Polaroid 1000 Land Camera and Polatronic 1 Flash

    [My 45th in Explore - although it took 6 months to peak at #124.]
    [Also used on innumerable blogs and mailouts].
    If this camera was edible, you wouldn't be seeing this photo. It's looks so delicious!
    The Polaroid 1000 (OneStep in the US) is one of the biggest selling cameras in history. Indeed it was the top selling camera in America for four years running from 1977, and is now regarded as something of a retro icon in the same vein as the Rubik's Cube.
    So it looks great and sold by the bucket-load, but is it any good? Er... no.
    With a single element fixed focus 103mm f/14.6 plastic lens, this camera struggles to capture anything sharply if it's closer than about five feet. Exposure with the old SX-70/Time Zero film was also unpredictable. This camera is probably the reason the 'Reader's Wives' section of certain magazines in the 1980s was full of blurry orange women. There were two kinds of fuzz in every photo, basically. ;)
    Since these cameras are plentiful, they are fairly cheap to pick up. Mine came in a nice carry case with the flash and instructions and totalled £10.19 including postage.
    You can jimmy some 600 integral film into the camera, but you need to put an ND filter over the lens to compensate for the ISO it was designed for.
    I've only taken two shots with this and I'm far from impressed. I'd only recommend this camera to a collector, or someone who likes the randomness that is associated with Lomography and can afford to buy the increasingly rare film.

    Update: It's actually fine for use outdoors with the correct ND filter and exposure settings with 600 film. See: My Polaroid 1000 photos.

    Update Jan 2010: Just as new film for this camera is launched by The Impossible Project, I've sold this camera. It's been surplus to requirements since I got an SX-70 folding camera. I'll miss the old thing, even though the lens was a bit crappy.

    Polaroid 1000 on Camerapedia

    LARGE.

    Comments and faves

    1. ★

      garageowns, kyz, ► artecco ®, mad jeff, and 89 other people added this photo to their favorites.

    2. (deaf mute) (52 months ago | reply)

      Alternative angle:

      And with the case:

    3. garageowns (52 months ago | reply)

      oooh...lovely case!

    4. -{The Broken Camera}- (52 months ago | reply)

      I walked into a couple of charity shops in yarmouth and there was a few cameras that I could've taken for a tenner. But I had to resist........

    5. Sarah Ann Wright (52 months ago | reply)

      But it looks so kitch! You could always make an 80's orange women fuzz revival? Rubiks cubes are overrated if you ask me, too much effort and a terrible chatting up tool :)

    6. *k a t i e* (52 months ago | reply)

      I hate polariod cameras for that very reason - crappy quality. You are right though. I do want to eat it.

    7. ~carie~ (52 months ago | reply)

      wow. that is one pretty camera! it does look like candy. nom nom.

    8. buckaroo kid (52 months ago | reply)

      Nice shot matching those stripes.
      I used to have one of these. or something very similar in the '70's. i have no idea what happened to it.
      The remaining pics I have taken with it are all faded, as if they never really stopped developing, and everyone in them looks completely startled. It did make a lovely sound though! : )

    9. louisahennessysuɹoɥƃuıʞıʌ (52 months ago | reply)

      Arty Smokes - forget the wretched camera, the stripey backcloth is gorgeous!!!

    10. larawan ni tianaman (52 months ago | reply)

      Very nice shot with very vivid colors

      The Rubber Duck Of Approval
      Gothic Duck
      I saw this great shot in The Fuji Finepix S5800 Group and give it the Rubber Duck of approvalThe Fuji Finepix S5800 Group

    11. Martian Chronicles [deleted] (52 months ago | reply)

      cute!! ^^

    12. Nina Pearman (52 months ago | reply)

      It's fantastic...

    13. mad jeff (52 months ago | reply)

      Groovy background too eh!

    14. ArchedRoof (52 months ago | reply)

      I'm not very liberal with the fave button at all, but this is fucking lush.

