AAA Powered Polaroid! Converting a Onestep SX-70 to i-Type film - Camera Repair ASMR

My name is Jake. I have been modifying Polaroid cameras as The Instant Camera Guy for over a decade.

In the first episode of The Instant Camera Guy, we dive into something a little bit different to my usual SX-70 refurbs and tackle a plastic box-type camera.

Like what I do? Feel free to buy me a beer (or two!):
https://ko-fi.com/theinstantcameraguy

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The plastic, white and rainbow Onestep is often overshadowed by its more technologically advanced SLR cousin - the SX-70. Despite often being labelled as somewhat of a 'toy' in comparison, it is quite a capable camera for what it is, especially when modified!

In my opinion the Onestep's main Achilles heel is its slow 103mm f/14.6 single-element lens. Combine this with 160ISO film and you are left with a camera that can only be used on bright sunny days, or with a super powerful flash!

In this video, I modify a humble Polaroid '1000' to accept modern i-Type film instead! This format of film is 4x faster, better in low light environments and cheaper! What's not to love!

To achieve this, the shutter is electronically modified using a 50pf capacitor and a AAA battery holder is added to the camera for power. This AAA battery holder has a switch inside, allowing the camera to use built in 600 film batteries OR AAAs.

NOT shown in the video was the re-calibration of the electric eye. There is a toothed gear in the electric eye mechanism that moves a gradiated filter in front of the eye. It can be adjusted to let more or less light into the eye mechanism. On this camera, it needed to be adjusted slightly by around 3 teeth to let more light in, since even after the capacitor mod, the camera produced slightly over-exposed photos.

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Got a Polaroid that needs some love? Hit me up!
  / instantcameraguy  
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https://www.theinstantcameraguy.com

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Answers to viewer questions:
Tony later messaged me asking why I didn't have to clean the infrared filter on this camera, or why the motor did not need to be refurbished. There IS a filter in these cameras. But it's buried in the blade mechanism and is incredibly hard to access without completely dismantling the shutter. It is far easier to compensate for filter oxidization than to remove and clean it. As for the motor? Well this I have never been able to fully explain. Despite using the same type of DC motor, Onestep, 600 and other box-type cameras RARELY ever develop issues - unlike their folding SLR cousins.