Redesigned Polaroid SX-70 Folding Camera Features New Body and Lens
Chinese photography company 10Art.CC is developing a new foldable instant camera based on the Polaroid SX-70, the Pocket Fold 66.
As reported by Kosmo Foto, the Pocket Fold 66 pays homage to Polaroid’s legendary SX-70 folding instant film camera. However, 10Art.CC emphasizes that its upcoming folding camera is not simply a spruced-up SX-70, but rather a camera redesigned from the ground up.
The company says it has “optimized all components and redesigned the entire optical system, electronic system, [and] mechanical transmission system.”
“This is not imitation, it is re-made,” 10Art.CC adds. The only component it says it has retained from the original Polaroid SX-70 is the folding structure, because it is extremely compact and clever.
“Here, I admire Dr. Land’s ingenuity,” 10Art.CC says.
The Polaroid SX-70 folding single-lens reflex Land camera was designed by Dr. Edwin Herbert Land, co-founder of Polaroid. The camera has earned a fervent cult following more than 40 years after its production run (1972-1981) ended.

The Polaroid SX-70 has gotten a new lease on life thanks in large part to modern redesign efforts from companies like MiNT Camera and Retrospekt, both of which have built new cameras around the SX-70 framework.
The 10Art.CC Pocket Fold 66 is still in development, but the company says it will be built using aviation-grade aluminum alloy and feature a new 110mm f/5.6 Macro 1x aspherical lens. The camera will be able to focus from 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) to infinity, feature an optical viewfinder, automatic metering with exposure compensation, and a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
The original Polaroid SX-70 is 180 by 105 by 43 millimeters (7.1 by 4.1 by 1.7 inches) when folded, while 10Art.CC says its redesigned folding camera will be 160 by 100 by 45 millimeters (6.3 by 3.9 by 1.8 inches) in its folded state.
10Art.CC is inviting 200 photographers to get in on the project at a reduced price of 4,399 Chinese yuan, which is around $613 at current exchange rates. However, this presale, currently only available through customer service, is essentially being made blind since no final photos of the Pocket Fold 66 are available yet. Based on this presale page, the final retail price will be 4,999 Chinese yuan, which is about $700. Final availability has not been revealed, but the 10Art.CC Pocket Fold 66 folding camera is slated to arrive sometime this year.
This price is quite a bit less than MiNT’s SLR670, which starts at $1,000. Retrospect’s refurbished SX-70 cameras start at $370, although upgraded models cost more.
Image credits: 10Art.CC unless otherwise noted
