Thypoch Simera 21mm f/1.4 ASPH.

Thypoch Simera 21mm f/1.4 ASPH.

Arriving in mid-2025 as the fifth lens in Thypoch's Simera family, the 21mm f/1.4 ASPH. extended the line's shared design language and uniform f/1.4 maximum aperture down to an ultra-wide focal length [1][2]. Thypoch, a comparatively new manufacturer that operates as a subsidiary of cine-lens maker DZOfilm, positioned it for landscape, documentary, and street work, and as a direct rival to the Voigtländer VM 21mm f/1.4 Nokton. Reviewers noted that its optical diagram is extremely similar to that Voigtländer, and the two lenses behave alike in several respects while differing in others.

The optical formula uses 13 elements in 11 groups, described by the maker as including three extra-low dispersion elements, three high-refractive-index elements, and two aspherical surfaces, with a floating-element design intended to maintain performance across the focus range. The barrel carries a 14-blade rounded diaphragm and an aperture ring with a small de-click lever, though the click spacing is uneven, mixing one-third stops, half stops, and full stops across the range. Focusing is internal, so the lens does not change length, and the focus ring turns roughly 120 degrees to a close-focus limit of 0.23 m, with a tactile detent at 0.7 m marking the edge of the rangefinder-coupled range. The lens is not six-bit coded; as with other fast wide-angles it blocks a noticeable part of the viewfinder, and the supplied hood leaves little room for 62 mm filters. The M-mount design adapts readily to mirrorless bodies, including autofocus conversion via the Techart LM-EA9 adapter.

A distinguishing trait shared across the Simera range is the "Visifocus" depth-of-field scale, which uses red dots that change with the aperture setting rather than conventional engraved lines, and a top-plate zone-focus guide. Unlike some earlier Simera lenses, this 21mm omits an infinity lock and has no focus tab. It was offered in black and silver finishes at a launch price of 999 US dollars.

Optical qualities

Rendering Independent testing describes a lens that is sharp once stopped down a little, with well-controlled coma and chromatic aberration, distinct sunstars, and respectable flare resistance, while its main weakness is heavy vignetting wide open. Bokeh and distortion are rated as average for the class.

Sharpness On a Leica M body the centre is strong but the corners clearly benefit from stopping down, looking best around f/8; on a thicker-filter Sony body the lens showed only a slight mid-zone dip and good across-frame results from f/4, suggesting it was optimised for an intermediate sensor-stack thickness. Close-focus images are a little soft at f/1.4 and gain contrast by f/2.

Bokeh and transitions The 14-blade diaphragm yields rounded out-of-focus highlights, and the 0.23 m minimum focus distance gives more subject-isolation freedom than the 0.5 m Voigtländer counterpart, though at 21 mm the background blur remains modest at normal distances.

Flare resistance Flare artefacts are generally small and unobtrusive, becoming a little more visible stopped down, with some unusual long rays appearing around sunstars.

Distortion and vignetting Distortion is low but slightly wavy pincushion, while vignetting is very high at f/1.4 and remains significant until the lens is stopped down.

Aberrations Coma is well corrected even wide open, and both lateral and longitudinal chromatic aberration, including purple and bokeh fringing, are kept low, an area where the Thypoch was judged to edge out the comparable Voigtländer.

History

Development and Launch Thypoch announced the Simera 21mm f/1.4 ASPH. on 23 June 2025, adding an ultra-wide option alongside the existing 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 75mm Simera lenses, all of which share an f/1.4 aperture and a common styling. The company marketed the focal length for its cinematic, wide-perspective character and the f/1.4 aperture for low-light use.

Special editions No major factory special editions of this lens are widely documented at the time of writing; it was released in standard black and silver finishes.

Collector Notes As a current-production lens its main identification points are the two finish options and the Simera-family Visifocus scale. Buyers should note the strong wide-open vignetting and the significant rangefinder blockage, and that the hood accepts only the slimmest 62 mm filters. One reviewer measured the diameter at about 67 mm and the weight at roughly 429 g without hood and caps, which differ marginally from some published figures and may reflect measurement method.