Polaroid SONAR OneStep SX-70 User manual

Polaroid
SONAR
OneStep
SX-70
Land
Camera

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

How sonar focusing works
As you beg in to 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 sound
(1 ,100 feet per
second).
The split second it takes for the
sound to reach your subjectand
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 signals 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
3 4

Contents
Please spend a few minutes
reading this·booklet.
It could mean
the difference between taking
consistently good pictures or
disappointing ones.
3 Howsonar 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 Howsonar focusing lets you
"preview" the picture
13 To aim and shoot
14 Use flash for most
indoor pictures
15 Watch for your camera's "use
flash or tripod" indicator
16 You can use flash in daylight
18 Indoorflash 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? Call Customer
SeNice
32 Troubleshooting
38 Care of your system
39 Electronic flash
40 Accessories
40 Copies and enlargements
41 Full warranty
Call us,free
If you ever have a question about
your camera or your pictures, call
us toll free .
800-225-1384
from anywhere in the continental
U.
S.A. except Massachusetts and
Alaska. From those states,call col-
lect- [phone]. In Canada,
call toll free-800-261-6970. Our
Customer
SeNice representatives
can be reached every weekday
from 8 a.
m. to 5 p.m ., your local time.
5

--.
POLAROID SX ·70 LAND FILM
Film and flash
Your camera uses Polaroid SX-70
Land film and FlashBars. Each film
pack provides ten color pictures
and contains a battery that powers
the camera. Each FlashBar has
ten bulbs.
You'll neverwaste a flash or film
with this camera.
It will not let a
bulb fire when a film pack is empty
and will not take a picture when
all 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.
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
ortripod"
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.
6

To open and close
the camera
Opening: Hold the camera in the
palm of your left hand.Lift the thin
end of the viewfinder cap and pull it
straight up until the coversupport
(A) locks.
Closing: Push the cover support
toward the rear of the camera.Press
down
on the viewfinder cap until
both sides of the camera latch.
3
7

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

13 Viewfinder cap
17 Remote shutter
button connector
14 Viewfinder eyepiece 18 Yellow bar
15 Neckstrap connec-(opens film door)
tors (follow the
instructions on the 19 Tripod socket
neckstrap sleeve) (is on the bottom of
the camera; accepts
16 Picture counter a standard tripod
(goes to
10when
screw)
you load a new or
partly used film
pack into the camera;
counts down to show
how many pictures
are left)
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 (8) snaps
open. Close the film door. The
camera will eject the film cover.
To remove an empty pack.pull
the yellow tab.
8

To hold the camera
Grip it firmly in the palm of your
left hand. thumb and fingers behind
the hinge
(A).
Place your right thumbon 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 wi
II
not press against the bellows or
block the picture exit slot in front.
11

How sonarfocusing lets
you "preview" the picture
To familiarize yourself with sonar What you now see in the viewfinder
focusing and "previewing," stand is a "preview" of what the finished
a few feet from your subject. Then picture will look like.
If it isn't exactly
look through the viewfinder. Notice what you want, release the button,
that the scene appears unsharp. change position
or camera angle,
then
lightly press again for another
Lightly press the shutter button part- "
preview" When you're ready to
way and hold it there. You'll hear a shoot, hold steady and squeeze
briefwhirring sound
as the lens the button all the way.
brings your subject into sharp view.
(If film is ejected, you pressed too "Previewing" helps you
to plan a
hard and accidentally took a picture.) 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 all
four corners
of the black frame
inside.
Squeeze the shutter button all
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 You'll get particularly good flash
socket. Always
do this with the pictures of people when they are
camera pointing away from you. 4 to 6 feet away and neara colorful
background.
Indoors, you can take flash pictures
ofsubjects10.4 inches to 20 feet Flash pictures should not be
from the camera. 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.
It warns that the lighting on the
scene
is not bright enough for
hand-held
pi cture taking.Outdoors,
the
red light will most likely appear
when
it is heavily overcast. at dusk
or when you're shooting
in a shaded
area.
It will also appear indoors in
most room lighting
If you see the red light. release the
shutter button.Then use flash or
place the camera
on a tripod for a
time exposure.
15

You can use flash
in daylight
This exciting feature, called Here are the typical ways "fill-flash"
"fill-flash," can correct lighting can help
in daylight:
situations that mightotherwise have
produced disappointing results. Strong sunlight can create harsh
facial shadows. Flash can fill in the
shadowed areas with even, flat-
Although you can use "fill-flash"
when your subjects are 4 to 12 feet tering light.
from the camera, you'll get par-
ticularly good results when they
are 4 to 6 feet away.
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 "fill-flash."
When the sun is behind your sub-
ject (but not shining directly into
the lens), your subject usually will
be too dark in the picture."Fill-flash"
can provide the added light your
subject needs.
16

Indoorflash hints
Watch the background
To assure that it will be well 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
All 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
objector background (mirror. 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 flat and is the
central part ofyour 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
It'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 partic-
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'l justwait for a special
occasion. Photograph your sub-
jects when they least expect
it.
Your camera is perfect for th is
type of shot- just aim and shoot.
20

,
• Save action pictures for bright.
sunl it days Then your camera'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'll feel relaxed, not
stiff or posed.
21