The Story of the Polaroid SX-70 Knockoff [Instant Breakdown]

While Polaroid has protected its brand for 70 years, one company boldly tried to steal some of the thunder with an ill-fated third party release: the Berkey Keystone Wizard Everflash. In this video, I dig into the sequence of events that led to this rare gem somehow hitting the market in the 70s.
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[@shinto29]

Putting a party hat on a nearly 50 year old camera is the kind of stuff that really separates this channel from the rest

[@InAnInstant]

I wish I could award this comment reddit gold 🥇

[@ivanpetrovsky.]

Dude seriously, you deserve more than that amount of subs

[@InAnInstant]

Big ups Wa lly! Appreciate it!!

[@travis_sivart]

hi, watched your video from mainland china. I got to say love your youtube channel so much, definitely my favorite instant camera channel. Keep spreading your love and skill throughout the world man!

[@InAnInstant]

I love to hear where folks are watching from! KZbin is amazing, thank you for your support!

[@vekofoto]

You’re on fire in this video 🤣 MiNT wanted to make a Polaroid camera, but Impossible did not approve at all. I wish they had approved! A MiNT i-Type camera would be on another level! It would not be a competitor to the new Polaroid cameras at all, and would still benefit the film sales

[@DeeSnow97]

That's interesting, would love to read up on that story

[@InAnInstant]

100% agreed, I think at this point it might be nice to loosen the reins and let Mint have a go. From a tradition standpoint I understand why Impossible/Polaroid would resist that sort of third-party release, but ironically with everything that’s changed in the industry one thing remains true today: the film is where the money’s at for them! So if Mint made a really attractive camera that encouraged people to burn through film, so be it, more sales for Polaroid 💰

[@vekofoto]

Ben Snow there isn’t much detail, only that the attitude was “hostile” 🤷‍♂️

[@christopherrasmussen8718]

Got my original fist year SX70 rebuilt by a guy in Australia. The new film is awesome. They are still among us.

[@InAnInstant]

I love that guy and I love that you took the trouble to get an Everflash serviced by him, so cool 🦾

[@evacreswell7687]

The pop and smell when you powered the camera on was most likely a capacitor exploding (they do that sometimes). If you can open the camera up and figure out what blew, most likely you can order a new capacitor and replace it! It may help the camera work better, but idk for sure.

[@InAnInstant]

I prefer the notion that the popping sound released toxic chemicals that will now either make me very dead or give me super powers but your explanation makes more sense. I could probably look further into this and try to fix the thang!

[@carlosinchile]

@@InAnInstant I have that camera. Friend from work dug it out of his garage. Bought some film & managed to get two photos until it jammed.

[@InAnInstant]

That’s life with the Wizard!

[@harrisfogel6992]

Yeah, had this happen on a few older cameras, the trick was that all of them had integrated flash units, when I opened them up, it was the flash charging circuits, and the electrolytic caps had dried out. But, that's usually a distinct circuit from camera operation, so unless there's a short, shouldn't affect camera operation. Plus you get the joy of the smell of a free Taco Bell meal.

[@handwriting8804]

Never heard of the berkey. Wish kodak would make a kodak branded packfilm (with them charging 8 bucks a roll for portra 400 I'm sure it wouldn't put to much strain on them)

[@InAnInstant]

That would be so cool, I’ve actually never heard anyone suggest that before. For the all the headaches Kodak dealt with after making their integral film products, they really wouldn’t have faced any opposition if they’d just stuck to the pack film plan. I think it’s too late now because pack film does not have much pop culture/consumer draw in the same way iconic square Polaroids do, but still an interesting thing to consider.

[@akin4536]

Kodak, if you're reading this, i will buy packfilm from you if you make it.

[@handwriting8804]

@@InAnInstant it is an insanely superior format to integ. I love my sx-70 but I enjoy my 440 so much more.

[@3Gee]

I’m so grateful to have come across your channel. The content and the editing of these videos are amazing. Keep em coming!

[@InAnInstant]

Thank you George, really appreciate the support!!

