Polaroid SX-70

The Polaroid SX-70, introduced in 1972, remains the only instant SLR camera ever mass-produced — a folding marvel of chrome and leather that prints self-developing color photos in just 60 seconds. Its cultural impact is unmatched: Andy Warhol captured over 20,000 SX-70 portraits, and Ansel Adams consulted on lens development. At a launch price of $180 (over $1,200 today), it made photography immediate, bypassing the week-long waits for film development typical of competitors like #10 Fujifilm X100's delayed gratification. The white-bordered prints created an aesthetic so iconic that Instagram's original logo directly copied it — a lasting tribute to its revolutionary tangibility.