Polaroid 1000 Land Camera

It's hard to imagine a more iconic camera than this one. Launched in 1977, this model shoots SX-70 instant film and comes in two variants: the one with the red button and the one with the green button.

This rigid 'box' type Polaroid (as opposed to the folding type) is instantly recognisable with its rainbow stripe. It has a plastic, fixed focus 103mm f/14.6 lens that will focus down to about 5 feet, and its shutter speeds range from 1/4 to 1/200. There is also a frame counter on the back, and a tripod mount, but you need to purchase a separate tripod accessory to use it.

The only manual control you have over the exposure is the exposure compensation dial. Turn it one way or the other depending on the lighting of the scene. The only caveat is you probably won't know if the image will under or over expose until you take the first photo. The rest of the process is fully automatic and governed by the camera's electric eye (light meter).

 The advice regarding exposure with SX-70 film on the Polaroid website is to slide 2/3 towards darken in bright sunlight, slide 1/3 towards darken in normal daylight, and to keep settings in the middle when the subject is in shadow in a daylight environment. Without the tripod attachment you're not going to want to take photos with a shutter speed slower than 1/30 (if you're accustomed to shooting box cameras - keep it to 1/60 if you're not). SX-70 film has an ISO of 160, so it can be shot handheld in EV12 (if you have a steady hand), or if in doubt stick to EV13. With the tripod mount it can shoot in lighting conditions as low as EV9. 

You can buy the Polaroid Q Light flash for this camera, which will increase its versatility. 


The battery needed to operate the camera is built into the film cartridges, so the camera cannot operate unless loaded. The film is available in colour or black and white. It produces square images with white frames that develop in 10-15 minutes. After the image is ejected from the camera it is best to place it in a dark place while it develops. Don't shake it.

Be warned. One pack of film contains 8 photos and costs £17.99. Instant photography certainly isn't a cheap hobby. Then again, for you're money you get to witness some pure chemical magic and you walk away with a tangible photo, which is pretty refreshing in a world of digital images.