[@josephking7015]

The "pop" and smell is more than likely an electrolyte capacitor blowing. They dry up with age. If you get all the capacitors replaced it will work for you. Had to do this many times on vintage equipment. BTW. Love the Videos, keep up the great work...

[@InAnInstant]

Thanks Joe! Since I posted this a few people have brought that up haha (the capacitor thing), probably won’t die then!

[@maisa9351]

You look like taron egerton! And your channel is amazing.

[@InAnInstant]

Honored by the comparison, thank you!

[@jamesbrockett786]

Maybe my favorite video from you yet! Wow, better and better. Keep it up!!

[@InAnInstant]

My man, thanks James! Gave it my all for the king of the doinkers.

[@awalden]

This was very interesting. You continually impress and entertain me, Ben. (And your expression after your "long-time-to-develop/unlike-the-photos" pun was priceless.) Thanks for your outstanding work. I wish you continued success. PS: To follow-up... I just didn't have the heart *or budget* to invest in a 20+ year old Instax 500-AF. So I settled for a sweet eBay "best-offer" deal on an Instax 300... mint-ish condition, with close-up lens (often missing) for a mere $40. (My husband tells me that I need to stop watching your channel. HA! As-if!) PPS: It's very difficult to search eBay sometimes, because everyone refers to their instant-camera and instant-film as a "Polaroid" no matter what the brand is. ARrrrrgh! I was tempted to use the minus sign to exclude the word "Polaroid" from my searches... but I was fearful that I'd miss out on a good deal on someone's "Instax Polaroid 300". So I just slogged through until I found the one I wanted.

[@InAnInstant]

Thank you Allen!! And don’t listen to your husband 😂, you’re a valued viewer of the videos! The Instax 300 is a good middle ground, especially for that extremely good price. And I hear ya on eBay listings, can be a real challenge to catch deals with all the weird titles.

[@brianstuartsnider]

I love your videos! Your emergence during this pandemic has been a real bright spot. About a year ago I was helping a friend test a bunch of cameras they'd thrifted and one of them was a Berkey Keystone Wizard Everflash, it was still in the box, and I was able to get it to work with dummy film and an old pack. But one interesting thing is that it came with two packs of film sealed in an unbranded wrapper. It likely said Polaroid on the cartridge if you opened it up. But at the time I wondered if there might be off brand Polaroid SX-70 film in there. That obviously wasn't the case, and I didn't want to open the package just to find out.

[@InAnInstant]

Hugely appreciate that Brian! And so sick that you got to handle one of this things coming right out of its box! Wish I could have fired some shots off just to say I did on this camera.

[@davidbirkam4413]

I've for one of these and it works... Or it did six years ago when I shot a pack of impossible SX-70 film through it. I think if I revisited it now I would save it for maximum sunny days to get the most out of that zone focusing. Maybe next summer I'll try it again and hope it doesnt pop.

[@mistermars1479]

Never heard about that before :) sadly no more storys about that kinda strange cameras :(

[@mereelfalstom9232]

A bit late to comment by now, but Ben I'm pretty sure the reason your Keystone doesn't work is because it blew a capacitor. Back in the day a lot of capacitors were made of paper, and nowadays when old electronics with them are plugged in, they will burst from being so old and dry and emit a weird smell. So that sounds very similar to what you described. Likely not worth fixing tho.

[@zluzhy5108]

Great video bro! Perfect timing.

[@anthonybrunotheodd]

Awwww the camera looks cute with its little party hat. It likes it saying “I’m special!”

[@InAnInstant]

That’s because it is!! 🎉 😍

[@FinnDarius]

I really wished the current Polaroid company would allow 3rd parties to make cameras. One of Instax’s major advantages comes from having a huge selection of cameras with many combinations of features, affordability, and availability. Whereas Polaroid film either requires cameras from the past, or their small selection of new cameras, neither of which are really all that easy to get especially where I live

[@KiDjowac]

I just received a Berkey Keystone Wizard XF-1000 boxed camera for my collection, supposedly working… well, i’ll guess we’ll find out soon 😊 original receipt reveils it was bought in Germany 20/06/1978 for 99 Deutsche Mark, film was 17,45 Deutsche Mark and Blitz (flash) was 7,95 Deutsche Mark for a total of 124,40 Deutsche Mark.

