Thypoch Simera 35mm F1.4

The Thypoch Simera 35mm F1.4 is a manual-focus full-frame prime for Leica M, Nikon Z, Canon RF and Sony E mount. It gives the classic 35mm field of view with an F1.4 aperture and belongs to Thypoch's Simera series. Thypoch describes it as a modern take on a classic close-focusing 35mm, aimed at street, documentary and portrait work.

Optical design

The construction has 9 elements in 5 groups, with 3 high-refractive-index elements and 1 aspherical element, according to Thypoch. The company says the aspherical element and the floating element design reduce field curvature and spherical aberration and keep sharpness consistent through the focusing range. The aperture has 14 blades and goes down to F16. The minimum focusing distance is 0.45 m, the image circle is 43.2 mm for full frame, and the angle of view is 64 degrees diagonally, 55 degrees horizontally and 38 degrees vertically.

Focusing and handling

Focusing is manual. The aperture ring has sun and moon symbols to switch between clicked and declicked operation. The focus ring has a tactile resistance point at 0.7 m, which warns users of a rangefinder camera that the coupling ends and they should switch to the viewfinder for closer distances. A red-dot depth-of-field scale in the style of 1950s lenses is part of the barrel. The Leica M version offers an infinity-lock tab or a crescent-shaped tab.

Build and size

The body is aluminum alloy with a 54 mm front diameter and a 49 mm filter thread. The weights listed are about 272 g for Leica M, 296 g for Sony E, 309 g for Nikon Z and 310 g for Canon RF. Lengths without hood are about 50.8 mm for M, 64.6 mm for E, 66.4 mm for Z and 62.8 mm for RF.

Where it fits

In the Leica M segment of the database, the closest comparisons are the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH at 320 g with a 70 cm minimum distance, and the Voigtländer 35mm F1.2 Nokton VM III at 332 g and 50 cm. On the M mount, the Simera is lighter than both at 272 g. On mirrorless mounts, autofocus options such as the Nikkor Z 35mm F1.4 (415 g) or the Sony FE 35mm F1.8 (280 g) are more convenient.

Pros and cons

Pros

• F1.4 at 272 g on Leica M
• 0.45 m close focus, closer than the 0.7 m of the Summilux-M 35mm
• Click and declick aperture ring
• Four mounts available

Cons

• Manual focus only
• Heavier on mirrorless mounts than on M
• No weather sealing stated

Verdict

The Simera 35mm F1.4 combines a bright 35mm, short focusing distance and compact M-mount size with classic styling. It fits users who value that handling over autofocus.