Nice to see that the sx-70's are still the most logical choice, hopefully this will force Polaroid to do a gen2 that will correct the flaws, they have the initial design just need to upgrade a few things and we may have a new camera ready for the years to come. Good comparison well done and thanks for the time invested in this.
This is such a well made video no matter how "unscientific" you say it may be. It also makes me really happy that I went with a modded SX70 from Chromatic Parts just a few days ago. I had an I-2 in my cart for about two weeks and thankfully saw the monstrosity that is the I-2 battery replacement before I purchased it. Now I'm looking at your instagram and the PolaVolt is so clean. I already plan on getting a sonar in the future and will 100% be reaching out to you! Seems like you and Dennis are the kings of Polaroid and I'd be stoked to have one from both of you guys.
I'm getting a wonderful education through your videos, thanks so much for making them. Ironically, unlike my other hobbies, as I get into Polaroid I get less and less desirous of spending more money on a super-fancy camera. It seems like going "pro" like they've tried to do with the I2 just doesn't really buy you that much with this medium. I'd still love an SX-70 to get the focus and the SLR, I don't know that I want a bunch of other "pro" type features. Rather than a generation 2 I-2 (or an I-3 or whatever) I just want a Polaroid Now with an SLR...
Excellent insight! I'm still finding my way with the i2 but I've captured some amazing pictures with that camera. I recently purchased an Impulse AF and I've been doing side-by-side comparisons with the SLR680, Impulse AF, and the i2. What I've found is the SLR680 and the Impulse AF are on par with one another in most instances, but the Impulse handles dimly lit lounges (shadows) in a much more pleasant way than the SLR680 does, while the i2 as you've stated seems to be center-weighted, and it tends to overdo it. The SLR680 is of course the sharpest, but the Impulse AF appears to produce the images that really take my breath away and give me that feeling of Polaroid nostalgia from the mid 70's.
Sorry damass, what skill issue with an automatic essentially point and press the red button, SX-70 camera properly overhauled? Lighten/darken wheel on mine is at neutral, as it is overhauled properly by Jake TICG.
Helpful video. :-) You're correct that the I-2 has center-weighed metering. Oskar confims this at the 8:15 timestamp in the product launch video (The Story behind the Polaroid I-2 Instant Camera) on the Polaroid UA-cam channe.
As an I-2 owner, one thing that doesn’t get talked about is the viewfinder info display and how it’s geared towards people who are near sighted. I’ve owned so many film cameras and this is the only camera I’ve seen set up like this. I feel like I’m going cross eyed looking through the vf to adjust my settings. 🤦♂️ This camera is pretty flawed and so many of the reviews come off very corporate. Thank you for this comparison video and your honest assessment of the I-2.
I've heard others complain about this I have no visual impairments and I found it a little cluttered, but usable. I can imagine it would be very annoying for someone with glasses though
Superb comparison with “scientific unscientific” photo results. Great job and visually pleasing and with the un-scanned and un-tampered easy results to understand
I'd go with the camera that allows me to get more than 1 or 2 usable (satisfactory) shots out of 8, (not overexposed) on auto mode. That film a'int cheap.
@@theinstantcameraguy Its seems to be an issue with modern instant cameras, both my mint TL70+, and my girlfriends lomo instant square overexpose by default. I wonder if the film is actually more sensitive than its rated? Or just more latitude for underexposure than overexposure?
@@thelonelytimbit the film speed is accurate Try shoot integral film in a professional medium format camera like an RB67 and you will see for yourself The issue is more likely manufactures not producing a camera with an accurate enough light meter
@@theinstantcameraguyhaven’t had that issue but maybe the recent firmware updates have fixed it. I don’t usually shoot full auto, but aperture priority/shutter priority and I haven’t been getting over exposed shots. I have shot enough auto to see that the metering is very consistent though, I think some people just need to understand how center weighted metering works, you can meter then recompose easily; it’s not as big of a deal as people seemed to make it out to be. Again; maybe the firmware fixed it, but I was expecting lots of over exposed pictures but I haven’t had that experience at all.
Would a 600 mod reduce the likelihood of the shutter fully opening up, therefore reducing the likelihood of the bokeh effect? Or does the mod only affect shutter speed, therefore no effect on bokeh? Or a bit of both?