[@natewikman]

"Film not hardware was the real money maker". It'd be sweet if polaroid could refigure out how to make the film slim enough for 10 packs, but 8 exposures being $20 a pack is a price I'm willing to pay to keep the instant film industry growing

[@InAnInstant]

Yeah I’m definitely in that camp. Happy to support the key figure of the industry monetarily but at the same time 10/pack and lower prices is always the dream.

[@josephschwartz1883]

Your late grandmother’s late husband, my late stepfather, who was as you know a (late) photographer, was a loyal customer of Berkey Photo. Berkey was a part of my youth. Not necessarily the best part, but a part nonetheless!

[@InAnInstant]

Wow whomst knew!!!

[@mockermartin8725]

Hilarious ending Ben 👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻😂

[@InAnInstant]

🎉😂😂 thanks bruddah!

[@btrdangerdan2010]

F$#@ yeah! Honorable mention is the Minolta Instant Pro baby!

[@matthewchow1901]

There were other 3rd party Instant cameras too like the Konica instant press, the mamiya universal press, and the npc 195.

[@InAnInstant]

Hi there! Those were not integral film cameras. Those were packfilm cameras, of which there are numerous 3rd party varieties.

[@willmccleland2383]

Another awesome video fun and educational

[@InAnInstant]

Thank you Will!

[@andrewcutts3197]

A great video. I’ve never heard of that camera before. Is that a vintage Broncos cardigan?

[@InAnInstant]

It is indeed!!

[@anthonydemesa2406]

You are the best. Period 🙏🏽

[@InAnInstant]

You are!! Thank you bruddah! 🔥

[@Kevon420]

the cost is a tad ridiculous, but I hope one day you can do a video on the Mamiya RB67’s attachable Instax back module. the depth of field, clarity, and look in general are so dang cool with instant film on medium format cameras!

[@InAnInstant]

For sure mate, would love to eventually do that!

[@franzrogar]

6:33 The most probable reason is because modern (Impossible) film is thicker than old (hence 8 shots per cartridge instead of 10 as it was). You might try using an NOS of (real) Polaroid film...

[@comeradecoyote]

Keystone was a pretty well respected camera builder out of Massachusetts. Originally their main market was in regular 8mm, 16mm, and later super 8 cameras and projectors, which were about on par in quality with Bell and Howell. However, they branched out into making clones of the Kodak Instamatic 126 cameras and eventually even made the above mentioned polaroid compatible. Surprisingly they were still in operation until the 90's, though by that time their prestige had eroded, and their product lines were pretty much noncompetitive with Japanese and Chinese built equipment. Prolly their most loved cameras are their regular 8, K series movie cameras, notable for being one of three cameras available to shoot Kodachrome at the 1939 worlds fair. (and is thus responsible for some our earliest color amateur cinematography of that era.) They also produced military aerial cameras for awhile.

[@InAnInstant]

Yes there is definitely more to say historically about Keystone & Berkey as camera producers, this video could have been twice as long probably but I wanted to keep it focused on the Wizard Everflash. They definitely weren't nobodies and their motion picture systems are still awesome relics!

[@pgknippel]

Subscribed on the strength of your potty mouth alone. Good piece, sir!

[@InAnInstant]

In An Instant is rated NC-17 ♥️

[@DavidAragon13]

I never could get the Everflash 800 or my non-flash Wizard to work correctly... Talk about QUALITY

[@DannyBlocher]

My KZbin video speed is always set to at least 1.5x.. except for your videos. 👍

[@InAnInstant]

This is a true honor and I will wield is responsibly

[@aaronblair9583]

Want your wizard fixed? I had to get into mine. That poo you heard was the main bypass cap in the flash circuit.

[@purelifephotos]

I wish they would bring back peel apart. I have way too many land cameras that are fancy bricks

[@franklarosa740]

I've got one that works. It's at least as good if not better than an equivalent Polaroid camera.

