I genuinely think that we as a community are shooting ourselves in the foot by recommending permanent conversions and it worries me. Almost all of Polaroid’s cameras shoot 600 film and only a handful of cameras shoot SX-70 film. By recommending conversions, we’re shrinking the number of cameras out there that use SX-70 film and are actively discouraging folks from buying SX-70 film. And at that point why should Polaroid continue to make SX-70 film? Then it gets discontinued like Spectra film. On top of that SX-70 film has such unique & vibrant colors that I rarely get with 600 film. If it’s an issue of access to SX-70 film, then we’ve got ND filters and the MiNT flash bar as you mentioned (but of course you end up missing out on faster speeds).

No you should not stop using SX-70 film. It’s beautiful for artistic shots & art photography & after what happened to Spectra film, do we really want to encourage people to lessen the Polaroid film range? (Polaroid Go doesn’t count - it’s not a serious camera anyway). Keep shooting & experimenting with SX-70, it’s easy to buy online & worthwhile shooting with.

I very hesitantly had my rarer Holiday 77’ K-Mart Special Edition SX-70 B&C Alpha cleaned, repaired, and converted by Retrospekt and I can definitely vouch for the service. It’s a 600 powerhouse. I would definitely have at least on native SX-70 folding camera in your arsenal. The way it handles color on a sunny day is hard to match.

bought a refurbished and converted sx70 from retrospekt as a Christmas present to myself and its absolutely amazing

Enjoyed this content. I bought some b&w sx70 film recently and was curious how this all goes. Sometime in 2013-14 i got a one step land cam from the thriftstore for like 5 bucks, figured id take a gamble and see if it actually works The first 2 photos came out awful and i figured the shutter or something was busted... luckily the 3rd shot came through 😊 that 5 bucks a decade ago may have spurred a new hobby today!

I think everyone should keep at least ONE camera that natively shoots SX-70 film. The colors in their recent film packs are really nice, and more so, to support Polaroid to keep making it. I'd would be pretty sad if they stopped making SX-70 film! But I definitely see the benefits of converting.

Took advantage of multiple Black Friday deals and copped a converted SX-70 Sonar from Retrospekt and a Mint flash bar from Polaroid. The camera is beautiful, refurbished well, and the conversion has so far seemed to work smoothly. I’ve used 600 film and i-type film loaded into a 600 cartridge (a hack you talked about before) and exposures have turned out awesome. In my experience I still have to use the flash bar at half power for pictures to turn out well.

Hi Chris, first I want to say that I really like your videos. Youre a great entertainer. 😁 I still use the SX-70 in my Alpha and will do this in the future, because I really love the colors and the look of the photos. Also I think its a good thing to support this type of film and let the camera be in her original condition, but everybody has to make his own decision. Greatingns from Germany.

I like sx70 film more The color got better saturation than 600 film

I have read up on how to do the conversion so there is a switch to select which speed film you want to use. That would probably be the best way forward for me, but I'm not quite brave enough to do it to my own camera, and I haven't found anyone that offers that particular mod as a service.

Hey man, just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your videos!

I live in the same neighborhood as Brooklyn Film Camera and can vouch they're a great shop.

I really enjoy your Videos

I do miss the vibrance of the old SX70, but am happy that "Polaroid" does put it out there ... don't get me started on the loss of Spectra!!!

Great information. Thanks.

If you’re in the UK, Polanthropy is a good place to send your SX-70 in for either repair or converting to shoot 600 Edit: also, SX-70 colours are also quite nice

Good video - thanks for the links.

Great video man. I got an SX-70 from my wife for Christmas, with some BW film. I have some color on back order and a mint flashbar on the way too. Dying to see the difference between the color on 70 vs 600. Have you tried shooting 600 in the Sx-70 with the flashbar, but covering the flash? (I am assuming that using the flash increases the shutter speed?)

Can you make a video on long exposure polaroids? I’m still trying to get it right on my SLR-680

Conversion Gang, the long haul points to 600 film, and Chris made great points in regards to the shutter speed issues vs converting, it’s literally turning the camera into a powerhouse

Hi Chris! I have a Polaroid supercolor 635cl and the dorr to the space to put the film will NOT open no matter how loose or hard I push the button. Do you have any tips on how to make it work? Can't stand waiting to use it 😅😂 Thank you in advance!

I’d love to see a comparison between an sx-70 using 600 series film with the filter and a regular 600 series camera. There’s other variables at play(shutter speed/lens etc..) so it’s not a true “scientific” comparison but it might be interesting!

I have two broke SX 70 cameras😞maybe I should send one to each company to see how long they take and how well they repair them.

how long does battery to run out, if i just leave unused? thnks

No , just buy a MiNT Slr670 ! They are expensive tho , but the best Polaroid camera out there 😎

That polaroid flash with the Sonar I need It 😍

Unfortunately my lomo square glass got cancelled by a seller so I bought sx-70 af instead. I hope it'll work fine.... :D I've got also nd filter for 600 film so I'm really curious how it's gonna work out.

i feel like the slower shutter just kills the reason for a glass lense, yeah now its gonna be sharper except its now more prone to motion blur completly negating the sharpness

Can i use sx-70 flim on a “polaroid 600 camera”?

