they are always repairable Sounds like you should send it in for a service

yeah that isnt true

that's the easiest gear You can use any realistically, but you must make sure you are turning the the right way

@@theinstantcameraguy Okay sweet. By far your youtube channel is the best channel I've found for fixing these in all the years I've had my 13 or so beat up / dead polaroid Sx70s.

Lol that doesn't sound good

its true for any film and long term stability

@@cliffordholmes2913 this could be a number of issues If the camera is not refurbished, it'll need to be

@@connormazzola9792 check out my "ultimate guide to i-Type" video

@@Traiden_ I've tried slower. They lack the torque to eject the film

@@theinstantcameraguy Awe shoot, I guess it's pretty hard to have a small high torque motor which is why the gears are needed. What oil do you use to lubricate or is that a trade secret?

@@Traiden_ insulated pins But also you could use a 6mm drill bit to remove some of the metal at the pogo pin holes

@@theinstantcameraguy Oh sweet, thanks for the quick reply. Your channel is a godsend. I started pulling these cameras apart around 2016 and there was nothing like your breakdowns. I've got enough confidence to pull apart my two busted 680s. One has the failed focus electronics problem so I am gonna need to replace some caps.

Figital Revolution did a video suggesting this as a theory once. But it was never scientifically tested or anything. Simply based of some anecdotal observation after receiving back a refurbished camera. I take thousands of test photos each year, including with cameras using the slightly slower modern motors and have never noticed a difference The modern motor makes the camera eject roughly the same speed as the modern Polaroid I-2 I think more important is consistency and pressure

@ makes sense to me

there should be no need for diodes etc. A 680nf to 1uf smoothing cap will help reduce ripple noise from the motor and prevent mid cycle shutdown if it occurs. This only happens in some PCBs though, and isnt super common The spec sheet rates it as a 5V motor, but realistically it can easily handle 6V Chip blowing may just be a coincidence tbh. Sometimes they just blow up haha

@@thegeqable the Eames promotional video Search for "Eames SX-70" on KZbin

@theinstantcameraguy Thanks!

@@matthewjchung I totally agree Which is why I will offer it as a mod for those that care more about being silly than reliability I do genuinely think the slower motor is the better option though. The slower motor ejects at around the same speed as the I-2 does

@@matthewjchung apparently the R PCB can support up to 7-8V or so I wonder if I can overvolt and get to 25000 lol

@@theinstantcameraguy I’ve always wanted a camera that could double as a rail gun

This kind of mods reminds me of me modifying my mopped when I was 14 😅

@@monochromebluess it's the same from my testing Speed doesn't seem to be as important as consistency The Polaroid I-2 for example ejects far slower than a standard SX-70 but it's photos look fine

@@theinstantcameraguy You are right, the speed won't affect the spreading. That motor ejects at about half the speed of my rig with on the 600 SE. Never a problem.

@@xXSpartan029Xx I don't really think it matters I've tested both and haven't seen any difference I think the most important thing is roller pressure and consistency of the motor running

@TidNul 👀

@TidNul There's a riveted gear for some reason but everything else looks doable.

@robertw1469 I'm happy to be the first to beta test!

@@theinstantcameraguy I guess someone can replicate the gears and metal plate carrier that holds them while the rivet can be replaced by a screw that has a smooth section to act as a bearing for the gear. I'd like to help document and help reverse engineer the SX70 + other Polaroid cameras (and try to revive Spectra) but I lack the free time and other things. There's commercial 3D printing companies than can print in nylon resin/filament (I assume the gears are nylon) or stronger materials for good enough price and shipping time if someone wants to try.

Time for a Send Cut Send sponsorship?

@@seanconnors9912 mama mia!

sorry but, when you say this is there ever anyone who actually cares?

@@McCoyFromSpace it wouldn't fit This is only for sx-70s sadly The i-1 motor is much smaller

no I doubt the two would be compatible, and the firmware is very much closed source

next refurb haha

If the camera jams for whatever reason and the motor has enough torque, say goodbye to your gears

@@robertw1469 yup lol It's crazy powerful I think the slower motor is better for reliability

​@@theinstantcameraguyYes definitely. I installed a very powerful motor and the film jammed, rip gears. I painfully tried repairing with epoxy and hand files, hopefully it can last. Now I undervolt the buck converter to 5.4v or somewhere that range, maybe find a motor with a low stall torque or have current limiting? I wonder how voltage affects the shutter.

