Chroma Camera has released the Six:17, the latest in its range of medium format cameras. The Six:17 shoots 6 x 17 cm frames on 120 film, allowing for panoramic photos on 120 film, which is difficult to achieve without specialised expensive cameras.
The Six:17 camera is made from 3D-printed PLA and laser-cut acrylic and uses magnetic interchangeable lens cones that allow for a range of focal lengths to be used. Additionally, it has a fully removable film back with an integrated darkslide, so lenses can be swapped mid-roll. It can be ordered on the Chroma Camera website and bought for £425. The estimated build time for each camera is 3-4 weeks.
Chroma Camera’s Steve Lloyd, who announced the camera on 6 June spoke to Kosmo Foto about the new camera, noting that its ‘light’ weight (412g without lens) for such a wide format makes it a good fit for many types of photography, including landscape, environmental, portrait and studio. He said a number of lenses are compatible with it and that there is a list of known compatible lenses that can be found on his website. He then explained, ‘Primarily, the image circle needs to be 178mm or larger, which is generally 5 x 7 format compatible lenses, as it’s around 50mm larger than a 4 x 5 camera requires’.
Credit: Chroma Camera
‘I’ve built up a varied range of cameras in the Chroma Family, covering multiple formats including 135, 120, Instax and 4×5 and they all have their fans,’ Lloyd said. ‘Whilst 6 x 17 is likely a smaller niche than my other formats, I always try to offer my cameras at a price that doesn’t make them unattainable for the majority of photographers. I’m hoping this approach can encourage more people to try out film photography going forwards.’
Related content:
- An introduction to medium format film photography
- Best Second-hand Digital Medium Format Cameras
- How to get started in film photography: a beginners guide
- This summer: shoot film, shush your inner perfectionist
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