The central trade-off
The original SX-70 makes the classic design case. The SLR 680 adds autofocus and integrated flash. Compare real service histories and compatible film expectations.
There is no universal winner. A camera is an interface between a person and a process. What matters is whether that interface matches your intended use and whether a specific surviving specimen can still deliver it.
Polaroid SX-70
The original SX-70 made the act of taking and sharing a photograph feel magical. Its elegant folding mechanism is collectible industrial design; working cameras still use compatible contemporary SX-70 film.
Test bellows light-tightness, folding joints, rollers, mirror behavior, exposure system and film ejection with a suitable pack.
Most examples have aged electronics. Distinguish serviced examples from cameras that merely open and close.
Polaroid SLR 680
The SLR 680 is the sort of practical evolutionary branch collectors love: the familiar folding optical experience made faster and friendlier through autofocus and integrated flash.
Test sonar autofocus, flash charging, motor drive, mirror, bellows and film-feed rollers.
Unmodified SX-70 and SLR 680 bodies do not use identical film-speed expectations.
What changes the buying decision
Compare equivalent-condition examples only. Body-only listings, lens kits, shutter service, film backs, viewfinders and accessories can dramatically change the total. A recently serviced lower-prestige camera can be more useful than a famous but untested one.
Check whether film, batteries, processing and repairs are available for the kind of photography you want to make. If this will be a display object, originality and completeness may outweigh practical operating condition.
The next step
Read each dedicated dossier, then use the external completed-sale searches to understand current real-world transactions. Do not buy from a comparison headline alone.