Faster film = faster shutter = smaller aperture The I-2 is designed for itype film, hence why I compared it against itype in an sx70 If you use SX70 film you'll get narrower depth of field, at the compromise of 4x slower ISO IMO the versatility of 600/itype film outweighs any DOF gains
Hey sorry to bother you but i just i type swapped my sun 600 using your instructions. everything went well but while putting the door back on the spring holding the lock came loose and the lock fell out. I can not figure out how to put it back together and i cant find a diagram. Is there a guide somewhere online? Id appreciate any help thanks!
I would think the focal length of the lenses on those two cameras equates to about 45-50mm(35mm equivalent)for the SX70 and about 35mm(35mm equivalent) for the Polaroid i2
Do you think there's anything that can be done for the Polaroids that took the Fuji FP100 at the moment. I have a few and it's just sad not to be able to take pics with them anymore.
@@theinstantcameraguy thanks, the Newland project does look vaguely optimistic and I like that it's non destructive. The hacks I've seen to get them to use the Instax wide film seem, not amazing
On converting an Automatic Land to AAA batteries. After 8 years of doing so, because amason won't ship to where I live, I discovered that b&H sells a battery that has the 4.5 volts and they ship worlwide.
Excellent comparison. I assume there was no flash use on both cameras. I agree about the center weighting of the i2 metering / focusing, and it is discussed in the i2 instructions. Example is, if you want your subject to have proper exposure and focus, but let’s say on the far right side of the image, you half press and hold on your subject while centered, then move the camera to the desired framing and full press to take the photo. You are correct. I am really interested in your comment on the dark vertical bands on either side of the print, and you assumed to be ‘film’ related, caused by temperature .. I think you’re right, and I blamed my fridge but we saw it on both I type color and 600 color film, and because we were doing a shoot, I ordered more film and the new stuff came in with those bands as well and had never been refrigerated or presumably exposed to heat. Do you think this could be a film emulsion problem in the coating process? ( I have never seen it on BW )
Banding is due to the chemicals in the developing pod in the image going bad. Due to heat, age etc It is not exclusive to the new film, and could happen with old expertired Polaroid film too As for the centre weighted meter, I do recall reading about recomposing due to AF lock, but I don't remember reading in the manual that it was centre weighted for AE...
@@theinstantcameraguy Yeah, it might be worth a test on center weight AE metering, because I believe I also read; if after having taken a photo, you do not compose your next image anew, that is, half press then full press, the settings from the last image will be applied to the new image.
@@charleyfolkesI re-read the manual While it mentions AE and AF lock, the manual does not specifically state that the electric eye is acting as a spot meter. Designing it as such and then never mentioning it in the manual would seem to be an odd choice
@@theinstantcameraguy I’ll have another look then. I do remember having an issue early on that we blamed on changing scenes, then having an exposure problem because we were just doing a full press like on the SX 70 , and maybe partly bc the half press detent on the i2 was very hard to feel compared to our 680 .. Anyway, thanks for your thoughtful replies, and you and your channel will have great success.
@@theinstantcameraguy Legit, you have the best channel, and the Polaroid community owes you big time. It is refreshing that you have the diagnostic mind of a technician, and can express yourself so well in this space.
I'd rather not waste my film tbh I think I've made it clear enough from this video that comparisons such as this are dumb, and the two types of camera are drastically different to use
Did testing of I-Type and 600 film with the SX-70 and Sonar, ( poorly refurbed not OVERHAULED) Overhauled SX-70s, Polaroid 600SE, Polaroid 110B, using light meter. Modern film, fresh and properly stored, is amazing.
I picked up a boxed 680 for 2$ at a local flea market, the rubber has a little green tint on it, but it's got no leakages or holes, works like a charm. I kind of want that mod for it you have in that video.
@@theinstantcameraguy I checked out your homepage, and I didn't find a price list on what "the works" would cost. Meaning what would a total upgrade cost? Like lithium batteries, that wireless mod etc, make it take I-type cartridges etc.
Heavily considering getting my sonar converted with a new SX70R as opposed to just a capacitor mod. I’m glad to see the auto is very good. When you convert a Sonar with the SX70R is it possible to keep the ‘not enough light’ indicator in the viewfinder? As someone with very little experience I find it’s almost a necessity for judging when to take a photo.
