Polaroid SX-70 /// 1972
The allure of the ‘instant’ print has never gone away and, if anything, is stronger now than during the height of film’s popularity. American scientist and inventor Edwin Land set himself the huge challenge of creating a self-developing colour print using a dry process in a single sheet. There were many steps along the way – B&W, peel-apart materials, coated fixers, etc. – but 30 years of intense research culminated in the SX-70 film and camera.
The SX-70 colour print was sheer genius in itself, but the camera was a stunning piece of advanced engineering, and technologically far beyond anything that used conventional film. It was the world’s first folding reflextype camera, the first camera to incorporate a fully automatic exposure system, and the first to have built-in electronic monitoring of its functions which prevented operation if something was wrong. Additionally, it was the first instant camera to have automatic processing and print ejection rather than requiring manual extraction. In 1978, Polaroid added autofocusing to the package (via a sonar-type system), again well before the feature appeared on 35mm models. It still all works brilliantly today and there’s a new lease of life with the latest Polaroid Originals SX-70 films. The ‘pop-up book’ opening sequence is always an experience because just so much happens as the folded flat pack (just under 30 millimetres in depth) transforms into an SLR camera. From here on, the fun factor kicks in, but interestingly the SX-70 seems to demand more than just snap-shooting and the creative juices start flowing. Instant exhibition anyone?