The Ultimate Guide to Polaroid i-Type Adapters for SX-70 and SLR680 Cameras (as of 2024!)

Okay guys - this video is going to be quite a monster - so I have broken everything up into chapters to make navigation easier. Each battery solution I discuss has its own summary slide - so if you are the kind of person that just wants to read a quick summary - then these are for you.

In this episode I dive deep into pretty much every available 'mainstream' i-Type battery solution for SX-70 cameras

*Please see my pinned comments below. I made a mistake when I described the original Polaroid 600 film packs as alkaline. They are another kind of lithium ion battery that is designed to be disposable rather than recharged. But the main points in the video still stand :)

Chapters:
00:15 - Introduction - let's talk about i-Type adapters.
02:12 - Why use i-Type?
06:50 - The benefit of lithium ion batteries over alkaline
09:53 - The benefits of 600 speed film
11:41 - Removing the metal film stopper
12:18 - GET YOUR CAMERA SERVICED!
13:45 - Stop wasting time with ND filters!
16:48 - Pros and cons of different adapters
18:03 - "Hack" i-Type techniques
27:12 - "Hack" i-Type techniques Summary Slide
27:20 - Retrospekt "Power Pack"
38:18 - Retrospekt "Power Pack" Summary Slide
38:26 - Rezivot "Power Ranger"
46:53 - Rezivot "Power Ranger" Summary Slide
47:04 - PolaStudio "Power Kit S"
54:21 - PolaStudio "Power Kit S" Summary Slide
54:30 - Chromatic Parts "Powerbar"
01:13:36 - Chromatic Parts "Powerbar" Summary Slide
01:13:46 - SX-70R "Evo"
01:18:50 - SX-70R "Evo" Summary Slide
01:18:59 - TICG "PolaVolt"
01:32:30 - TICG "PolaVolt" Summary Slide
01:32:40 - AAA battery mods for box cameras
01:35:33 - Outro

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Like what I do? Find this video helpful or entertaining?
Feel free to buy me a beer (or two!):

*Getting artifacts in the video? For best quality, manually select 1080p quality, as depending on your bandwidth, YouTube may default to 720p - and YouTube's 720p compression looks like garbage*

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If you like this, then watch these:

A full teardown and overhaul of an SX-70 - emphasizing the importance of refurbishing your camera:

The SX-70R PCB:

SX-70 vs 600 (and i-Type) film - a deep dive!:

The PolaVolt:

Wiring up a PolaVolt on Model 1 & 2 cameras:

Wiring up a PolaVolt on Alpha spec cameras:

Modifying the Rezivot Power Ranger:

Modifying the Retrospekt Power Pack:

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Adapting your SX-70 or SLR680 to take i-Type film is a great way to not only save money in the long-term, but also improve the performance of your camera, the availability of film and prevent batteries from ending up in the landfill.

Unfortunately, it's also one of the areas sorely lacking in decent information.

Like a lot of things in Polaroid-land, advice online is sparse, filled with confusion, half-truths or plain misinformation and my job here is to try and educate as best as I possibly can.

This video was an absolute monster to make and edit together, and there is still lots I could have dived into on the topic. I've tried to add as much supplemental information as possible through in-video text boxes and hopefully I haven't made too many mistakes.

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Got a Polaroid that needs some love? Hit me up!

[theinstantcameraguy]

Chapters below - addendum in comments:
00:15 - Introduction - let's talk about i-Type adapters.
02:12 - Why use i-Type?
06:50 - The benefit of lithium ion batteries over alkaline
09:53 - The benefits of 600 speed film
11:41 - Removing the metal film stopper
12:18 - GET YOUR CAMERA SERVICED!
13:45 - Stop wasting time with ND filters!
16:48 - Pros and cons of different adapters
18:03 - "Hack" i-Type techniques
27:12 - "Hack" i-Type techniques Summary Slide
27:20 - Retrospekt "Power Pack"
38:18 - Retrospekt "Power Pack" Summary Slide
38:26 - Rezivot "Power Ranger"
46:53 - Rezivot "Power Ranger" Summary Slide
47:04 - PolaStudio "Power Kit S"
54:21 - PolaStudio "Power Kit S" Summary Slide
54:30 - Chromatic Parts "Powerbar"
01:13:36 - Chromatic Parts "Powerbar" Summary Slide
01:13:46 - SX-70R "Evo"
01:18:50 - SX-70R "Evo" Summary Slide
01:18:59 - TICG "PolaVolt"
01:32:30 - TICG "PolaVolt" Summary Slide
01:32:40 - AAA battery mods for box cameras
01:35:33 - Outro

[timekillerone]

Thanks for this video! Your channel is a treasure trove of knowledge.
My favorite is SX-70R "Evo". Looks actually good in my opinion, doesn't add thickness(compatible with cases), easy install. The price is a cherry on top.
Can't wait for it to become available for purchase.