I'd be happy to install one for you! The low light warning indicator must be removed. Because it's replaced with a power LED instead With that said, the 600 film speed that the R PCB uses by default pretty much negates the need for the low light warning. 600 film is far more capable than SX film
@@skyflier8955 so you know it's functional lol I think after hours of being erect it goes to sleep Blue light means it's on You shouldn't need the indicator with 600 film. Even if you could keep it, the low level indicator is calibrated for sx70 film only
@@theinstantcameraguy That’s neat! Thank you so much for answering my questions in the comments, definitely pitching in for a beer when I get the opportunity :) Your videos and replies are invaluable.
After owning several refurbished sx70 cameras, I just didn't enjoy the colors from the cameras. And they were never quite wide enough in a room. But now, seeing that comparison, im really liking the warmer colors much more on the new camera. And it seems they have solved the overexposure issues. And you seemed to have made a battery solution for the future years down the road. I think i will give polaroid a chance again. Also i like in a room i can control the aperture for less bokeh and make sure everything is in focus.
@@WhoIsSerafin the colour has very little to do with the camera and more to do with the film I have no idea what you are seeing in terms of "warmer colours" in any of the sample photos - the overall color rendition is basically identical. If anything, the I-2's over-exposed photos make the colors appear more washed out, but that's a flaw, not a feature
refurbished, just putting out fires. if one can afford it and shipping costs, an overhaul is best for the long run and a usable camera in hand instead of in the post a lot of the time.
Customizing cameras really depends on how far you wanna take things I specifically try not to list prices in videos/comments so as to not date them due to inflation, rising prices etc Check out my Instagram and Facebook pinned posts for up-to-date price estimates
I recommend checking out antique shops for old cameras even Polaroids I got an SX-70 sonar for $20. I don't think that particular antique shop does too much research on value of cameras.
@@theinstantcameraguy into that camera actually had a sticker on it from the Original Polaroid Corporation saying that they had serviced it at some point and I thought that was kind of neat.
i just got my 680 slr the other day, i went 680 because i wanted the flash and sonar all in one package and use the battery in pack 600 film without modding, i have to clean a speck of dust from inside on the back of the lens which, those screws are terrifying me more than just popping off the face and using some compreseed air for 0.02 seconds to blow the dust off on a $450 camera. glad to know i got the better choice because i was about to pull the trigger and go for an I2
if your SLR680 isnt already refurbished, look into it ASAP They are notorious for having loose mirrors that fall down and will ruin your day if it smashes. My channel has videos on this subject if you need more info, just search for SLR680 in my videos :)
@@theinstantcameraguy if i can find a place to do it that i can go to i will. but if it gets to that point ill have to frankenstein two bad ones together and put it together myself, sadly everywehre i see online would have me spend double the 450 i paid for this in refurbishing it factoring in all repair costs and shipping.
My I-2 overexposes 2 EV in automatic mode. In manual mode using my external lightmeter it gives good exposure results. But that is not what I bought it for, especially at that price. Pressing these little knobs "with a sharpened fingernail" is not fun, and for standard snapshooting it is too laborious and time consuming. Support until now did not help. I'm thinking about returning it to Polaroid, where I bought it from.
