Anscoflex II
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Anscoflex IIEntry/Object ID
604Tags
IconicDescription
The Anscoflex II is a masterpiece of mid-century industrial design. It was styled by the legendary Raymond Loewy (the man who designed the Coca-Cola bottle and the Studebaker Avanti). It features a unique sliding metal front panel that acts as both a lens protector and a sunshade when raised. Unlike professional TLRs, this is a fixed-focus "pseudo-TLR" intended for the mass market, but it features a built-in close-up lens and a yellow filter for black-and-white cloud enhancement, which sets the "II" model apart from the original Anscoflex. The Loewy Touch: You can see Loewy’s influence in the sleek, "streamline moderne" aesthetic—the ribbed aluminum sliding door and the grey metal body are distinctively 1950s. It looks more like a high-end kitchen appliance or a piece of laboratory gear than a traditional camera. The "II" Upgrades: On the side of the camera, you'll see two small knobs near the lens. One engages a close-up lens (for portraits), and the other swings a yellow filter into place. In the 50s, yellow filters were the "secret weapon" for making white clouds pop against a dark sky in black-and-white photos. Reflex Viewing: This is a "look down" camera. When the top door is open, you look into the large glass viewfinder on top to compose your shot. It gives you a bright, 1:1 preview of your image, though it is laterally reversed (left is right). The 620 Hurdle: Like many Ansco and Kodak cameras of this era, it uses 620 film. The film itself is identical to 120, but the spool is slightly thinner. To shoot this today, you’ll need to respool modern 120 film onto vintage 620 spools.Category
Camera, 620 Fim
Media Type