New! Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 + 35mm f1.4 for Leica

Today I have TWO brand new lenses AND a new lens manufacturer for the Leica M mount system. Please welcome THYPOCH and their first two lens releases; The Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 and Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 Leica M lenses. This article will share my first impressions, sample photos and YouTube videos for each lens. I cover potential Thypoch Simera alternatives and Thypoch vs Voigtlander comparisons (Including the new Voigtlander Nokton 28mm f1.5).

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Who are Thypoch?

Thypoch are the “new kids on the block” when it comes to precision made Leica M mount lenses. Based in China the word Thypoch is made up of the two Greek words “Thy” (your) and “epoch” (fixed point). Their first two lenses launched are called “Simera” (today). Check out the official Thypoch website for more details.

First release – Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4

Their first lens to be launched in 2024 is the Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 which looks to offer a cheaper alternative to lenses like the Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 FLE, Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4 ZM and some 35mm lenses from Voigtlander. Like the Summilux and Distagon lenses, the Thypoch 35mm f1.4 Simera lens has a floating lens element to improve sharpness at closer focus distances. We’ll get into more details as we get into this article.

Second release – Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4

For 28mm lens lovers, the second lens to be released is the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 lens. Fast 28mm lenses are less common so I’m excited to see what this lens can do. Voigtlander have also just released their fast 28mm lens too, the new Voigtlander Nokton 28mm f1.5 VM lens. Both of these new lenses will offer a cheaper alternative to the fantastic Leica Summilux 28mm f1.4 ASPH lens (the lens the Leica Q cameras are based on though the fixed lens on the Q cameras is f1.7).

Thypoch 35mm vs 28mm?

How does the 35mm Thypoch lens compare to the 28mm Thypoch lens? See more information below and specifically in the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 video embedded. I share information on both new lenses below but let’s first take a closer look at the 35mm Thypoch Simera f1.4.

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Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4

First impressions of 35mm Thypoch Simera?

If you’re new here I am fortunate that I have tested most of the popular 35mm lenses available for Leica M mount. Everything from Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 lenses (there are multiple versions), Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4 ZM, Leica Summicron 35mm f2, Voigtlander lenses.. MANY! Nokton 1.2(s) and 1.4(s), Ultron f1.7 and f2, Skopar f2.5 and then other brands like TTArtisan, 7Artisans and the fantastic Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 LTM lens.

Is the Thypoch 35mm lens good?

So knowing that, how does the Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 lens stack up to the likes of Leica and Voigtlander? From my use so far, the Thypoch lens build quality definitely seems up there with the more premium lens brands such as Leica, Voigtlander and Light Lens Lab. The lens focusing is smooth and the lens feels very solid and with some weight (being brass). Size wise, it is bigger than my usual walkaround lenses but I do have a strong preference for the smallest Leica M mount lenses. Image quality is good and I will compare to a few alternatives 35mm lenses further down. Let’s look at some example photos next.

Leica M10 street photography with the 35mm Thypoch

If you love street photography with a 35mm focal length then then new Thypoch Simera 35mm lens might be for you. Here are some full res sample photos (first) then smaller files too (as a gallery), as seen in the YouTube videos shared below. Photos are shot with my Leica M10 in RAW then my MrLeica presets added. (I am working on new Leica M10 presets to use for my own needs (these photos are edited with one B&W preset). I will make the new Leica M10 preset pack available once I have finished developing.

More 35mm Thypoch sample photos

Please note, I edited these Leica M10 35mm Thypoch sample photos with two different MrLeica colour Lightroom presets that I’m working on. One preset is more true to life and inspired by my Leica M240 camera colours. The second preset is a film inspired stylised look and may give a green cast to some of the images.

Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 portraits

Here are a few Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 portraits shot with my Leica M10. All images were captured in RAW then edited in Adobe Lightroom by applying my MrLeica presets. I include some 35mm Thypoch portraits impacted by lens flare to demonstrate that this lens will flare. Join Patreon to see behind the scenes videos recorded from both of these photoshoots (+100 more model BTS videos). See how I pose, direct, style and light models with new content posted every week. Take advantage of the discount and sign up for 12 months today!

Models

Film portraits with the 35mm Thypoch Simera 1.4

The following Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 film portraits were shot with my Leica M4-P film camera and Ilford Pan 400 film. All my black and white film is home developed in Adox XT-3. I will try to write a new article on developing with Adox XT-3 instead of Kodak Xtol. There are differences and things to be aware of. (If you are a fellow film shooter be sure to sign up to the monthly newsletter for the latest film news. I hope to setup my darkroom soon and this morning I was bulk rolling some Kodak Double-X film if you know what that is).

A-Z FILM CAMERA REVIEWS

LEICA CAMERA Reviews

Real world test of the Thypoch 35mm

To see how the 35mm Thypoch Simera performs for real world photos here is the first Thypoch video using the lens on my Leica M10 camera in Valencia. I use the lens for both portraits plus street/ travel photography and share my first impressions.

