Overall User Experience

The design of the Thypoch Simera 35mm is very nostalgic. When I first saw this lens, I found it resembled the depth of field scales of the Alpa kern 50mm /f1.8 and 50mm /f1.9. It is said that this design from 1958 allows photographers to achieve a more accurate depth of field reference when taking hyperfocal or focus estimate photos. Additionally, the Simera 35mm features a similar infinity locking mechanism found on many early L39 threaded lenses, as well as a focus ring that seems to draw inspiration from Leica's renowned Rigid (in other words, the second generation 50mm Summicron). Undoubtedly, these design elements greatly increase the fun and playability of the Simera 35mm.

The Simera 35mm lens also has a certain macro capability, with a minimum focusing distance of 0.45 meters, which is uncommon in rangefinder lenses. Rangefinder cameras typically only achieve a minimum focusing distance of 0.7 meters. Perhaps to make the Simera 35mm more convenient to use on modern Leica digital cameras, it emits a warning when switching from 0.7 meters to 0.45 meters. A slight resistance is set to notify the user that the lens is about to switch to macro mode, and using the camera's live view mode can help enhance focusing accuracy.

In filmmaking, a clickless aperture usually allows for smoother exposure control, but a clicked aperture can make the exposure transitions less smooth, affecting the overall cinematic experience. The aperture ring of the Simera 35mm has a wrench, which is a purely mechanical structure used to switch between clicked and clickless apertures. I really think this design should be applied to all modern manual lenses.

Optical Design

The Thypoch Simera 35mm features a design of 5 groups of 9 elements, including 3 high-refractive index elements and 1 aspherical element, all made from glass without the use of resin common in some modern lenses. Although this design prevents the overall size of the Thypoch Simera 35mm from being too compact, it achieves good dispersion control and an extremely smooth bokeh transition.

Image Quality and Optical Performance

At high-gloss metal edges, even with the aperture wide open at 1.4, the purple fringing control of the Simera 35mm is still relatively good.

Tests show that when the aperture is set to f2, the dark corners of the Simera 35mm are improved, and at f4, the dark corners virtually disappear. I personally think that dark corners can be beneficial for photography, adding a unique style to the images.

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When I sent my nighttime photos to a friend, he exclaimed, "The performance of the Thypoch Simera 35mm at night is better than during the day," and praised the background blur effect of the Thypoch Simera 35mm.

I am very happy to see more lenses emerging for Leica users. These users can obtain more excellent choices within a limited budget, thus elevating the photography experience to a new level.

More information about Simera 35mm f/1.4.

Thanks to 鹤川