Cameras of the 1970s

Polaroid's SX-70 in 1972 and the OneStep in 1977 made instant photography a household habit. Prints developed in daylight in the palm of your hand, with soft contrast and a warm, faded cast.

At the same time, Japanese manufacturers made the 35mm SLR affordable. The Canon AE-1 added automatic exposure, the Pentax K1000 stayed fully manual, and both sold for years to students and families.

Most of those photos were shot on color negative film processed in C-41 chemistry and printed at a lab, which gave the decade its familiar warm, slightly yellow tone.