[alyro-lsdv]

Thank you for the video, for all owners who have like me shifted their polaroid between their shelfs for decades and wondering where the journey is going to take us interested following several ontakes of camera changes this really is a 2024 comprehensive overview of solutions making again use of our cherrished cameras. thanks for all the effort such a long video takes and you commitment to the community. all the best for 2025, albrecht

[tonygraham]

Another great video Jake. I'm only regretting that it didn't come in time for me to not have tried most of the external power options already (sas well as four other non-overhaulers). Thanks for the empirical knowledge I've gained.

[MuffSquad]

In my opinion the Polastudio s version is the best looking option. I don’t like the look of oddly shape add ons of the other versions but I do agree, I wish there was a battery door. I do surprisingly like the sx-70r evo because it’s easily removable .

10/10 video. I appreciate you being so informative on the sx-70s. I want these cameras to live forever and I believe you are the biggest contributor of keeping these beautiful cameras alive.

Peace and love 🙏

[chadhauze]

Really great and thorough video! I’ve been using a polastudio for several months and it works well. Also of note, if you put in a 600 film pack the camera will use that battery.

[origamisuperfly]

This is a very exhaustive video, and I appreciate all of the knowledge. At the end of the day though it seems the only options that are actually available are the expensive PolaStudio for $210, or shipping the camera to you in Australia for a total overhaul. Hoping to send it to you soon!

[monochromebluess]

Superb video Jake.
Very well explained with all the Pro’s and Con’s readily understandable.
Interesting to at last get an exact comparison.
The Polavolt is the champion solution for sure.
Whilst you can’t give yourself a “winner’s certificate” I will give you a virtual one.
Hopefully you will soon have two of my cameras with you as they seem to have arrived in Australia with a Polavolt on the list of work to do.

[seanconnors]

I just shot Instax Wide film in my Polaroid 95 at EV 8, at 4ft of a yellow bush on a bright sunny day and it turned out great!

[Niei]

Jake, there's a video on Youtube from a guy that's made a film cassette for Spectra cameras that holds iType film plus 2 batteries in the space that was otherwise occupied by the wider Spectra film. I think it's quite a good idea and about the only option to keep using Spectra cameras.

[GonzoTheRosarian]

For a strap solution with your Pola Volt you can use Peak design lugs with a Peak design narrow strap. This works well for my SX 70. The Peak design lugs adapt to tight places well.

[Niei]

1:02:22 I would've liked to see the powerbar + flashbar on the Sonar. That'd be quite a contraption 😂

[JawhnL]

Excellent video Jake - I happen to own a MiNT SLR670-S Type i and can confirm that my camera also has a bit of resistance when opening/closing due to the new bottom panel. It’s not too bad, but it was a little concerning at first and is something that folks should be aware of. MiNT themselves seems to acknowledge this as a characteristic of their Type i cameras and suggests that it should loosen up over time, though for me that remains to be seen.

[aarongomez]

I’ve had decent luck with the Retrospekt power pack. It’s kinda clunky and it’s spazzed out on me a few times and stopped ejecting mid way through a shot. Then it would continue jamming halfway through every shot after. The only solution is to take out the pack of film and re-insert a dark slide to make the camera think it’s a new pack. Kind of a pain in the ass. It’s only happened a few times thankfully.

I was excited to try the Chromatic Parts power bar for my sonar, but had no luck. After spending a boat load to ship Dennis my camera from the states, I got back a camera I was expecting to make a trade in on. That’s a whole other frustration but whatever. The power bar never worked unfortunately hence the reason I got the one from Retrospekt. I was excited about it cause it didn’t change the look of the camera like the power pack does. I didn’t want to pay shipping again for him to fix it so I just called it a loss.

I did enjoy your video and seeing all the other options for shooting Itype.

[cwchenu]

Thank you so much for your amazing sharing!!
Still curious if there is any modification that is needed to insert an I-type film for a SX-70?
I saw the notice from PolaStudio saying there is a tenon at the bottom of I-tpye film container which the SX-70/ 600 film doesn't have.
Wondering if it will make it hard to insert or even damage the camera.

[feuerstern]

Could make a video about how to remove the tounge without disabling the whole camera? If possible of course. I had my SX-70 converted because I'm honestly too scared to take it apart (also because I don't want to buy new leather for it) and while you can get around the tounge with it in place it's just a bit annoying.

[shawnlennon]

im gonna find one of these in decent condition one day and hopefully have you work on it if you can. I love your work. ive manage to convert 600 to I type by myself And im sure I can figure it out with vids like yours but im a rookie from the circuit bending community and wouldn't trust myself opening a piece of history. id want the works, the refurbish, the tune up, the convert to I type .

[beerock]

Really informative video, the best I’ve seen on this topic. The capacitor you talk about for the Retrospekt mod, it’s 3300uf but guessing 6.3v?

[monochromebluess]

Just rewatched the video as I wanted to more understand the SX-70R EVO.
Still an excellent recap of the options out there.
Well done.
In the PolaVolt option for the folding SX-70 type cameras - it’s just two x AAA lithium batteries so why are four x AAA batteries needed in the box type camera ?
Why the need for extra power ?

[psb]

Brilliant overview, thank you yet again Jake! One question... where might one find the _Evo_?