To celebrate 50 years of the Polaroid SX-70, Retrospect is launching a limited edition 24K gold version for a cool $999. You might think the Milwaukee-based restorer of vintage Polaroids is mad for coming up with such a luxurious model but for a Polaroid lover flashed with cash, could this be the ultimate collector’s piece?
The 24K gold SX-70 is a camera that would look just as at home on Snoop Dogg’s shelf as it would in Kylie Jenner’s handbag. Oozing extravagance it rivals the 24K gold-plated Nikon FA we found at The Photography Show a few years ago only with the excitement of instant film photos. The original SX-70 has been deconstructed by technicians at Retrospekt and restored using original parts before being gold-plated and serialized.
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Just 50 of these fully-working limited edition cameras will be available but at more than triple what a standard SX-70 would set you back but it’s hard to imagine who might spend so much on a blinged-up version.
Released in 1972, the Polaroid SX-70 was the world's first instant film consumer camera. People were able to print photos without taking them to a laboratory using a chemical process developed by Edwin H. Land - the founder of Polaroid. Over the next 10 years, the popularity of Polaroid cameras skyrocketed and by the mid-1970s Polaroid has sold over 700,000 units.
Instant film cameras have made a real comeback in the last few years with the birth of the Fujifilm Instax and The Impossible Project bringing Polaroid back to life. Previously, Retrospekt has released limited edition cameras in collaboration with Pepsi, Barbie and Fendi but this gold number is by far its most luxe.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a gold Paolroid though, in fact, when Polaroid was in its heyday it used to be given to employees for dedicated service to the company. However, the few that still exist are very rare and highly sought after making the Restrospeckt 24K SX-70 a collector’s item from the start.
The Polaroid 50th anniversary edition will go on sale on 4 November for an RRP of $999. Purchases can be made through the Retrospekt website and film must be bought separately. Cameras come in a limited-edition gold box with a gold-printed brochure.
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