Since the mid 2010s, Chroma Camera’s Steve Lloyd has been inventing and manufacturing his own range of film cameras in Liverpool in the UK.
The former IT manager turned Chroma Camera into a full-time after a successful Kickstarter for the original 4×5 large-format camera in 2018, and since then he’s added several more medium-format and large-format cameras to the range. He even built a 35mm pinhole camera (the recently discontinued Cube FF).
Now, Lloyd has announced – after testing a number of prototypes over the course of the last three years – his first 35mm camera with a glass lens, called the Click.
The Click will be launched via Kickstarter in early 2025. Kosmo Foto was kindly lent one of the prototype cameras earlier this year, and we’ve put several rolls through it (you can see examples at the bottom of the story). It’s a chunky 3D-printed camera which features the 24mm f/11 DoubleGlass lens Chroma Camera released in 2022.
The camera has a traditional winding arm – just like in a manual SLR or rangefinder – and can shoot either full-frame 35mm or half-frame; both format can be shot on the same roll by adjusting how far you advance the frame.
Lloyd has been steadily tweaking the design of the prototype cameras over the course of the summer and autumn, but the design is sufficiently mature for him to now confirm a 2025 Kickstarter (the exact time to be confirmed).
He gave Kosmo Foto some exclusive insight into the new camera.
What is the Click, and who is it for?
The Click is a true analogue experience, with no need for batteries or complex light meter, so you can enjoy the experience of a true “point and shoot” camera. I designed it to use my DoubleGlass 24mm f/11 optics to give high-quality results when you don’t want to waste film on basic plastic lens cameras.
How long has it been in development?
I started talking with Jason Lane (Pictoriographica) about designing a custom lens for me around 2.5 years ago, with a view to building my first complete camera system around it. However, when I received the first beta optics, I deigned a Sony FE mount to test them on my Sony digital kit for speed and discovered that I really liked the look of them as a standalone lens, and the DoubleGlass M39/LTM lens was the result!
At that point, I put the development of the Click camera on hold whilst I focused on the standalone lens, and my other existing camera systems, but always dipped back in to the Click as I went along.
What are its specs in terms of lens and shutter speed?
The lens contains two coated-glass elements, giving a 24mm focal length with fixed F11 aperture and fixed focus from 1.5m to infinity. The magnetic shutter works like a traditional Box Camera, exposing a frame in each direction, and runs at 1/100th.
How long did it take to build the prototype?
I’ve build at least 15-20 different prototypes over the last three years, trying different winding knob/wheel designs, frame counting mechanisms, rear doors, viewfinder options, grip styles, filter thread ideas, colours and components. The current design is a combination of all of these and something I’m genuinely excited about.
How easy was it to build a functioning 35mm camera from home?
It wasn’t! As with all of my cameras, I’m a big fan of keeping them as compact as possible, mainly because I’m a lazy photographer myself so don’t like to carry lots of bulky/heavy kit and the Click is no different.
My earliest designs used an off-the-shelf electromagnetic shutter and associated electronics to control it. Whilst I liked the functionality this could give me, such as integrate light meter/counter/winding, I quickly came to the conclusion that this was the opposite of the Click that I wanted to build, which is simple and truly ‘analogue’ in its use.
I eventually came up with a very simple magnetic shutter design that has proved to deliver consistent speeds and stability without any complex mechanics or handling. Once I got to this point, the remaining work was building the winding mechanism/lens mount/viewfinder around it whilst keeping the camera compact.
What were your influences for the design?
The ’traditional’ design for a rangefinder camera is a viewfinder on the left, winder on the right and shutter release under your right hand. Rather than reinventing ting this particular wheel I designed the basic Click body around these three standards. This design fits most people and is the most natural way to handle a camera, so I figured it wasn’t a good idea to change!
What are your tips for shooting the camera?
The main consideration is that the shutter is 1/100th of a second with a 24mm wide angle lens. As a result, camera shake is less likely than with slower/longer lenses but I’d still always recommend taking your time when exposing images rather than ’snatching’ at the camera. The shutter is very simple to use but it’s worth having a practice with it before loading film and getting the feel of it. Rather than pushing the shutter all the way, which will likely lead to overexposed images, you only need a gently flick to move it, the internal magnets will then take care of the travel at the correct speed. The lens has an F11 aperture, so this should always be remembered when choosing your film. For normal daylight I’d always recommend 200-400 speed film, as this covers most lighting conditions. If you use the Click in low light, it would be better to use something like 3200 to make sure you can get enough light in to your exposures.
When are you planning to release them?
I originally planned to launch the Click via a crowdfunding campaign earlier this year but, as a very small-scale manufacturer (I am the entirety of Chroma) I had to make the decision to delay this whilst I focused on delivering my existing retail cameras. However, I’m expecting to launch the campaign early next year.
How much will the camera sell for?
The Click will be £140 when launched, although there will be some lower priced early bird options available in the campaign too.
Are you planning to tweak the design at all?
I’m really happy with the overall styling/handling of the Click, keeping it compact but not uncomfortable to use was always the plan. I’m currently testing out some adjustments for the winding mechanism though, with an eye on larger volume production, but it will be ready for launch in early 2025.
Kosmo Foto will publish a review of the Click ahead of the Kickstarter’s launch in early 2025, but you can see some images we took on the camera in spring below. The camera is light and easy to use. The back is robust and closes reassuringly, meaning zero light leaks. The shutter release will be familiar to those who’ve shot on old Kodak Brownie 120 cameras but will take a bit of practicing for others – I found I had a tendency to push the release all the way to the end, meaning the camera overexposes. You only need a little bit of movement for the magnet mechanism to complete the action. As you can see, in the right conditions (Kodak Gold 200 in bright sunshine) the Click is capable of some really lovely shots.
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
I’m doing everything I can to promote film photography in the 21st Century, and help it survive and thrive. If you want to write something for Kosmo Foto, please drop me a line at foto.dowling@gmail.com.
Oh, this looks amazing! I was thinking of getting a Holga, and this looks like a much better buy.