Polaroid Pronto B User manual

This book contains the basic operating
instructions  for the Polaroid Pronto! series
Land cameras without rangef inders. Your
camera may differ in appearance from the
one shown here.


THERE'S A NUMBER YOU CAN CALL

 lf you ever have a question about your cam-
era, about your pictures, or about instant
photography  in general, please call us. From
anywhere in the continental U.S.A. except
Massachusetts, cal  I tol l-free
            800-225-1 384
From Massachusetts and Canada, call collect
 (617) 864-4568. Calls may be made Monday-
 Friday, B a.m. to 5 p.m., your localtime.

 For further information about Polaroid
 Customer Service, see page 41.




 Film
 Your camera uses only Polaroid SX-70 Land
 film. Each  f ilm pack provides len31/ax31/a
 inch (B x B cm) color pictures. Each pack
 contains a battery that powers the camera

 Flash
 Your camera uses FlashBars. Each FlashBar
 has ten bulbs,  f ive on each side.

Polaroid Pronto! B Land camera


      Contents
        All about your camera
 a o-   How to hold the bamera
              to view your subject                              '11  LUFa   How
     How to set the distance                       tz a
                                                    f ilm                         15 co   How to load
    How to take a picture                      16
     What you need to know about  f lash        23
     Making good   f lash pictures              24
     Making good daylight pictures           27 /nz
 )<    Using flash in daylight
      Tips for better pictures
     The Lighten/Darken  control                    JI  IuJ(rlFr\     Taking pictures in hot and cold weather 40 o-
      Electronic flash                         40
     Need help? Call Customer Service         41
z   The  f ilm shade                         +z
     Camera, film and oicrure care            45
r    Troubleshooting                         49
                                                54LLz    Fullwarranty
-J    Repairs                                55
E   Copies and enlargements                q7
UJz     Accessories                            57LUo
     Service Centers                         58

<  ALL ABour YouR CAMERA


    What you do

     Just set the lens for the correct camera-to-
 E subject distance, compose the picture in the     viewfinder, and squeeze the shutter button.

    what the camera does
 g once you press the shutter button, all opera-
 €  tions from setting the correct exposure to the
ac development of the  f inished color picture will
     take place automatical  ly.

    Exoosure control:
y'  In daylight, exposure  is controlled by the     electric eye (a photocell) located next to the
    camera lens. The electric eye governs the
 n     permitting                  . .:   just the right amount of light to
     r€?ch the film. With flash, the lens distance
     setting influences the proper exposure (see
    page74).

     Picture development:
    Once the picture has been taken,  it is driven
     through the development rollers inside the
    camera and out through the exit slot at the
      front of the camera. The picture will develop
     before your eyes, even in the light.

Venmo @mike-butkus-camera  Ph. 2083
PayPal Name  Lynn@butkus.org      www.PayPal.me/lynnbutkus

HOW TO HOLD THE CAMERA


                   With your left hand:

                   Get a good grip on the camera, in order to
                    hold  it steady for picture-taking.

                    Hold the camera in the palm of your left
                      hand...


                               ,..oR

W
                      grip the camera with your left hand over the
                       viewf inder.

                 Be sure that your  f ingers do not block:
                              . the electric eye, or
                              . the slot where the picture comes out of the
                     camera.

With your right hand:

Press your right thumb against the picture
counter, as shown, to keep the camera steady.





You will use your right forefinger to operate
the shutter button; curl your other  f ingers into
your palm so they are not in  f ront of the slot
where the picture will come out.

Without film in the camera, squeeze the
shutter button a few times to get a feel for how
 it works.

Be sure to keep the camera steady while
squeezing the shutter button -  if the camera
moves, your pictures may be  f uzzy.

HOW TO SET THE DISTANCE


In order to get sharp, clear pictures, you must
always set the lens for the correct camera-to-
subject distance.

Estimate or measure the distance from the
camera lens to your subject, then turn the
lens until that distance is opposite the mark
on top of the camera. In the picture at the
right, the lens is set to 5 feet (1.5 meters).

HOW TO LOAD FILM


           Use only Polaroid SX-70 Land film.

                                                'l . Push the latch all the way forward until the
                                       f ilm compartment door drops down.

