Last Updated on 02/10/2018 by Mark Beckenbach
Chroma Camera is being pitched as a lightweight option for the large format community.
Photographer Steve Lloyd has been a camera tinkerer for many years ago, and today he’s launched his brand new Kickstarter project called Chroma Camera. The camera is a large format option designed to be even more lightweight than many others on the market. Additionally, it also folds down into a super compact package. While large format cameras have always folded down, this one does even more so. Steve worked on the development of the product for 17 months and designed it to be flexible with the type of work photographers do.
The Chroma Camera is designed to give photographers a wide range of movement, first and foremost, but let’s get back to the weight. The Chroma Camera, including the ground glass, claims a weight of around 3.5lbs. That’s pretty darned light. And what that also means is that you may want to carry it with you everywhere. Thanks to the camera back being affixed used magnets, you’ll be able to remove it or rotate it pretty quickly if you need. The back accepts all 4×5 sheet film, DDS holders, and Fujifilm Quickload holders as standard.
Here are some important tech specs:
Front Standard
- 20mm Rise & 20mm Fall
- 45 Degree Forward & 45 Degree Rear Tilt
- 30mm Shift both ways
- Tilt only limited by lens coverage and bellows draw
When folded down, the total dimensions are 210mm long, 180mm wide and 117mm high, meaning that the Chroma can be comfortably held in a standard messenger bag.
Whilst I’m launching the Chroma with standard 4×5 holders in mind, I have also designed matching acrylic 6×12 roll film and 4×5 wet plate backs which I will be launching as future accessories.
Rear Standard
- 25mm Rise & 25mm Fall
- 17 Degree Rear Tilt and up to 90 Degree forwards tilt (limited by lens coverage)
The Chroma package will include the main camera, magnetic ground glass, blank Copal sized lens board (in standard Linhof/Wista size so existing lens boards can also be used), and a 0.4mm pinhole lens board so the camera can be used straight away by just adding a standard 4×5 DDS film holder. You can also get it in a variety of colors. You can check it out on Kickstarter.