Earlier this week, we saw the launch of the Polaroid Flip. That was a landmark moment for the brand, which had revitalised a classic silhouette from its catalogue with modern upgrades.
The device features a killer lens, a wide range of creative features and the return of the sonar autofocus systems which were a staple of Polaroid cameras in days gone by. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it is one of the best instant cameras you can buy today.
It wasn't always that way, though. Travel back some 50 years and the Polaroid SX-70 was the marvel of the moment. That featured full manual focus, a glass lens and even exposure compensation for some creative control.
The camera's are still loved by instant photographers around the world – including yours truly. I was lured in by the creative control offered by the model, and sought out one earlier this year.
Still, it's not a perfect system. There's no real way of knowing just what has happened to it in the last five decades, and that can make buying one second-hand a bit of a risk.
So, when the Polaroid Flip was first unveiled to me at a launch event in London, I put the question of a modern SX-70 recreation to Polaroid's Director of Product Design, Nick Woodley.
"If we made a Polaroid SX-70 in 2025, it would cost about £2,500 to buy," he said.
That seems like quite the stumbling block. In fact, that would make it a whopping five times more costly than Polaroid's modern flagship – the Polaroid I-2. That's arguably the closest thing we have to the SX-70 in the modern catalogue, albeit without the SLR focusing which makes the original such a fan favourite.
When asked about the possibility of a modern SLR focusing camera in general, Woodley was far more tight-lipped. He mentioned that they're always working on new things, but that he had nothing to say on that particular matter at the moment.
His eye yielded a teasing glint as he said it, I'm sure of it. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking...
