Sadly not in time for the holidays, but perhaps a treat for the new year – a project out of the Lego Ideas fan platform is about to bring the iconic OneStep SX-70 instant camera back to life through a 516-brick set.
The Polaroid SX-70 fold-flat instant camera was launched in 1972 by company founder Edwin H. Land, and it became an instant – though quite pricey – hit, even accompanying Skylab astronauts in 73 and 74. A markedly cheaper version called the OneStep followed in 1977, and it's this model that inspired the boxy look of the Lego Ideas: Polaroid OneStep SX-70.
The idea for the project came from YouTube channel host Marc of MinibrickProductions, who said "The OneStep took a little over a month from design to completion. I actually started designing it while on vacation in France since I couldn’t wait to build it […] I’ve always loved the design of the Polaroid OneStep. It’s incredibly iconic and shows up everywhere!"
The 516-piece build sports a working viewfinder, with a Polaroid rainbow stripe running over top of the body, and there's an exposure dial plus a red shutter release button. A Time-Zero Supercolor Land Film pack is also constructed using Lego bricks, and contains three cartoon "photos" (including one of Edward H. Land), which can be loaded into the camera via a film door to the front and ejected when the button is pressed.
So, no. The Lego project doesn't function as an instant camera, which is perhaps a shame but such a build would cost way more that the US$79.99 retail price of the new kit. Lego has decided to make the most of its non-functional nature though, with a "photography-led" marketing campaign that "includes a ‘NOT SHOT ON LEGO Polaroid Camera’ sticker being slapped across photos in surprising places – subtly making every photo ever taken, a part of the campaign."
The Lego Ideas: Polaroid OneStep SX-70 kit is up for pre-order now, and will go on general sale from January 1 2024. Could it become as much of a must-have display piece as original cameras? Probably not, but it is a fun project all the same.
Product page: Lego Ideas: Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera
