{"id":20108,"date":"2025-08-06T01:20:25","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T01:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/?p=20108"},"modified":"2025-08-06T01:20:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T01:20:25","slug":"thypoch-simera-28mm-f-1-4-and-eureka-50mm-f-2-review-great-options-for-film-fans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/?p=20108","title":{"rendered":"Thypoch Simera 28mm f\/1.4 and Eureka 50mm f\/2 Review: Great Options for Film Fans"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

\"Two<\/p>\n

Thypoch has been pumping out new lenses for Leica M-mount regularly for the past year, and while there are certainly digital cameras that they work great on, I think the company knows its biggest market is probably going to be analog fans.<\/p>\n

While yes, I do still have sharpness tests done on our PetaPixel<\/em> test chart (thank you, Chris Niccolls), the samples below were all taken using both lenses on my Voigtl\u00e4nder Bessa R2a. This is also going to be a bit more of a free-flowing review than is typical for us since it combines two very different lenses into one. Let\u2019s start with the $700 Thypoch Simerea 28mm f\/1.4. <\/p>\n

Thypoch Simerea 28mm f\/1.4 Review: Build Quality<\/h2>\n

I really like the build quality of Thypoch\u2019s Simera series. We\u2019ve tested a few of the company\u2019s lenses now and these always impress with solid metal construction, a decent heft, and mostly excellent design choices. I say \u201cmostly\u201d because for a time, Thypoch decided to include a locking switch that would automatically engage when the lens was focused to infinity. While this certainly has fans, I (along with the rest of the PetaPixel<\/em> team), found it to be more of a hindrance than a help. We can\u2019t have been alone, since the company chose to change the design of all of its Simera lenses this year away from that switch and over to a thumb rest. I got a chance to feel this change for myself with the 75mm f\/1.4 and I much prefer it so I\u2019m glad to see that Thypoch is going to continue this choice for the 28mm f\/1.4 too. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The top of the lens features a clever and very pretty depth of field gauge and there is a click and de-click switch for the aperture ring. When focusing the lens, there is a slight detent that you\u2019ll feel as you get to the close focus of the lens, and that lets you feel when you\u2019re getting too close to a subject to focus with a rangefinder. Videographers like Jordan Drake \u2014 who shot with the lens while filming a recent episode of our YouTube show so that he could provide me some feedback on it \u2014 will not like this at all, meaning it\u2019s probably not a particularly great video lens. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a shame, because the one type of user who might like this lens is a videographer since none of the Simera lenses \u2014 of any of Thypoch\u2019s lenses, for that matter \u2014 feature an electronic connection with a camera, although they are coupled to M-mount rangefinders. This means that while it\u2019s not necessarily the best choice for mounting on most modern digital cameras despite the ease of adapting M-mount, it is a great choice for film fans. <\/p>\n

Thypoch Simera 28mm f\/1.4 Review: How It Shoots<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s hard to complain about the Simera 28mm f\/1.4 when shooting on film. Images are well rendered, although I will say that it\u2019s difficult to see any \u201ccharacter\u201d out of the lens. That may be because of the focal length, but I was rarely blown away with bokeh or focus falloff. There is the occasional hit where a photo just has a ton of vibe, such as the portrait of Chris on the train below, but for the most part, 28mm feels like a setup shot focal length, where you\u2019re just seeing a scene. Not quite what I would call ultra-wide, but too wide to really focus on anything in the frame, if you catch my meaning. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Flare is moderately well-controlled. I noticed a loss of contrast right around point light sources and there is some ghosting present. That said, on film, it doesn\u2019t really play a major role in how I feel about a photo. <\/p>\n

\"Sunlight
Flare and ghosting are not what I would say are \u201cwell controlled,\u201d but I also don\u2019t think they take away much from a film photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"Silhouetted<\/p>\n

\"People<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

What is nice about the 28mm f\/1.4 is its ability to give me a bit more latitude with light-gathering capability in the early morning or at night. I did find myself wishing for just a hair more light, probably more me yearning for my favorite Voigtlander 35mm f\/1.2, but I think it performed well considering how dark it was and how my film wasn\u2019t particularly fast. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019ve given you a large set of sample photos so you have an idea of what you can expect, let\u2019s take a look at our more clinical test shots. These were captured on a Sony a7RV using an M to E adapter, which means they\u2019re not going to be perfectly indicative of the lens\u2019 performance on native cameras but it\u2019s certainly a better look than I can give you with film alone. The 28mm f\/1.4 has pretty good sharpness in the center wide open, but that falls off pretty quickly on the edges which are downright smudgy. That cleans up a lot when stopping down to f\/2.8, but I don\u2019t think I would call those corners \u201csharp.\u201d They\u2019re pretty poor.<\/p>\n

