The Ansco Pix Panorama Flash is a simple camera for 35mm films. It has a plastic case and was made in China. Similar models are available under different names and brands. Ansco also offered a variant without a flash.
Haking from Hong Kong could be the producer. However, it could also be that another company with manufacturing facilities in China was responsible for the manufacture. A possible company could be the New Taiwan Photographic Corp. (Ouyama), which operated a manufacturing plant in Shenzhen and produced cameras.
Camera features
The range of functions of the Ansco Pix Panorama Flash is manageable, since there are not many features to describe. It has a fixed focal length, probably 28 mm. The aperture and shutter speed are fixed.
There is no light meter and no autofocus. The focus range is from 1 meter to infinity. For clear shots, you should therefore keep a distance of at least 1 meter from the subject.
You will look in vain for a tripod connection or a self-timer. However, a holder for a wrist strap is integrated.
An integrated flash is available and can be activated via a switch. The flash is powered by two AAA batteries. These batteries are only required for flash operation. The other functions do not require electricity.
The panorama property
A key selling point of the camera was its panoramic capability. However, it is not a true panoramic camera.
While a standard 35mm camera exposes a size of 24mm x 36mm, the Ansco Pix Panorama Flash covers 13mm x 36mm. This ratio creates the impression of a panoramic image, especially in the case of corresponding prints.
This is achieved by using a mask in the camera that covers part of the image. Theoretically, you could remove this plastic mask so that 24 mm x 36 mm are exposed again. However, the viewfinder still shows the panorama format.
This panoramic feature is common to many compact cameras of the era. On some models, however, you could switch between standard and panoramic shots.
Alternatively, you can use an image software program for cropping panorama shots.
Film selection for the Ansco Pix Panorama Flash
The camera is still ready to use. 35mm film is used in the Ansco Pix Panorama Flash. There are still 35 mm films that can be processed by many developers without any problems.
Possible films for the Ansco Pix Panorama Flash are the Kodak Gold 200* for color shots and the Ilford Delta 100* for black and white shots. Of course, there are also many other films that are suitable for this camera. Both films offer good quality and can store 36 shots. Additional films are available from brands such as Fujifilm, Adox, Rollei, Foma and Lomography.
