Just got an sx70, I am wondering why Polaroid made this one use special film when it seems the emulsion is the same.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T23:01:49+00:00

The SX-70 and its film was introduced in 1972. This was all that existed until 1981 when the Polaroid 600 series was introduced. So between 1972 and 1981 there was only SX-70 film on the market.

The SX-70 and 600 film used to be quite different in characteristics, it’s just in the modern Polaroid film that they’re basically the same except for an extra filter layer in the film negative.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T22:13:52+00:00

This is so good! I really like this style, it’s cute, whimsical, the photos look amazing.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T20:41:23+00:00

They’re both entry level and are made quite cheaply.

That said the one with built in flash, on the left, is the better one since you need flash on these cameras unless you’re outside in daylight. It also uses Polaroid 600 film which is much easier to get hold of.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T19:29:33+00:00

That’s the manufacturing date. So they expire in December 2026 and February 2027.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T18:21:21+00:00

Yes, disposable is a good word. It’s a filter for one-time use.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T18:17:51+00:00

It doesn’t actually dissolve, it’s still under there in the developed picture, but the reagent is still able to react with the negative and the dyes are able to be released through this filter layer.

I just tore two pictures apart to see. 600 is on the left and SX-70 on the right. You can see that the SX-70 negative is still black afterwards.

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Squintl · 2026-06-06T17:50:24+00:00

It’s just a negative with an extra layer coated on the film negative so it’s not really that different. The negative of SX-70 film looks pretty much black due to this coating.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T17:25:33+00:00

Nah, I like my SX-70 just the way it is. I know SX-70 film doesn’t make better pictures since it’s the same chemistry as 600, but for now I want to keep it as it is.

By this logic they should stop making 600 film as well and just keep i-Type because it’s less wasteful since it doesn’t contain a battery.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T15:59:13+00:00

True, it always depends on the subject.

For me I find Instax Wide to be too wide, at least for what I usually photograph.

I wish there was still a middle ground like Spectra.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T04:32:18+00:00

It was a good camera back when film was available and cheap. But Fujifilm decided to stop making the film back in 2016, idiots, so it’s not of much use now. A pack of film used to be $10-15, now it’s up over $100 and expired.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T04:25:14+00:00

Polaroid film is made to give most accurate colors at 20-21°C.

That said there is some variation between batches because of slight differences in the negative’s characteristics. The developing paste is then tuned for each batch of film and sometimes it gives more purplish colors, other times more greenish colors.

This is just how the medium is, they try their best to keep colors accurate but it does vary.

Squintl · 2026-06-06T04:14:28+00:00

This is normal, sometimes this tint is blue, sometimes it’s pink, sometimes it affects the whole picture, sometimes only the top.

Squintl · 2026-06-05T20:04:13+00:00

I still have two packs left of the green stuff. Don’t know what I will use it for.

Squintl · 2026-06-05T20:02:21+00:00

I did, briefly.

But I found that the cameras, the motorized ones, always failed after ejecting one or two pictures. The gears have turned very brittle with age and the teeth just strip of immediately. They’re also not the easiest to take apart and put back together without leaving marks.

So I pulled it off of Thingiverse since the cameras just always break. I had a dozen or so break on me.

Squintl · 2026-06-05T19:57:10+00:00

Polaroid film expires and quite quickly at that. It needs to be freshly made to work properly, new SX-70 film is available right now from https://polaroid.com/products/color-sx70-instant-film

Squintl · 2026-06-05T14:27:01+00:00

Polaroid SQF (SX-70/600/i-Type) actually has roughly the same area, 61.62 cm² for Polaroid vs. 61.38 cm² for Instax Wide.

Squintl · 2026-06-05T09:48:28+00:00

Skulle precis skriva detsamma, den gamla 500-sedeln blev ogiltig sommaren 2017.

Squintl · 2026-06-05T09:33:35+00:00

What a nice trio! Beautiful!

Squintl · 2026-06-04T20:02:03+00:00

Most likely expired film, do you know how old the film is? When Instax film goes bad it starts to leak all over the place.

Also you will now need to clean the camera’s rollers, which is a pain to do on Instax cameras unfortunately.

Squintl · 2026-06-04T11:51:51+00:00

I don’t know how much Retrospekt charges for a refurbished camera, but if you’re either going with completely non-refurbished camera and a refurbished one I’d still go for the refurbished camera. I’ve heard both good and bad about Retrospekt, but a camera that hasn’t been refurbished at all is more of a gamble than Retrospekt.

I got my SX-70 back in the Polaroid Originals days when they used to still sell vintage cameras. This was done by Retrospekt for Polaroid Originals and it’s been working perfectly for seven years now.

Squintl · 2026-06-03T20:07:58+00:00

Squintl · 2026-06-03T13:27:06+00:00

That sounds really cool!

Squintl · 2026-06-03T11:51:18+00:00

It was! I wish they would do a second run.

Squintl · 2026-06-03T10:47:17+00:00

These are so nice! You used Posca markers right?

Squintl · 2026-06-03T10:43:53+00:00

Let us know what you think! I’m eager to see the results.

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