Chroma Cameras Unveils a New Lightweight 24mm for Leica M39 Mount
Chroma Cameras, a developer of large format field cameras and accessories since 2018, revealed its first lens: a 24mm f/11 for 35mm Leica screw-mount cameras. The new full-frame lens from Chroma Cameras (now known as “Glass”) is constructed with double-coated glass elements that exhibit little distortion, no chromatic aberration, and a fixed focus from 1.5 meters to infinity, according to the report from Kosmo Foto.
The lens’s body is manufactured from a single piece of aluminum that has been laser etched and anodized and has a super-compact design. The ultimate weight is still being determined, according to Chroma Cameras’ founder Steve Lloyd, but the beta units have typically weighed around 16 grams.
According to Lloyd in an interview with Kosmo Foto, “I’ve opted to machine the bodies in M39 thread mount, as this is one of the smallest flange depth mounts available, offering a massive variety of compatibility on both rangefinder and digital mirrorless camera systems.”
Steve Lloyd of Chroma Cameras told Kosmo Foto that the M39 thread mount was selected because of its short flange depth and wide compatibility with rangefinder and digital mirrorless camera systems. M39 adapters are available for nearly every camera system, including Canon RF, Fujifilm X, Sony E, Nikon Z, Micro Four Thirds, L, and more. Lloyd has adapted the lens to Zarya 35mm, Hamish Gill, and Sony A7 cameras.
According to Lloyd, he began thinking about and developing this lens around a year and a half ago to create a lens that is simple to use while giving quality results. He wanted to offer something distinctive that differentiates itself from the existing creative lens possibilities. After numerous late-night Skype sessions, the group successfully put the lens into production while working with engineers and optical designers Jason Lane and Max Affleck of PictorioGraphica. The designs were modified to ensure consistent quality in the final product.
While this is the first (and now the only) lens to emerge from the company, Lloyd claims that he has received numerous requests for more medium format lenses with a comparable design and field of view. So, to perhaps operate with a variety of formats, he is still working on incorporating the lens and an electronic shutter into a 2424 cube-style chassis and a few more ideas.
Here are some sample pictures taken on a FED Zarya camera and beta lens using Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow film by Steve Lloyd:
The initial production runs for the new 24mm f/11 M39-mount lens will be 500 units. Lloyd is still analyzing manufacturing costs, but he hopes to launch it at £99 (approximately $115). Lloyd hopes to ship the optical glass to Jason and Max for final assembly and testing before a possible launch later this month.
More info on Chroma Cameras’ website.