Need help!!! What flash is compatible with a 2000 Land??

anyone knows where to find a shop in germany who converts the sx 70 for 600 Film?😢

Also Jake aka TheInstantCameraGuy makes fantastic job repairing or converting SX-70's. Just let me note him down here as well.

Great stuff Christ. Polaroid should use you in one of their videos

What a great channel

Thanks for the info..but the great benefit of having a "non-converted/regular" SX-70..is the ability to shoot "both!"..600 and Sx70 film...just put a ND or like you said the flash on it..bc once you do the "600 conversion"..your stuck with 600 film?..you can't go back to Sx-70 film?...you can't "reverse" back whenever you want to..I'd rather have the option of shooting either one whenever I want to..just by getting an ND accesory.

Hi lm first time in polaroid world l realy wanted to have polaroid, so l got One named polaroid 1000 land... Can l use 600 in this polaroid? Do l need something extra for this?

Hey Chris, first of all thanks for making this video and bringing polaroid out there. Some of your video's have helped me to buy my first ever polaroid camera and went straight for the SX70 sonar. As far as conversion goes, I don't know if its a great idea for me. Supply of the film is no issue for me since the polaroid factory is just a few hours away from me, and I don't shoot that much anyway. But more importantly, I've read that the SX70 film differs in colours from the 600 film. I don't have any experience with that myself, but I have come across that mentioning a couple of times. Assuming that is true, I love the sx70 colours so thats one of the reasons why I won't go for that one. If you know more about this, could you give me more insight? On a different note, as far as I can see the change to 600 is not reversable without pulling the camera open again. If it was actively switchable like with a stylish flipswitch it wouldn't be a problem. You have options for the film available. With the mod, I effectively take away one of the available filmstocks (again, if different colours are an issue). Plus as far as I can tell, the sx70 shutter was made for 160 asa, can it keep going on the higher 600 speeds for longer periods of time? I don't know if the sx70 and slr680/690 are identical, but in the event they are not, wouldn't this bring heavier wear? Do you or any of the other commenters have some insight regarding these questions? Again I love your vids, keep it going!

Why not just stick with the 600 series if you want to shoot 600 film that bad, to be honest? I have a couple cameras I cannot use because film is not available anymore & I’m okay with that. People hack packfilm cameras too with the instax wide film. It’s cool but I want the genuine experience of packfilm & if I can’t have it then I don’t want it at all lol. But I do have it still as decoration, & I do own an instax wide 300 I am happy with. But each to their own, of course. My two cents lol.

wish more big box stores carried sx-70 film

Need a film comparison

If you bought that Mouse Rat shirt in a Southern California thrift shop, It was mine. Haha. 👍🏽

always used a nd filter for any 600 packs i throw into a sx-70, keeps the ability to shoot sx film and 600 film

The SX70 film was not the first film Polaroid released. There were many models of the Polaroid Land Cameras, that they made film for.

Polaroid film changed asa after they went out of business. Sx70 film used to be 100 asa before it changed to 160 and 600 film used to be 600 asa before it changed to 640.

Great video Chris! The other advantage of SX-70s over the box cameras is the maximum aperture is f/8 so you can get some nice bokeh at close range focus. I just came across a video on how to convert it yourself! If you have a bit of electronic knowledge and want to save the hundred bucks. Haven't tried it myself yet, but i ordered a bunch of 600 film so maybe i will soon! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/qaqbZJeSy7y3Zqs.html

600 film in an unconverted SX-70 does work well in low-light situations, provided the camera remains stationary.

nice intro lol I enjoyed it

Very first INTEGRAL film polaroid released

Converting your SX-70 to 600 = Sx-70 slowly going out of production. Sad you recommend conversions.

Polaroid 600 film is 21.99 at my stores Polaroid sx-70 is 19.99 so i find the sx-70 to be cheaper.

I love time zero polaroid film the best

Not the first film polaroid ever released... that would be the Model 95 in 1948

Nahhh why not just use the ND filter. I don’t like the idea of converting for many reasons

@polaroid

I think that converting an Sx70 camera is simply a blasphemy.

First comment!!!

Actually, there should be more variation in polaroid films, not less. Sure you CAN use 600 in an SX-70 and the results ain't half bad but the whole point of the SX-70 camera is to use SX-70 film. If you bought an SX-70 and only want to shoot 600, you bought the wrong camera. Your choices are: 1. sell it for a reasonable price ($20 or less) to someone who actually wants it 2. Suck it up buttercup and have fun with SX-70 and also buy a 600 camera. Welcome to the world of not-the-phone where people who tell you there's only one way to do things are stupid and the efficiency is all made up

"SX-70 is the very first film polaroid produced". Uh. No, wrong by decades.

Come on, Chris! SX-70 was absolutely NOT the first film Polaroid ever released! 😂 It is, however, the first integral instant film.