At the risk of making myself unpopular I am puzzled why anyone would want to spend £600(UK) on a camera, the i2, that when used in auto mode it's purely hit or miss as to whether the picture will be properly exposed. After all one of the reasons for buying an instant camera is, with the majority of them, their simplicity i.e point and shoot and get an instant photo. This is the reason why many people buy them they don't want to get involved with apertures and shutter speeds. Even those that do because of the i2's poor metering in my view if you're going to use any of the manual controls then to get a good picture you're going to need a decent separate light measuring device/meter. As has been said getting about 2 decent photos at £2 per photo out of a pack of 8(£15.99 UK) if you're in auto mode isn't on. From what i've seen so far where the i2 is concerned when it's used in auto mode I can get better results from my Polaroid Now Gen2 which cost me £80,providing the actual i-type film doesn't let me down with colour banding or partly underdeveloped parts of the photo. Sorry Polaroid but the i2 in my opinion is far from acceptable considering its high price. It's a work in progress in my view and hopefully it won't be long before a MK2 version comes out that doesn't have these flaws. Personally I don't think enough 'field trials' were done with the prototype before it went on the market. So far all i've seen from the videos I've watched are reasons why not to buy one. ____
Fair enough Jim if one is happy to do that. But the object of 'auto' mode on any camera is simply to be able to point and shoot without getting involved with shutter speeds, apertures or exposure compensation and still get a properly exposed image/photo. If when using 'auto' mode you have to consider how bright or dark the scene is and then make exposure compensations to get a correctly exposed image/photo then that clearly means 'auto' mode isn't working properly and the metering system on the camera is unsatisfactory. This shouldn't be the case with a £600 camera. With a £60 or £160 camera then yes one can be more forgiving about such things but not on a camera of that price.@@jmccutube
The biggest issue with Polaroid right now is that the film emulsion is so inconsistent. Instax completely blows Polaroid away in terms of color, consistency and contrast. And colors remain much more consistent pack to pack, shot to shot. I much prefer Polaroid’s cameras and the size of the Polaroid square format more than the instax square, but Polaroid’s film itself needs a major revamp.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss this argument gets pretty tiresome very quickly I'm thankful we have anything at all to be honest, and the film gets better every year Polaroid is in the process of building a new factory at the moment too to assist with production
Polaroid is simply lying advertising the I-2 as having "the sharpest-ever Polaroid lens". For sure, the 114mm f4.5 Tominin lens on the 180 Polaroid Land Camera was sharper and far superior with its f4.5 - f90 aperture range and 1/500 maximum shutter speed 😁 Also, one could argue the I-2 looks slightly sharper than the SX-70 because it is a wider lens, while the SX-70 has a shorter falloff
Good video, but your mind was made up before you made it. Throughout you are making your argument for the SX-70. Totally biased. You are clearly an engineer rather than a creative photographer.
My mind was made up in advance because I'd already tested them in advance lol It doesn't matter if the user is an engineer, a photographer or neurosurgeon - the auto exposure on the I-2 is wonky at best and an SLR will always beat a viewfinder camera for composition. Most importantly - the argument for "true aperture" becomes negligible given the focal length differences and limited 1/250th speed The true advantage of the I-2 lies in the ability to do double exposures and in its manual control. But not much else
@@godsguided I do own an I-2 now! I've done numerous videos on it where I tore it apart and modified the battery. Feel free to check them out At the time I didn't own one... But so what? Bad design transcends ownership! At the time I'm making this comment, Polaroid STILL hasn't fixed the auto exposure issue - although a new firmware update is coming. Once the auto exposure issues are fixed, the camera will be much better. But it still doesn't change the I-2 battery situation
Nice to see that the sx-70's are still the most logical choice, hopefully this will force Polaroid to do a gen2 that will correct the flaws, they have the initial design just need to upgrade a few things and we may have a new camera ready for the years to come.
Good comparison well done and thanks for the time invested in this.
This is such a well made video no matter how "unscientific" you say it may be. It also makes me really happy that I went with a modded SX70 from Chromatic Parts just a few days ago. I had an I-2 in my cart for about two weeks and thankfully saw the monstrosity that is the I-2 battery replacement before I purchased it.
Now I'm looking at your instagram and the PolaVolt is so clean. I already plan on getting a sonar in the future and will 100% be reaching out to you! Seems like you and Dennis are the kings of Polaroid and I'd be stoked to have one from both of you guys.
You'll need to grab one from both of us! Dennis and I are very familiar with each other, and we chat all the time
I'm happy to build one for you!
Thanks for the in depth review and practical opinions. ❤it!
You are welcome!
I'm getting a wonderful education through your videos, thanks so much for making them. Ironically, unlike my other hobbies, as I get into Polaroid I get less and less desirous of spending more money on a super-fancy camera. It seems like going "pro" like they've tried to do with the I2 just doesn't really buy you that much with this medium. I'd still love an SX-70 to get the focus and the SLR, I don't know that I want a bunch of other "pro" type features. Rather than a generation 2 I-2 (or an I-3 or whatever) I just want a Polaroid Now with an SLR...
Excellent insight!
