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here is my process for modifying "rigid body / non folding" SX70's to use 600 intregal film packs. no filters required and it is not necessary to remove the photocell lens and replace it with clear plastic.  this mod does not disable the light/dark adjustment function on the camera. all rigid body models employ the same housing and primary photocell filter, which was calibrated at the factory. the primary photocell filter is what we will adjust. this mod is very simple and will work on the following models:

USA Models:

Encore.
OneStep. 
OneStep Plus.
Presto.
Pronto. (including the following models of B, Extra, Plus, RF, S, and SM) 
Pronto Sonar OneStep.  (addendum) > http://unclear.livejournal.com/21321.html?thread=51529#t51529
Super Clincher.
TheButton.
TimeZero OneStep.
TimeZero Pronto AF.

International Models:

Model 500, 1000, 1000S, 1500, 2000, 3000.
Instant 1000, 1000Deluxe.
Sonar AutoFocus.
SuperColor 1000, 1000 Deluxe, AutoFocus, AutoFocus3500.

as an example, here are two photos, taken before and after the mod. both were under filtered light (overcast) with the photo cell at neutral, no flash.



quite a difference.

the model for this tutorial is the OneStep and is the same for all models previously listed. this mod requires removeing the face of the camera and making an adjustment and replaceing the face. 

tools needed: putty or butter knife, pin or icepick.
time frame: 10 minutes.

throughout the procedure, keep the camera faceing upwards

1- open the film bay door.


2-squeeze the top and bottom of the case as shown to create a gap.


3-insert your flat blade as shown and angle out, to lift the face past its clip. repeat on other side.


4-lift face off. you can now see the tabs that hold the face on. one on each side.


5- You are now going to adjust the primary photocell filter, which is preset at the factory.
take a pointed tool, ie, pin, icepick or a hobbyknife and rotate the gear that can be seen to the right of the photocell eye. rotation is counter clock wise or, since the exposed gear is on the right, rotate it upwards until it stops. it doesn't travel far. this sets the primary filter at its lightest possible setting.


modification complete. its now time to put the face back on the camera. with the camera facing up as shown in pics 2, 3 & 4 just drop the face back on. you may notice that the shutter button is on a floating connection, so it may be necessary to steer the button into the button opening, so the face will travel all the way down and the holding tabs in pic 4 seat properly. the view finder may move slightly as well, if it does steer it into position as the face goes back on. your good to go.



600 FILM use in the SX-70 models listed above. there are four protrusions or tabs on the bottom, back side of 600 film carriers. sand or cut off the two outer tabs, or all four if you like, so the film carrier will insert into the camera.

for those of you that would like to know a bit more about what has been done here......................

with inconsistancies through the years of manufacture, constant improvements in the quality of componants and film as well, there was a window left open to calibrate the final product to compensate for these slight variations. as film or componants changed, for production purposes, there was a need to compensate without changing everything in the camera. this adjustment mechanism included a primary, four section density filter, just in front of the photocell, which was calibrated at the factory to offset any of the slight variations.  the four sections of this filter consisted of 8 degrees of filtration, or, a two stop difference per panel. these models were set approximately half way between the second and third panel, or, the middle. 

since 600 film is approximately four times faster than SX-70 time zero film, we are adjusting the filter to change the way the photocell reads light conditions. from the factory setting of the middle of panel two and three, we are adjusting it to where just half of the first panel (lightest) is covering the photocell, resulting in a difference of four stops. its really quite beautiful in its simplicity. here is a pic to show what you have adjusted.



 

Comments

[info]shitfart wrote:
Dec. 23rd, 2007 09:55 am (UTC)
hey loved the detailed instruction!
thank you!

