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

How sonar focusing lets
you "preview" the picture
To familiarize yourself with sonar
focusing and "previewing," stand
a few feet from your subject Then
look through the viewfinder. Notice
that the scene appears unsharp.
Lightly press the shutter button part-
way and hold it there. You'll hear a
brief whirring sound as the lens
brings your subject into sharp view.
(If film is ejected, you pressed too
hard and accidentally took a picture.)
What you now see in the viewfinder
is a "preview" ofwhat the finished
picture will look 1ike. If it isn't exactly
what you want, release the button,
change position or camera angle,
then lightly press again for another
"preview "When you're ready to
shoot, hold steady and squeeze
the button ail the way.
"Previewing" helps you to plan a
picture carefully. For quick snap-
shots, however, there's no need to
hesitate. Just aim and shoot as de-
scribed on the opposite page.
12

To aim and shoot
Bring your eye close to the view-
finder eyepiece so you can see ail
four corners of the black frame
inside.
Squeeze the shutter button ail
the way. Hold the camera steady
until the film is ejected.
Remove and handle the developing
picture by its wide white border.
13

Use flash for most indoor
pictures
Insert a FlashBar into the FlashBar
sockel. Always do this with the
camera pointing away from you.
Indoors, you can take flash pictures
of subjects 10.4 inches to 20 feet
from the camera.
You'lI get particularly good flash
pictures of people when they are
4 to 6 feet away and near a colorful
background.
Flash pictures should not be
taken where the atmosphere
contains gases or dust that may
be ignited by a spark.
14

Watch for your camera's
"use flash or tripod" indicator
When you're not using flash, a red
light may appear in the right side of
the viewfinder as you beg in to press
the shutter button.
Ifyou see the red light, release the
shutter button. Then use flash or
place the camera on a tripod for a
time exposure.
Itwarns that the lighting on the
scene is not bright enough for
hand-he Id picture taking. Outdoors,
the red light will most likely appear
when it is heavily overcast. at dusk
orwhen you're shooting in a shaded
area. It will also appear indoors in
most room lighting.
15

Vou can use flash
in daylight
This exciting feature, called
"fi II-flash," can correct lighting
situations that might otherwise have
produced disappointing results.
Although you can use "fi II-flash"
when your subjects are 4 to 12 feet
from the camera, you'll get par-
ticularly good results when they
are 4 to 6 feet away.
16
Here are the typical ways "fill-flash"
can help in daylight:
Strong sunlight can create harsh
facial shadows. Flash can fill in the
shadowed areas with even, flat-
tering light.
Your subject may be forced to
squint when facing bright sunlight.
To get the natural expression you
want, take your subject out of direct
sunlight and use "fi II-flash."
When the sun is behind your sub-
ject (but not shining directly into
the lens), your subject usually wi Il
be too dark in the picture. "Fill-flash"
can provide the added light your
subject needs.

Indoorflash hints
Watch the background
To assure that il will be weil lit
by the flash, the background should
be colorful and near your subject
When the background is dark, or
far behind your subject, or beyond
the flash range, it will be too dark
in the picture
18

Arrange groups carefully
Ail the people in a group should be
about the same distance from the
camera. Then everyone will be lit
evenly by the flash.
To avoid a flash reflection
When shooting toward a reflective
object or background (rnirror. win-
dow, eyeglasses, etc.), stand to
one side of your subject and shoot
from an angle to avoid a flash
reflection in the picture (see below).
However, when the reflective sur-
face is smooth and fiat and is the
central part of your main subject
(glass enclosed art, wall hanging,
etc.), shooting at an angle may
cause the sound waves to reflect
away from the camera. If this hap-
pens, the lens will be set incorrectly
and your picture may be unsharp.
To avoid this, you can set the lens
manually (see page 28)
19

Daylight picture hints
lt's easy to take beautiful daylight
pictures. Just keep these points
in mind:
• In bright sunlight, stand so the
sun is behind you or to the side.
• Move in close. You'll get partie-
ularly good results when your
subject is about 4 to 5 feet from
the camera. Then important details
fill the picture and backgrounds
are less distracting.
• Don't just wait for a special
occasion. Photograph your sub-
jects when they least expect il.
Your camera is perfect for this
type of shot- just aim and shoot.
20

• Save action pictures for bright,
sunlit days. Then your carnera's
shutter will work at top speed. And
for best results, have your sub-
jects move toward you rather than
across the picture .
• Give your subjects something to
do. Then they'11feel relaxed, not
stiff or posed.
21