The SX-70 Craze...

ChristopherCoy · Dec 11, 2012

What is with it lately? Polaroid SX70's listed for $372?!?!?

I just picked up an original model for $60, but I'll have to re-skin it with new leather.

But what is with the price hikes lately?? Is the word getting out about Impossible, or is it just because of the (I hate using this word) "hipster" movement?

dreamingartemis · Dec 11, 2012

when you look at it, the SX-70 is really a good camera (heck, it's the only camera I know that can transform from a big hulking camera to something that can easily fit into your back), the only sad thing about it is that polaroid film died but at least we still have the impossible project that is consistantly improving with each new release.

I guess polaroid type photography (it's just like when it was with Lomography) is picking up again and it's natural for demands to be on the rise.

Though I think in some sense you're right about it being some "hipster" movement

AgX · Dec 11, 2012

Lately I was offered SX-70's at thrift shops still for a few Euros...

darkosaric · Dec 11, 2012

ChristopherCoy said:
just because of the (I hate using this word) "hipster" movement?

I think also this is the root cause. Apug should start selling T-shirts with signs "I was shooting film while it was not hip" and similar

But on the good side - hipster and lomo movement are good - more film consumption is always good.

Jim Christie · Dec 11, 2012

As you say, I think one reason may be that Impossible film is getting better. Another reason may be that the folks over at the Film Photography Project are really pushing Polaroid right now (especially on their podcast).

There is a widely respected author/blogger in the woodworking world (focusing on hand tools in particular) named Christopher Schwarz. There's a joke that goes around that as soon as he finds an old tool he likes, ebay prices skyrocket because all of a sudden everyone wants one. Perhaps a similar effect is happening to Polaroid with FPP's encouragement?

Terry Christian · Dec 11, 2012

Impossible had to start from scratch in making their product. They had relatively little information from Polaroid to go on when they started. So, to raise capital, they've been making the test versions of their films available to the public with the understanding that these are not the final products. Of course some folks like them anyway, despite their flaws. I think many people are turned off Impossible because of the quality issues, but these have been meant to be "beta versions" anyway. If Impossible had waited until their products were perfect, it would have taken many years, and they would have had no capital and no cult following. I'm not an instant-film buff at all, but I think they've been genius to do this.

Chan Tran · Dec 11, 2012

I think it's the hispters craze. The SX-70 is a nice camera in many respects but not worth $300. I wonder though isn't there enough demand to make new polaroid type cameras?

darkosaric · Dec 12, 2012

Chan Tran said:
I wonder though isn't there enough demand to make new polaroid type cameras?

No. There is this Iphone polaroid attachment from impossible - that is all that you will see from new polaroid cameras.

xya · Dec 12, 2012

Chan Tran said:
I think it's the hispters craze. The SX-70 is a nice camera in many respects but not worth $300. I wonder though isn't there enough demand to make new polaroid type cameras?

the sx70 has been sold for $180 in 1972. "$180.00 in 1972 had the same buying power as $988.34 in 2012" ( http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm ).

Atari1977 · Dec 12, 2012

I think it's because urban outfitters started selling impossible film.

ChristopherCoy · Dec 12, 2012

xya said:
the sx70 has been sold for $180 in 1972. "$180.00 in 1972 had the same buying power as $988.34 in 2012" ( http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm ).

Well, after the seller agreed to refund my money on the SX70 with issues I bought, I turned around and bought another one.

It came with the original case and accessories, and also the original sales receipt from 1974. It was $152 then and I just paid $117 for it.

So I guess it depreciated then appreciated?!?

cepwin · Dec 20, 2012

I might have been given a gift from the camera G_ds in that regard. I was talking to my Dad tonight and mentioned Polaroid and the Polaroids we had. As we talked he started looking around and found, I believe, the SX-70. He's going to ship it to me and I'll see what shape it's in. He also found another box which I'm hoping is the pack camera (he couldn't get to it so he'll have to see) fortunately I have deoxytive on order which I got to (hopefully) fix the Konica's battery pack that was also theirs.

EdSawyer · Dec 21, 2012

impossible did not start from scratch, they had several people who work for them from the original polaroid, along with original materials, machines, etc. THey had a HUGE jump start. And even still, their stuff has basically sucked out loud up until now, and they had the balls to charge huge money for it even still. (and people bought it! WTF.) Expired TimeZero is/was a better choice. Not sure about the latest iteration of their stuff, maybe it's finally ready for prime time. They are good at marketeering, I'll give them that. But I have yet to see anything from them that's worth even half what they charge (e.g. the film). Hopefully soon though, I do want them to succeed (which means better product and lower prices).

The real crime is that Fuji discontinued FP100c45 and FP100B in general. Those were/are the best instant film product ever, I think.

AgX · Dec 21, 2012

It was not even their idea to start that business.

