Thypoch Ksana 35mm f/2

The lens

The Thypoch Ksana 35mm f/2 is a compact Leica M-mount lens with a brass construction, modern optical design, and a distinctive amber-toned coating. It is positioned as an affordable 35mm f/2 option for rangefinder users, with a focus on small size, solid build quality, and controlled optical performance.

Key specifications

• Focal length: 35mm
• Maximum aperture: f/2
• Mount: Leica M
• Optical design: 8 elements in 5 groups
• Special elements: 1 aspherical element, 1 extra-dispersion element, 2 high-refractive-index elements
• Minimum focus distance: 0.5m
• Focus throw: approximately 120 degrees
• Front diameter: 42mm
• Length: 27mm
• Weight: 199g
• Material: brass construction
• Coating: Epoch ’84 coating
• Price: USD 599 / EUR 529

Build and handling

The Ksana 35mm f/2 has a compact all-brass body and weighs 199 grams. Its size is smaller than some comparable 35mm f/2 Leica M-mount lenses, including the Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 ASPH. The lens uses a knurled aperture ring and a smooth focusing ring.

The aperture ring has tactile clicks, though the click action is less pronounced than some Voigtländer lenses. The focusing mechanism covers 0.5m to infinity, with a notch at 0.7m. The focus throw is relatively short and suitable for quick focusing.

Optical performance

The lens uses an 8-element, 5-group optical formula with one aspherical element, one extra-dispersion element, and two high-refractive-index elements. This design is intended to support sharpness, low distortion, and chromatic aberration control.

Based on the supplied MTF comparison, the Ksana performs similarly to the Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 ASPH at lower spatial frequencies, while showing stronger off-axis performance at higher spatial frequencies. The lens appears well suited to applications where edge-to-edge resolution is important, such as landscape, architecture, and high-resolution digital capture.

Field curvature is present but appears symmetrical. In practical use, this means flat subjects may show a measurable dip-and-recovery pattern, but the behavior is unlikely to create obvious focus-plane separation in typical photography.

Image rendering

The Ksana 35mm f/2 produces a modern, contrasty image with controlled distortion, smooth focus falloff, and strong color saturation. The lens has a slightly distinctive rendering due to its Epoch ’84 coating, which can introduce amber or gold-colored flare under certain lighting conditions.

The coating appears most noticeable when shooting toward strong light sources. In general use, contrast remains well controlled. Blue and red tones are described as especially saturated, while the lens maintains a modern level of contrast rather than a heavily vintage rendering style.

Flare and coating behavior

The Epoch ’84 coating is one of the lens’s defining characteristics. It can produce amber or golden flare when shooting into the sun, though this effect does not appear in every backlit situation. In most cases, flare remains white or slightly rainbow-colored rather than strongly amber.

The lens can produce sunstars in specific situations, particularly when stopped down, although their appearance depends on exposure and light placement. A lens hood may help reduce unwanted flare in difficult lighting.

Comparisons

Compared with the Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 ASPH, the Ksana appears competitive in central sharpness and may show stronger corner performance based on MTF data. Compared with the Voigtländer Ultron 35mm f/2, it offers a similarly compact 35mm f/2 option with a different coating signature and slightly lower weight. Compared with the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.4 II MC, the Ksana is slower but appears more corrected, with less emphasis on vintage-style rendering.

Pros

• Compact size for a 35mm f/2 Leica M-mount lens
• Brass construction with relatively low weight
• Smooth focusing action
• 0.5m minimum focus distance
• Modern optical design with aspherical, ED, and HRI elements
• Strong sharpness until extreme corners
• Low distortion
• Good chromatic aberration control
• Distinctive amber flare character from the Epoch ’84 coating
• Strong color saturation, especially in blues and reds
• Competitive price for a brass M-mount lens

Cons

• Aperture clicks are less crisp than some competing lenses
• Amber flare may not suit every shooting style
• Lens hood is sold separately unless purchased as part of a kit
• Slight chromatic aberration can appear in extreme corners at f/2
• The coating character is subtle and appears mainly in specific lighting conditions
• Users seeking a more vintage or lower-correction rendering may prefer other lenses

Summary

The Thypoch Ksana 35mm f/2 is a compact, well-corrected Leica M-mount lens with modern optical performance and a subtle vintage-inspired coating signature. Its main strengths are size, build quality, sharpness, low distortion, close focusing, and price. Its main limitations are the less crisp aperture feel and the fact that its distinctive amber flare behavior only appears under specific lighting conditions.

Want to know more? Read the review blog post linked to this lens.