Any of you who have been hanging around here for more than about ten seconds are familiar with my affinity (aka: die hard love) for vintage cameras. Especially if they are of the polaroid variety. Since June 2008 my polaroid collection has grown to include a Spirit 600, a One 600, a Spectra, and a 360. Clearly there was a big hole in this crowd...the ever coveted SX-70. Over the past couple of months, I'd sporadically checked ebay and had come just one click away from bidding. However, I rationalized that I really didn't need to grow this collection, since the film is ever diminishing and the price of it is ever increasing. I decided to not buy one.
Despite this hard and fast decision (really, it was) who am I to refuse the gift of an SX-70 Sonar One-Step? That's right. Jared's friend just handed it to me when we were over at his house picking up some furniture that he and his wife were giving us (including an incredible vintage oak desk, and a card catalog!). So, I took it. Gratefully. And this morning, I finally tried it out. I still have to figure out the deal with the whole ND filter. Claire was generous enough to school me on the mysterious ways of the SX-70. We're thinking it's possible that Jared's friend had already removed the ND filter and replaced it with a clear piece of plastic/glass, but it's not clear. The few shots that I tried this morning seemed to be not too overexposed (I did set the dial all the way to dark, and it was pretty grey in my kitchen), though they are quite yellow.
I'm definitely psyched to try out a new camera, and I even ordered a few packs of 779 film, along with one pack of Artistic TZ SX-70 film (just to try out) this morning...
Great pics, and I want a card catalog.
ReplyDeleteYour camera hasn't necessarily been modified. I have two sx-70s and I'm able to get away without using an nd filter with both by simply turning the dial all the way to dark. Neither camera has been modified.
ReplyDeleteAs for the yellow cast to your pictures, that's normal. 600 film is formulated to be used either in sunlight or with flash. If you take pictures in low light without a flash, you'll get a yellow cast. I have a bunch of flash bulbs and a flash diffuser and have never used either. Consequently, if you look at my poloaroid set, you'll notice a yellow cast to a bunch of the pictures.
And, um, I'm sorry I never wrote back as promised. I'm home now though (only for about a day and a half, but I'll have access to a computer and WILL respond if you write) so feel free to call or write if you have any more questions you want to ask me.
this is so exciting! by a weird coincidence, an sx-70 came into my life this week too :) i am kinda (ok, totally) overwhelmed by it... film, filters, and all of that. i have no idea what i am doing. and i've only taken 1 pic so far due to aforementioned fear (with no filter, though one's coming in the mail, and with the dial on dark, but it was overexposed). i would love to hear your thoughts/ advice on it! you are a pola inspiration! xox
ReplyDeleteyay! somehow i knew you'd end up with one. :) the yellow is pretty standard, but that's part of the awesomeness i think. you can also photoshop the tint ever so slightly (with blue, obv), to help balance things out without changing the feel of the photo. the all-knowing mox told me that n/d filters aren't always necessary. setting it to darken will work in most situations. and do let me know what you think of the time zero! so many people love it, but it made me want to cry. every (expensive) shot was puke-green, and murky at that. gah.
ReplyDeletecan't wait to see what you do with it, darlin!