Detailed testing and comparisons to similar 35mm lenses

Here is part 2 for the Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 lens review for Leica M mount. This YouTube video will hopefully give you all the information you need if you are looking to buy the 35mm Thypoch lens.

Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4 vs Thypoch 35mm

The most common comparison will likely be the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.4 vs Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4? Which is the better lens? As with all these things it depends on what you want. A Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f1.4 lens is half the size of the Thypoch, can be found for less money and gives a more classic rendering (hence the name). I owned this lens for many years. The new Thypoch 35mm f1.4 lens will focus closer (useful for mirrorless camera users, less so for film shooters) and has a more modern and corrected rendering. My Thypoch lens is sharper at wider apertures but if you plan to stop down perhaps skip this lens and consider a 35mm f2 lens.

Best 35mm f2 lenses for Leica M?

If you’re happy to shoot at f2 there are multiple great options depending on your needs. If you need the sharpest get a 35mm APO lens from either Leica or Voigtlander. If you want sharp and compact I prefer the Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2 VM over the Leica Summicron 35mm f2. If you want the smallest 35mm lens for Leica look at the LTM version of the Light Lens Lab 35mm f2 8-Element lens. Love this lens!

Thypoch 35mm f1.4 vs Voigtlander 35mm f1.2

If you need something faster definitely consider the Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 vs the Thypoch 35mm f1.4. The Nokton 35mm f1.2 comes in 3 versions. I have the large v2 ASPH which I love but if you want something more compact look at the Nokton 35mm f1.2 ASPH III. I think the Nokton would be my choice for portraits and it can give beautiful bokeh.

Zeiss Distagon, Leica Summilux and Thypoch 35mm

If you just want the best and dont care about size I think skip the Thypoch 35mm f1.4 lens and get the Zeiss Distagon 35mm f1.4 ZM. I wish it was smaller as I think it’s still the best fast 35mm lens for Leica M mount if you want sharp photos. Perhaps less ideal for my female portraits. I’ll likely still get this lens at some stage. For those that prefer the Leica brand look at the popular Leica Summilux 35mm f1.4 lenses. This is one of the most popular lenses I see at my Leica workshops.

Update: Thypoch 35mm vs Voigtlander 35mm f1.7 Ultron

I’ve always wondered if the Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f1.7 lens (that I used to own) is sharper than some of these modern 35mm Leica M lenses. I had to find out so I re-bought the 35mm Ultron and tested it against a few of my favourites. One comparison is the 35mm Thypoch vs 35mm Voigtlander Ultron f1.7. See the results –

Verdict – Is the Thypoch 35mm f1.4 worth it?

So in summary, is the Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 lens worth it? The Simera 1.4 is up against very tough competition in the 35mm arena. There are already great 35mm lenses that excel in size, sharpness and rendering. That said, at the price point, if you’re looking for a fast 35mm and need a good all rounder check out the Thypoch lens. If you don’t mind something wider consider the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 lens instead. My preference. Let’s cover the 28mm next.

See more Thypoch 35mm alternatives

There are so many nice 35mm lenses available I put together a playlist containing THIRTY different 35mm lens reviews that I’ve covered to date. Check them out here –

Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4

First impressions

After received the Thypoch 35mm lens a few weeks ago I just received my copy of the new Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4. First impressions? Next to the 35mm Thypoch lens the 28mm Thypoch is slightly longer, has nicer clicks, comes with a silver nose rather than all black (both black lenses) and focuses to 0.4m vs 0.45m. I was keen to try out the lens on my Leica M10 so I took a day to travel to London for some street photography.

Leica M10 + Thypoch 28mm f1.4

Here are a selection of my Leica M10 + Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 photos. All images were captured in RAW then edited in Adobe Lightroom by applying my MrLeica presets. (This new Leica M10 preset pack will be out later this month).

Lightroom Presets – GAME CHANGING!

RAW sample photos

Here are some Leica M10 unedited RAW files as a reference –

Thypoch Simera 28mm portraits

I’ve planned a photoshoot with a model friend in London so I will aim to make a second 28mm Thypoch video and show how this lens performs for portraits. I will look to include both Thypoch Simera 28mm portraits + Voigtlander Nokton 28mm f1.5 portraits. Follow the blog to check back and receive future posts as I release them.

Voigtlander vs Thypoch?

As with the 35mm comparison above, the question on everyone’s lips is Voigtlander or Thypoch? What is better? Which brand should I buy? There are a few Voigtlander 28mm lens options so let’s cover those next.

