C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Polaroid 690 SLR (1996) is the final expression of the folding SLR instant camera format that Edwin Land launched with the SX-70 in 1972. Where the 680 SLR (1987) had bridged the SX-70 folding-SLR design with 600-speed film, the 690 refined the formula further with a cleaner, more contemporary plastic body, the same sonar autofocus module, and an improved integral flash that provided more accurate exposure under mixed lighting. It remained in production until 2005.
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Recommended film stocks for the — format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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About this camera
The last folding SLR in Polaroid's 600-film line — sonar autofocus and a true SLR finder in a slim, collapsible body, using widely available ISO 600 integral film.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | Polaroid 600 integral instant film (ISO 600) |
| Lens | 116mm f/8, 4 elements / 4 groups, glass |
| Years | 1996–2005 |
| Shutter | Auto: ~1s – 1/200s, electronic leaf |
| Meter | CdS, coupled |
| Focus | Sonar autofocus (~0.6 m – ∞) |
| Flash | Integral, auto-fill |
| Body | Folds flat (~32 mm thick) |
| Battery | In every 600 film pack |
The lineage of the Polaroid folding SLR begins with the SX-70 (1972), which required ISO 100 SX-70 film. The sonar module was added with the SX-70 Sonar OneStep in 1978. When Polaroid introduced the higher-speed 600-film system in 1981 with box-type cameras, the folding SLR platform was initially left behind. The 680 SLR in 1987 was the bridge model: a refactored folding SLR body sized for 600 film, with sonar AF inherited from the SX-70 Sonar.
The 690 SLR (1996) succeeded the 680 with a lighter plastic housing, a redesigned flash, and minor ergonomic refinements. It remained Polaroid's premium folding instant camera through the end of production in 2005, shortly before Polaroid ceased all film production in 2008.
Impossible Project (later rebranded Polaroid Originals, now simply Polaroid) resumed production of 600-type film in 2010. The 690 is fully compatible with all current Polaroid 600-type integral film, making it an immediately usable working camera without modification.
The 690 SLR represents the apex of Polaroid's original folding SLR format. It synthesizes four decades of refinement: the SX-70's brilliant folding SLR mechanism, the sonar autofocus from 1978, and the faster 600-film system from 1981. As a fully automated camera that folds flat enough to carry in a jacket pocket while delivering true SLR framing, it has no direct contemporary equivalent — even the reissued Polaroid Now and I-2 cameras use optical finders.
For photographers seeking a genuinely pocketable SLR-finder Polaroid with current film availability, the 690 remains the definitive choice.
Lens is fixed (116mm f/8). The integral flash covers all lighting conditions for 600-speed film; no external flash is required. A close-up lens kit (sold separately by Polaroid) enables macro work at ~25–35 cm. Filters can be placed over the lens opening. All current Polaroid 600-type film (colour and black-and-white) is compatible.
Polaroid 690 SLR
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