Polaroid Originals - 4676 - Color Film for SX-70

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One of the cameras was modded by MiNT to use 600 film, and the other is a late model Sonar version. I manually focused with both cameras, and tried to keep the images as similar as possible without a tripod. What I found after the images developed was truly surprising.

But in terms of sharpness and image quality, is there a big difference between the ISO 100 Polaroid SX-70 film and Polaroid 600? Here’s what I found after doing a side-by-side comparison with two SX-70 cameras, one an unmodded Sonar version, and the other a MiNT SLR 670-X.If you are concerned about ease of use and consistency in results, Instax may be a better choice. But if you want to have the best lens* and the most elegant camera — nothing beats the SX-70. The 500, 600, and Spectra/Image materials do not use a gelatin-based emulsion, and cannot be manipulated this way.

Polaroid is also going to continue spending more money developing the 600 film formula than they will on SX-70 film. 600 film is used by every new Polaroid camera on the market, and is the target film for most of the aftermarket manufacturers, like MiNT for a reason.This is mostly something you get for the experience. People can’t help but stop and ask about it when you are using it. I still find the mechanisms that make the Polaroid work to be a modern wonder. In a short-attention span, ‘I’ve seen it all’ kind of world, this is still a remarkable bit of magic.

Second reason: The cameras. Man, everyone should experience what it is to shoot one of these beautiful beasts from the 70s. Pressing the button on an Instax does not come close. Apart from the experience, there are practical advantages like close focus, the length of the exposures possible and the quality of the lens. Plus, an SX-70 like this is still not too expensive compared with an Instax. Sean O'Hagan (5 April 2010). "The Polaroid revival". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited . Retrieved August 24, 2013. The SX-70 is a folding single lens reflex Land camera which was produced by the Polaroid Corporation from 1972 to 1981. The SX-70 helped popularize instant photography. Today I propose the following: We should now view Polaroid only as a means of capture. It is a raw file, if you like, that we must digitise (before it fades) and from which we then construct the final image. Without a shadow of a doubt, yes. After using Polaroid 600 film in an SX-70 camera, I firmly believe the experience of shooting 600 film is worth the cost.I breathed in the earthy smell of leather and dust, the SX70 pressed to my face as I focused the split-image mechanism, heard the heavy slap of the reflex mirror, the metallic shwink as the shutter released, the raucous noise and vibration as the motors sprung to life and squeezed the instant print through the tightly spaced rollers. In 1972 there was no camera like it in the world, and there still isn’t. And if not for one gigantic problem, the SX70 might be my favorite camera of all time. If you’re an SX-70 shooter, you’ve probably considered purchasing or modding the camera to use the 600 film, since it’s available more often, and the extra sensitivity goes a long way towards creating sharper images — especially in low light. Let’s get this straight right off the bat; the real SX-70 film was in another universe from today’s in terms of vibrancy, consistency, longevity; the works. You could (and I did) exhibit and sell these Polaroids as works of art. There are several models of the Polaroid SX-70, as the camera and technology progressed through the years. Just below the exposure control is the electric eye. There’s nothing you need to do with this when using the camera except to make sure your finger is not covering it.

The only benefits to using SX-70 film that I have found is in the colors, which tended to be warmer and didn’t have a green cast in the shadows, and for shooting in the middle of the day. Since the maximum shutter speed of the SX-70 is only 1/2000 at f/8, it tends to overexpose images at high noon on a cloudless day, where regular SX-70 film wouldn’t — but that’s not the time when most photographers want to be taking photos anyways. Otherwise, 600 film has more dynamic range, can operate in a wider range of lighting, and is equally as sharp as the SX-70 film. Now, to be fair, neither one of these films can hold a candle to digital, or even 35mm film cameras. But I expected that the SX-70 film would be significantly sharper since it should have a much smaller grain structure similar to standard film.This is really fantastic when you’re wanting that perfectly centered image. This is also super helpful if you’re trying to do experimental things with your images, like adding prisms or other accessories in front of the lens for creative effects like what Julia Beyer has shown us in this SIWF article. The Sonar Model