But i've got a problem.
I did as above but my photos came out blur.
like i got shaky hands.
[info]unclear wrote:
Dec. 23rd, 2007 03:36 pm (UTC)
what model camera? you did rotate the filter counter clockwise (exposed gear up)? If rotation was opposite (exposed gear down) it would set the filter to its darkest setting and result in an extended exposure and without a tripod would result in motion blur.
[info]shitfart wrote:
Dec. 24th, 2007 02:29 am (UTC)
exactly the same one as the one in the photo
except its 1000 instead of onestep.

[info]unclear wrote:
Dec. 24th, 2007 02:11 pm (UTC)
yes, i remember, you have the light attachment. did you rotate the gear up or down?
[info]shitfart wrote:
Dec. 25th, 2007 04:26 am (UTC)
all the way up.
the film still takes quite a while to come out too though.
is it normal?
[info]unclear wrote:
Dec. 25th, 2007 04:05 pm (UTC)
some are quicker than others. the gear train of the motor drive ensures consistant motion to spread the chemicals evenly.

since the filter adjustment is correct then i would consider light source to be suspect. unless flash is used or subject is brightly lit, the photocell will read the light level and adjust accordingly. simply put, flash or bright light will result in a shorter exposure time and result in a crisp image. if light levels are not sufficient, the exposure extends and will result in motion blur without a steady hand or secure mount. remember, (light adjustment) darkest setting is shortest exposure, lightest setting is the longest exposure
[info]spiralnotebooks wrote:
Dec. 29th, 2007 02:00 am (UTC)
hey I used this, thanks!
[info]unclear wrote:
Dec. 29th, 2007 02:19 pm (UTC)
your very welcome
[info]____endendbegin wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2008 04:28 pm (UTC)
wow this is awesome!!! thank you!
[info]unclear wrote:
Jan. 10th, 2008 04:35 pm (UTC)
your very welcome :) ha ha, i always laugh at the camo boxer shot

Edited at 2008-01-10 04:37 pm (UTC)
[info]klaxify wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2008 02:47 am (UTC)
Hey, so I did this on my 2000 and just before i put the face back on i noticed that something had fallen out. it looks something like this:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=6dr7r4&s=3
(Sorry about the dodgy drawing, I didn't have a digicam on me).
Any idea where it might go?
[info]unclear wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2008 03:06 pm (UTC)
sorry, got my lj goofed up. now that i re-read your Q, i do know where its from and can't figure out how it came out as it is not accessable from the area you are working on. it is a mechanical sensor, it hangs from that pivot hole, on a pin. it is located on the shutter button side of the camera and when installed, it is visible in the film bay. for now, lets call it a tab, or finger, that hangs down at an angle. when the film cartridge is inserted, it gets pushed upwards to indicate that there is film in the camera. just what it is in relation to is what i will find out.

got it (i think). it is related to the film counter and is what allows the mechanism to count and reset to zero when unloading a spent film cartridge. from what i see, the entire part did not come out of your camera, the actual part is bigger and only a piece of it came out. i do not think that it will stop you from useing the camera, you just won't know how many prints are left

Edited at 2008-02-05 04:35 pm (UTC)
(Anonymous) wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2008 09:06 pm (UTC)
Ah! I know exactly what you're talking about, I thought it went on that pin but couldnt figure out which way or why. The film counter isn't working so you're right! I guess the next step is put some film in and see what happens. thank you!
[info]unclear wrote:
Feb. 5th, 2008 11:43 pm (UTC)
this is where it should be. shutter button side of film bay. there is a bit of disection to get at this even after the guts are out of the caseing. i have more detailed pics if needed

Photobucket

Edited at 2008-02-05 11:54 pm (UTC)
[info]jennyingram wrote:
Feb. 19th, 2008 10:06 pm (UTC)
you've got some good ideas
[info]unclear wrote:
Feb. 19th, 2008 11:06 pm (UTC)
well thank you. i try, well i don't try, i just can't sit still. if i could only funnel this interest into work, i would be fine
[info]jennyingram wrote:
Feb. 20th, 2008 12:47 am (UTC)
my partner is the similar, he'd much prefer to come up with new ideas that seldom come into fruition than sit down and watch a movie.
[info]unclear wrote:
Feb. 20th, 2008 01:10 am (UTC)
oh, my ideas become reality, its just that i should be working instead of my insane interest in these cameras :)
(Anonymous) wrote:
Mar. 13th, 2008 10:51 pm (UTC)
Yes!
I just did this in my One Step. Works pretty fine =D

