A Flash for the Polaroid SX-70
Throwing away your flash after use seems a bit strange from today's perspective.
A few decades ago, this was not unusual. An example would be cameras from Polaroid, though not all of them.
For your Polaroid SX-70, you would buy a Flashbar along with your pack of film, attach it to the flash, and shoot. After five shots, you had to flip it, and after ten pictures, you could dispose of it and buy a new one.
As with all consumables, you need a steady supply, which is a problem when they are no longer produced. You can still find leftovers, but for how long and at what price is another matter. Unfortunately, a modern hot shoe flash cannot be used (easily) either.
Mint is a company from Hong Kong that specializes in Polaroid cameras and accessories. Besides Impossible films, Mint offers refurbished cameras and repair services, but they also develop their own products.
One product is the Impossible Flash Bar by MiNT for SX-70 cameras, introduced in 2012. Now, with the Mint Flash Bar 2 for Polaroid SX-70, an updated version of this flash unit has been introduced (December 21, 2013). We took a closer look at this device.
If desired, you can also use 600 film without an ND filter in the SX-70 with the Mint Flash Bar 2. Simply set the switch on the back to the middle position, and it will flash weaker, compensating for the higher sensitivity.
Useful if you are shooting with an ND filter in front of the lens and want to remove it, or if you only shoot with flash. I use the ND filters from Impossible that go directly on the film pack, so this function doesn't make much sense for me.
The recharge time of the Mint Flash Bar 2 is specified as 12-25 seconds, according to Mint up to 15 seconds faster than its predecessor. At full power, I measured around 18 seconds until it is fully ready again. Compared to flash units for modern cameras, this is of course an eternity. In most cases, you won't be taking pictures that quickly with your instant camera.
Another new feature of the Mint Flash Bar 2 is that it can be used as a bridge between the camera and another flash unit. It has a 2.5 mm jack socket where you can plug a suitable cable to trigger an external flash. You can choose whether the Flashbar also flashes or not. This becomes very interesting when you connect a radio trigger and can trigger multiple flashes, for example in a studio.
Why no suitable cable is included, I don't really understand. While such a cable doesn't cost a fortune, searching for the right one is a bit annoying.
Conclusion
For shots in low light and indoors, you usually need a flash with a Polaroid SX-70 camera. In my opinion, the Mint Flash Bar 2 has exactly what a flash for the SX-70 needs: compact, light, well-built, and it does its job.
I find it very useful to trigger one (or more) external (studio) flashes with the Flash Bar. This opens up entirely new freedoms and creative possibilities that I have certainly not yet fully explored. In short, I am extremely satisfied with the Mint Flash Bar 2.
Currently, you can only buy it online in Germany from the Mint Shop. Although they ship to Germany, additional customs costs may apply. The Impossible Project will likely offer it in their own shop in the near future.
