Do Vintage Polaroid Cameras Still Work? Vintage vs New, and How to Buy One Restored
Posted by Brooklyn Film Camera posted on November 10, 2026
The short answer
Yes, vintage Polaroid cameras still work, and Polaroid still makes film for them: SX-70 film for the folding SX-70 cameras, and 600 film for the 600-series cameras and the SLR 680. A vintage Polaroid has no battery of its own. Its power comes from a battery built into every pack of SX-70 and 600 film, so a camera that has sat in a drawer for decades can come back to life as soon as fresh film goes in.
What decides whether a 40- or 50-year-old Polaroid works well is its condition inside: the rollers that spread the developer, the gears and motor that eject the picture, the shutter and the electric eye that sets exposure. A restored camera has had all of that taken apart and serviced. Below is which vintage Polaroids still take film you can buy, how they compare with a new Polaroid Now+, and what a restored camera should come with.
Which vintage Polaroid cameras still take film you can buy?
Boxy everyday instant cameras with a built-in flash
600 film
One film to avoid in a vintage camera: Polaroid i-Type film has no battery in the pack, so a vintage SX-70, 600 or SLR 680 can't run on it. i-Type is made for newer Polaroid cameras that have their own rechargeable battery.
Should I buy a vintage Polaroid or a new Polaroid Now+?
Buy a new Polaroid Now+ if you want a camera with its own rechargeable battery, autofocus and an app for extra controls, and you'd rather shoot i-Type film. Buy a vintage Polaroid if you want the camera people fell for in the first place:
A folding SLR with a glass lens. The SX-70 and SLR 680 fold flat when you're not shooting, and their glass lens system gives sharp, detailed instant pictures.
Control. You focus through the lens on an SX-70, or let the sonar focus for you on the SX-70 Sonar and SLR 680, and you can get much closer to your subject.
A camera that will keep going. Nearly every part of an SX-70 can still be serviced: rollers, gears, mirror, shutter and leather.
The trade-off is condition: a new camera arrives working, and a vintage one is only as good as the work done on it. That is why the safest vintage Polaroid to buy is a restored one that comes with a warranty.
Is the Polaroid SX-70 worth buying?
For most people who want a vintage Polaroid, yes: the SX-70 is the one to get. It is the original folding instant SLR, designed by Edwin Land and launched in 1972, and its glass lens and through-the-lens focusing still set it apart. It is also our best-selling Polaroid: over the last three months we sold more than twice as many SX-70s as all our 600-series cameras combined.
Every SX-70 we sell is fitted with an OpenSX70 board, a brand-new board that brings a new electric eye, so it shoots both SX-70 film and 600 film. If you're choosing between the two folding models, our SX-70 vs SLR 680 guide compares them side by side.
What should a restored Polaroid come with?
A restored Polaroid should have been taken apart and serviced inside, not just cleaned and tried with a pack of film. Here is what you get with every restored SX-70 and SLR 680 from our shop:
A complete teardown: every part is taken apart, cleaned and serviced.
A brand-new board, which brings a new electric eye: the OpenSX70 board on the SX-70, and a new board on the SLR 680, as each camera's page lists.
Rollers, gears and motors cleaned, and any worn part replaced. On the SLR 680, the flash is fully serviced too.
Tested on professional equipment before it goes on sale.
Our warranty, and refunds within 14 days.
If you buy a vintage Polaroid somewhere else, ask the same questions: what was serviced inside, whether the electronics were replaced, how long the warranty runs and how long you have to return it. Our guide on how to check a used Polaroid SX-70 walks through it.
No. Vintage Polaroid SX-70, 600 and SLR 680 cameras are powered by the battery built into each pack of SX-70 or 600 film. When you load a fresh pack, the camera has power. That is also why they can't run on i-Type film, which has no battery in the pack.
Can an SX-70 shoot 600 film?
An unmodified SX-70 is made for SX-70 film, which is ISO 160, while 600 film is ISO 640. Every SX-70 we sell has an OpenSX70 board fitted, so it shoots both SX-70 film and 600 film.
