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1970s Polaroid SX-70 Cameras Make a Comeback

Posted by timothy on from the for-all-your-expensive-art-projects dept.

cylonlover writes "When it was released in 1972, the Polaroid SX-70, with its foldable SLR design, was the world's first instant SLR. It was also the first camera to use Polaroid's then-new integral instant film that contained all the chemical layers required to expose, develop, and fix the photo. Photojojo is now offering Limited Edition Polaroid SX-70 cameras that have all been restored to working condition, and integral instant film is also available."

4 of 106 comments (clear)

  1. Link to the project by luckymutt · · Score: 4, Informative

    Proper link to Impossible Project not included in the article. They're the people who bought the factory and now reproducing the film packs.

  2. About the available film by LMacG · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The films from The Impossible Project work, but at this point still need to be considered "experimental". The biggest problem they have yet to conquer is the chemical layer that shields the photo from light immediately after ejection from the camera - aka the opacifier layer.

    All the current films require that you immediately protect the film from ambient light while it develops, which definitely kills some of the joy of the original SX70 experience.

    Still major amounts of mad props to TIP for saving the film manufacturing equipment from being scrapped and being able to create a whole new film that works even as well as it does, on a shoestring budget in a short amount of time.

    --
    Slightly disreputable, albeit gregarious
  3. Re:Why aren't these still available? by Hadlock · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sure, but they produce Wide Screen Polaroids ! That's totally like, HD Polaroid, or something. Widescreen, man.
     
    I heard in a few years they're going to be releasing 3-D polaroids, but the first few models are going to require special glasses to view, and they give some viewers headaches.

    --
    moox. for a new generation.
  4. Re:Why aren't these still available? by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Presumably, that's not a big enough market to sustain production. There are, after all, very few cases where this is really true.

    These days, yes. Back in the "old days" where digitals took crappy photos to begin with, having photos available quickly was quite an advantage over having to finish the roll and waiting 3 days to get it developed and get prints.

    With digital cameras being quite good, and instant enough, the market basically vanished. No longer having to wait weeks after a vacation to get back photos to use up the roll, or taking pictures of the airport to use up the roll so you can develop it on the way back has meant well, getting photos done minutes after it was taken is a much smaller niche than just taking the photos, and a few hours later broadcasting it all over twitter and facebook.

    The niche now are for those sponaneous moments between strangers where neither wants to share personal information, and documentation for legal or scientific reasons because the photos can be captured right then and there, with no time for doctoring.