I'm still finding my way with the i2 but I've captured some amazing pictures with that camera. I recently purchased an Impulse AF and I've been doing side-by-side comparisons with the SLR680, Impulse AF, and the i2. What I've found is the SLR680 and the Impulse AF are on par with one another in most instances, but the Impulse handles dimly lit lounges (shadows) in a much more pleasant way than the SLR680 does, while the i2 as you've stated seems to be center-weighted, and it tends to overdo it. The SLR680 is of course the sharpest, but the Impulse AF appears to produce the images that really take my breath away and give me that feeling of Polaroid nostalgia from the mid 70's.
Sorry damass, what skill issue with an automatic essentially point and press the red button, SX-70 camera properly overhauled? Lighten/darken wheel on mine is at neutral, as it is overhauled properly by Jake TICG.
Helpful video. :-) You're correct that the I-2 has center-weighed metering. Oskar confims this at the 8:15 timestamp in the product launch video (The Story behind the Polaroid I-2 Instant Camera) on the Polaroid UA-cam channe.
thank you!
As far as I know, this is not mentioned ANYWHERE in the manual or other literature
As an I-2 owner, one thing that doesn’t get talked about is the viewfinder info display and how it’s geared towards people who are near sighted. I’ve owned so many film cameras and this is the only camera I’ve seen set up like this. I feel like I’m going cross eyed looking through the vf to adjust my settings. 🤦♂️
This camera is pretty flawed and so many of the reviews come off very corporate. Thank you for this comparison video and your honest assessment of the I-2.
I've heard others complain about this
I have no visual impairments and I found it a little cluttered, but usable. I can imagine it would be very annoying for someone with glasses though
Superb comparison with “scientific unscientific” photo results.
Great job and visually pleasing and with the un-scanned and un-tampered easy results to understand
Best rule of thumb for the I2 is, when shooting auto, stop down 2/3 a stop in brighter conditions, and add 1/3 in the dark/indoor shots
Best rule of thumb using the SX70R:
leave it set to the middle
I'd go with the camera that allows me to get more than 1 or 2 usable (satisfactory) shots out of 8, (not overexposed) on auto mode. That film a'int cheap.
Skill issue 😂
@@damassolugo5104 not really. The I-2 is notorious for overexposing on automatic mode, requiring users to set the L/D dial to darken
It's a known flaw
@@theinstantcameraguy Its seems to be an issue with modern instant cameras, both my mint TL70+, and my girlfriends lomo instant square overexpose by default. I wonder if the film is actually more sensitive than its rated? Or just more latitude for underexposure than overexposure?
@@thelonelytimbit the film speed is accurate
Try shoot integral film in a professional medium format camera like an RB67 and you will see for yourself
The issue is more likely manufactures not producing a camera with an accurate enough light meter
@@theinstantcameraguyhaven’t had that issue but maybe the recent firmware updates have fixed it. I don’t usually shoot full auto, but aperture priority/shutter priority and I haven’t been getting over exposed shots. I have shot enough auto to see that the metering is very consistent though, I think some people just need to understand how center weighted metering works, you can meter then recompose easily; it’s not as big of a deal as people seemed to make it out to be.
Again; maybe the firmware fixed it, but I was expecting lots of over exposed pictures but I haven’t had that experience at all.
Hey, I have a Retrospekt refurbished SX-70 Sonar, are there any additional PCB upgrades and battery housing installs you can do for that?
Of course! I upgraded two Retrospekt cameras last week
Would a 600 mod reduce the likelihood of the shutter fully opening up, therefore reducing the likelihood of the bokeh effect? Or does the mod only affect shutter speed, therefore no effect on bokeh? Or a bit of both?
Faster film = faster shutter = smaller aperture
The I-2 is designed for itype film, hence why I compared it against itype in an sx70
If you use SX70 film you'll get narrower depth of field, at the compromise of 4x slower ISO
IMO the versatility of 600/itype film outweighs any DOF gains
Hi what filter do you use on the i2?
My client who loaned me this camera keeps a UV filter on it to protect the lens
Hey sorry to bother you but i just i type swapped my sun 600 using your instructions. everything went well but while putting the door back on the spring holding the lock came loose and the lock fell out. I can not figure out how to put it back together and i cant find a diagram. Is there a guide somewhere online? Id appreciate any help thanks!
You'll need to try Google a PDF repair manual I think
Great video! The color on the I2 seems better to me.
