Polaroid Pronto! B1976

History

The SX-70 launched in 1972 as one of the most sophisticated consumer cameras ever made: a folding SLR that collapsed flat to shirt-pocket size, used a new integral film that developed in daylight in front of the user, and was priced at around $180 USD. It was a commercial success among enthusiasts and early adopters, but the price kept it out of reach for much of the market Polaroid wanted to address.

Polaroid began developing simplified integral-film cameras almost immediately after the SX-70 launched, aiming to deliver the integral-film experience at a fraction of the cost. The Pronto! line, introduced in 1976, was the first product of this effort. The Pronto! B was the base model: a rectangular plastic body with no folding mechanism, a simple fixed-focus lens, and fully automatic exposure controlled by the camera without user input. The integral film pack itself provided the battery, as in the SX-70.

The "B" designation indicated the basic configuration; companion models like the Pronto! RF added a rangefinder for improved focus accuracy at closer distances. The Pronto! line was sold alongside the SX-70 cameras, positioning itself as the entry point to the Polaroid integral film ecosystem.

By the late 1970s, Polaroid moved to the 600 film system with its higher-speed emulsion, and the SX-70-film Pronto! models were succeeded by new box cameras designed around 600 film - including the OneStep Express and the Polaroid 1000 (sold in the UK). The Pronto! B was discontinued around 1979.

Why It Matters

The Pronto! B and its Pronto! siblings mark the moment Polaroid committed to mass-market instant photography using integral film. Before the Pronto! line, integral-film instant photography meant the SX-70 and its relatively high price. The Pronto! cameras made the ejecting-print experience available to a broader consumer base, establishing the commercial pattern - a premium folding SLR plus a budget box camera on the same film - that Polaroid would repeat with every subsequent integral-film generation.

The camera is also an artifact of 1970s design: a deliberately simplified consumer product that prioritized low manufacturing cost and ease of use over image quality or flexibility. For collectors, the Pronto! B is interesting primarily as a historical object in the evolution of the instant-camera market rather than as a working tool. The fixed-focus lens and lack of any exposure override mean it produces workable results in good light but offers little creative control.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The Pronto! line was Polaroid's primary mass-market product during the mid-to-late 1970s and was widely given as a gift item; its use was correspondingly broad and undocumented photographically.
• The simplified box-camera form factor established by the Pronto! B directly influenced the design language of later Polaroid budget cameras including the 600 One Step and Sun 600 series.
• Polaroid's marketing campaigns for the Pronto! line in the mid-1970s featured television advertising targeting American families; the Pronto! B appeared in Sears and department-store catalogs as an accessible holiday gift.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Polaroid Pronto! - model identification, variants, and SX-70 film compatibility notes.
• Wikipedia: Polaroid SX-70 - context on the SX-70 film system and the simplified camera line that followed.
• Christopher Bonanos, Instant: The Story of Polaroid (Princeton Architectural Press, 2012) - account of Polaroid's mid-1970s strategy to broaden the integral-film market.