Thypoch has just released its hotly anticipated new lens line, with a lens that pays homage to the past.
The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f/2 was first shown at The Photography & Video Show earlier this year, and it certainly created a buzz around the venue. Designed to pay homage to the lenses from the Fifties, the Eureka is a 50mm collapsible lens available for Leica M mount.
Thypoch is a new lens manufacturer specializing in creating manual focus optics. Last year saw the debut release of the Simera line, comprised of the Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 and Thypoch Simera 28mm f/1.4, lenses focused on modern image and storytelling (initially for Leica M, and later launched for Canon RF, Nikon Z and Sony E and Fujifilm X).
ABOVE: Watch Thypoch Eureka launch video
The new Eureka has been developed in direct contrast to this approach, paying homage to the lens design of the past, specifically mid-Century photography.
It is hard not to be intrigued by a manual focus collapsible lens released in 2024 but, if current market trends are anything to go by, it is so retro that it is now modern and contemporary. Inspired by lenses like the Leica Summicron and Summar from the Fifties, the Eureka injects classy style aesthetics of the period into a freshly designed piece of glass.
In addition to the classic silver aluminum look, the first thing you notice is that the lens is tiny. Due to its collapsible nature, it is small enough to slip into your pocket and carry around with ease – ideal for street photography. It measures just 41.2mm when extended and is only 27mm when collapsed.
The bells and whistles that come with the form factor do not take away from the optical design of the lens. The Eureka incorporates a six-element, four-group typical unsymmetrical Double-Gauss optical design, with Thypoch stating that it "ensures that every shot is rendered with precision and clarity, inviting photographers to explore the boundless potential of their craft."
An extra-low dispersion element is included to minimize chromatic aberration, and a high refractive index element corrects the curvature of the field and combat spherical aberrations.
A 12-blade diaphragm creates a smooth spherical aperture window, which enables circular bokeh and smooth out-of-focus areas. When used in combination with the max aperture of f/2, it creates sufficient subject separation and depth of field offering a smooth contrast between that in focus and that out.
The Thypoch Eureka 50mm f/2 is available now in a silver aluminum version and comes with a front cap, a rear cap, a UV filter and a photo book. It will be available for $579 / £475 / AU $870.
In late August the Eureka will also be released in a brass version, which will be a little heavier and a little more expensive at $859 / £675 / AU $1,300.
Thypoch has been making some fantastic Leica alternative lenses that offer great optics for a fraction of the price of a Leica lens, and the Eureka looks like it will certainly follow suit.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best Leica cameras, the best Leica lenses, and the best retro cameras.