    15. LibertyGeorgina (52 months ago | reply)

      i have that camera!!!
      Without the flash though.
      the film is sooo expensive. :/

    16. instant satisfaction (51 months ago | reply)

      good capture, cool backdrop, crap camera...
      I have a OneStep which is almost the same I believe

    17. ZachClapham (51 months ago | reply)

      Stumbled upon this the other day, thought you might like it.

      www.flickr.com/groups/cameramania/

    18. sheena_kejto (51 months ago | reply)

      Hi! Wow those are great photos of your camera. I have the same! ;) But unfortunately without this upper part (don't know how to say in english xD) anyway, I'm trying to buy film for it. And in most shops in my country you can find 600 film, and from your text I found out that I can use 600 film for my camera but I have to put some filter. (You can jimmy some 600 integral film into the camera, but you need to put an ND filter over the lens to compensate for the ISO it was designed for.) I don't quite understand that part, so could you please help me! :D
      and maybe if you could tell me which film is really made for polaroid 100 and that is still manufactured?

      thanks a lot, and please reply me soon :)))

    19. (deaf mute) (51 months ago | reply)

      sheena_kejto I've been on holiday so I've only just seen this. The Polaroid 1000/Onestep shown in this photo originally took SX-70/Time Zero film, which stopped being produced many years ago. You can put 600 Integral film in the camera, but that has an ISO of 600, which is 2 and half f-stops faster than SX-70 film. ND=neutral density. An ND filter is a piece of plastic that reduces the light reaching the film. It's a bit like the stuff you can put on car windows to tint them black. Decent ND filters are made of solid glass, but you can use flimsy plastic, either in front of the lens, or on top of the film pack. For full instructions, search for "SX-70 600" in the Polaroid group.
      www.flickr.com/groups/polaroid_/

    20. L1ght Pa1nter (48 months ago | reply)

      That is so cool ! Looks excellent on the matching paper too :-D

    21. *moonshot (47 months ago | reply)

      I have one of these I found in a skip. You can still get film for it here, apparently: polapremium.com/shop/film , but at almost 20 quid for 8 roids.......

    22. (deaf mute) (47 months ago | reply)

      I've been using mine today, actually. I finally got round to putting an ND gel in front of the lens and turning the exposure knob to fully dark. The pictures are nothing special, so I'll be saving the film for one of my better Polaroid cameras, as it's sure getting hard to find cheap packs.

    23. *moonshot (47 months ago | reply)

      I think this place still has stock of SX-70 at ISO 100 - no filter reqd?

    24. L1ght Pa1nter (47 months ago | reply)

      I just bought one of these for £2 ! I was gonna get a pack of film... don't think I'll bother now :-(
      Think I'll stick to Poladroid.

    25. (deaf mute) (47 months ago | reply)

      I'd actually recommend the Fuji Instax system to anyone who wants instant pix. The film is plentiful, cheap and has better colour reproduction than Polaroid.
      I've just uploaded an example shot from this camera with an ND filter on the lens. More will follow. Just check this tag:
      www.flickr.com/photos/artysmokes/tags/1000/

    26. New Me By 33 (45 months ago | reply)

      Beautiful, I love it, I'm using it on my blog (new, rather boring, more for personal organization and focus than entertainment of others).

      I'm providing a link to your photostream and you can search for your image, if interested, by your flickr name. The blog address: newmeby33.blogspot.com/

      Thanks for doing the CC license and sharing with us all!

    27. (deaf mute) (45 months ago | reply)

      New Me By 33 Nice blog. Good luck if you take up photography again.

    28. veluto (45 months ago | reply)

      Hi, I'm an admin for a group called RazorMonkey Magazine, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

    29. veluto (45 months ago | reply)

      Hello.
      This photo was selected for one of our following issues, we want to know if you wish to share it, In the magazine (www.razormonkeymagazine.com) we will put your personal credit and your info.
      If it likes you the idea send this image to us to info@razormonkeymagazine.com without watermarks.
      Send it before 30th september for the portrait issue
      thanks

      --------------------

      Hola.
      Esta foto quedó seleccionada para una de nuestras siguientes ediciones, quisieramos saber si deseas compartirla, donde en la revista (www.razormonkeymagazine.com) saldra tu credito personal y tu info.
      Si te gusta la idea envianos esta imagen a info@razormonkeymagazine.com
      Sin marcas de agua.
      Enviala antes del 30 de Septiembre para la edicion de retratos
      Gracias

    30. sorcier* (44 months ago | reply)

      Hello
      I have that camera. it left to me from my father. I bought polaroid 600 film and I have maxwell pl-50 flash bar. but it doesn't work ;( it is maybe weird question but how does it work without flash bar? because I can put the battery only into flash bar, if I want to work without flash bar where is the battery compartment ?? thank youu

    31. (deaf mute) (44 months ago | reply)

      sorcier* The film contains batteries. When you put it in the slot, a black card should be ejected immediately. If it doesn't, the film must be too old and the batteries have died.