@@greased-toenail putting the battery underneath the film is a bad idea and stresses the camera off the chassis It's a risky procedure and you could break your camera Transferring in a darkroom is fine though

@@theinstantcameraguy oh alr i didn't know that. surprising i read quite a few posts saying you can just swap the battery in

@melon-qm7ed the Polaroid scene is sadly filled with terrible advice and misinformation - more than any other photography scene Much of it comes from a poor understanding of how the cameras function

@@origamisuperfly yeah it seems that very few of these solutions stood the test of time haha

Even if you love the camera, it doesn't change the fact that Polaroid made a baffling design flaw in this model that results in them constantly breaking The camera's microchips stay powered 24/7 when their is film inside the camera, even if it is collapsed. This is a strange decision considering there is literally a physical switch than can cut power already built into the camera - that the engineers decided to bypass for some reason. They are one of the most unreliable Polaroid cameras ever made as a result, but despite this command insane prices. Until I released this video - this information was not common public knowledge. If it was - you may have opted to get an SLR680 instead

@@theinstantcameraguy All that you said is true, including everything you said in your video. But, what I'm saying is, yes that is not public knowledge but your average user, (now and before, talking about the year they were produced, sold, and used) may not care, or need to care about those technical details. Obviously me and you, we would be more inclined to know this stuff, but for everyday use like how simple they are, just instant photography, they are fine. The market adjusts what they are worth, if you think they are hyped, they are what they are though, instant cameras, and polaroid. They also use 600 film, long story short, they do what they do, regardless if they break or not. If you get what I mean. Thankfully I didn't buy it for hype. I got it for cheap from someone who got it from their grandfather.

​@@xiongej I'm glad you didn't over-pay for one If I were gifted one for free, I'd likely use it too! However the 'free market decides the price' argument here is the exact reason why I made this video. The 'market decides' argument is overly simplistic, and neglects to consider just how easily markets can be manipulated. The prices of 690 cameras have been artificially inflated - precisely because nobody knows about their flaws, and because they are often erroneously described as being the "best" instant camera - with no explanation as to why. I've had many clients over the years purchase these things for exorbitant sums of money - assuming they were getting "the best" - only to end up with a complete brick of a camera. When I tell them about the inherent flaws - they then tell me that they would have never purchased it if they had known - and would have opted for a 600-converted SX-70 - or SLR680 instead I've also repaired these cameras for clients, only to have them fail shortly after For this reason, the 690 is the only folding SLR that I cannot offer a warranty on

This sticker has since been covered up. I didn't know what it said at the time, and have since removed the word in question. I've already explained this several times on social media already, but I'll explain it again. The sticker was not meant to be political/ The camera is decorated with brands/logos from all over the world. But it seems that a few people want to act like I decorated the camera with "I LOVE PUTIN" stickers. The camera is not meant to be any kind of political statement. Important take-home parts are: 1) I do not read Cyrillic letters, and thus did not know that the word said "Russia" 2) The word was cut from an MTV sticker that was commemorating the first time that MTV was aired in Russia following the fall of the Soviet Union. This occurred in 1998 when Boris Yeltsin was President. Long before the terrible war. 3) The word is merely the name of the country, and not a reflection of the current political party. Russia has been around for a very long time - long before Putin was born.

@NagmashMerkava it depends on the exact porvair they used Polaroid had a few different kinds

No

@@ph4z_ I don't own any cats and am super allergic to them. What you may be hearing in the background is likely one of a variety of native Australian birds. This is basically what Australia sounds like in coastal regions

@ interesting! I heard birds in your earlier videos, but this time I (thought I) clearly heard cats. Thanks for the vids :).

@@brendankane8532 sounds like the camera needs a service Best to get in contact over socials or email

@@jayin9463 please share the information around on forums. People still argue about it to this day lol