                 2. Be careful not to squeeze the  f ilm pack.
            Holding  it by its edges and right side up, as
            shown, insert the pack into the camera. Then,
            push  it allthe way in.
                  3. When you close the front of the camera, the
                                      f ilm cover will be ejected through the slot, as
            shown. Be caref ul that your  f ingers do not
              block the slot.  lf the  f ilm cover does not come
                out, see page 49.
           The black "shade" that came out with the film
              cover, then snapped back into the camera,  ts
            described on page 42.
                4. Remove the film cover. you're now readv
               to begin taking pictures.
           The picture counter on the back of the camera
               will now read 1 0. lt counts down, to tell you
          how many pictures you have left to shoot.
           (Whenever you insert a film pack-whether
          new or partially used -the counter will reser
             to 10.)

          To remove an empty film pack: pull  it out bv
             the yellow tab.
15

BEFORE YOU TAKE YOUR FIRST
PICTURE

With  f lash: Please read pages 23-25.

In daylight:Please read pages 27-29.

In daylight with  f lash: Please read pages 30-33.


HOW TO TAKE A PICTURE


Hold the camera steady. Press your right
thumb forward against the counter window,
then gently squeeze the shutter button with
your right forefinger and hold  it in until all
camera sounds stop.

The camera will automatically make the cor-
rect exposure and, a moment later, eject the
developing picture.

Remove the picture by its wide border.

Although the developing picture can be
handled immediately, be careful not to bend
or squeeze   it.

At first, the picture will be blank...

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
          FLASH PICTURES


               For indoor pictures, use flash. The yellow line
             on the distance scale indicates the flash range.
            You can take flash pictures of subjects 3_.l2
                feet (about 1-3.7m) away.

                 In certain situations, using flash willresutt in
           much better daylight pictures. Details are on
            page 30.

             With the camera pointing away from you,
                insert a  't 0-bulb FlashBar. After shooiing  f ive
               pictures, remove the FlashBar and turn lt            around for  f ive more flashes. The camera       t
             automatically picks out the next fresh butb.
             so you can remove a parily_used FlashBar
           and use the rest of it another time.                 h          Once all the bulbs on the side of the FlashBar
             facing front have been fired, the camera will
              not operate.  lf the camera does not operate
          when an unused side of a FlashBar faces                  h                front, reverse the FlashBar or insert a new one.
                          lf you can then take a picture, the  f irst side
          was defective. Contact Customer Service.                           ft
            Flash pictures should not be taken where the
           armosphere contains gases or dust that may
          be ignited by a spark.



23

MAKING GOOD FLASH PICTURES


 1. Set the distance caref ully

The distance setting influences both sharp-
ness and exposure for  f lash pictures.  lf the
distance is not set accurately, a  f lash picture
may be too light or too dark, and tuzzy.

2. Watch the background

Try to place your subject near a light-
colored background for the best overall
exposure.  (lf the background is a white wall,
place your subject a little farther  f rom it.)

Avoid dark or distant backgrounds. Also don't
shoot toward reflective backgrounds like
paneled walls and polished or shiny surfaces.
A shiny background can cause a "hot spot"
(ref lection of the  f lash) in your picture. lf you
must shoot toward such a surface, shoot at
an ang le rather than straight on.

3. Arrange groups

When you're taking pictures of groups, each
subject should be about the same distance
from the camera. Then allwill be  lit evenly by
the  f lash.

And, don't forget: Hold the camera steady.


                                                   24

MAKING GOOD DAYLIGHT PICTURES


 In general, place your subjects so the light
 falls on them from behind you or from the
 side. Also, try to place your subjects so the
 light falling on them and on the background
 is even.

 The electric eye works best when the light is
 approximately the same brightness over most
 of the scene. Uneven lighting can "fool" the
 electric eye and the result will be a picture in
which your main subject is too light ortoo
 dark (see next page).
Sharpness - from near to far- in daylight
On bright, sunny days,  if you set the lens dis-
tance scale to 15 ft. (4.6m), everything from
about B ft. (2.5m) to the most distant scene
will be sharp in the finished picture.

Do not attempt to use this technique on over-
cast days or in dim light. In those conditions,
the electric eye has to set a larger lens open-
ing for correct exposure; this leads to a more
limited range of sharpness. Also, do not use
this method with flash.

How the background affects exposure

lf a large part of the background is much
darker than your main subject, the electric
eye will tend to set the exposure forthe dark
background, and your subject will be too light
in the picture (left).

To avoid this result, move in close to your
subject to reduce the effect the background
has on the electric eye, or set the Lighten/
Darken control 1 or 2 marks toward Darken,
(see page 38).


lf a large part of the background is brighter
than your main subject, the electric eye will
tend to set the exposure for the bright back-
ground, and your subject will be too dark in
the picture (right).

