How photos became Instant

The Polaroid SX-70 was arguably the best instant camera ever made. Elegant, practical, and simple to use, it took the world by storm in the early 1970s. But why was the company that made it called Polaroid, and what series of clunky cameras did it take to get to this point?

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[ntsecrets]

I worked for Polaroid in the late 90s and early 2000s started as an intern in college. They were still making polarized film and filters then and a lot of manufacturing in the US. One guy I worked with was tasked to destroy a large dumpster full of unsold polavision cameras. For a young adult it was a fun place to work and they were very kind to me. I’ve got tons of other stories!

[SaturnCanuck]

That was great. I agree, the SX-70 WAS the best instant camera ever. But I have to correct you on one issue – well two really. See, I lived through this being in the camera industry in 1980s and 1990s, and while Polaroid did initially sue Kodak, they REALLY put the heat up when Kodak introduced TrimPrint. This was a system when after the picture dried (about an hour) you could peel it away from the backing and cut it, mount it, whatever as a normal picture – something Polaroid could not. That was the final straw. Also, contrary to what many state, Polaroid did not win the lawsuit – they merely got an injunction to stop Kodak selling their instant film during the case. No film, no cameras. We were ordered to remove ALL Kodak instant cameras and film from shelves. As they could not sell them at this point, Kodak acquiesced and just got out of the Instant film market as moving forward defending the lawsuit would cost too much money. To be frank, there was much of Kodak’s film system that was different – especially TrimPrint – and I feel Kodak would have won. But we will never know.

[bobbyntammy]

Growing up my father owned a Camera and Projector Repair Shop in New Orleans. He had literally 1, 000’s of cameras at any one time in his “shop” waiting to be repaired. Not like today where everything is “disposable.” People spent a lot of hard earned money for a quality camera. Anyway… I remember when the SX-70 was first introduced, my father had to attend classes in Boston, MS to learn as much as he could about this new technology. A couple years later when the Model 2 was launched I got one for my B-Day. And still have it some 50 years later…

[jerrystaley]

As a 9th grader in 1962, I had saved months and months of allowance in order to buy a Polaroid J-66 camera at Shoppers World in Austin, TX. It was incredible! In 1964 or so, I remember upgrading it to Polacolor with a stick-on filter inside the lens, a plastic cover to modulate its electric eye and a new flash unit for a brighter flash. That incredibly well designed and built camera lasted for many, many years.
I always longed for the newer SX-70 models but could never afford them. JJS

[MmntechCa]

I have my grandparents old OneStep, complete with the flash attachment. It's still in good condition. While I applaud the company that revived the film, $20 USD for just 8 shots is a bit much. Though in fairness, the Fuji ones aren't that much cheaper, and the photos are smaller. Interestingly, Kodak is making instant cameras again. However, these are digital cameras with built in dye-sublimation printers. Which I'm kind of tempted to pick up next time I go on vacation. It's weird that film is making a comeback. I guess for the same reason vinyl did. A lot of people still like having something tangible.

[Psycandy]

in pro studios, the view camera would also have a Polaroid back, so the photographer could shoot to 4"x5" and check the result before shooting to large format transparency. Those Polaroids split open to reveal both acetate negative and resin-coated positive print.

[simonhodgetts]

I had a Polaroid camera called ‘The Button’ - I think it was a very basic camera. It worked ok - I still have some of the photos I took with it. The problem was that the film got quite expensive, and because of that you got very choosy about how many snaps you would take. Of course, digital cameras, then smart phones made Polaroid film cameras obsolete - but they were good fun, and it was brilliant to see the image appear before your eyes.

[sparky]

I had a 95B Land Camera, when I was a kid. Film was still available for it in the late 1970's or maybe even the early 1980's. One of my older relatives bought it new around 1950 or '51; I think.
I remember "varnishing" the photos, with the protective coating. I used it to take long exposures of the night sky, so I could see the streaks, which stars & planets left, as the Earth rotated.

[AtheistOrphan]

I ran a camera shop in the 80s and 90s and we did a roaring trade in add-on self timers and remote shutter releases for Polaroid cameras, a popular accessory was the long ‘air-bulb’ shutter release, this could be operated hands-free by placing it between the buttocks and then simply clenching at the crucial moment to take the photo.
Polaroid certainly didn’t call their camera ‘The Swinger’ for nothing!

[JeffKing]

Fascinating video - thanks Andy!

My dad had a Polaroid Swinger and an XS70 back in the day. They seemed like a magic trick to my youthful eyes.

[NLBassist]

As a hobby photographer and user of an instant cam, I was always curious. And here you are! Thanks!

[Vodhin]

I remember those Hypo sticks. The memory of that smell is ingrained in my mind as much as the smell of a fresh Ditto pop quiz...

[mrjsv]

Interesting history lesson of Polaroid. I have Polaroid film camera from 1994, but haven't used since 2004-05.

[robertdragoff]

I grew up not far from Polaroid’s offices in the Boston, Ma area and sometimes our family owned restaurant would cater them for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays….

They were one of the top companies in the metro Boston area and it’s sad that they only sell electronics made in China

Looking forward to seeing part two

[richardjames]

I loved my sx-70 camera in Daytona Beach in the '90s. Still got them!

[thomasfrancis]

Fascinating as ever but shame the video doesn't show what happened subsequently to the Polaroid company - possibly mainly known today as branded cheap TV's sold at Asda?

[mattsword]

great video - really looking forward to the cine one! Had no idea that existed (before my time)

[lakrids-pibe]

*Edith Weyde* was a chemist who worked for Agfa in the 1920s and 30s, where she made the discovery that made it prosible to develop a photographic negative and positive at the same time.

Agfa further developed this process for the purpose of copying office documents..

When Germany lost the war, all the german patents were up for graps, and Polaroid (Land) adapted it into a single-step photography camera which, itself, made history.

The Polaroid company tends to "forget" this part of the history of instant photography.

[martinneumann]

To open the SX-70 for repair you have to pull off the brown leather. She’s fixed and has a black leather finish. I think I have to take her out to make some pictures. Soon… Thanks for the video. I like these consumer products stories on “Little Car”. 👍👍👍

[solracer]

My dad always had Polaroid cameras, first was 104 with the original pack film, then an SX-70 followed by a 600. I had a Swinger which I used a lot for a while until I was allowed to use the SX-70. I still have the SX-70 and 600 to this day but haven't used either in years, mostly because for a long time film was almost if not impossible to get.