Polaroid SX70 repair & common faults
Excellent coverageThe Polaroid SX70 is a folding SLR instant camera from the early 1970s, notable for ejecting its own developing print and for carrying its power supply inside the film pack rather than the camera body. Exposure is set automatically by an electric eye, and both the shutter and the film-ejection motor draw on that pack battery, so most electrical faults trace back to power reaching those two mechanisms.
Folding single-lens reflex body · Electric eye aperture-priority auto exposure · Electronic leaf shutter · Motor-driven film ejection · Powered by the battery in each SX70 film pack
Common Polaroid SX70 faults
Polaroid SX70 won't eject film
This usually points to the motor that drives ejection, which draws its power from the battery sealed inside each film pack rather than from the camera. A dead or exhausted pack battery is the most common cause, worth trying a fresh pack first. If a fresh pack still won't move, the fault sits with the motor or the ejection gearing itself, which is a more involved repair.
Polaroid SX70 mirror stuck or viewfinder is dark
The SX70 folds around a mirror that reflects the image up into the viewfinder, and its mechanism can stick with age, leaving the finder dark or the reflex action loose. It's a positional fault in the folding mechanism rather than anything electrical, and doesn't affect the exposure itself. Check the camera is fully unfolded and locked open, since a half open body will also darken the finder.
Polaroid SX70 photos come out too dark or too light
Exposure on the SX70 is set automatically by an electric eye on the front of the camera reading the light and setting the shutter accordingly. Consistently dark or overexposed prints usually mean that cell or its circuit has drifted or failed, rather than anything wrong with the film. A dirty or obstructed eye window is worth checking, but a persistent bias points to the metering itself.
Polaroid SX70 shutter won't fire
No click or motor response when the shutter button is pressed usually means the fault is electronic rather than mechanical, since the SX70's shutter and its trigger circuit are both powered from the film pack battery. Worth confirming the pack is seated properly and has power before assuming a fault. If a fresh pack makes no difference, the shutter release circuit or solenoid is the likely cause.
Polaroid SX70 light leaks or fogged photos
The bellows that fold between the lens and the film form a light seal, and on a camera this age the material can crack or split at the fold lines. Light entering there shows up as fogging or streaks on the print rather than near the shutter itself, pointing to the bellows rather than the shutter or film. There's no useful check for this without opening the body.
Polaroid SX70 won't fold flat or close properly
The SX70's fold flat body relies on a linkage of hinges and struts that can stiffen or fall out of alignment with age, leaving the camera reluctant to open fully or slow to close. This is mechanical wear in the hinge system rather than anything electrical, and it's separate from any exposure or shutter fault. There's no useful owner check beyond confirming nothing is caught in the hinges.
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Try it now ›Scatto is a reference tool for people who service film cameras. It explains mechanisms and quotes service data, but it cannot see your camera at the bench, so verify anything load-bearing before you act on it.