Voigtlander Nokton 28mm vs Thypoch 28mm

2024 is a great year if you are looking for a fast 28mm lens for Leica M mount (and can’t afford the Leica Summilux 28mm f1.4 ASPH!) Two new fast aperture 28mm lenses were released at the start of the year, the Voigtlander Nokton 28mm f1.5 and the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4. Which is king, Voigtlander 28mm f1.5 or Thypoch 28mm f1.4? Sadly it’s not they clear cut and both lenses off different benefits. Let’s cover those next.

Benefits of the Thypoch 28mm f1.4

• Excellent build quality
• Very satisfying clicky aperture (can de-click too)
• 0.4m MFD / minimum close focus distance
• 0.7m soft stop for rangefinder camera users
• Vented rectangular lens hood included
• Slightly less vignetting (vs Voigtlander)
• Warm tone rendering (vs cool for Voigtlander)
• Less chromatic aberration (vs Voigtlander)
• Cheaper than the Voigtlander Nokton 1.5

Advantages of the Voigtlander 28mm f1.5

• Usual quality Voigtlander lens construction
• Smaller lens (length and width)(vs Thypoch)
• Modern focus tab and no infinity lock
• Lighter lens if buy Typ I (non-brass) version
• Typ I matte black matches Leica M10 / M6 etc
• Typ II gloss black will match black paint Leica
• Voigtlander is sharper – Centre and edges
• I find DOF scale easier to read vs Thypoch

No clear winner? You decide

As you can see both new 28mm lenses offer their own benefits so it will come down to what is most important to you. If you want to see the performance of the Voigtlander Nokton 28mm f1.5 lens check out the Voigtlander YouTube review here –

Thypoch 28mm f1.4 vs Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f2 II

The second option from Voigtlander is their fantastic Voigtlander Ultron 28mm f2 v2 (second version not Typ II*). This lens is so good is beat my Leica Summicron 28mm f2 ASPH lens and that lead to the “Selling my Leica gear” video. The Ultron is my benchmark for 28mm so how does the Thypoch Simera 28mmm f1.4 compare? In brief, the 28mm Ultron lens is smaller and sharper but the Thypoch gives you one more stop of light and you can focus closer. I will use the Ultron when there is sufficient light (or more likely the Voigtlander Skopar 28mm f2.8 LTM which is nearly half the size again) and keep the Thypoch for very low light and perhaps some 28mm portraits.

Leica Q / Q2 or Thypoch Simera 28mm?

Now you might laugh at first but can the new Thypoch 28mm f1.4 lens on a Leica M camera replace your need for the Leica Q, Q2 or Q3? From my testing in London the Leica Q camera wins for sharpness up close in the centre and at infinity at the edges. The Leica Q f1.7 lens is brighter and with very little vignetting and close focuses to 0.3m + gives you macro mode. The Leica Q also gives you autofocus and all the other benefits of a Leica Q setup compared to a Leica M camera. But, despite all that in real world use I prefer a manual 28mm lens on a Leica M camera to the point and shoot Leica Q cameras.

I like vignetting and have to add it to my Leica Q images and I preferred the colours from the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 + Leica M10 combo compared to my Leica Q. If you only own a Leica Q series camera for a fast wide lens option you can now just add the Thypoch 28mm Simera lens to your Leica M kit instead and get 80% of the same result.

Thypoch 28mm f1.4 alternatives?

If you love Leica lenses consider the 28mm Summilux f1.4, 28mm Summicron f2 or for something smaller the Leica Elmarit 28mm f2.8 ASPH lens. Zeiss make their 28mm f2.8 Biogon ZM lens (I have their Zeiss Biogon 25mm f2.8 ZM lens) and for something cheaper check out the 7Artisans 28mm f1.4 that I reviewed in the past.

LENS Reviews

YouTube review – Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4

For a better visual of some of the mentioned lenses side by side check out the full Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 YouTube video.

Verdict – Is the Thypoch 28mm f1.4 good?

So is the Thypoch 28mm f1.4 lens good? Can I recommend it? Yes I prefer the 28mm Thypoch to the Thypoch Simera 35mm f1.4 lens and if you do some reading online that seems a common opinion. I already own good fast 35mm lenses but the 28mm Thypoch f1.4 lens will become my new go to lens if a need a fast aperture 28mm. The lens is very usable wide open in terms of sharpness , even if a little softer than the new 28mm f1.5 Voigtlander lens.

I think at the price point, the new Thypoch Simera will become a popular choice for people looking for a fast 28mm Leica M mount lens. If you want slightly better image quality and a smaller lens consider the Voigtlander Nokton 28mm f1.5.

Thanks Thypoch

A big thanks to Thypoch for sending me their new lenses to review. I don’t get paid to make these reviews so you’ll always receive my honest opinion. If you enjoy these articles and want to help support my work (plus access 400+ additional posts) please consider joining my Patreon. YouTube and writing reviews is now my full time job if you didn’t know and I have no additional staff. See this video for the full story!

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