The Polaroid SX-70
1972
A folding single-lens reflex that ejected each picture, which developed in the light in front of you. Edwin Land’s most ambitious camera.
How it began
Polaroid’s early instant films had to be peeled apart, leaving messy chemicals. Edwin Land wanted a picture that came out complete. After years of work, the SX-70 appeared in 1972.
How it works
The camera folds flat. Opened, it is a reflex: mirrors fold the light path so the image is seen through the lens. After the exposure, rollers push the picture out and spread a reagent between its layers. An opaque layer protects the image while it develops in daylight.
Why it mattered
Pictures developed in your hand in minutes, with no waste. It was an engineering landmark, and artists were drawn to its look and to manipulating the soft emulsion.
Limits and what replaced it
Film was expensive, and colours shifted with temperature. Digital cameras ended most instant photography by the 2000s, but SX-70 film was revived and is made today.
Today
Polaroid still makes SX-70 film, and photographers restore and use the cameras.