Will i-Type film work in my old Polaroid?
No. i-Type packs have no battery, and vintage Polaroid cameras take their power from the film pack. Use 600 film in a 600 camera or SLR 680, and SX-70 film in an SX-70.
Does a restored Polaroid come with a warranty?
Yes. Every restored Polaroid we sell is covered by our warranty, and you can return a camera for a refund within 14 days. Our warranty policy sets out exactly what it covers.
Do Vintage Polaroid Cameras Still Work? Vintage vs New, and How to Buy One Restored
The short answer
Yes, vintage Polaroid cameras still work, and Polaroid still makes film for them: SX-70 film for the folding SX-70 cameras, and 600 film for the 600-series cameras and the SLR 680. A vintage Polaroid has no battery of its own. Its power comes from a battery built into every pack of SX-70 and 600 film, so a camera that has sat in a drawer for decades can come back to life as soon as fresh film goes in.
What decides whether a 40- or 50-year-old Polaroid works well is its condition inside: the rollers that spread the developer, the gears and motor that eject the picture, the shutter and the electric eye that sets exposure. A restored camera has had all of that taken apart and serviced. Below is which vintage Polaroids still take film you can buy, how they compare with a new Polaroid Now+, and what a restored camera should come with.
Which vintage Polaroid cameras still take film you can buy?
One film to avoid in a vintage camera: Polaroid i-Type film has no battery in the pack, so a vintage SX-70, 600 or SLR 680 can't run on it. i-Type is made for newer Polaroid cameras that have their own rechargeable battery.
Should I buy a vintage Polaroid or a new Polaroid Now+?
Buy a new Polaroid Now+ if you want a camera with its own rechargeable battery, autofocus and an app for extra controls, and you'd rather shoot i-Type film. Buy a vintage Polaroid if you want the camera people fell for in the first place:
The trade-off is condition: a new camera arrives working, and a vintage one is only as good as the work done on it. That is why the safest vintage Polaroid to buy is a restored one that comes with a warranty.
Is the Polaroid SX-70 worth buying?
For most people who want a vintage Polaroid, yes: the SX-70 is the one to get. It is the original folding instant SLR, designed by Edwin Land and launched in 1972, and its glass lens and through-the-lens focusing still set it apart. It is also our best-selling Polaroid: over the last three months we sold more than twice as many SX-70s as all our 600-series cameras combined.
Every SX-70 we sell is fitted with an OpenSX70 board, a brand-new board that brings a new electric eye, so it shoots both SX-70 film and 600 film. If you're choosing between the two folding models, our SX-70 vs SLR 680 guide compares them side by side.
What should a restored Polaroid come with?
A restored Polaroid should have been taken apart and serviced inside, not just cleaned and tried with a pack of film. Here is what you get with every restored SX-70 and SLR 680 from our shop:
If you buy a vintage Polaroid somewhere else, ask the same questions: what was serviced inside, whether the electronics were replaced, how long the warranty runs and how long you have to return it. Our guide on how to check a used Polaroid SX-70 walks through it.
In this guide
Frequently asked questions
Do vintage Polaroid cameras need batteries?
No. Vintage Polaroid SX-70, 600 and SLR 680 cameras are powered by the battery built into each pack of SX-70 or 600 film. When you load a fresh pack, the camera has power. That is also why they can't run on i-Type film, which has no battery in the pack.
Can an SX-70 shoot 600 film?
An unmodified SX-70 is made for SX-70 film, which is ISO 160, while 600 film is ISO 640. Every SX-70 we sell has an OpenSX70 board fitted, so it shoots both SX-70 film and 600 film.
Will i-Type film work in my old Polaroid?
No. i-Type packs have no battery, and vintage Polaroid cameras take their power from the film pack. Use 600 film in a 600 camera or SLR 680, and SX-70 film in an SX-70.
Does a restored Polaroid come with a warranty?
Yes. Every restored Polaroid we sell is covered by our warranty, and you can return a camera for a refund within 14 days. Our warranty policy sets out exactly what it covers.
Where to go next
Brooklyn Film Camera
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