Polaroid Pronto!
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| 1970s advertising image image by Mark O'Brien (Image rights) |
In 1976, Polaroid introduced a lower-cost, rigid plastic-bodied camera which could accept the same integral film as the pioneering SX-70. This was the Pronto! (officially styled with the exclamation point).
This is a scale focusing model with exposure controlled by a photocell, contained within a small barrel which also allows lighter/darker exposure compensation.
The Pronto! would become the template for a very wide range of rigid-bodied Polaroid models. Outside the US, the Polaroid 2000 was its near twin. The Pronto! B changed to a light slivered front panel and some text around the focusing collar highlighting the lens specifications. The Pronto! SE was another of several minor variations.
Other derivatives would include Pronto! RF / Polaroid 3000 with a rangefinder focusing aid, as well as fixed focus versions like the Presto!, OneStep, and "The Button" models.
A substantially restyled Pronto Sonar OneStep featuring autofocus joined in 1978.
Links
- Polaroid Pronto! B manual from Mike Butkus's OrphanCameras.com
- Description & specs from April, 1976, Petersen's Photographic magazine (Vol. 4, No. 12; page 14)
- Polaroid Pronto! entry at Instant Options
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| Restyled Pronto! B image by maoby (Image rights) |
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| Pronto! Sears Special edition image by Steve Harwood (Image rights) |