Thanks!

http://flickr.com/photos/ikuanna_gallery/
[info]unclear wrote:
Mar. 14th, 2008 01:17 pm (UTC)
Re: Yes!
congratulations. its so simple. there is also a way to pull the little spring things and bend the ends so they don't interfere with the tabs on the film pack. enjoy
(Anonymous) wrote:
Mar. 18th, 2008 05:14 am (UTC)
Re: Yes!
I have a Pronto, and you only listed B. Does that mean that mine will work with this mod as well?
[info]unclear wrote:
Mar. 18th, 2008 12:24 pm (UTC)
Re: Yes!
Yes, its for the pronto, including the additional variations of models B, Extra, Plus, RF, S, SM and Pronto Sonar OneStep. I will edit the list in an effort to make it clear. good luck, joe
(Anonymous) wrote:
Mar. 21st, 2008 03:29 am (UTC)
Done!
I modified my rigid sx70 1000 two days ago and I want to thank you for this little modification tutorial. Camera works wonderfully!
[info]unclear wrote:
Mar. 21st, 2008 01:29 pm (UTC)
Re: Done!
your very welcome,that is good news. pass it on. can i ask your username on flickr to look out for your results? joe
(Anonymous) wrote:
Mar. 22nd, 2008 12:13 am (UTC)
flickr name
Hi joe, yep no problem. My username is noobits and I'm based in Australia =)
[info]unclear wrote:
Mar. 22nd, 2008 12:23 am (UTC)
Re: flickr name
thanks, i'll check you out. joe
[info]haleypanda wrote:
Mar. 23rd, 2008 02:08 am (UTC)
I found this through a google search, thank you so much! I'm trying this out momentarily. I'll definitely post back with my results :D
[info]unclear wrote:
Mar. 23rd, 2008 01:33 pm (UTC)
your welcome. thanks for letting me know and will look forward to your results. good luck. joe
(Anonymous) wrote:
Mar. 26th, 2008 08:43 am (UTC)
Thanks for this , I now try with my camera one step , the button , sonar onestep
Thanks for a technic . This is very helpful .
[info]unclear wrote:
Mar. 26th, 2008 11:58 am (UTC)
Re: Thanks for this , I now try with my camera one step , the button , sonar onestep
cool. you will be happy with the results. good luck. joe
(Anonymous) wrote:
Mar. 29th, 2008 11:31 am (UTC)
Thanks again
Thanks for this , I now try with my camera one step , the button , sonar onestep
Thanks for a technic . This is very helpful .

this is me , who poat this massage.
just want to shar more .(sorry for my english - it is not my mother language)

for Sonar onestep open in the top part first . that had words auto and manual . put it out then to open the front the lock is in the buttom on a part that it is open film pack and the last lock it is in the top of camera (same place that you open auto manual) .
Now you can open it . the adjust is little hide if you model had red light warning it is under it.

Hope this help.
[info]unclear wrote:
Mar. 29th, 2008 01:11 pm (UTC)
Re: Thanks again
thank you. very good addition to data for sonar onestep users
(Anonymous) wrote:
Apr. 12th, 2008 07:10 pm (UTC)
Found myself a polaroid 1000 on a fleamarket today and tried your mod; works like a charm! Thank you!
[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 12th, 2008 07:32 pm (UTC)
you are very welcome. enjoy
[info]____endendbegin wrote:
Apr. 16th, 2008 09:23 pm (UTC)
i have a sonar onestep that i'd like to modify, but i can't find the gear that you move. any suggestions? i read the thing above, but i still can't figure it out.


