Would you buy a Polaroid SX-70?

madNbad · May 12, 2022

I owned an original SX-70 for years. Loved it, used it a lot and carried just about everywhere because it was so compact. In the years before digital cameras or cell phones, every Halloween the trick or treaters got a Polaroid of them in costume along with a treat and the parents loved it. In 2012, I dropped it in the Goodwill donation box after Polaroid discontinued the film. In 2015, I bought a SLR 680. It was a beautiful camera but the Impossible (now Polaroid) films left a lot to be desired, never really liked any of them so I sold the camera. It’s just a question to the forum members: in 2022 would you buy a SX-70?
I know there will be plenty of comments about Fuji Instatax but that’s not the question. I’m well aware of how much better the product is and how Fuji is market for it has grown. I’m not in the market for any instant camera, I just want to hear others opinion on the SX-70. Thanks.

Andrew O'Neill · May 12, 2022

I have one and love it. I feel that the recent colour film Polaroid has put out has improved. The yellows are much better now. I've always like the B/W stuff, too. It costs me just under $4 Cdn a shot, so I'm careful when I push the shutter button. It's such a sexy camera, too! Oh I should add, the original polaroid film would print out much fast and was more light safe than newer stuff. As soon as it comes out of the camera, you have to shield it from light. It takes longer to develop, too. Sometimes there are blue streaks on the print that are actually areas of over-exposure due to chemical opacification layer (which protects your film from light after ejection from the camera) did not have enough time to mix and spread before the photo was exposed to the ambient light in your environment. This doesn't happen with all images. I bought a shield curtain that is installed in the camera. Haven't tried it yet, but it's supposed to reduce that effect. I've got 3 packs of colour sitting in the fridge waiting for me! The weather needs to smarten up here first, though!

madNbad · May 12, 2022

Thank you, Andrew. We’re at the bottom edge of the same Pacific low but better to have the rain. Good to hear the Polaroid film is improving.

Chan Tran · May 12, 2022

No not today. I bought 2 of them in the days. One is the orginal and the other is the first version with AF. I think they called it the Alpha One. Used to have a blast as the camera with the flash can focus in total darkness. I bought them for the instant picture and today digital can give me instant picture so I don't want them.

Timo Schön · May 13, 2022

madNbad said:
I owned an original SX-70 for years. Loved it, used it a lot and carried just about everywhere because it was so compact. In the years before digital cameras or cell phones, every Halloween the trick or treaters got a Polaroid of them in costume along with a treat and the parents loved it. In 2012, I dropped it in the Goodwill donation box after Polaroid discontinued the film. In 2015, I bought a SLR 680. It was a beautiful camera but the Impossible (now Polaroid) films left a lot to be desired, never really liked any of them so I sold the camera. It’s just a question to the forum members: in 2022 would you buy a SX-70?
I know there will be plenty of comments about Fuji Instatax but that’s not the question. I’m well aware of how much better the product is and how Fuji is market for it has grown. I’m not in the market for any instant camera, I just want to hear others opinion on the SX-70. Thanks.

Personally I think it is worth it as long as you know what you get. The camera itself feels amazing and is a joy to use. The film has its problems but sometimes the stars align and you get beautiful results. IMO everyone who wants to shoot polaroid and is commited to pay the price for the film might as well get an SX-70 because it will give you some of the best results for this compact package.

4season · May 13, 2022

I recently turned down an opportunity to purchase a nice chrome-and-leather original SX70 like the one I used to own - $40! But I was never crazy about SX70 colors.

Cholentpot · May 13, 2022

Never bought one.

People give them to me. If only there was a more affordable way of using them though.

Lee Rust · May 13, 2022

Aside from the excellent reflex viewfinder, the best thing about the SX70 is the ability to shoot really close up. The 'frog-tongue' light shield works well, but as others note, the film is unpredictable.

