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Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera

In a world where technology can easily be copied and reproduced, it's interesting to see a camera that - at the time of its invention - really had no imitators or even any real competitors. And as groundbreaking as the Polaroid SX-70 was, the fact that no other company has come close to replicating its design, functionality, or results is especially interesting. Edwin Land introduced the Polaroid company's new camera in 1972 and even for a company with a history of creating innovative products, the SX-70 stood above the rest of the their previous inventions.

The most radical change from previous cameras was producing the Polaroid SX-70 as a true SLR. Where other instant film cameras built by Polaroid had been either viewfinder or rangefinder cameras, the SX-70 was the first instant camera where the photographer could view through the actual taking lens. Although Edwin Land's original vision saw no focus assistance, as professional photographers began to use the SX-70, there was a clamor for making the camera as usable as possible, and so Polaroid added the split-image focus screen in the viewfinder to aid with critical focus. Additionally - in an effort to expose the ASA 160 film properly - the SX-70 was fitted with an "electric eye" that provided excellent exposures.

Polaroid had always managed an excellent relationship with the leading photographers of the day. Professionals as varied as Ansel Adams, Walker Evans, and Andy Warhol loved and used the SX-70. Fashion photographer Helmut Newton used it for some of his fashion shoots. With collaborations such as these, Polaroid had access to some of the finest photographic work of the day and the photographers had access to a fantastic camera that was far ahead of other instant film cameras.

In the 21st century, the Polaroid SX-70 has still not been replicated and while the cameras themselves are aging, the results they produce are just as timeless as the photos from the 1970s. When you get a chance to use one of these collapsible marvels, remember that you're standing on the shoulders of some of the finest photographers in history. Within your first few frames, you'll see why this camera is still alone in its class.

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Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera Shutter/Mirror Sounds

The sibilant whisper of an SX-70 Land Camera hides the fact that, in those precious few seconds after exposure, millions of chemical reactions are taking place to create what was once considered miraculous. The whirring of gears as the film is ejected through rollers to start the process, that will have you shaking your freshly exposed frame for several minutes, belies the camera's genius and ingenuity. Though it does its best to remind us each time we frame a shot and press that red shutter button.

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SX-70 Self Timer Attachment

Wait for it.... Those are words you usually have to say with instant film as you wait for the image develop.

But you don’t usually get to say those words because you are waiting for the SX-70’s self-timer to trigger. We don’t even remember the last time we even saw one of these self timers. And not only did this SX-70 come with the self timer but also the electronic cable release, a close up filter AND an electronic flash that used the same coupling as the flash bars.

It really gives the MiNT SLR670-S a run for its money in regard to which Polaroid SLR camera you would rather have.

The Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera

Once instant, then Impossible, and now Original... in a sense. However you describe it, it is iconic, legendary, miraculous, and always fun.

Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera

There is something undeniably special to using the same camera your parents carried around when they were young.

Polaroid SX-70 With MiNT Time Machine

A Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera featuring the nifty MiNT accessory, the Time Machine. This handy device plugs into the flash bar slot, atop the camera and allows one to manually control the SX-70's shutter speeds. A modern touch on a classic camera.

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Polaroid SX-70

Edwin Land was a genius and his Land Cameras are incredible. Not much more to say about that.

Unboxing a Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera

For any of our intrepid analog photographers on the East Coast (specifically the NYC area) you should check out Brooklyn Film Camera. They provide refurbished film cameras, the film to load in them and the education necessary to use them. They are awesome, so we recommend the visit. All film photographers benefit from supporting resources like BFC.

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SX-70 signed by Chihuly

The Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera is remarkable on its own; especially if you stop to think about what an engineering marvel it is, a folding SLR?! This particular SX-70 was supposedly signed by the famed glass artist, Dale Chihuly, and was used in his studios to document the glass sculptures as they were made. All cameras have histories.

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Rich Burroughs and his SX-70

Customer Rich Burroughs stopped by awhile back. Rich is part of a special class of photographer who dedicates himself to a particular medium, in this case, instant photography. Rich has been through Polaroid and Impossible and now Polaroid Originals, once again.

Sure, he uses color negative on occasion and sure there are other photographers doing a lot of work on Impossible film but few do it with as much dedication, craft or seriousness as Rich.

And it really serves as a good reminder that photographers can transcend their medium in a variety of ways. With photographers like Rich, nothing and everything is Impossible.

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SX-70

Ever think about what, exactly, is happening when you expose a piece of SX-70 film and it ejects from the camera? Well, Edwin Land spent a lot of time thinking about this. Here is his description of that process, it is both scientifically technical and strangely poetic:

“When the film is ejected, potassium hydroxide in a few drops of water is spread in a layer 26/10,000 inch thick and ‘all hell breaks loose,’ but in a much more orderly way than that phrase implies. For several minutes, chemical reactions occur rapidly, one step after another in that thin sandwich and then this progression slowly stops. There is peace again and the picture is complete.”

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