Polaroid SX-70 image problem at bottom of photo

Alar · Sep 18, 2017

Hi, I have recently purchased a Polaroid SX-70. The camera is in great condition and works fine except that almost systematically (12 out of 16 photos) I see small white streaks at the bottom of photo (see image). The streaks are not always exactly at the same place. This happened with Impossible SX-70 film and Impossible 600 with ND filter. I have cleaned the rollers with no result. Any suggestions are welcome, thanks!

limr · Sep 18, 2017

As far as I know, they're just par for the course. Rollers don't always roll the chemicals evenly and so you'll sometimes get 'empty' spots along the top, bottom, or corners. I get the same with my SX-70. Could be a dry patch in the chemicals, uneven roller pressure or speed.

Gorgeous shot, btw!

jcdeboever · Sep 19, 2017

I will be ordering some film for mine soon. Just been traveling too much lately. Nice to see the price drop on the Polaroid website. I need to order a frog tongue too.

Alar · Sep 19, 2017

limr said:
As far as I know, they're just par for the course. Rollers don't always roll the chemicals evenly and so you'll sometimes get 'empty' spots along the top, bottom, or corners. I get the same with my SX-70. Could be a dry patch in the chemicals, uneven roller pressure or speed.

Gorgeous shot, btw!

Thanks! I have indeed seen this on other published Polaroids but thought there might be a solution.

terri · Sep 19, 2017

Alar said:
limr said:

As far as I know, they're just par for the course. Rollers don't always roll the chemicals evenly and so you'll sometimes get 'empty' spots along the top, bottom, or corners. I get the same with my SX-70. Could be a dry patch in the chemicals, uneven roller pressure or speed.

Gorgeous shot, btw!

Click to expand...

Thanks! I have indeed seen this on other published Polaroids but thought there might be a solution.

No real solution - just keep shooting the film, and using the camera. If your rollers are kept clean and seem to be working smoothly, it likely has more to do with the film itself and the chemistry inside. I used to get numerous perfect prints from the Polaroid company, in days of old. Expired Polaroid film was usually the biggest culprit, or dirty rollers. Even a little accumulated gunk on the rollers can throw off the pressure.

Nowadays, the biggest challenge has been re-formulating these emulsions to their former high standards and getting enough product out there to keep making more! It's definitely gotten better than where they were even a few years ago. This shot is lovely, and the colors are beautiful. Progress!! :heartpump:

vintagesnaps · Sep 19, 2017

I agree it's probably the rollers because of the whitish streaks. I've had that happen before and cleaned the rollers and still got a smear, and cleaned them again, and still got smearing... took a few? several? cleanings to get every little tiny bit.

I'm wondering so you don't waste film if you could put in an empty cartridge and a dark slide and release the shutter a number of times. Seems like I did that before; of course the dark slide would eject and you'd have to keep putting it back in (by opening the camera and reloading it on top of the empty film cartridge). I think that worked but I can't guarantee it; but better to waste a dark slide by it getting streaky instead of your pictures. If there's gunk on the rollers it should start wearing off. If you keep getting this effect I'd start wondering if the camera isn't feeding film properly thru the rollers.

I haven't had anything like this happen with The Impossible Project film itself. If it's older, expired, or factory seconds/rejects they'd sometimes sell in a brown paper bag, I might get divots where the emulsion seems like it dried up or hadn't spread.