Ansco Titan

This was my first folder a few years back. Just happened on it,

thought I would give it a try and that was all she wrote. Hooked for

life.<p>Thought I would post this because you don't seem to hear much

about this camera. From what little I could find out, it was Made in

1949 & 50 by Ansco in Binghamton, N.Y. it's not a rebadged Agfa. Looks

more like an older Speedex the kind that were painted all black. It

has an Ansco 90mm f/4.5 Anastigmat lens in a shutter of unknown origin

with speeds from 1/2 to 1/400 with B and T.<p>I'll post a pic of the

camera and a few taken with it. Most of them shortly after I got her.<div></div>

I got her in the fall and took her to the Smokies.<div></div>

Of course we went to Cades Cove.<div></div>

Some intersection in Gatlinburg.<div></div>

In the spring we went out west.<div></div>

We even went out at night.<div></div>

Then we went on to California. Sorry bout the color in this one, I'm terrible with color.<div></div>

I have the same camera except mine has a black top with chrome knobs. Mine has a 90F6.3 Ansco Anastigmat lens. My camera is labelled "Ansco Standard Speedex" "Made in USA". It has a shutter with 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 and T. Its exactly the same camera with a different lens and shutter.<div></div>

Very nice Steve. Isn't it great to get something like this out of these cameras :)

Stunning photos with that interesting folder. You've also made very nice use of the square format.

Sure is Travis, sometimes I wonder why I have some of my newer stuff.<p>

David... that's the one I was talking about. Same body, I think these were among the last cameras Ansco made for themselves.

These are really fantastic. Do you recall what type of film?

Thanks Mike C. & Mike K. I think I'm really starting to like the Square. Mike Kovacs and S. Liu posts have me wanting a Rolleiflex. The film oh boy it's been a while, but most of them are probably Ektar 25, a couple may be Pro 100.

Man, your color work looks fine to me. The compositions are great as well.

I'm lovin' it. Nice work, Steve.

Nice work Steve. I think the color is fine and you do an ace job with the square format.

 

Thanks for the photo of the North Carolina hills. I have a sister that lives in Charlotte and tells me of the colorful hills in the fall. Think I will have to go visit her after seeing your photo.

"Its exactly the same camera with a different lens and shutter."

 

It may look similar, but it's not. I have several Speedex models, and 4 Ansco Titans. The Titan is an often overlooked gem. In my search for information about it I have come across numerous sources that claim the lens and shutter are Wollensak build. I hesitate to talk about how good this camera really is, because come up on Ebay every once and a while, and go for cheap, and it really is a great deal on a 6x6 folder. I want them all! I paid $15, $30, $50, and $75 for my Titans (that averages out to about $43 each). They easily match the image quality of my $150+ Zeiss tessar folders. I love the color coded DOF scale. When I walk out the door, and need a pocket camera, a Titan loaded with 400 BW goes with me. There are lot's of Ansco Titan pics on my website. www.mattneedham.com It's my second favorite camera after my Rolleiflex. It's good to hear from another Titan fan.

Thanks for a look around your loclity. Lovely pictures with a nice old camera

Very nice pictures, Steve! I like "square" 6*6 format.

Great colour Steve, and I really like the 'Vegas night shot - don't say it was hand held!

The 4.5 lens on the Titan has a great reputation, and it's one of the coolest looking folders. I've been looking for one, and must have missed the $15 and $30 bargains that Matt found.

 

Matt, I hope you're not serious when you say you want them all. :-)

A few years back I was in the throes of one of my periodic classic-camera-buying manias-- that time centered around medium-format folding cameras-- and my research led me to the Ansco Titan as one of the most desireable of the reasonably-priced examples. I remember reading that two things distinguished the Titan from other Agfa/Ansco folders: really superb fit & finish, and especially the hard plating & brightwork on the Titan that seemed to keep its minty shine over the years (compared to the dismal finish on all other Ansco/Agfa models, which seem to brass at the slightest breeze) and the Titan's durable genuine leather bellows which seem indestructable even today, (compared to the usual easily-torn synthetic bellows of the other models). At that time I followed the market (eBay) on the Titan for half a year, but it seemed that everybody else had "discovered" the Titan too, because the prices on completed auctions were always over $100, which to me is in the Ikonta-with-Tessar range. I suspect that Steve's excellent pictures are about to cause another stir in the market for this fine & often-overlooked folder. (I never did succeed in finding a reasonably-priced Titan, but did find a reasonably-priced Super Isolette (a steal at $200)... not as purty, but better featured.

Thanks all. The Titan is really glad to hear she's not all washed up too.<p>Scott... the fall would be a great time to go see your sister, Charlotte is a great place.<p>Matt... imagine this is your first classic camera, I've bought a lot of disapointments since then. I found this one in an antique shop, can't remember what I paid but I know it was less than $50.<p>Graham... only a few of them were handheld I'm afraid to say.<p>Don & Tom... you guys need to speak with Matt:)

I found one of these last year for $60 at an antique store but its bellows was full of holes like the old Isolette cameras so I did not buy it. Wish I had now.

Sorry for the spam, but I have a perfect-bellows Standard Speedex for sale in the classifieds section.

 

-Rick