Ansco Titan 20

Introduction: The Titan 20 at a Glance

The Ansco Titan 20 is a 6x6 folding camera for 120 film, introduced by Ansco in the second half of 1948. This analog camera packs a large square negative into a body that closes up flat, and it was sold as a carefully finished folder. Its original price sat far above that of other folders of the day, which marks it as a top-of-the-range model.

In front sits a 90mm Ansco Anastigmat f/4.5 lens with a distinctive blue shimmer, behind it a shutter with eight marked speeds plus T and B. Everything, from cocking the shutter to estimating distance, is a deliberate mechanical step.

Shooting with a medium-format folder is a slower and more deliberate process than most modern photography. Each square frame has to be composed and focused by hand, so every press of the shutter tends to count.

Design Roots and Historical Background

A top-of-the-range folder

The Titan has a cast top plate with a satin finish, and its wind knobs are flared rather than plain, which gives the body an attractive, polished look. Next to simpler folders of the period it stood clearly at the top, with a coated anastigmat lens and a full range of shutter speeds.

The end of an era for Ansco folders

The Titan is seen as one of the final high points among folding cameras that Ansco designed itself. From 1952 the company instead imported German Agfa folders and sold them under the names Speedex and Viking, so the Titan sits close to the end of Ansco's own folder line.

Related folders worth reading about: the Agfa Isolette 6.3, the Agfa Commander B2 and the Agfa Isolette Ventura Deluxe.

Key Technical Highlights

Lens and coating

The Titan 20 carries a 90mm Ansco Anastigmat f/4.5 lens, coated against reflections and colour-corrected. The blue appearance of the lens comes from a special anti-reflection coating on all air-glass surfaces.

Apertures run from f/4.5 to f/22 and are set with a lever beside the lens scale. The values are engraved on the lower right side of the lens panel.

Shutter, focusing and film

The shutter offers 1/400, 1/200, 1/100, 1/50, 1/25, 1/10, 1/5 and 1/2 second, plus T and B. It is a set-and-release design: the shutter must be cocked with the cocking lever before it can be released. Release it with slow, steady pressure.

Focusing is by estimating the subject distance (scale focus). A colour-coded depth-of-field scale helps here: every lens opening has its own colour, with f/4.5 white and f/5.6 orange, and each matches a coloured zone on the distance scale. The camera makes square 6x6 pictures, 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inch or about 57 mm per side, on 120 roll film.

• Lens: 90mm Ansco Anastigmat f/4.5, coated.
• Apertures: f/4.5 to f/22.
• Shutter speeds: 1/400 to 1/2 second, plus T and B.
• Focusing: scale focus with a colour-coded depth-of-field scale.
• Flash: synchronisation is part of the shutter, with an ASA-style bayonet socket.

The sources list no self-timer, no accessory shoe and no double-exposure prevention, so wind the film carefully.

Modern-Day Use in 2026

Where the Titan 20 excels

The Titan 20 is at its best when you slow down. A coated 90mm f/4.5 lens and a large square negative make it a good partner for deliberate photography, and the square format removes the choice between portrait and landscape.

Use it for:

• Portraits and still lifes where you can take your time.
• Landscapes and architecture shot with a tripod.
• Learning manual exposure and distance estimation.

Practical shooting tips

• Use a handheld light meter or phone meter app to choose aperture and speed.
• Use the depth-of-field scale, and stop down when your distance estimate is uncertain.
• Cock the shutter first, then squeeze the release slowly, and brace the camera or use a tripod at 1/50 second and slower.
• Choose a film speed that matches your light.

Buying and Maintenance Guide

What to check before buying used

A folding camera from 1948 has had a long life, so careful inspection matters more than cosmetics. Work through this checklist, ideally with the camera in front of you:

• Open the camera and check the bellows for pinholes by holding a bright light inside in a dark room.
• Fire the shutter at every speed, including T and B, and listen for sluggish or inconsistent timing at the slow speeds.
• Look through the lens for haze, fungus, scratches and damage to the coating.
• Check that the aperture lever moves smoothly.
• Test the focusing movement and confirm the scales are legible.

Power and batteries

The Titan 20 is a mechanical camera, and it has flash synchronisation as part of the shutter. If you plan to use flash, the flash unit brings its own power and needs its own checks.

• Test any old flash gear before you rely on it.
• Check that any flash lead matches the ASA-style bayonet connector.

Basic care and accessories

A few simple photography accessories go a long way with a folder like this:

• A soft pouch to protect the folded camera from knocks.
• A microfibre cloth and blower for the lens, never rubbing the coating.
• A handheld light meter for exposure readings.
• A compact tripod for slow speeds and careful composition.

Conclusion: A Fine Folder from Ansco's Own Line

The Ansco Titan 20 combines a coated 90mm f/4.5 lens, shutter speeds from 1/400 to 1/2 second, scale focus and 6x6 negatives on 120 film in a body that folds away.

A well-checked Titan is a good candidate for a vintage folder that rewards patience. Inspect the bellows and shutter, bring a light meter, and enjoy a square-format camera from near the end of Ansco's own folding-camera line.

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Sources: the original Ansco Titan 20 instruction manual; Ansco Titan on camera-wiki.org, text licensed under GFDL 1.3.