Around the turn of the century several similar strut cameras were produced, their appeal lay in the small space they occupied when folded. The Pocket Cyko was probably the smallest and lightest of these.

In Britain it was sold by Griffin & Sons. On the continent it was sold as the Lopa by Nièll & Simmons. The camera was patented in the UK by Magnus Nièll in 1899. The patent showed side struts and a flat plate connecting the camera to the lens area. This was manufactured as the Cyko No. 1. A later patent, 1901, showed a camera without struts but with plates top and bottom having roughly a wedge shape. This was produced as the Cyko No. 2. The No 1 took plates held in double dark-slides, the No. 2 had a changing mechanism. The most common size is 6.5 x 9 cm but larger models were made. Some examples, at least of the Lopa, had a wire frame (part of the 1899 patent).