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SX-70 Original
The first folding instant SLR. Chrome-plated body in real leather. Through-the-lens viewing, four-element glass lens.
- Body
- Chrome + leather
- Colors
- Tan, Black
Six folding cameras, nine years, a handful of naming conventions that can make the whole lineup feel like a puzzle. Here's how the pieces fit together.
Polaroid released the SX-70 in 1972. Five years later, in 1977, they refined it with the Alpha 1 — adding strap lugs, a tripod socket, and a brighter viewfinder. Everything after is a variation on one of these two bodies.
Within each generation, Polaroid offered a premium trim (chrome-plated metal body, real leather) and a budget trim called the Model 2 (plastic body, vinyl covering). The optics and mechanics are identical — only the shell differs.
The first folding instant SLR. Chrome-plated body in real leather. Through-the-lens viewing, four-element glass lens.
Same camera inside, different jacket. Plastic body with vinyl covering. Shoots identically to the Original.
The refinement. Original design plus strap lugs, tripod socket, and a brighter matte viewfinder.
Easy to mistake for a black Alpha 1, but different. All Alpha features, in a plastic-and-vinyl Model 2 body. Black on Black colorway.
The first-ever autofocus SLR. Ultrasonic transducer measures distance with sound waves. Works in total darkness.
The final folding evolution. Native 600 film, built-in electronic flash, sonar autofocus retained.