Polaroid SONAR OneStep SX-70 User manual

Polaroid
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Polaroid
SONAR
OneStep
SX-70
Land
Camera
•

Polaroid introduces sonar
focusing-the ultimate in
one-step photography
That unexpected moment, that
perfect smile, will never again be
lost while you pause to set the lens.
The instant you see your picture,
just aim and shoot. With sonar
focusing, the camera sets the lens
instantiy, automatically.
Now, nothing Interferes with seeing
the shot and taking il.
(See "How sonar focusing works"
inside this foldout.)
2

How sonar focusing works
As you beg in 10 press the shutter
button, your camera releases sound
waves to the central part of the scene
(approximate area marked in blue).
The frequencies are far beyond our
range of hearing and travel at the
speed of sou nd (1,100 feet per
second).
3
The split second it takes for the
sound to reach your subject and
the echo to return is fed into a tiny
electronic computer inside the
camera.
The computer uses this time mea-
surement to calculate the distance
between the camera lens and your
subject, then signais a motor to turn
the lens until your subject is in
sharp focus.
This extraordinary chain of events
takes place in less than 113 of a
second.
(( ((
. .. echo returns to camera.
-- Total Time
4

Contents
Please spend a few minutes
reading this-book'et. It could mean
the difference between taking
consistently good pictures or
disappointing ones.
3 How sonar focusing works
6 Film and flash
6 Features
7 To open and close the camera
8 Camera parts
10 To load the film
11 To hold the camera
12 How sonar focusing lets you
"preview" the picture
13 To aim and shoot
14 Use flash for most
indoor pictures
15 Watch for your carnera's "use
flash or tripod" indicator
16 You can use flash in daylight
18 Indoor flash hints
20 Daylight picture hints
24 Close-ups
25 Time exposures
26 Tips on outdoor lighting
28 To set the lens manually
31 Need help? Cali Customer
SeNice
32 Troubleshooting
38 Care of your system
39 Electronic flash
40 Accessories
40 Copies and enlargements
41 Full warrant y
Cali us, free
If you ever have a question about
your camera or your pictures, cali
us toll free ..
800-225-1384
from anywhere in the continental
U.SA except Massachusetts and
Alaska. From those states, cali col-
lect - [phone]. In Canada,
cali toll free-800-261-6970. Our
Customer Service representatives
can be reached every weekday
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.rn., your local time.
5

Film and flash
Your camera uses Polaroid SX-70
Land film and FlashBars. Each film
pack provides ten col or pictures
and contains a battery that powers
the camera. Each FlashBar has
ten bulbs.
You'll neverwaste a flash or film
with this camera. Itwill not let a
bulb fire when a film pack is empty
and will not take a picture when
ail the bulbs on one side of the
FlashBar have been fired. Your
camera also finds the next good
bulb in a partly used FlashBar.
Please read the important elec-
tronic flash statement on page 39.
---
POLAROID SX·70 LAND FILM
6
Features
New with sonar focusing:
• Automatic and precise focusing
in any light, even total darkness.
• Can "preview" before you shoot
to see what you'll get in the
finished picture.
• Built-in "use flash or tripod"
indicator.
Standard with SX-70:
• Through-the-Iens viewing.
• Automatic exposure control for
daylight and flash pictures.
• Pictures from 10.4 inches to
infinity (flash to 20 feet).
• Can shoot as fast as every
1.5 seconds.
• 4-element, 116mm, precision
glass lens.
• Variable aperture from f/8 to f/74.
• Variable shutter speed from 1/180
second to 14 seconds or more.
• Flash in daylight to eliminate
shadows.
• Automatic time exposures to
14 seconds or more.

3
Toopen and close
the camera
Openinq: Hold the camera in the
palm of your left hand. Lift the thin
end of the viewtinder cap and pull it
straight up until the cover support
(A) locks.
closing: Push the cover support
toward the rear of the camera. Press
down on the viewtinder cap until
both sides of the camera latch.

Camera parts
1 FlashBar socket 8 Picture exit slot
9 Sensor
(for the "use flash or
tripod" indicator inside
the viewfinder)
10 Lighten/Darken control
(use only in special
lighting situations;
see page 26)
11 Electric eye
12 Film door
2 Transducer
(sends the sound
waves and receives the
echo)
3 Manual focus switch
4 Manual focus wheel
5 Shutter button
6 Lens
(4 element, 116mm, f/8)
7 Distance scale
2
9
3
4
5
10
11
8

13 Viewfinder cap
14 Viewfinder eyepiece
15 Neckstrap connec-
tors (follow the
instructions on the
neckstrap sleeve)
16 Picture counter
(goes to 10when
you load a new or
partly used film
pack into the camera;
counts down to show
how many pictures
are left)
17 Remote shutter
button connector
18 Yellow bar
(opens film door)
19 Tripod socket
(is on the bottom of
the camera; accepts
a standard tripod
screw)
17
18
19
9

To load the film
Push down on the yellow bar (A).
The film doorwill drop open.
Hold the film pack by its edges
only. (Gripping the pack above and
below the yellow tab may damage
the film.)
Push the film pack into the camera
until the narrow strip (B) snaps
open. Close the film door. The
camera will eject the film cover.
To remove an empty pack, pull
the yellow tab.
B

To hold the camera
Grip it firmly in the palm of your
left hand, thumb and fingers behind
the hinge (A).
Place your right thumb on the semi-
circle, index finger on the shutter
button, and curl the other fingers
into your palm.
It's important to hold the camera
as shown. Then, when you squeeze
the shutter button, your fingers will
not press against the bellows or
block the picture exit slot in front.
11