Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 – How good is this pocket-sized 21mm lens for Leica?

If you’re looking for a compact 21mm lens for Leica M mount you’ve found the right page. This comparison review covers the new Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 vs 21mm Voigtlander Skopar. I compare both lenses head to head, talk more about 21mm lenses and share sample photos and YouTube videos.

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Who are Thypoch?

Thypoch were the “new kids on the block” in 2024 for precision made Leica M mount lenses. Their Thypoch Simera lens line-up became really popular with now 21, 28, 35, 50 and 75mm options available.

Based in China, the word Thypoch is made up of the two Greek words “Thy” (your) and “epoch” (fixed point). Check out the official Thypoch website for more details.

New! Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 for Leica

Following their Thypoch Simera 21mm f1.4 release in 2025 Thypoch have now brought us a Leica-M friendly “pocket-sized” version. The new Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 lens for Leica is much better suited to Leica M camera users. Compact, lightweight, beautifully made and a great performer. Everything I look for when considering ideal lenses for Leica M cameras.

Note – the Thypoch Simera 21mm f1.4 is fantastic but the size pairs better with Leica SL series cameras (for me).

My trusty Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 VM

If you’re a long time reader you might remember that I’m a long term owner of the Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 VM lens. (I have the 21mm Skopar in screw mount too for Leica iii cameras). I love the size and weight of this lens so I was interested to see how the new Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 would compare.

For more info on the Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 VM, see the write-up.

The modern Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f3.5 VM

If you know your Voigtlander lenses you’ll know that Voigtlander released an updated version of the Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 VM some years ago. The current production version is 21mm f3.5 and it was designed to be optimised for digital cameras (vs film with the f4 earlier design).

Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f3.5 vs f4

Before we get onto the new Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 lens, you might be wondering which of the two Voigtlander lenses was the best performer? Personally I prefer the smaller size of the earlier f4 version so this is what I use but the f3.5 lens is definitely improved optically. Watch the YouTube review for the comparison results.

Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 vs Voigtlander 21mm Skopar

So this leads to the question, how does the Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 compare to the Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm? Watch the YouTube video below to see my head to head test and the image quality from both lenses.

Portraits using the Thypoch 21mm Ksana lens (on APS-C)

21mm portraits wouldn’t normally be my first choice but by using the lens on my APS-C Leica CL camera I now have around ~32mm equivalent (1.5x crop). This is ideal for portraits in small spaces such as hotel rooms and small apartments when i’m travelling. See some photos below from Hungary and Poland.

21mm Thypoch Ksana photos (on full frame)

21mm is perfect for small spaces. When I was teaching a Leica workshop in Budapest last summer I was able to get the model and both photographers in the same frame using my Leica SL2-S camera.

I tend not to shoot a huge amount of ultra wide photography as a model photographer but if you do the 21mm Ksana is great for this.

Thypoch Ksana 21mm on film

How does the Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 lens perform on film? Great! I’ve used mine on my Leica MDa, Leica M4 and Leica MP so far. See a sample photo below (and more in the video).

Best 21mm Leica lens for travel

Unless you shoot in the dark and need a faster aperture, the Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 ticks the box as a perfect travel lens. For me the best 21mm Leica lens for travel needs to perform optically but also be light and compact. My Thypoch Ksana has already visited 4 or 5 different countries as it’s the perfect size to leave in my camera bag.

The problem with 21mm lenses for Leica users

Leica M rangefinder cameras (especially film cameras) are not ideal for the 21mm focal length as camera viewfinders only normally include a wide angle frameline of 28mm and/ or 35mm (depending on the camera model). If you shoot with modern digital Leica cameras it’s less of an issue. I’ll cover than when I talk about 21mm viewfinders below.

Best rangefinder camera for 21mm lenses?

If you use a Leica M camera with 28mm framelines (Leica M6, M7, MP, M-A etc) you can approximate 24-25mm using the entire viewfinder area but this still isn’t wide enough to see 21mm compositions. (Note – If you wear glasses, camera variants with the 0.58x viewfinder are better – some Leica M6 TTL, M7, and older Leica MP).

