Ansco Pioneer Camera

  The top photo is an example of the first camera I ever owned--an Ansco Pioneer 620. The Pioneer was made from 1947 to 1953 in Ansco's Binghampton, New York plant. It was manufactured in two film sizes, 620 and the larger 616. The cameras are identical except the 616 has a larger body. I don't think too many 616s were made as that format was already on its way out before the war ended.  The Pioneer has a single speed shutter and fixed focus lens. The lens wasn't optically flat so the film plane was curved to try to match the lens.
    I liked the Pioneer, which my father picked up used at an auction, because it looked like a "real camera" not a box.
  In 1956, at age 11, I accompanied my parents on a trip from Idaho to the East Coast. Dad borrowed a Leica to record the trip but never figured out how to load it properly (he was more comfortable with a Speed Graphic). He didn't get a usable picture. The only photographic record of our journey came from my Ansco Pioneer. The photo shown here was taken by me of my parents during a stop in Traverse City, Michigan, (the Leica around his neck looks cool even if he couldn't figure it out). The quality of the photo is exceptional for the camera. They usually weren't this clear. The following year our sixth grade class took an airplane ride in an old Douglas DC 3 that was probably built during World War II. I learned that it was impossible to hold the Pioneer steady enough in the vibrating old aircraft to get a picture that wasn't fuzzy.
   I was in junior high when Mother purchased our first real 35mm camera--an Ansco (Agfa) Super Memar. When I was in high school I got my first SLR--an Exa I--for $39.95, brand new, with case. Just before starting college the Exa was traded off for a used Canon IV SB rangefinder camera. I think the price was less than $100 at a local pawn shop.
  About 1968 and Canon was replaced by a used Petri Flex V (no meter, but an instant return mirror. Withing a few months that was replaced by an Asahi Pentax H1a with 35mm, 50m and 200mm lenses. Next was my first SLR with through-the-lens metering, a Mamiya Sekor 1000 TL
  Finally, 1n 1969 I stepped up to a Nikkorman FTN and later added a Nikon F with FTN finder (Really more than our budget could stand). I stuck with Nikon for the next decade.

FIRST CAMERAS
			The top photo is an example of the first camera I ever owned--an Ansco Pioneer 620. The Pioneer was made from 1947 to 1953 in Ansco's Binghampton, New York plant. It was manufactured in two film sizes, 620 and the larger 616. The cameras are identical except the 616 has a larger body. I don't think too many 616s were made as that format was already on its way out before the war ended. The Pioneer has a single speed shutter and fixed focus lens. The lens wasn't optically flat so the film plane was curved to try to match the lens. I liked the Pioneer, which my father picked up used at an auction, because it looked like a "real camera" not a box. In 1956, at age 11, I accompanied my parents on a trip from Idaho to the East Coast. Dad borrowed a Leica to record the trip but never figured out how to load it properly (he was more comfortable with a Speed Graphic). He didn't get a usable picture. The only photographic record of our journey came from my Ansco Pioneer. The photo shown here was taken by me of my parents during a stop in Traverse City, Michigan, (the Leica around his neck looks cool even if he couldn't figure it out). The quality of the photo is exceptional for the camera. They usually weren't this clear. The following year our sixth grade class took an airplane ride in an old Douglas DC 3 that was probably built during World War II. I learned that it was impossible to hold the Pioneer steady enough in the vibrating old aircraft to get a picture that wasn't fuzzy. I was in junior high when Mother purchased our first real 35mm camera--an Ansco (Agfa) Super Memar. When I was in high school I got my first SLR--an Exa I--for $39.95, brand new, with case. Just before starting college the Exa was traded off for a used Canon IV SB rangefinder camera. I think the price was less than $100 at a local pawn shop. About 1968 and Canon was replaced by a used Petri Flex V (no meter, but an instant return mirror. Withing a few months that was replaced by an Asahi Pentax H1a with 35mm, 50m and 200mm lenses. Next was my first SLR with through-the-lens metering, a Mamiya Sekor 1000 TL Finally, 1n 1969 I stepped up to a Nikkorman FTN and later added a Nikon F with FTN finder (Really more than our budget could stand). I stuck with Nikon for the next decade.
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