Joe VanCleave · Dec 21, 2012

I suppose those amongst us who are not hipsters are wishing for the days when film was dying and film gear was cheap, but there was still plenty of film to go around. Now, newcomers into film photography are driving up prices because of easily understood laws of supply and demand, and those newcomers are denigrated with the moniker of hipster. Can't have archaic and eat it, too.

~Joe

cepwin · Dec 21, 2012

LOL Joe
Yes, it will mean higher prices but it also means they'll still be film..no demand -> no supply. I do agree though impossible project film is quite pricy. I bought a pack (with a 210 pack camera and that film) and it was >$20. The Fuji pack film is 1/2 the price and 120 film is < $5 for 12/16 exposures...the pack/impossible has only 10 exposures. One must be very careful about making instant film exposures...at a buck to two bucks per exposure it's not to be taken lightly

ChristopherCoy · Dec 22, 2012

cepwin said:
LOL Joe
...the pack/impossible has only 10 exposures. )

...8 exposures.

http://blog.the-impossible-project.com/dr-love-s-tips-why-8-photos

And it's $3 per exposure, and I have wasted $12 on faulty cameras in the last two weeks.

cepwin · Dec 22, 2012

Wow...that's no good Christopher....hopefully at some point they'll be able to charge less for it and still make money. It's even more expensive than I thought.

Fixcinater · Dec 24, 2012

The article Christopher links to explains that their film is cheaper now than Polaroid ever was. I've shot a bunch of it and am relatively new to the fray (coming from 35mm/120 film land) and so can be labeled a hipster if you wish. It's gotten better as time goes on (Impossible film), and the new Color Protection looks nearly as good as original Polaroid SX70/600 film I have.

It may seem to be splitting hairs but any product that isn't the Lomo brand ideaology (film = weird/crappy colors and/or plastic lensed relics) is welcome by me.

cepwin · Dec 28, 2012

Just an update if you saw my above post it was not the SX-70 but a 640..the good news is the 640 works just fine.

ChristopherCoy · Dec 28, 2012

Well the first one I bought for $60 I ended up returning because it was shot. I picked up another one, but it ended up needing repairs as well. After the repairs on this one, and shipping and losses from the first one, I'm in this SX70 for $225.

The nice thing is that it now has a new motor, a new coupler, and newly soldered shutter contacts. The rollers have been cleaned, the film compartment blown out, the chrome has been polished, and its been recovered in light blue leather.

I should get it back next week and I'll be able to try the rest of my Impossible Color Protection film.

I also picked up a working Nissin flash for it so ill have that to try as well.

StoneNYC · Dec 29, 2012

ChristopherCoy said:
Well the first one I bought for $60 I ended up returning because it was shot. I picked up another one, but it ended up needing repairs as well. After the repairs on this one, and shipping and losses from the first one, I'm in this SX70 for $225.

The nice thing is that it now has a new motor, a new coupler, and newly soldered shutter contacts. The rollers have been cleaned, the film compartment blown out, the chrome has been polished, and its been recovered in light blue leather.

I should get it back next week and I'll be able to try the rest of my Impossible Color Protection film.

I also picked up a working Nissin flash for it so ill have that to try as well.

That's why the ones you saw were so much, they had those repairs.

~Stone

The Important Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

StoneNYC · Dec 29, 2012

EdSawyer said:
impossible did not start from scratch, they had several people who work for them from the original polaroid, along with original materials, machines, etc. THey had a HUGE jump start. And even still, their stuff has basically sucked out loud up until now, and they had the balls to charge huge money for it even still. (and people bought it! WTF.) Expired TimeZero is/was a better choice. Not sure about the latest iteration of their stuff, maybe it's finally ready for prime time. They are good at marketeering, I'll give them that. But I have yet to see anything from them that's worth even half what they charge (e.g. the film). Hopefully soon though, I do want them to succeed (which means better product and lower prices).

The real crime is that Fuji discontinued FP100c45 and FP100B in general. Those were/are the best instant film product ever, I think.

I would say type 55 was the best, a usable negative AND an instant contact print!

~Stone

The Important Ones - Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1 / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

ChristopherCoy · Dec 30, 2012

StoneNYC said:
I would say type 55 was the best, a usable negative AND an instant contact print!

~Stone[/quot]

If I'm not mistaken, you can bleach the Impossible negatives just like you can with FP100c - which I have done and have a lot of fun doing so!

StoneNYC · Dec 30, 2012

ChristopherCoy said:
StoneNYC said:

I would say type 55 was the best, a usable negative AND an instant contact print!

~Stone[/quot]

If I'm not mistaken, you can bleach the Impossible negatives just like you can with FP100c - which I have done and have a lot of fun doing so!

Click to expand...

I keep hearing about that but have seen no actual directions on how to do it... Does it work for color and B&W and what kind of breech, time, special notes, etc?

EDIT: and you said "impossible negatives" you mean the integral film can be taken out and somehow turned into a negative also?

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

The SX-70 Craze...

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