    32. sorcier* (44 months ago | reply)

      thanksss..when i put the film in the solt, it worked easily :) finally i can take a picture with my favorite camera. thank youu again

    33. kilo27 (43 months ago | reply)

      Hey there, just wondering if I can get permission to use this photo in an assignment?
      Cheers.

    34. (deaf mute) (43 months ago | reply)

      kilo27 Sure. If you publish it online I want a name-check and a link back to this page, though.

    35. kilo27 (43 months ago | reply)

      Yeh sure thing. Thanks for that!

    36. Sarah Ann Wright (43 months ago | reply)

      I've just bought one of these beauties. I know it's a bit shizzle but I must be attracted to stripes. For using 600 film, which would you recommend, holding a ND filter (of just some coloured plastic swatch, which I've seen people use) over the actual lens, uor using these:

      cgi.ebay.co.uk/Polaroid-SX70-SX-70-filter-for -600-film-Re...

    37. (deaf mute) (43 months ago | reply)

      Sarah Schloo I used a thin piece of plastic in front of the lens from a book of samples from Lee Filters. I just cut a square of ND4 or ND6 and taped it to the lens. I think you can even just buy a sheet of grey translucent PVC from an art shop (about a quid for an A4 sheet) and stick that in front. Turn the darken/lighten knob a step or two darker after your first shot to affect the exposure.

    38. Sarah Ann Wright (42 months ago | reply)

      I've managed to get a filtery thing for this, hope it works! Do you have to modify the 600 film cartridge in any way to fit?

    39. (deaf mute) (42 months ago | reply)

      Sarah Schloo What kind of filter did you get? Some people slide one on top of the film cartridge, but mine goes in front of the lens. You don't have to actually modify the film to use a filter, but you might have to use nail-clippers on a couple of "nodules" on top of the film pack to allow it to slide into the camera. (I think I just forced mine, using the dark-slide as a wedge). You may find that turning the exposure control fully to dark also helps, but trial and error is recommended.

    40. (deaf mute) (40 months ago | reply)

      This is one of my most popular photos, but I've now parted ways with this camera. Although it looked good on the shelf, I need to reduce the size of my collection, and the folding SX-70 is superior to this model.

    41. Air-Ick-Uh (40 months ago | reply)

      Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Crazyyy Cool Cameras!, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

    42. iamsilverfox (40 months ago | reply)

      my grandad turned up with one of these today. any idea where i can get some film for it?:)

    43. Air-Ick-Uh (40 months ago | reply)

      My friend told me that they sell film for these cameras at 'Urban Outfitters'. It's s pretty neat store and you could check there maybe.

    44. iamsilverfox (40 months ago | reply)

      aw thanks. bet it will be way overpriced at outfitters though. all there clothes are :( i found some on ebay but its like 30£ for 10 :(

    45. Air-Ick-Uh (40 months ago | reply)

      Ahh. Well. Seeing as I never shop there I wouldn't know. I just hear a lot about the place. Sorry I couldn't be more of a help.

    46. (deaf mute) (40 months ago | reply)

      stevenf. Until The Impossible Project releases new film (hopefully next month) the best places are ebay and Polapremium. You'll need an ND filter in front of the lens if you use 600 film.

    47. iamsilverfox (40 months ago | reply)

      thanks alot arty

    48. do you want the truth or something beautiful? (38 months ago | reply)

      hey, i have one of these cameras and was thinking about getting the flash bit for the top. could you tell me if it needs extra batteries to work or if it just powers off of the internal film pack batteries? cheers.x

    49. (deaf mute) (38 months ago | reply)

      The Polatronic flash requires 4 AA batteries.

    50. randomonix (37 months ago | reply)

      Too kool! :D

      --
      Found in a search. (?)

    51. Meylah (36 months ago | reply)

      Thank you for the great image...we used it on our blog at Meylah!

      Thanks again,
      Jason

    52. dyno2 (36 months ago | reply)

      I remember the neighbor coming over Christmas morning to show off her 1000. She had such poor technique that her finger appeared in the shots she took of us.

    53. Ye.Suárez (30 months ago | reply)

      Very nice image !
      I would like you to add your own 3 favourites pics to this group !
      www.flickr.com/groups/1586956@N23/
      Thanks.

    54. Louuu2011 (23 months ago | reply)

      Do you know where can we find film for Polatronic 1000s ? Thanks!

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