To avoid this result, move in close to your
subject to reduce the effect of the background
on the electric eye, or set the Lighten/Darken
control 1 or 2 marks toward Lighten (see page
3B). Or use  f lash, as described on page 30.

USING FLASH IN DAYLIGHT


With this camera you can use a combination
of  f lash and daylight. The electronic control
circuitry in the camera was designed to read
both the daylight and the light from the
FlashBar, and combine them to produce a
properly exposed picture. When using   f lash
outdoors, you soon will come to know for
yourself the wide range of opportunities for
taking luminous, colorful pictures which you
might not otherwise have taken.

For best results, remember these require-
ments. Set the distance scale accurately.
Forthe most natural combination of daylight
and Jlash, the subject should be 3-12 feet
 (about 1-3.7m) from the camera, 5-6 feet
 (about 1.5-1.8m) giving particularly impres-
 sive results. Here are typical ways  f lash can
 be of helP in daYlight.

  lf the subject is in the shade and the back-
 ground is bright, the exposure  is in danger ol
 being either too much for the background or                                                                                                                                                                                                             'l
 too little Jorthe subject. By adding flash, as                                                                                                                                 I
 shown at right, you can create an attractive,
 sunny, bright picture.





                                                           30

When the subject is lit by strong sunlight,
             using   f lash can soften or eliminate unpleasant,
             harsh shadows, as shown at left.

          A face that is lit only by a blue sky, and is not
              lighted directly by the sun, would have a
               bluish, cold appearance. The addition of
              flash provides the sense of sunshine.

                In dim light, without flash, the shutter witl
            remain open for a relatively long exposure
              time, resulting in blurred pictures unless a
              tripod is used. Using   f lash reduces the
            exposure time and results in sharp pictures.





33

:   trps FoR BETTER PrcruREs


   Move in close

    Get a big, clear image of your subject in the
     viewf inder.

   Watch the background

    Keep  it simple. Compose your pictures so the
    main subject is the point of interest.

    Include color

   Add colorful props like flowers, toys,
     bright clothing; look for a colorful background
    near which you can place your subjects.

   Frame scenics carefully

   When shooting distant scenes, include some-
    thing in the foreground -to serve as a natural
    frame, or to show depth or dimension.


   Always set the distance scale correctly,
   and hold the camera steady when shooting.





                                                       34

THE LIGHTEN/DARKEN CONTROL


            Your camera automatically sets the correct
            exposure for you - in bright light, in dim light,
           and with flash. Generally, no exposure adjust-
           ment is necessary, and the Lighten/Darken
              control should be left at the normal position,
          shown at the left.

           Only under certain outdoor conditions should
           you  f ind it necessary to use the Lighten/
           Darken control. These conditions are
              illustrated on the next page.

         When using   f lash, you should seldom need to
            use the Lighten/Darken control.  lf you get a
                                   f lash picture that is too light or too dark, the
          camera probably was not set for the correct
            camera-to-subject distance. Before trying an
           L/D setting, check to be sure you have set the
             d istance scale accurately.





37

The bright background causes the subject to
 be too dark in picture A. By setting the
 Lighten/Darken  control one or two marks
 toward Lighten, the subject receives normal
 exposure, picture B.


                           Setting:
                                                       'l                      mark toward Lighten


 The dark background causes the sublect to
 be too lrght in picture C. By setting the
 Lighten/Darken  control one or two marks
 toward Darken, the subiect receives normal
 exposure, picture D.



                          Setting:
                         1 mark toward Darken


When making an adjustment  to correct a
previous exposure, always take the second
picture under exactly the same conditions:
same subject, same position and distance,
same lighting.

Reset the Lighten/Darken control to normal
when the special setting is no longer needed.     3g

TAKING PICTURES IN HOT AND
COLD WEATHER


When it is hot, keep your camera, film and
developing pictures away from hot "baking"
conditions like direct sun, hot cars and all hot
surf aces.

When  it is cold, keep your camera and film
warm. Put each developing picture immedi-
ately into a warm inside pocket for at least
three minutes.

See film box for details.

ELECTRONIC FLASH
Some electronic flash units may work well
 with your camera, others will not. Some could
 even damage the camera. Before you buy'
 check with your dealer or with the manufac-
 turer of the electronic  f lash unit to make
 sure it's suitable for your camera. Or ask
 Polaroid Customer Service (see next page).