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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