Donald Qualls · May 13, 2022

I'm still considering sending mine (Model 2 bought at a yard sale in Seattle around 2002) to be refurbished and converted for 600 speed. Instax is a lot cheaper, but none of Fuji's cameras for it have decent lenses or focus mechanism, and the ones from Mint must be gold plated, based on the price.

Cholentpot · May 13, 2022

Donald Qualls said:
I'm still considering sending mine (Model 2 bought at a yard sale in Seattle around 2002) to be refurbished and converted for 600 speed. Instax is a lot cheaper, but none of Fuji's cameras for it have decent lenses or focus mechanism, and the ones from Mint must be gold plated, based on the price.

I've been very pleased with my Lomograflox instax back. If there was a way to convert SX-70 to instax I'd be all over it.

Donald Qualls · May 13, 2022

Yep, I have a LomoGraflok -- it's as good as the 4x5 camera it's mounted on, of course (and seems robust and well built, so far).

I've seen from a fellow in Sweden -- /u/Squintl on Reddit -- that it's likely not possible to adapt Instax to fit SX-70; the pack is thicker, and the pick lever (that pushes the print into the rollers) is on the opposite side. Also it'll give mirror image, but that's less of an issue. It'd be a major rebuild (or hack job) to mount an Instax feed system on the bottom of an SX-70 type optical body; pretty obviously not practical (though it might well be possible, in that almost anything is possible if you throw enough money at it).

Cholentpot · May 13, 2022

Donald Qualls said:
Yep, I have a LomoGraflok -- it's as good as the 4x5 camera it's mounted on, of course (and seems robust and well built, so far).

I've seen from a fellow in Sweden -- /u/Squintl on Reddit -- that it's likely not possible to adapt Instax to fit SX-70; the pack is thicker, and the pick lever (that pushes the print into the rollers) is on the opposite side. Also it'll give mirror image, but that's less of an issue. It'd be a major rebuild (or hack job) to mount an Instax feed system on the bottom of an SX-70 type optical body; pretty obviously not practical (though it might well be possible, in that almost anything is possible if you throw enough money at it).

I just with my RF would stay true on my Crown. No running and gunning with it these days. It's a tripod queen.

Andrew O'Neill · May 13, 2022

The leathers on mine are getting pretty ratty looking. I might put new ones on... I see many online. Anyone know if they are any good?

madNbad · May 13, 2022

Andrew O'Neill said:
The leathers on mine are getting pretty ratty looking. I might put new ones on... I see many online. Anyone know if they are any good?

https://hugostudio.com/polaroid-sx70.html

Hugo Camera Leather has some very nice products.

Andrew O'Neill · May 13, 2022

madNbad said:
https://hugostudio.com/polaroid-sx70.html

Hugo Camera Leather has some very nice products.

Thanks! Price is pretty good, too, even converted to Canadian.

wjlapier · May 14, 2022

I bought two recently. One from Retrospekt and the other from Roberts. Retrospekt is modded to shoot 600 film and was totally refurbished. Shoots great. The Roberts shoots SX70 film and could use a cleaning but actually looks newer than the other. It too shoots well. I’m happy with both of them.

Huss · May 14, 2022

How is the Polaroid film? The last time I tried the Impossible Project B&W film in my SX70, about 2 years ago, it was beyond awful. Just a complete waste of money. I could not even pass it off as "Art"..

eli griggs · May 15, 2022

I'm keeping mine because it's such a fun camera to use, IF you have good film for it.

Today's "Polaroid" is simply 'Impossible Project" newest offering, they bought the right to the "Polaroid name"

I hope someone figures out a way to make an adapter for Instax square or other Instax films, so the rest of us hanging on to the wonderful old tech, can continue to enjoy them for decades to come.

wjlapier · May 15, 2022

Huss said:
How is the Polaroid film? The last time I tried the Impossible Project B&W film in my SX70, about 2 years ago, it was beyond awful. Just a complete waste of money. I could not even pass it off as "Art"..