I would think the focal length of the lenses on those two cameras equates to about 45-50mm(35mm equivalent)for the SX70 and about 35mm(35mm equivalent) for the Polaroid i2
I based the math on a quick division by 3
It's kind of hard to compare to 35mm photography because one is comparing a rectangular frame with square
Do you know I-2 support SX-70 film whose ISO is 160?
You can select film type while you open film door.
Do you think there's anything that can be done for the Polaroids that took the Fuji FP100 at the moment. I have a few and it's just sad not to be able to take pics with them anymore.
the answer is "not really"
You can kinda cludge them to take instax, in a very clunky way
The NewLand project is peoples best bet
@@theinstantcameraguy thanks, the Newland project does look vaguely optimistic and I like that it's non destructive. The hacks I've seen to get them to use the Instax wide film seem, not amazing
On converting an Automatic Land to AAA batteries. After 8 years of doing so, because amason won't ship to where I live, I discovered that b&H sells a battery that has the 4.5 volts and they ship worlwide.
with the film quality being what it is, what difference would using a 670AF for example, make to picture results ?
The 660/6670af series take very sharp photos
The lens has a different character, with some mild vignette in the corners
Excellent comparison. I assume there was no flash use on both cameras.
I agree about the center weighting of the i2 metering / focusing, and it is discussed in the i2 instructions.
Example is, if you want your subject to have proper exposure and focus, but let’s say on the far right side of the image, you half press and hold on your subject while centered, then move the camera to the desired framing and full press to take the photo. You are correct.
I am really interested in your comment on the dark vertical bands on either side of the print, and you assumed to be ‘film’ related, caused by temperature ..
I think you’re right, and I blamed my fridge but we saw it on both I type color and 600 color film, and because we were doing a shoot, I ordered more film and the new stuff came in with those bands as well and had never been refrigerated or presumably exposed to heat. Do you think this could be a film emulsion problem in the coating process? ( I have never seen it on BW )
Banding is due to the chemicals in the developing pod in the image going bad. Due to heat, age etc
It is not exclusive to the new film, and could happen with old expertired Polaroid film too
As for the centre weighted meter, I do recall reading about recomposing due to AF lock, but I don't remember reading in the manual that it was centre weighted for AE...
@@theinstantcameraguy
Yeah, it might be worth a test on center weight AE metering, because I believe I also read; if after having taken a photo, you do not compose your next image anew, that is, half press then full press, the settings from the last image will be applied to the new image.
@@charleyfolkesI re-read the manual
While it mentions AE and AF lock, the manual does not specifically state that the electric eye is acting as a spot meter. Designing it as such and then never mentioning it in the manual would seem to be an odd choice
@@theinstantcameraguy
I’ll have another look then. I do remember having an issue early on that we blamed on changing scenes, then having an exposure problem because we were just doing a full press like on the SX 70 , and maybe partly bc the half press detent on the i2 was very hard to feel compared to our 680 ..
Anyway, thanks for your thoughtful replies, and you and your channel will have great success.
@@theinstantcameraguy
Legit, you have the best channel, and the Polaroid community owes you big time.
It is refreshing that you have the diagnostic mind of a technician, and can express yourself so well in this space.
I hope you do this again after updating the I-2’s firmware.
I'd rather not waste my film tbh
I think I've made it clear enough from this video that comparisons such as this are dumb, and the two types of camera are drastically different to use
Did testing of I-Type and 600 film with the SX-70 and Sonar, ( poorly refurbed not OVERHAULED) Overhauled SX-70s, Polaroid 600SE, Polaroid 110B, using light meter. Modern film, fresh and properly stored, is amazing.
I picked up a boxed 680 for 2$ at a local flea market, the rubber has a little green tint on it, but it's got no leakages or holes, works like a charm. I kind of want that mod for it you have in that video.
I'd be happy to mod it for you!
@@theinstantcameraguy I checked out your homepage, and I didn't find a price list on what "the works" would cost. Meaning what would a total upgrade cost? Like lithium batteries, that wireless mod etc, make it take I-type cartridges etc.
@@joonglegamer9898 send me a message, email etc
I keep prices in my pinned posts on Facebook/Instagram
It's good to know that the I2 has center weighted metering!
Heavily considering getting my sonar converted with a new SX70R as opposed to just a capacitor mod. I’m glad to see the auto is very good.
