Danish toy company LEGO has recently shared the first LEGO Ideas Review Results for 2022, revealing four approved fan creations (out of 39 submissions) that have been selected to be produced as official sets by the company. Amongst which is a one-to-one replica of the iconic Onestep SX-70 instant camera by Polaroid, which also comes with interesting playable features.
The original concept of this model was created and designed by 21-year-old mechanical engineering student and LEGO enthusiast Marc (aka Minibrick Productions) from California, USA. In an interview with LEGO Ideas, he revealed that the design for the Polaroid Onestep SX-70 took over a month to complete, with the goal of having it being more than a display piece. That in mind, Marc included a mechanism that lets the model “print out” a photo (in this case, a LEGO plate resembling a Polaroid film), giving it some sense of simulation and playability.
All in all, the Polaroid Onestep SX-70 looks almost identical to the actual camera – complete with a viewfinder, red shutter button, print-out slot, classic two-tone colour scheme, and branding. Situated within the aforementioned slot is a compartment that can hold a single photo print, which can slide out through a rollout mechanism that works by rotating the dial on the side of the camera. Marc also included a separate gimmick where users can open up the slot for “reloading” the photo, which somewhat simulates the actual camera’s own mechanism.
Proposed together with the model is a LEGO replica of a Polaroid Time-Zero Supercolor film box. Unlike the camera, however, this addition is merely for display purposes only.
To Marc’s credit, this proposed replica honestly looks good as it is, though it will likely look different once it becomes a finalised product. As with every approved LEGO Ideas concept, the company will have its own designers add in some tweaks to their designs which, more often than not, improves upon the original in terms of aesthetics and even playability. Another example of this is the LEGO Fender Stratocaster set from last year, where it has been fine tuned (no pun intended) to resemble its real-life counterpart as much as possible.
LEGO did not say when we’ll be able to see the Polaroid Onestep SX-70 replica hit store shelves, as it is still working out on the final product design, pricing and availability. On that note, the company promises to share more information via its official blog once the product is close to launching in the near future.
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Telegram for more updates and breaking news.