If the film is fresh and stored properly it’s great. I had two packs of 02/21 film that had a slight yellow tint, but so far the rest looks great.

The only issue I’ve run into is removing the exposed picture and placing it in a dark place to start development. This past week we went to the Oregon coast. I wore a loose light jacket with a big enough pocket I would place the exposed picture in. Later I would move the picture to a different place to finish developing. I’ve got to figure a way to quickly get the picture from camera to dark storage. I’m working on it.

madNbad · May 15, 2022

wjlapier said:
If the film is fresh and stored properly it’s great. I had two packs of 02/21 film that had a slight yellow tint, but so far the rest looks great.

The only issue I’ve run into is removing the exposed picture and placing it in a dark place to start development. This past week we went to the Oregon coast. I wore a loose light jacket with a big enough pocket I would place the exposed picture in. Later I would move the picture to a different place to finish developing. I’ve got to figure a way to quickly get the picture from camera to dark storage. I’m working on it.

What about using one of the passport carriers that hang from a cord?

Ian Leake · May 15, 2022

I enjoy using mine. The colour prints are fun, although they are quite slow to develop. I don't like the black and white prints though.

Andrew O'Neill · May 15, 2022

I LOVE the B/W prints! I've got some from three years ago, and they still look great. Can't get my hands on B/W from local dealer, due to supply issues. I'm waiting for a sunny day so that I can go out with a pack of colour (with film shield attached to see if opacification layer issue is minimised)

Donald Qualls · May 15, 2022

eli griggs said:
I hope someone figures out a way to make an adapter for Instax square or other Instax films,

According to the fellow in Sweden (/u/Squintl on Reddit) who makes adapters for Instax Square in Kodak instant cameras, Instax in SX-70/600 cameras isn't going to happen. He says the Instax pack is too thick, and the pick lever (pushes the print into the rollers at the start of the development cycle) is on the wrong side. I'd also note that Polaroid packs have the spring in the pack, while Instax relies on spring pushers in the film cover door (the Kodak adapters include springs for this purpose). I'd guess that the stuff Fuji doesn't need to put in their film packs has a lot to do with the significantly lower price per exposure of Instax vs. Polaroid.

And before you rush out and buy a Kodak instant camera, most of them have plastic gears that have gotten brittle over forty years of disuse, and will go to pieces the first few times a print goes through the rollers (hand cranked models, the 930 and 950 apparently are okay, and the adapter maker apparently is working on replacement gears for the other models). i bought a 960 that did that; the 950 I bought as a replacement ejects prints fine, but the shutter doesn't seem to open.

Also, the first generation Kodak instant cameras expect ISO 160 film (same speed as SX-70), so they'd need a neutral density filter to use Instax film; the second generation (uses the HR144-10 and "Peel-a-print" films) expects ISO 640, and can be adjusted with the lighten/darken control to give correct exposure with the ISO 800 Instax.

chriscrawfordphoto · May 15, 2022

I just bought one about a month ago from Retrospekt; they serviced it and converted it to use 600 film. It was not cheap, but it "Just Works" unlike many of them for sale on eBay, and it uses the 600 film, which makes handholding easier in lower light levels. The film is pretty good today; I have shot a ton of it in the last month and have not gotten any images ruined by manufacturing defects. The stuff is quite contrasty; I don't remember the original 600 film made by the real Polaroid company being that contrasty. Like you, I got rid of my Polaroid cameras after the old Polaroid went under. I had an SX-70 and an SLR-690. Wish I'd kept them!

madNbad · May 15, 2022

If Chris is using one, there’s hope for the reimagined Polaroid!
The ability to keep the prints in subdued light while they develop has been mentioned both on the packaging and by users posting here. I’m surprised no one’s come up with a gizmo to stash them in while they finish developing. The frog tounge protects the print as it emerges from the camera but what do you do with it in the meantime?

Would you buy a Polaroid SX-70?

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Would you buy a Polaroid SX-70?

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