If you look at the Simera web pages, we see the company is selling these lenses as 'bokeh-oriented' lenses, going by the sample images they posted from the influencers they used to promote themselves. A lot of urban images, almost all are shot at close focus.
Here are a couple to illustrate how the Simeras perform at infinity used at mid-apertures - f5.6 is great for 28s for many landscapes, f8 also. The first image came from the Simera 28/1.4, and the second image from the Simera 50/1.4. I've not seen anything quite like what the 50mm delivers, in terms of detail (I've used quite a number of high end E-mount and adapted Zeiss lenses in these locations).
The lenses are moderate-high contrast with an emphasis on resolution rather than high micro-contrast. DZO/Thypoch would never make a Zeiss-style lens, with high edge definition and crinkly 'digital' content. They are more like ARRI or early M APO lenses.
Sharpness does not have to shout and these do not, to the point where it's actually hard to overdo the sharpening routine. I posted a 75/1.4 crop below, to show how the longer Simeras deal with skin. I'll post many more portraits over time, shot with the 28mm. I class the 28mm as an 'energetic' lens, and close portraits are a lot of fun, and much easier to focus than longer FLs.
Color is a highlight, vibrant yet naturalistic colors, easy post-processing, no artefacts, just good behaviour. They got the main aberrations well under control. I have the 21mm too, it has NO distortion. I thought I got lucky but saw it in post, and read this:
That one is also one of the most attractive lenses I've encountered, not that appearance matters to me, if the rings work OK. So far, I find them to be very versatile, great that way for travel too.
It is closer to your shooting style, I think. There is a kind of wild energy to the 28/1.4, it's lively and almost flamboyant at times. Good at capturing the inner person, with strong presence. And to add, these are made for the light cinema market segment, which helps explain the look. See these too:
Thypoch is aiming to have a common rendering style across the five lenses, and they are close in picture styles. Two from the 50/1.4, a little more settled (mostly).
I see these lenses as being very suitable for everything I need, but few 28s are adept at people photography, they make them mostly for general and landscapes, basically. There is a Nikon forum thread on the 28/1.4 with a set of interesting images, very different in style and subject matter, but certainly worth a look:
I feel Thypoch's best chance of market 'success' will come from the light cine segment, since those folks look more for how lenses deal with people and their intimate environments. In a short time, we will see some photographers come to see what cinematic lenses can do for their work. Most don't even know what it means.
But these things take time, and such lenses will always be a small deal, even among the Chinese makers. Like ARRI, they deliberately tone down acutance (micro-contrast) for pictorial excellence, that is a good trade in the cine world. But they know how to do the super sharp look, as shown in Viltrox's AF lenses. The Thypochs will not be well-received here either, and that is why I don't post much from the others I use: at 21-50-75. So one thread it is.
philip_pj wrote:
I see these lenses as being very suitable for everything I need, but few 28s are adept at people photography, they make them mostly for general and landscapes, basically. There is a Nikon forum thread on the 28/1.4 with a set of interesting images, very different in style and subject matter, but certainly worth a look:
I feel Thypoch's best chance of market 'success' will come from the light cine segment, since those folks look more for how lenses deal with people and their intimate environments. In a short time, we will see some photographers come to see what cinematic lenses can do for their work. Most don't even know what it means.
But these things take time, and such lenses will always be a small deal, even among the Chinese makers. Like ARRI, they deliberately tone down acutance (micro-contrast) for pictorial excellence, that is a good trade in the cine world. But they know how to do the super sharp look, as shown in Viltrox's AF lenses. The Thypochs will not be well-received here either, and that is why I don't post much from the others I use: at 21-50-75. So one thread it is. ...Show more →
Look at that lovely 3D! Here is one taken with a truck for scale, and also a landscape from Lahaul - it's very sharp at landscape apertures. I took a look to see what B&H are selling these for at present - $549. But the M version is $769, that's a punishing impost of 40% over the MILC mount versions! Then you have to add an adapter (costly) or get a sensor shave (ultra costly and not recommended by me due to troublesome WB issues). Another thing I noticed is the take up by Z version users, quite a surprise. Most like it, but few see all that it brings to the table.
Anyone interested might consider buying direct at: https://store.thypoch.com/
They are fine and friendly people, offer free shipping and will DHL to your door. I've bought the 75mm and one of their cine-style (PL format) locking adapters (very well-machined), and they emailed me asking for feedback. My kind of people, and always good business to cut out the middle man.
They were very open to ideas, so I told them they are going great but to think about a 100/2 (f2 to keep it small, but still with enough separation) and a Simera 50/1.4 style lens at 35-40mm for the future. (The early 35/1.4 was their early purely character lens for M users, it lacks asph and ED glass, still a lovely render though, from their HRI glass). You have to meet the 'sharpness first people' halfway I think, and 35mm is very important to many users.
philip_pj wrote:
Look at that lovely 3D! Here is one taken with a truck for scale, and also a landscape from Lahaul - it's very sharp at landscape apertures. I took a look to see what B&H are selling these for at present - $549. But the M version is $769, that's a punishing impost of 40% over the MILC mount versions! Then you have to add an adapter (costly) or get a sensor shave (ultra costly and not recommended by me due to troublesome WB issues). Another thing I noticed is the take up by Z version users, quite a surprise. Most like it, but few see all that it brings to the table.
Anyone interested might consider buying direct at: https://store.thypoch.com/
They are fine and friendly people, offer free shipping and will DHL to your door. I've bought the 75mm and one of their cine-style (PL format) locking adapters (very well-machined), and they emailed me asking for feedback. My kind of people, and always good business to cut out the middle man.
They were very open to ideas, so I told them they are going great but to think about a 100/2 (f2 to keep it small, but still with enough separation) and a Simera 50/1.4 style lens at 35-40mm for the future. (The early 35/1.4 was their early purely character lens for M users, it lacks asph and ED glass, still a lovely render though, from their HRI glass). You have to meet the 'sharpness first people' halfway I think, and 35mm is very important to many users. ...Show more →