[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 16th, 2008 10:40 pm (UTC)
I apologize, i should have made note that on this particular model, it is hard to find. you can still get at it though, without any further disassembly. a magnifying glass and strong light or flashlight will help. On this model the gears are finer and harder to see. it is obscured, so you will only see a small portion of it. you will need an ice pick or pin to adjust it.

1-facing the camera, you will be looking to the right of the photocell eye, (light/dark adjuster). the gear is directly behind, at the same height, off to the right.

2-rotate the camera to the left, so you are peeking in at an angle, between the case and the camera components, just under the viewfinder.

3- it sits back approximately 1/4" to 3/8" and the same distance down from the viewfinder. (the viewfinder does slide out for a better view, just make note of the viewfinders orientation, as it fits in one way only).

3-if all else fails and you can't see it, take your pointy tool and probe in that area, you will be able to determine what is stationary and what moves. once located, move it counter clockwise, or upward, until it stops. (when probeing, use upward movements, so as not to accidently move it down and out of reach).

4-done.

let me know how you make out and don't hesitate if you need any more help. good luck, joe

Edited at 2008-04-16 10:41 pm (UTC)
[info]____endendbegin wrote:
Apr. 17th, 2008 12:01 am (UTC)
thank you sooo much. i poked around, but i didn't want to mess anything up. i thought it would be better to check with you first.
[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 17th, 2008 12:35 am (UTC)
thats cool, im glad you did. its in a tough spot and i hope that my description was good enough to get you there. good luck, joe
[info]____endendbegin wrote:
Apr. 17th, 2008 01:42 am (UTC)
i found it. thanks!!!! it took some searching.
[info]____endendbegin wrote:
Apr. 17th, 2008 01:49 am (UTC)
i do actually have another question though. should i adjust my light/dark meter any?
[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 17th, 2008 01:45 pm (UTC)
that is good to hear. your light/dark adjustment will work normally and may have to be adjusted to suite conditions as in any shooting situation
[info]jackcaz wrote:
Apr. 21st, 2008 03:05 am (UTC)
Thanks for the mod, I did it to my Polaroid 1000 Model, but the picture came out really over exposed. Here's the picture

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q41/harro11/IMG-1.jpg

Can you help?
[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 21st, 2008 11:49 am (UTC)
did you adjust the light/dark feature to compensate for bright sun? tell me what the setting was at in this pic as to better analyze the results. joe
[info]jackcaz wrote:
Apr. 21st, 2008 12:54 pm (UTC)
I had the exposure set in the middle. Jack
[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 21st, 2008 04:34 pm (UTC)
Hmmm, strange. Did you try a shot in intermediate light? I just duplicated your shot under bright conditions at neutral light/dark setting and did see a need to adjust it darker for better results, which is common, modified or not. Try a different setting relevant to bright conditions. Dark environ requires a lighter setting and bright environs require a darker setting.
If it persists, i would check to see if you rotated the gear fully, counter clockwise, until it hits the stop.
Please let me know the results. Initially it seems to just need normal setting adjustment according to light conditions. Joe

PS. i just duplicated the same scene with a slr680se with identical results, indicating it is just a user adjust for light conditions. Do let me know.

Edited at 2008-04-21 04:43 pm (UTC)
(Anonymous) wrote:
Apr. 22nd, 2008 05:28 am (UTC)
Hi, thanks so much for you're help. I'm glad it was just a exposure mistake. I'll tell you the results when I get more film. Thanks again.
[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 22nd, 2008 11:49 am (UTC)
you very welcome. i'll keep an eye out for when you post them. good luck. joe
[info]jackcaz wrote:
Apr. 27th, 2008 12:24 pm (UTC)
Hi, I got more film and it works perfectly. Thanks so much for you're help.
[info]unclear wrote:
Apr. 27th, 2008 01:10 pm (UTC)
that is good news, enjoy. will look for the results, get snapping