I am pretty happy with the sharpness in the center, however, especially if you\u2019re able to stop down a bit; doing so will also bump up the contrast nicely. The Simera 28mm f\/1.4 is capable of rendering some very nice detail.<\/p>\n

\"A
The Thypoch 28mm f\/1.4 sharpness in the center at f\/1.4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
The Thypoch 28mm f\/1.4 sharpness in the center at f\/2.8<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
The Thypoch 28mm f\/1.4 sharpness in the corner at f\/1.4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
The Thypoch 28mm f\/1.4 sharpness in the corner at f\/2.8.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The lens also has a little bit of longitudinal chromatic aberration, or LoCA, but it\u2019s not awful. LoCA is when there is a color shift between foreground and background out-of-focus areas, and it is very difficult to get rid of in post-production. <\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

The 28mm f\/1.4 shows a pretty typical magenta-green shift, but it\u2019s not the worst I\u2019ve seen and you probably won\u2019t notice it if you\u2019re shooting film. However, it is worth keeping in mind. One last thing to note is that in lab testing, we found that lens to be closer to f\/1.7 than f\/1.4, which isn\u2019t terribly unusual but something we feel is important to point out. <\/p>\n

Thypoch Eureka 50mm f\/2 Review: Build Quality<\/h2>\n

Switching over to the $479 Eureka 50mm f\/2, there is a lot to talk about. Firstly, this lens is very different from the Simera series in that at the time of publication, there is only one lens in Thypoch\u2019s Eureka line: the 50mm f\/2. Secondly, it\u2019s a wholly different kind of lens. <\/p>\n

\"A
Collapsed, the Eureka 50mm f\/2 takes up hardly any room at all. It fits neatly in the palm of the hand.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Eureka 50mm f\/2 is a collapsible, compact optic that is heavily inspired by the Taylor-Hobson Anastigmat 50mm f\/2 from 1951. This is a very small-batch production lens originally designed for Leica screw mount but Thypoch has done its best to bring this unusual optic into the 21st century. When collapsed, the 50mm f\/2 is the size of a pancake lens at 2.7 centimeters long. When pulled out and twisted into a locked position, it about doubles in size but is still a quite compact 4.12 centimeters. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Thypoch says it did its best to recreate the Taylor-Hobson glass formula one-to-one, which is nice. It\u2019s basically the company\u2019s attempt at something Light Lens Lab does all the time, and I applaud it. It is also, wonderfully, rangefinder coupled.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always had a hard time trusting an optic with a big moving part like this, but there isn\u2019t really a reason for me to feel this way. Telescoping or retractable lenses have been a thing for a long, long time and there are countless examples of them being great. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

One notable difference between the Eureka and the Simera series is that while Thypoch removed that locking switch from the focus ring on the latter line, it did not and will not be removing it from the Eureka. The company didn\u2019t say why, but I imagine it is because this lens is actually based on a historical lens, and removing that locking switch would feel like they were doing a disservice to the optic that inspired it. Oddly, I didn\u2019t find the locking switch to bother me as much on the 50mm f\/2 as it does on the Simera line, so I\u2019m good with it sticking around. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

There are basically no controls on this lens given its small size. The aperture can\u2019t be toggled (it is always de-clicked) and the front element is so small that there aren\u2019t any screw-on filters that work with it. Only over-lens filters are an option, but those are not common and are a hassle to use. Speaking of that, instead of a typical clipping lens hood, Thypoch ships the Eureka 50mm f\/2 with a small aluminum cap that uses friction to stay in place. <\/p>\n

Thypoch Eureka 50mm f\/2 Review: How It Shoots<\/h2>\n

I adore this lens. I ended up liking the shooting experience with it far more than I would have expected. Typically, 50mm isn\u2019t my favorite and I didn\u2019t think I would enjoy the push-pull telescoping design, but I used the 50mm f\/2 more than I used the 28mm f\/1.4. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The only thing I can say about the experience that took some getting used to was remembering when I had collapsed it. Sometimes, I would reach down to take a photo and realize I hadn\u2019t pulled the lens out, which lost me a shot. It didn\u2019t happen a ton, but enough that I recall the feeling of disappointment. That\u2019s wholly user error of course but will be something you\u2019ll have to keep in mind if you pick up this lens. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

\"Tall<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fast, easy, and just a blast to use on the street. I found the images it renders to be very pretty, with sharp focus on the subject and a beautiful falloff into the out-of-focus areas. Bokeh is nice and round and pretty easy to get thanks to the tighter \u201cnormal\u201d focal length. <\/p>\n