When you convert a Sonar with the SX70R is it possible to keep the ‘not enough light’ indicator in the viewfinder? As someone with very little experience I find it’s almost a necessity for judging when to take a photo.
I'd be happy to install one for you!
The low light warning indicator must be removed. Because it's replaced with a power LED instead
With that said, the 600 film speed that the R PCB uses by default pretty much negates the need for the low light warning. 600 film is far more capable than SX film
@@theinstantcameraguy ah, it’s good to know 600 film is that much better.
Possibly a silly question, but why does the R PCB have a power light?
@@skyflier8955 so you know it's functional lol
I think after hours of being erect it goes to sleep
Blue light means it's on
You shouldn't need the indicator with 600 film. Even if you could keep it, the low level indicator is calibrated for sx70 film only
@@theinstantcameraguy That’s neat! Thank you so much for answering my questions in the comments, definitely pitching in for a beer when I get the opportunity :)
Your videos and replies are invaluable.
@@skyflier8955 I try my best!
After owning several refurbished sx70 cameras, I just didn't enjoy the colors from the cameras. And they were never quite wide enough in a room. But now, seeing that comparison, im really liking the warmer colors much more on the new camera. And it seems they have solved the overexposure issues. And you seemed to have made a battery solution for the future years down the road. I think i will give polaroid a chance again. Also i like in a room i can control the aperture for less bokeh and make sure everything is in focus.
@@WhoIsSerafin the colour has very little to do with the camera and more to do with the film
I have no idea what you are seeing in terms of "warmer colours" in any of the sample photos - the overall color rendition is basically identical. If anything, the I-2's over-exposed photos make the colors appear more washed out, but that's a flaw, not a feature
Varying color, very likely bad film, film kept in a place too warm, too cold too long over expire date.
refurbished, just putting out fires. if one can afford it and shipping costs, an overhaul is best for the long run and a usable camera in hand instead of in the post a lot of the time.
What would it cost to do that to a sx-70?
Customizing cameras really depends on how far you wanna take things
I specifically try not to list prices in videos/comments so as to not date them due to inflation, rising prices etc
Check out my Instagram and Facebook pinned posts for up-to-date price estimates
I recommend checking out antique shops for old cameras even Polaroids I got an SX-70 sonar for $20. I don't think that particular antique shop does too much research on value of cameras.
Finding an sx70 for a bargain price definitely helps!
@@theinstantcameraguy into that camera actually had a sticker on it from the Original Polaroid Corporation saying that they had serviced it at some point and I thought that was kind of neat.
Fair commentary.
I found this video quite hard to make tbh
Doing a direct comparison and you realise how different they feel to use
All that being said, you did a fantastic job here. Compelling. A shame your mind was made up in advance though. 😊
I will take the creative TTL manual focus control over the manual aperture/shutter.
i just got my 680 slr the other day, i went 680 because i wanted the flash and sonar all in one package and use the battery in pack 600 film without modding, i have to clean a speck of dust from inside on the back of the lens which, those screws are terrifying me more than just popping off the face and using some compreseed air for 0.02 seconds to blow the dust off on a $450 camera. glad to know i got the better choice because i was about to pull the trigger and go for an I2
if your SLR680 isnt already refurbished, look into it ASAP
They are notorious for having loose mirrors that fall down and will ruin your day if it smashes. My channel has videos on this subject if you need more info, just search for SLR680 in my videos :)
@@theinstantcameraguy if i can find a place to do it that i can go to i will. but if it gets to that point ill have to frankenstein two bad ones together and put it together myself, sadly everywehre i see online would have me spend double the 450 i paid for this in refurbishing it factoring in all repair costs and shipping.
My I-2 overexposes 2 EV in automatic mode. In manual mode using my external lightmeter it gives good exposure results. But that is not what I bought it for, especially at that price. Pressing these little knobs "with a sharpened fingernail" is not fun, and for standard snapshooting it is too laborious and time consuming. Support until now did not help. I'm thinking about returning it to Polaroid, where I bought it from.
Yeah this is a pretty common thing I hear people report sadly
Really does seem like they fumbled the ball on the auto exposure mode
After threatening with my lawyer, I got a new I2 and three film packs. This one works as it should.
