Thypoch Eureka 28mm f/2.8

Thypoch Eureka 28mm f/2.8

The Eureka 28mm f/2.8 is Thypoch's homage to a piece of British camera history rather than to a single classic lens. The Chinese maker drew its design cues from the Ilford Advocate, a 1950s 35mm camera, and specifically from the slim built-in Dallmeyer Anastigmat lens that barely protruded from the camera's white-enameled body [1][2]. Thypoch translated that flush, minimalist profile into an ultra-thin pancake for the Leica M mount, pairing retro looks with a contemporary optical formula.

Optically the lens uses seven elements in four groups, including one aspherical element and high-refractive glass, with an eight-blade aperture running from f/2.8 to f/16. It is a manual-focus, scale-focusing lens: it is not rangefinder coupled, so focus is set by the engraved distance scale rather than through the camera's rangefinder patch, and it carries no six-bit coding for automatic lens recognition. The barrel is brass and the whole lens is very compact and light, with a short minimum focusing distance of 0.4 m that allows closer framing than many wide-angle rangefinder lenses. Thypoch quotes a 43.2 mm image circle covering full frame, a roughly 75-degree diagonal angle of view, an M27 filter thread, and a front diameter near 28 mm. The company also offers a Fujifilm X-mount version and an M-to-X adapter, so the M lens can be adapted to APS-C bodies, where it gives roughly a 42 mm equivalent field of view.

The lens was offered in two finishes, a matte black lacquer that wears to reveal the brass beneath and a pearl-white version described as using a multi-layer coating with fine gold powder for a pearlescent sheen[3]. Engravings carry Thypoch's "Epoch Coating" marking, and the M-mount and X-mount barrels differ slightly in length. Thypoch's published weight is about 137 g, marginally above the figure recorded here, a small discrepancy likely tied to mount and finish variants.

Optical qualities

Rendering Independent long-term testing is still limited given the lens's recent release, so most rendering claims trace back to the manufacturer. Thypoch describes a design aimed at sharp detail with smooth tonal transitions, low distortion, and pleasing contrast, blending vintage aesthetics with modern correction. The maker also cites good control of flare and ghosting, octagonal starburst highlights from the eight-blade aperture, and what it calls naturally restrained vignetting. These should be treated as manufacturer statements pending broader user testing.

History

Development and Launch Thypoch officially announced the Eureka 28mm f/2.8 in late 2025, positioning it within a growing lineup that also includes the faster Simera series and a companion Eureka 50mm. The Advocate that inspired it was a 35mm camera introduced in 1949 and updated in 1952, built in the United Kingdom by Kennedy Instruments, a subsidiary of Ilford. Its built-in lens, initially a 35mm f/4.5 and later a 35mm f/3.5 Dallmeyer Anastigmat, sat almost flush with the body, the trait Thypoch set out to evoke with an ultra-thin modern wide-angle.

Special editions No separate factory special or limited editions beyond the two standard finishes are widely documented at launch. The lens shipped in matte black and pearl white, with a Leica M version, a Fujifilm X version, and an M-mount kit bundled with an M-to-X adapter.

Collector Notes Because the lens is new, the main points of interest for buyers are finish and mount rather than vintage originality. The black finish is intended to patina with use, so wear on a used example is by design rather than damage. Buyers should confirm whether a given copy is the native M-mount lens or an X-mount version, since the two differ in length and only the M version mounts directly on Leica bodies. As the lens is scale-focusing and uncoupled, it will not focus through a Leica rangefinder, a handling point worth understanding before purchase. The supplied lens cap and the unusual M27 filter size are also worth verifying when buying used.