Chroma Cameras? Anyone know anything about the cameras?

[Dan Daniel]

Just ran into this operation. Looks like he is making (printing?) assorted cameras including medium format. And selling cameras including specific lenses, like the 50mm Mamiya or the 90mm Super Angulon.

And the prices are darn near impulse buy level considering where medium format cameras have gone to (i have no relation to the seller, etc.).

Anyone heard anything about the actual cameras?

Stock Items

I've curated a range of cameras (analogue and digital) and lenses so that you can put together your own setups with immediate despatch.

chroma.camera

 

[moofy]

I’ll do you one better than heard, I’ve held and tried them. 3D printed for sure but done very well and to tight tolerances. Steve, the guy who makes them all, is very responsive and pretty quick at implementing updates or new ideas into them.

They’re not as sturdy as say an actual mamiya press would be but they’re a lot lighter and come in very different formats. If you want something small, say for travel or a specific panoramic format they’re not bad little things.

For the price they’re a pretty good option. Just don’t expect them to last another 50 years like the lenses and shutters that mount on them.

 

[Chuck1]

I have a 6x12
I like it
I wish there was a better option to mount the camera to a quick release plate (the camera's plastic body is slippery, two mounting screws would solve this)
The ground glass is a little fiddly.
And the way the film holder mounts could have a more idiot (me) proof locks.
They now offer a 6x9 back for the 6x12 camera. And I'm thinking about the option to use with mamiya press lenses.
I have a mercury 6x9 also,
The chroma is better though both have quirks.

 

[Jessxi]

I have owned one before and I thought it was a fun camera to own. Easy company to deal with.

Jess

 

[Shaps]

/when I was looking to buy a 3D printed camera a year ago I looked at Chroma and liked them. But went with another company,CCB, because they could deliver quicker. Most of these 3D printed cameras come with metal 1/4-20 tripod mounts so any sort of tripos mounting is easy. I haven’t researched how long the 3D printed bodies will last but I feel they are the way to go today in medium format. I now have a 6x17 and 6x9 3D printed cameras. Both use view camera lenses which are not expensive and actually probably more cost effective to just buy another used one if you do not have a local repair shop.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Thanks for the info, everyone. 3-d printing is moving along well. It looks like the Chroma printing is a nice resolution. So many interesting possibilities as people keep working on reusing old lenses into new bodies.

Now if we could just get 3-d printed optics. Well, China is bringing the cost down on lens grinding to where small run glass is possible.