[@akin4536]

When you said it took 3 double a batteries, I was like YES! A VINTAGE I-TYPE CAMERA! And I was then dissapointed. Still a cool camera and a cool story though. Edit: i just noticed the flash was slighty off center and it's mildly infuriating.

[@InAnInstant]

Haha as you can see I had the exact same reaction, bummer that it only lowers the flash! But yeah this 👑 King of the Doinkers is still an awesome tank (off-center flash notwithstanding).

[@akin4536]

@@InAnInstant All hail the king of the doinkers, off-centered crown and all.

[@gravedigr12]

wait a second I have that model of everflash in mint shape LOL

[@maxdoes_]

Berkey Wizard Everflash, the "F*CK IT" of instant cameras

[@InAnInstant]

LMAO no better description than this right here

[@ralphhoskins2115]

The burky,,,,, I love it!!! Lol... defs king of the doinkers....

[@InAnInstant]

Hell yes! Crown jewel of the doinker kingdom!

[@Karwan89PL]

I saw same camera, but branded as Revue :)

[@InAnInstant]

Yes! That’s the Berkey camera with a diff label on it 🙌

[@butlaoctu4464]

And what about the Gomz Moment?

[@sinanaltinova4201]

I actually have one of these keystone cameras in good working condition! No problems with ejecting the film whatsoever

[@InAnInstant]

Wow that’s so sick!

[@suzannelopez9896]

wow that's an interesting camera, but what I am DYING to know, is where did you get that Denver Broncos sweater???

[@InAnInstant]

Haha Suz I’ve been rocking this bad boy for years, I think it was an eBay find, crazy enough though the NFL has since made a clone version of which they sell today. Mine’s authentically from the 70s but there’s some new copies out there now!

[@suzannelopez9896]

In An Instant lol my fiancé is a HUGE Broncos fan!! I may have to search for one!!!! I love it!!!

[@InAnInstant]

Omg! Get him that ish!! Everyone true Broncos fan needs to rock one of these

[@polomat14]

Berkey also made a version of that camera without the flash (just with a slot to mount external one). It was called Berkey Keystone Wizard XF1000.

[@AeromaticXD]

Berkey should become iconic

[@InAnInstant]

Fully agreed!

[@robinsievers2756]

1:36 I’M SCREAMING

[@heisandres]

Genial

[@monodistortion]

If you go back further there were some other companies that made Polaroid cameras, but they used pack film or roll film. There's the Konica Instant Press and Fuji FP-1 plus a lot of different companies made more specialized pack film cameras like the ID/passport cameras, scientific cameras, etc. There were even some oddball Soviet cameras that used roll film. You've probably seen them before, but these pages have some good info: www.landlist.ch/landlist/nonland.htm www.polamad.com/polaroidshop-special-clone.html

[@InAnInstant]

Nick Marshall yes Nick! That’s a major point I’m talking about in the video, the sequence that lead to Polaroid relaxing their patent enforcement on pack film cameras as they secretly prepared to release the SX-70.

[@monodistortion]

@@InAnInstant Oh yeah, I agree with that part of the history. I was commenting on when you said, "The only true third party Polaroid camera of all time." By the 80s pack film patents would have expired. Later they were promoting their film in other cameras by selling modular backs for pack film (CB-103), AutoFilm (CB-33), and square integral film (CB-72).

[@drparham]

Hey I have a great idea for a video! 😁

[@tomjanowski8584]

you slightly resemble Keith Haring

[@InAnInstant]

Someone else beat you to the first Haring mention of 2021, but that’s gotten spread around a bit 😂 there’s even a side by side comparison in one of the Instant Lounge episodes

[@edwinland3377]

What a disgusting camera.

[@InAnInstant]

This is an incredibly comment, maybe top 5 ever. Thank you Mr. Land for your service.

[@realElzie]

Broncos fan, video ruined. Just kidding lol cool video

[@InAnInstant]

Bo Nix!!

[@therestorationofdrwho1865]

666th like.

[@InAnInstant]

This is huge