\"A
This isn\u2019t necessarily a good photo, but it does an excellent job showing how the focus falls off when shooting wide-open at f\/2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
Flare is decently well-controlled and there isn\u2019t a ton of ghosting either. All minor, which is a great result.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

50mm is more versatile than I think some photographers, myself included, give it credit for. Especially through a rangefinder where I can see an area around the frame of view, 50mm felt really good for portraits, street photos, and even cityscapes. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

In a controlled lab test, I think the performance of the Eureka 50mm f\/2 is even more impressive, especially given its small size and unique design. Starting with LoCA, there is some present but it\u2019s pretty minor. I think that given the constraints of the lens design, this is a fantastic result. Sure, there is a bit of that magenta-green split, but it\u2019s less pronounced than in the Simera 28mm f\/1.4 example above. <\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

Looking at sharpness, I\u2019m again impressed. In the center, the 50mm f\/2 is decently sharp wide-open, but contrast and sharpness both improve substantially when stopped down to f\/4.<\/p>\n

\"A
The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f\/2 sharpness in the center at f\/2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f\/2 sharpness in the center at f\/4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In stark contrast to the results with the Simera 28mm f\/1.4, the Eureka 50mm f\/2 is quite nice in the corners, even wide open. Stopping down improves things once again with more sharpness and significantly less vignetting, but I would feel comfortable recommending using this lens wide open. <\/p>\n

\"A
The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f\/2 sharpness in the corner at f\/2.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A
The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f\/2 sharpness in the corner at f\/4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Perhaps more interesting is how flat this lens is. Even when we were focused in the center, the corners were still pretty sharp, which is a great result. Despite its unusual design and small stature, the Eureka 50mm f\/2 is a really nice little lens. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not all good news though. Old lens designs are odd and this is no different: when the corners are in focus at f4 the center goes totally out of focus just in the very center. Strange!<\/p>\n

Thypoch Simera 28mm f\/1.4 and Eureka 50mm f\/2 Review: Great Options for Film Fans<\/h2>\n

There is a distinct lack of what we call \u201cgap primes\u201d on the market, especially brand-new. That\u2019s why I feel comfortable recommending the 28mm f\/1.4 even though it\u2019s not the best performer across the board. If you don\u2019t want to buy a Leica and can\u2019t find a Voigtlander at a price you like, then the Simera 28mm f\/1.4 is a solid alternative. I wouldn\u2019t say you should reach for it first, but it\u2019ll be there for you if the other options remain out of reach. <\/p>\n

The 50mm f\/2, however, is one I would say is definitely worth picking up. Not only is it nice to have such a small and lightweight lens, but it\u2019s also a solid performer. I found myself wanting to come back to it time and time again and I genuinely enjoyed using it. <\/p>\n

\"Colorful
Thypoch Eureka 50mm f\/2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Are There Alternatives?<\/h3>\n

Starting with the Simera, 7Artisans has a 28mm f\/1.4 for $459, which several hundred dollars less than the $700 price Thypoch is asking, but I can\u2019t speak to the quality since I\u2019ve never used it. Voigtl\u00e4nder has a 28mm f\/1.5 Nokton Aspherical for a hefty $1,000. It is otherwise difficult to find non-Leica, new 28mm lenses.<\/p>\n

Finding a comparable option to the $479 Eureka 50mm f\/2 is even more difficult given its unusual design. It\u2019s one of a kind right now and, I argue, very well priced. <\/p>\n

\"A
Thypoch Simera 28mm f\/1.4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Should You Buy It?<\/h3>\n

Splitting the recommendation, I would say the Simera 28mm f\/1.4 is a solid \u201cmaybe.\u201d It\u2019s not a top performer, but it looks nice, feels good to use, and is relatively affordable. On the other hand, the Eureka 50mm f\/2 is a heartfelt \u201cyes.\u201d It\u2019s a very sharp lens with exceptional character and a unique design that will put a smile on your face. <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thypoch has been pumping out new lenses for Leica M-mount regularly for the past year, and while there are certainly digital cameras that they work great on, I think the company knows its biggest market is probably going to be analog fans. While yes, I do still have sharpness tests done on our PetaPixel test […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/petapixel.com\/assets\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Thypoch-Simera-28mm-f1.4-and-Eureka-50mm-f2-Review-800x420.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-20108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20108","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20109"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20108"},{"taxonomy":"offerexpiration","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatorkitdepot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fofferexpiration&post=20108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}