{"id":4926,"date":"2018-07-29T19:24:29","date_gmt":"2018-07-29T18:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/?p=4926"},"modified":"2025-10-16T14:13:39","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T13:13:39","slug":"camera-review-ansco-b-2-cadet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/?p=4926","title":{"rendered":"Camera Review:  Ansco B-2 Cadet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For reasons known only to them, camera manufacturers have, over the years, felt that &#8220;cadet&#8221; was a good name for a camera.\u00a0 There are at <a href=\"http:\/\/camerapedia.wikia.com\/wiki\/Cadet\">least 20 or so<\/a> cameras (plus an exposure meter and an enlarger) called Cadets, to include at least eight made by the Ansco company.\u00a0 \u00a0There&#8217;s the Ansco Cadet A8, B2, D6, Flash, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.127-cameras.com\/00-template-camera-table-type\/\">Cadet I<\/a>, II and III, and the Cadet Reflex, for example.<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Ansco B2 Cadet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tazmpictures\/8698097009\/in\/set-72157633373027583\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/8698097009_c44c4cd43b_z.jpg?resize=640%2C441&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Ansco B2 Cadet\" width=\"640\" height=\"441\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/scholarworks.rit.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1460&amp;context=article\">Ansco<\/a> (formerly the Anthony &amp; Scovill company dating from the 1880s) narrowly avoided bankruptcy in the early 1900s as a result of intense competition from Eastman Kodak, and in 1928, merged with the Germany firm Agfa.\u00a0 As a result, many of its cameras were sold under both the Agfa and Ansco\u00a0 names.\u00a0 The number\/letter designations (A8, B2, D6) of its early cameras refer to film sizes, of which there have been many.\u00a0 Today we know film sizes by the designations given by Eastman Kodak, but Agfa&#8217;s A8 is equivalent to Eastman&#8217;s 127; D6 is equivalent to 116; and B2 is equivalent to 120.\u00a0 Ironically, these are Agfa&#8217;s film sizes &#8211; Ansco used yet a different naming convention!<\/p>\n<p>But the point of this is that the Agfa\/Ansco B-2 Cadet takes 120 film, which is manufactured to this day, 70 or 80 years after this camera was on the market.\u00a0 If you forget, a handy little sticker inside the back cover tells you so.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco1.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-4927\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco1.jpg?resize=600%2C424&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco1.jpg?resize=600%2C424&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco1.jpg?resize=300%2C212&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco1.jpg?resize=768%2C542&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco1.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a>Like most box cameras, the B-2 cadet is a simple camera.\u00a0 It has a (useless, really) carrying handle with the name of the camera stamped into it; two viewfinders (allowing portrait and landscape photos), and a lever to operate the shutter.\u00a0 That&#8217;s it; unlike some other box cameras, there are no aperture sliders or switches to keep the shutter open.\u00a0 It&#8217;s point and shoot, period.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco2.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-4928\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco2.jpg?resize=600%2C424&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco2.jpg?resize=600%2C424&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco2.jpg?resize=300%2C212&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco2.jpg?resize=768%2C542&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Ansco2.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The camera is made out of cardboard, covered in faux leather, with a metal back door and a metal\/cardboard inner piece that slides out the back to load the film.\u00a0 I haven&#8217;t found any information on its aperture and shutter speed, but for a camera like this to work at most distances, it needs to be about f\/11 and 1\/50 or 1\/60s shutter speed.<\/p>\n<p>To load the camera, you simply flip open the back cover, pull the winding knob and pull out the camera&#8217;s innards.\u00a0 From there, you insert the film between the clips on the bottom, wind it around the back, and insert the end into the spool on the top.\u00a0 Reinsert, push the winding knob in, and turn until you see the number appear in the small red window at the back.\u00a0 The camera will take 6 by 9 cm photos &#8211; eight of them on a roll of 120 film.<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned earlier, the carrying handle is pretty much useless &#8211; you carry this camera in your hand, and if you want to properly frame a shot, you hold it at waist level in the orientation you prefer, elbows at your sides, look through the (amazingly clear after all this time!) viewfinder, and operate the shutter lever.\u00a0 Done.