The Instant Camera Guy
Polaroid SX-70 Sonar Onestep BC Series - Black and Chrome Panels with Black Crinkle Finish Leather
The SX-70 is a folding single lens reflex Land Camera first produced by the Polaroid Corporation in 1972. It was the first instant SLR in history, and the first camera to use Polaroid's new integral print film, which developed automatically without the need for intervention from the photographer.
The SX-70 has a folding body design, a 4-element 116mm f/8 glass lens, and an automatic exposure system. The camera allows manual focus as close as 10.4 inches (26.4cm), and has a shutter speed range from 1/175s to more than 10 seconds. This makes the camera incredibly versatile, and it can be used in pretty much any situation, from portraits to long exposure photographs.
This type of SX-70 is a "SONAR Onestep". Quite literally it is one of the best model of SX-70 cameras available.
The main feature of this amazing model is its AUTOMATIC FOCUSING system. When the shutter button is pressed halfway, a series of ultrasonic chirps is emitted from an electrostatic transducer located under a gold plate above the lens. These chirps travel to the subject and bounce back to the camera’s receiver, alerting the camera to the subject’s distance, and the lens is turned via a motor to focus accordingly.
Don't think for a second that this automatic focusing is gimmicky! Simply put, its one of the most accurate automatic focusing systems ever made, and will outperform most new digital SLRs. It can focus from infinity down to 26cm in under 1 second!
Of course, you can over-ride the auto-focus and focus manually with the touch of a button if you want to.
The SONAR SX-70 models also features a tripod socket as well as a neck strap, to make the camera more portable to carry around. Most standard SX-70 models did not have these features.
This particular model is the rare "BC Series" version. The BC Series was the name designated to cameras specially branded for sale at USA K-Mart stores. Although we do not think of K-Mart as a very serious brand these days, back in the 70's K-Mart was actually quite heavily involved with photography, selling many lenses, cameras and flashes under the brand name "Focal". It differed from standard models in its color scheme, which featured a mix of both black and chrome look panels and a unique, grippy pebbled rubber leatherette.
Sadly though the original rubber leatherette does not usually stand the test of time, and most BC Series coverings crumble away in your hands. The original leather on this camera was crumbling away, so I replaced the original covering with genuine pebbled black cowhide leather, to give it the luxurious finish it deserves while maintaining the originality of the color scheme.
Polaroid SX-70 Sonar Onestep BC Series - Black and Chrome Panels with Black Crinkle Finish Leather
The SX-70 is a folding single lens reflex Land Camera first produced by the Polaroid Corporation in 1972. It was the first instant SLR in history, and the first camera to use Polaroid's new integral print film, which developed automatically without the need for intervention from the photographer.
The SX-70 has a folding body design, a 4-element 116mm f/8 glass lens, and an automatic exposure system. The camera allows manual focus as close as 10.4 inches (26.4cm), and has a shutter speed range from 1/175s to more than 10 seconds. This makes the camera incredibly versatile, and it can be used in pretty much any situation, from portraits to long exposure photographs.
This type of SX-70 is a "SONAR Onestep". Quite literally it is one of the best model of SX-70 cameras available.
The main feature of this amazing model is its AUTOMATIC FOCUSING system. When the shutter button is pressed halfway, a series of ultrasonic chirps is emitted from an electrostatic transducer located under a gold plate above the lens. These chirps travel to the subject and bounce back to the camera’s receiver, alerting the camera to the subject’s distance, and the lens is turned via a motor to focus accordingly.
Don't think for a second that this automatic focusing is gimmicky! Simply put, its one of the most accurate automatic focusing systems ever made, and will outperform most new digital SLRs. It can focus from infinity down to 26cm in under 1 second!
Of course, you can over-ride the auto-focus and focus manually with the touch of a button if you want to.
The SONAR SX-70 models also features a tripod socket as well as a neck strap, to make the camera more portable to carry around. Most standard SX-70 models did not have these features.
This particular model is the rare "BC Series" version. The BC Series was the name designated to cameras specially branded for sale at USA K-Mart stores. Although we do not think of K-Mart as a very serious brand these days, back in the 70's K-Mart was actually quite heavily involved with photography, selling many lenses, cameras and flashes under the brand name "Focal". It differed from standard models in its color scheme, which featured a mix of both black and chrome look panels and a unique, grippy pebbled rubber leatherette.
Sadly though the original rubber leatherette does not usually stand the test of time, and most BC Series coverings crumble away in your hands. The original leather on this camera was crumbling away, so I replaced the original covering with genuine pebbled black cowhide leather, to give it the luxurious finish it deserves while maintaining the originality of the color scheme.