Berkey Keystone Wizard XF 1000

The Berkey Keystone Wizard XF 1000 is an instant camera. Berkey Keystone is a part of Berkey Photo Inc, a former camera manufacturer from the USA. The company was based in White Plains (New York) and specialized mainly in the simple cameras for 126-cassettes and pocket films.

The XF 1000 is an instant camera for the Polaroid SX-70 format. In terms of appearance and functions, it is reminiscent of the SX-70 box cameras of the instant film pioneer, but the XF 1000 was not manufactured by Polaroid, but by the New York company itself. Keystone was in a patent infringement lawsuit with Polaroid in 1975 over patents for their SX70-compatible camera.

It incorporates an “f:8.8 Keytar Color Corrected 115 mm” lens. Focusing is manual; exposure time and aperture cannot be set by the photographer.

The exposure is set by the camera itself with its CdS automatic exposure control. You can influence the exposure somewhat with a small control on the top of the camera. Power for the exposure meter and film transport comes from a battery in the film cassette.

Films for the Berkey Keystone Wizard XF 1000 are again made by The Impossible Project in an old Polaroid factory in the Netherlands. All films from Impossible that are designed for the SX-70 format can also be used in this instant camera. The most current color film for this format is the Polaroid Color Film for 600*.

Images taken with the instant camera have a size of 8.8 x 10.7 cm. The captured image is square and surrounded by a frame.

Taking the picture itself is as usual simple, find the subject, choose the right distance by turning the lens, look through the viewfinder and press the shutter button, which is located on the right side of the camera top from the photographer. Depending on the light, a flash bar can also be added to the top of the Berkey Keystone Wizard XF 1000.

Other models

In Germany, the XF-1000 was sold under the name “Porst Magic 500“. The Wizard XF-1500 is similar to the XF-1000, but has a built-in flash.