<\/p>\n<p>Although it&#8217;s ridiculously simple, taking pictures with the B-2 can still be fun.\u00a0 It&#8217;s useful for street photography &#8211; nobody suspects this is a camera, so you can walk around town, cast a glance at the viewfinder, and (hold the camera steady!!) operate the switch with your thumb.<\/p>\n<p>One note:\u00a0 unlike most other box cameras (as far as I know), the Cadet&#8217;s lens is actually\u00a0<em>behind<\/em> the shutter.\u00a0 There is simply a hole in the front of the camera through which you see the shutter operate, and you can&#8217;t really see the lens unless you look\u00a0<em>inside<\/em> the camera.\u00a0 If you come across one of these, it&#8217;s wise to clean the lens with a Q-tip and some alcohol, which is easy from the inside, but to clean the front, you&#8217;ll have to catch the shutter as it opens and insert the Q-tip that way.<\/p>\n<p>The camera takes pretty clear pictures, but you do need a fair amount of light if you want them to turn out. As you can see in the first photo, below, if you don&#8217;t have enough light, it ends up being a bit murky.\u00a0 Here are a few I&#8217;ve taken:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"Man Walking\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tazmpictures\/9707318653\/in\/album-72157635446497751\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9707318653_dc2b62f39a_z.jpg?resize=433%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Man Walking\" width=\"433\" height=\"640\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><em>Man walking in Chennai, India<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"Not Impressed by the Welwitschia\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tazmpictures\/10707647634\/in\/album-72157635446497751\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10707647634_5e44288890_z.jpg?resize=429%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Not Impressed by the Welwitschia\" width=\"429\" height=\"640\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><em>Studying an odd welwitschia plant in Namibia<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"Shipwreck\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tazmpictures\/10707737144\/in\/album-72157635446497751\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10707737144_3c62a9299b_z.jpg?resize=429%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Shipwreck\" width=\"429\" height=\"640\" \/><\/a><em>Shipwreck on Namibia&#8217;s Skeleton Coast<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"Aging Machinery\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tazmpictures\/10707792404\/in\/album-72157635446497751\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10707792404_5781e8e786_z.jpg?resize=640%2C433&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Aging Machinery\" width=\"640\" height=\"433\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><em>Unknown metallic structure rusting on Namibia&#8217;s Skeleton Coast<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a title=\"Bicycle\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tazmpictures\/9710665076\/in\/album-72157635446497751\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9710665076_cb11a0de82_z.jpg?resize=421%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Bicycle\" width=\"421\" height=\"640\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><em>Bicycle leaning against the wall.\u00a0 Still one of my favorite pics.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Check out my Hat\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tazmpictures\/9201767985\/in\/album-72157635446497751\/\" data-flickr-embed=\"true\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/9201767985_9a425c7230_z.jpg?resize=481%2C640&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Check out my Hat\" width=\"481\" height=\"640\" \/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>If you managed to read this far, I&#8217;ll share with you that there was a roll of film inside this camera when it came to me.\u00a0 I developed the film and two photos turned out.\u00a0 This was one of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For reasons known only to them, camera manufacturers have, over the years, felt that &#8220;cadet&#8221; was a good name for a camera.\u00a0 There are at least 20 or so cameras (plus an exposure meter and an enlarger) called Cadets, to include at least eight made by the Ansco company.\u00a0 \u00a0There&#8217;s the Ansco Cadet A8, B2, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[856,803],"tags":[761,885,2032,2031,2033,96,602,805],"class_list":["post-4926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-found-film-vintage-cameras","category-vintage-cameras","tag-agfa","tag-ansco","tag-b-2","tag-b2","tag-box","tag-camera","tag-review","tag-vintage"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4926"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6238,"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926\/revisions\/6238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tazmpictures.com\/site\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}