouldn't be surprised if it was a bunch of Americans you saw, vacationing on the good side of the Niagara! Now the stuff costs over 4 Canadian Loonies!

 

[pentaxuser]

HAHA I wouldn't be surprised if it was a bunch of Americans you saw, vacationing on the good side of the Niagara! Now the stuff costs over 4 Canadian Loonies!

Some say the good side of "Niagara" was the one that Marilyn Monroe was on in 1953 Niagara was actually spelt correctly by 20th Century Fox despite being way down South, near Beverly " Hills that is, swimming pools, movies stars " as played by Flatt and Scruggs and sung by Jerry Scroggins

pentaxuser

 

[loccdor]

I hadn't seen that film, that is a pretty good side @pentaxuser !