Review: LEGO Ideas 21345 Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera

Today we take a quick tour of the content of the LEGO Ideas set 21345 Polaroid OneStep SX-70 Camera, a box of 516 pieces available since the 1st at the public price of €79.99. The announcement of the official product based on the idea submitted in his time on the LEGO Ideas platform by Minibrick Productions has had an impact on a wide audience and not just among LEGO fans.

It's logical, we're talking here about an iconic device for an entire generation, both by its shape, recognizable among thousands, and by its function, taking instantly developed photos. In the 80s, this Polaroid camera was a delight at weddings, parties and vacations during which it was passed around in the hands of participants to create memories on glossy paper that could be consulted immediately.

The creator of the project which served as a reference for the official product had done his homework and the version redesigned by LEGO retains the good ideas. On the other hand, the manufacturer has dropped the photo ejection system via a side wheel to integrate a more fun and realistic mechanism into the device: It is here possible to eject the photo by simply pressing the red shutter button.

Inside the device, a movable section is pushed towards the bottom of the case when inserting the photo, it is blocked temporarily by a tooth and pressing the button puts pressure on the two elastics and releases this section to cause the photo to output. It's functional, you just have to get used to inserting the photo carefully and reaching the blocking point of the internal section which will then allow the photo to be pushed outwards.

You will see it if you follow me on social networks, I also tested the device with a photo printed on standard 160 gram photo paper, same observation, it works if you insert the photo flat at the right angle . If the need arises, it is possible to print a few photos at home in a format of 83 x 60 mm with more realistic images than those provided.

The three "photos" in flexible polypropylene delivered in the box highlight the LEGO House of Billund, the founder of the Polaroid brand and the sister of the creator of the reference project, it's cute but there are more original possibilities to make this product a real nice gadget capable of really impressing your friends. the three clichés supplied are printed on both sides, all you have to do is shake them vigorously after their ejection, as in the old days.

The device benefits from a nice finish on its front, but it is less obvious at the back. The visible studs on the black shell don't bother me, but the slightly rough adjustments that reveal the insides of the device are not the most beautiful effect. No one will display the object without highlighting its front side and even if the visible stenns on the back break the trompe-l'oeil effect of the product a little, it's not that serious.

The viewfinder is "functional" in the sense that the viewing tunnel is not obstructed, it is a simple, almost innocuous detail but which allows you to really simulate the use of the device. The product also benefits from numerous pad-printed elements, notably for the associated cartridge, I have scanned the small sheet of stickers provided and by elimination everything else is therefore printed directly on the parts.

The LEGO catalog is regularly expanded with “lifestyle” proposals in several ranges (ICONS, Creator, Ideas) and this product is also a decorative object which will end its career on a shelf. Paradoxically, it seems to me that its announcement aroused the interest of many fans, a large part of whom have not yet known the "real" version of the product dating from the 70s/80s but who are sensitive to the vintage side as well as the decorative potential of the object.

It remains to be verified that this enthusiasm will really translate into volume sales, knowing that the public price of the product set at €80 should not be a hindrance because this box is already available elsewhere than at LEGO (notably at Amazon) and that there will necessarily be temporary reductions which will allow you to acquire it for a little less.

I am generally won over by the proposition even if I do not intend to display a fake vintage camera, even one made from LEGO bricks, on my shelves. It is visually very faithful to the reference product, it is respectful of the initial idea and the presence of a function which allows you to imitate the operation of the device in a relatively realistic way is a real plus.

I already have too many other products on my long list of purchases planned at the start of the year to add this one but I must admit that I took pleasure in building this Polaroid with its ingenious mechanism and have a little fun with it, my parents had one during my younger years. The “nostalgia” effect worked, that’s the main thing.

Note: The product shown here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 15th January 2024 next at 23:59 p.m. Simply post a comment below the article to participate. Your participation is taken into account regardless of your opinion. Avoid “I’m participating” or “I’m trying my luck”, we suspect that this is the case.

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