Impossible Knowledge Base/Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of flash should I use for my SX-70?
US Support
posted this on October 11, 2011 20:49
Your best bet is the ITT Magicflash. There were many others made for the SX-70, and as long as they work, one is as good as the other. Just make sure that the battery compartment is clean and free of corrosion. If it is corroded, it's very hard to clean and the corrosion could have leached into the electronics, ruining the unit.
There are two other options for flash.
1) If you don't use flash very often, invest in vintage flashbars. They are a little expensive, but they look fantastic, much warmer than the average electronic flash.
2) Our friend Georg Holderied makes an adapter that lets you connect any modern flash via PC cord. It takes some testing to find the right "sweet spot" for your flash, but it means you can technically connect anything from full studio lights all the way down to tiny hand-held flashes... http://www.chemie.unibas.ch/~holder/SX70.html
Comments
I remember reading about a new prototype flash being test for the SX-70, about the same size as the original flashbar. It was posted on 13 June 2011 in the User Discussion forum by user David Ho, and pointed to images of it on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moleskineart/5672240112/
I'd seriously like to see this come to market.
Update: It appears that Mint in Hong Kong is selling their "Mint Bar" electronic flash for SX-70s. It is available, now, but only in Hong Kong. I haven't found pricing details yet, but I hope that Impossible carries it.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=254213947949726&set=a.1...
URL: http://www.sx70asia.com
Further update: Impossible in Europe has confirmed that they will be offering the Min Bar. It will be announced in a few weeks.
Further update: Mint in Hong Kong is shipping me a Mint Bar from Hong Kong. Total price (with shipping) is 800 HKD (about $103 USD). International pricing has not yet been set by Mint, and we'll have to wait for Impossible to make their announcement.
I expect to receive the unit in about a week, and I'll be posting a review shortly thereafter.
Well, I've had the ::mint:: bar for about a week now. Pretty cool design. I'm working on the review, but in the meantime you can read a blog entry about it from Mijonju Jones in Japan:
http://www.circlerectangle.com/?p=388
The ::mint:: bar is expected to be available around the end of February.
Cool thanks for the post Tom. Looking forward to your review!
Should be soon...