At the risk of making myself unpopular I am puzzled why anyone would want to spend £600(UK) on a camera, the i2, that when used in auto mode it's purely hit or miss as to whether the picture will be properly exposed. After all one of the reasons for buying an instant camera is, with the majority of them, their simplicity i.e point and shoot and get an instant photo. This is the reason why many people buy them they don't want to get involved with apertures and shutter speeds. Even those that do because of the i2's poor metering in my view if you're going to use any of the manual controls then to get a good picture you're going to need a decent separate light measuring device/meter. As has been said getting about 2 decent photos at £2 per photo out of a pack of 8(£15.99 UK) if you're in auto mode isn't on. From what i've seen so far where the i2 is concerned when it's used in auto mode I can get better results from my Polaroid Now Gen2 which cost me £80,providing the actual i-type film doesn't let me down with colour banding or partly underdeveloped parts of the photo.
Sorry Polaroid but the i2 in my opinion is far from acceptable considering its high price. It's a work in progress in my view and hopefully it won't be long before a MK2 version comes out that doesn't have these flaws. Personally I don't think enough 'field trials' were done with the prototype before it went on the market.
So far all i've seen from the videos I've watched are reasons why not to buy one.
____
I’m having great results from the I-2. In bright light situations Jake refers to, adjust the exposure down a notch or two. Easy.
Fair enough Jim if one is happy to do that. But the object of 'auto' mode on any camera is simply to be able to point and shoot without getting involved with shutter speeds, apertures or exposure compensation and still get a properly exposed image/photo. If when using 'auto' mode you have to consider how bright or dark the scene is and then make exposure compensations to get a correctly exposed image/photo then that clearly means 'auto' mode isn't working properly and the metering system on the camera is unsatisfactory. This shouldn't be the case with a £600 camera. With a £60 or £160 camera then yes one can be more forgiving about such things but not on a camera of that price.@@jmccutube
The biggest issue with Polaroid right now is that the film emulsion is so inconsistent.
Instax completely blows Polaroid away in terms of color, consistency and contrast. And colors remain much more consistent pack to pack, shot to shot.
I much prefer Polaroid’s cameras and the size of the Polaroid square format more than the instax square, but Polaroid’s film itself needs a major revamp.
@@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss this argument gets pretty tiresome very quickly
I'm thankful we have anything at all to be honest, and the film gets better every year
Polaroid is in the process of building a new factory at the moment too to assist with production
Polaroid is simply lying advertising the I-2 as having "the sharpest-ever Polaroid lens". For sure, the 114mm f4.5 Tominin lens on the 180 Polaroid Land Camera was sharper and far superior with its f4.5 - f90 aperture range and 1/500 maximum shutter speed 😁 Also, one could argue the I-2 looks slightly sharper than the SX-70 because it is a wider lens, while the SX-70 has a shorter falloff
I own a 190
And I can confirm it is insanely sharp
The wide-ness of the I-2 surprised me quite a bit
Agree, I dislike the Bokeh discussions…just take the picture! Getting bogged down on background blur can make you miss wonderful shots!
Subscribed
I think the SX-70 pictures are almost always better.
I still shoot with the SX-70 Sonar. My jury’s out on the I-2.
Good video, but your mind was made up before you made it. Throughout you are making your argument for the SX-70. Totally biased. You are clearly an engineer rather than a creative photographer.
My mind was made up in advance because I'd already tested them in advance lol
It doesn't matter if the user is an engineer, a photographer or neurosurgeon - the auto exposure on the I-2 is wonky at best and an SLR will always beat a viewfinder camera for composition.
Most importantly - the argument for "true aperture" becomes negligible given the focal length differences and limited 1/250th speed
The true advantage of the I-2 lies in the ability to do double exposures and in its manual control. But not much else
And bokah ain’t everything. Jesus.
Biased review , on a camera you don’t even own
@@godsguided I do own an I-2 now! I've done numerous videos on it where I tore it apart and modified the battery. Feel free to check them out
At the time I didn't own one... But so what? Bad design transcends ownership!
At the time I'm making this comment, Polaroid STILL hasn't fixed the auto exposure issue - although a new firmware update is coming.
Once the auto exposure issues are fixed, the camera will be much better. But it still doesn't change the I-2 battery situation