Doesn’t everyone have a pile of Shur Shot box cameras? Sometimes they’re Ansco, sometimes Agfa. The graphics differ as do the limited features. The Agfa Ansco Corporation introduced the Shur Shot camera in 1932. One model had a 6×9 cm frame. Another model, with a smooth front, had a 6.5×11 cm frame. That same year, Ansco introduced the Shur Shot Special, with a 6×9 cm frame area.The Ansco Shur Shot and Shur Shot Junior (both with a 6×9 cm frame area) were again introduced in 1948.
I’ve found a few with exposed film inside. Always an adventure! Well, the results are below. I doubt any of the images will break the internet.
McKeown’s PRICE GUIDE TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC CAMERAS (2001 – 2002) has this to say about the Ansco Shur-Shot, “c1948. A basic box camera with vertically-striped aluminum front. Perhaps the most common to the Ansco box cameras. $1 – 10.”
and… about the Agfa Shur-Shot Regular,”c1935-41. Made in USA by Agfa Ansco. Common box cameras, made in B2 (120) and D6 (116) sizes. Hinged masks at focal plane allow full or half-frame images. Earlier type, c1935, has black faceplate with rectangular art-deco design. Intermediate type, c1938, has dark face, light vertical band and concentric circle around lens. Later type, c1940, has light faceplate with Agfa rhombus below lens. $1-10.”
and… about the Shur-Shot Special, “c1935-41. Same as Shur-Shot Regular, but with built-in closeup lens. Early type, c1935, has black art-deco faceplate has vertical band of 30 narrow stripes, flanked by three stars on each side of lens. Later, c1939, has light face with U-shaped band of 6 then black stripes. $5-15.”
The found images:
I got in my own licks:
Check out my Box Camera Basics page for tips on film loading, etc.
And – here’s a link to a how-to respool 120 film onto a 620 spool.
My first junk store camera was a Shur Shot Jr. with a roll of expired Verichrome Pan film inside. I am sure my wife regrets that purchase, as I scour the antique stores looking for old, working cameras and especially ones with film and now have a fairly large collection. She’s a good sport about it, though. The VP had a nice shot of a nice looking grandmother who looks a lot like my high school Latin teacher. I can concur on the adventure of processing the film–I’ve had good results, poor results, and no results at all. The really fun challenge is old color film that can’t be developed in C41 chemistry. I use Diafine for those and sometimes there’s something there. I may have used Rodinal at 1+100 for an hour a time or two.
Finding old, exposed film is like finding hidden treasure. I agree, you never know what you’ll get. Or not.
The series began in about 1935, and Shur Shot cameras originally carried the name Agfa-Ansco in use at that time. Post-1943 models were branded as Ansco alone. The cameras were made in sizes for 120 and 116 film ; but because of the Agfa connection these were specified using the German designations B2 and D6 respectively.
Thanks for the additional info. There sure are a ton of them out there.
Hi Marcy!
I lost track of you for a few years (sorry), but I love your new site. Looks to me that if you fold down only one of the Sure Shot’s wings, you’d get nice square images. But would the exposure-number window(s) on the camera back help you do that? An interesting camera.
I own only two “junk” cameras… the beautiful Beacon 225 and Beacon II… and am planning to shoot B/W film again after collecting the materials to make my own environmentally friendly “Caffenol” developer.
Have you tried that yet? The developer appears to work very well and can even be used on color film, which it apparently turns into sepia negs. But you still need to use a commercial fixer… unless you want to soak the negs for a week in a super-saturated salt solution .
Caffenol also can be disposed of down the drain too, since it’s made from coffee, vitamin-c powder (or crystals) and washing soda (an old-school additive that washing machines regularly pour down their drains). In fact, except for the washing soda, DIY Caffenol developer is edible!
Anyway… glad to find your wonderful work again! (Oh.., and how many ball gowns DO you own?!)
Dave