Halina-Ansco Plastic Cameras

haclil · Jan 7, 2009

Could some toy camera buff advise me on the Halina 160 plastic camera?

I saw an Ansco just like it at the flea market for $3, but the point is: will it be fun to shoot pictures like "way back when" with it?

This is a pocket model (in case you're not familiar with the Halina 160) with a tiny lens having a little sliding lens cover.

Thanks in advance!

PHOTOTONE · Jan 10, 2009

A Pocket camera? Aren't disc films and 110 size films long discontinued?

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Jan 10, 2009

Nope, 110 is still very much available, though disc film is long gone. In this case, a quick google search says it's a 35mm camera, and looks like this:

Credit where due, to this site
As for fun, sure, why not? for a few bucks it's hard to lose. Load a roll of film and go for a walk with it.

alan doyle · Mar 10, 2009

halina, ansco and miranda cameras to look out for are the panorama models.they are the best fun.
the 160 is good for cross processing or great for red scale film shooting.

Anscojohn · Mar 10, 2009

Halina was owned by a women in Hong Kong "affectionately" known in the industry as "The Dragon Lady,"--only those U.S. person's old enough to remember a comic strip called Terry and the Pirates will get the association--and who bought up the Ansco name--maybe the 1970s. The cameras were considered junk by the standards of the time.

Nicholas Lindan · Mar 10, 2009

Halina was part of Haking - the home of the "Empire Baby" and the original "Optical Crystal Lens".

http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Empire_Baby
http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Haking

Steve Roberts · Mar 11, 2009

Last weekend I printed a couple of shots that I recently took on a Halina Paulette which I bought in a charity shop for next to nothing purely because I had one as my first camera almost 40 years ago. The results were surprisingly good, even at 10" x 8" but for some reason there was a thin stripe down the film, parallel to the edge, which looked as if light had been getting in, perhaps on winding the film back into the cassette when the camera is out of its case. Further investigation is needed. The camera is otherwise in excellent condition and proudly bears the words "EMPIRE MADE". Ah... the days of all the pink coloured bits on a map of the World.....

Steve

Tim Gray · Mar 11, 2009

I have an Ansco Pix Panorama which is a complete piece of crap but fun to shoot with. One shutter speed to rule them all... no really, one shutters speed, one aperture, so you better be outside in the sun, but it is fun. The 'panorama' part of it is just a mask on the 35mm film - it looks to be about a 25mm lens.

I know this is straying off topic, but I think I like the Fuji Smartshot Plus more. Its a bit smaller, has a little flash, and has about the same angle of view.

Halina-Ansco Plastic Cameras

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