To my knowledge the only rangefinder cameras with built-in 21mm framelines are the Voigtlander Bessa R4M and R4A. I used to own the Bessa R4M and it is perfect for wide angle lenses if that’s your thing. See my full breakdown of all Voigtlander Bessa series cameras for more details.

21mm viewfinders for Leica

For most of us, to use a 21mm lens we need to get a 21mm viewfinder to attach to the hotshoe/ coldshoe. If you only shoot digital you can compose via your rear LCD or EVF (if your camera has LiveView – excludes the Leica M9, M9, M262 and a few others).

For fellow film shooters, I tend to prefer the Voigtlander Brightline finders over Leica or Zeiss. Quality viewfinders are not cheap (nor super compact) but they are enjoyable to use. (If you are looking at Voigtlander finders they were made in round metal or rectangular and as 21mm only or 21mm+25mm combined).

Love 21mm but need something faster?

Let’s say you love the idea of 21mm but you live in the UK AND shoot film. A maximum aperture of f3.5 just isn’t fast enough for most of the year with all the rain we have. It was for this reason that I bought a faster 21mm lens when I used to shoot weddings.

Zeiss Biogon 21mm f2.8 ZM

One of my most used lenses when I did wedding photography was the Zeiss Biogon 21mm f2.8 ZM lens. (I enjoyed it so much I bought the 25mm version too). I’ve not compared the Zeiss lens to the new Thypoch Ksana 21mm but I would expect the Zeiss to have more apparent sharpness, contrast and saturation. Zeiss are generally great for buildings and when you want sharp.

The reason I tended to pick up my Voigtlander Skopar 21mm not the Zeiss Biogon 21mm for travel is the Voigtlander is half the size. This is where the new Thypoch Ksana 21mm lens shines too – the size.

Leica Elmarit 21mm f2.8

If you love Leica lenses you have a few options including the Leica Elmarit 21mm f2.8 lens that I reviewed.

Thypoch Simera 21mm f1.5

What if you want something faster than the Zeiss f2.8 ZM? Thypoch has got you covered with their sibling lens, the impressive Thypoch Simera 21mm f1.5 lens (released in 2025). The 21mm Simera is similar in size to the Voigtlander Nokton 21mm f1.5 VM. Check out the head to head comparison video below of both fast lenses.

Voigtlander Nokton 21mm f1.5 VM

If you prefer to stick with the trusted Voigtlander brand, the Voigtlander Nokton 21mm f1.5 is a top performer but the newer Thypoch Simera 21mm f1.4 does offer multiple advantages as explained in the video.

Smallest 21mm lens for Leica M mount?

If size matters the absolute smallest 21mm lens for Leica M mount is still the Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 by a few millimetres but as the Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 is optically superior I now carry this instead.

Smallest ultra-wide lens for Leica screw mount?

As someone that enjoys Leica screw mount cameras it’s sad that the new Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 is only available in M mount (no LTM screw mount option). You can get the Voigtlander Color Skopar 21mm f4 lens in screw mount if you search eBay but there is something even smaller.

My flattest ultra-wide lens is the old Soviet Russar 20mm f5.6 pancake lens. (This lens has a deep rear element so most of the size is inside the camera).

21mm Thypoch Ksana – Verdict?

Of the 21mm lenses currently available in Leica M mount, the Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 is now my first choice. I tend to use 21mm when I travel so the small size is a key and I Iove how compact it is on both my Leica M cameras and APS-C Leica CL as a walkabout lens.

When I travel I often aim to make my digital setup as small as possible so I can fill my bag with film cameras. The digital Leica CL 1.5x crop factor makes the 21mm Ksana into a ~32mm lens. This is focal length is IDEAL for both my photoshoots and travel photos. If I need more light I just use LED or flash for my portraits.

The Thypoch Ksana 21mm would be perfect for APS-C camera users (Fuji-X etc), those that love wide angle lenses and people that enjoy small lenses.

Thypoch Ksana 21mm f3.5 – Price

The 21mm Thypoch Ksana is available in both silver or black finish. To check the price in your country visit the official Thypoch website. (Thypoch now also makes quality lens mount adapters so you can adapt this M lens to multiple cameras not just Leica).

More Thypoch lenses

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