Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 ASPH Nikon Z Lens Review

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Modern smartphones have turned too many people into lazy photographers. Lazy because you just slouch wherever you are and use your phone camera to indifferently snap an interesting scene in front of you. The reliance on the phone to create something half-interesting has resulted in many being disconnected from the resulting image which happens due to a lack of connection to the process of taking that photo. Bringing all that back in a very tactile way, is the new Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 ASPH lens. Use it for a few days, and I’ll guarantee you won’t want to use your smartphone camera for photography.

A Nikon camera on a desk beside a scattered set of paintbrushes and art supplies. — The Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 on my Nikon Z8

Table of Contents

The Big Picture: Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 ASPH Nikon Z Lens Review Conclusions

The Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 is a refreshing lens because it really reminds you why dedicated cameras still matter in 2026. Not just for the ability to create a far better image in challenging situations, but to remind you that the process of taking a photo is as important as the result itself. Trust me, the best photos ever taken in the last century, even the ones that were deemed lucky or accidental, were undoubtedly the result of deliberate effort and a desire by the photographer to be connected to the frame before they click. But the modern world has made the process of photography almost an after thought, because most people are too keen on doing things after that – such as slapping an edit filter on it and uploading to social media sites at breakneck speeds with sometimes irrelevant hashtags.

After spending weeks with the Simera 28mm f1.4 mounted on my Nikon Z8, I can confidently say this is one of the best manual focus lenses I’ve used in recent memory. It’s beautifully built, ridiculously sharp, and has an image quality that makes you question why you’d ever want to rely on your smartphone camera again. And that’s not an exaggeration. It has a few quirks, but it’s as close to a perfect 28mm manual focus lens as you can get today

Sharp at all apertures
Sweet depth-of-field fallof
Beautiful to look at. More brands need to learn to do this
I love that matte black paint, but you also have a silver option
Comes in Z, M, RF, E and X mount options
They really should have had another version without the vintage-style infinity stop lock

Experience

Close-up of a Nikon camera with a manual focus lens showing aperture and focus distance markings. — Such an amazing matte paint finish

The first thing you notice with all the Thypoch manual focus lenses, and the same with the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 ASPH too, is the build quality. That cold touch is addictive and the matte black paint makes your lens look like it was dreamt up by an artist. The excellent attention to detail and level of finish on the exterior genuinely feels premium. You also get the option to buy this in silver (also a delightful color that we had on our Thypoch 35mm test) which would pair well with a silver Zf or Zfc. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my Zf with me during the review period and paired with the Z8 it looked tiny, but felt excellent nevertheless.

Close-up of a Nikon Z camera with a Voigtländer 28mm f/1.4 lens attached, resting on a wooden surface. — That lock is a real pain

The manual focus ring is smooth to use, and the native Z mount version has better focus peaking response and accuracy than I observed on the M mount 35mm from some years ago. Unfortunately just like that 35mm, this lens retains that vintage Leica-inspired infinity stop, which I detest. It means every time you want to move from infinity focus to something closer, your pinky finger has to engage the release. Okay, so it’s meant o pay homage to the Leica design it’s inspired by, but in practice having this lock isn’t a user friendly experience. Given that the Thypoch 35mm f1.4 got a redesign that removed this, I wish the Simera 28mm f1.4 would have also had such a variant to purchase. A tiny nag, but not an insignificant one if you frequently focus subjects at varying focal lengths.

Another thing I wish Thypoch had included are electronic contacts for EXIF data. Although, I suspect they left these out for avoiding potential lawsuits. It is always nice to look back at an image some years later on, and be able to identify what aperture it was shot at.

A Nikon Z camera sits on a table next to paintbrushes and sketch papers.

I love square lens hoods like the one this lens usually comes with. The reason you don’t see any images in this review of the lens with it, is because we never got it in the package.

The focal length here is close enough to what most smartphone cameras use as their ‘standard’ lens, but the experience is worlds apart. For the price of some flagship smartphones today, you could purchase this lens and pair it with a good camera body, giving you an infinitely better photographic experience.

Image Quality

An old lantern hangs on a wall with a mosque and its minaret blurred in the sunny background. — Shot using the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 on my Nikon Z8

Here is where it becomes very difficult to ignore the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 as a leading candidate for the best 28mm manual focus (or even autofocus) lens available today. Even wide open, the sharpness is very impressive. When using the Thypoch 35mm, I would sometimes find the images just missing focus, but with the 28mm here it was hard to do that. Not that it didn’t at times, but it was very rare.

The focus peaking accuracy on the Z8 was near perfect whether at infinity or when razor-thin at f1.4 and close focused. There was often no hesitation when shooting at f2 and above, and it was only a handful of times when shooting portraits at f1.4, that I would use the Z8’s LCD zoom function to double-check if the eyes were tack sharp before clicking. This really helped me get more images faster and with more confidence. It made me want to shoot wide open more often than I would otherwise.

A black and white cat with green eyes lies relaxed on concrete steps, looking to the right. — This cat was unperturbed by me getting so close to it for a photo

There’s an almost medium-format like quality to the depth-of-field fallof, which is surprising for lens that’s this wide. A graceful kind of dreamy separation from sharpness to blur. This lens is also shifting my preference for street photography focal length back to 28mm from 35mm. The slightly wider perspective feels immersive, a bit more dynamic, and forces me to engage more with my surroundings than just my subject.

All the images you see below are unedited and taken with multiple in-camera Nikon picture profiles. If you like the look of them but don’t have a similar system, head over to our online store and purchase our Analog Presets Pack to use in post-processing for a similar look. Or get a mystery preset pack and other perks if you subscribe to our annual membership.

A man in a tan shirt smiles and points upward while standing outdoors near a column. — Shot using the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 on my Nikon Z8

Thypoch keeps making good lenses, and this is one of their best yet. Aside from that infinity lock quirk, this lens is exceptional in terms of experience and image quality. It’s definitely giving you a better SOOC result than your smartphone camera. Forget the short-lived dopamine hits from social media likes; shoot with the Thypoch Simera 28mm f1.4 and feel good for longer. You’ll become a better photographer in the long run.

A sunlit modern city walkway lined with plants, trees, and tall glass buildings in the early morning.

A camera is reflected in a cars side mirror on a sunlit, empty street.

Circular chandelier with many glowing tube bulbs, hanging from a patterned ceiling in a dimly lit room.

View through a modern building window showing palm trees, a road, and city skyscrapers in the background.

Modern curved building with large glass windows, cars, and motorcycles parked underneath on a sunny day.

Futuristic museum with Arabic calligraphy illuminated at night amid city skyscrapers and roads.

Black and white photo of city street, building with eyeglasses sign, parked cars, and road arrows.

Curved modern building with glass panels beside a street, under a clear sky in black and white.

A narrow corridor with brown walls leads to a tailor shop with glass doors and a sign, opening to a sunny street.

Sunny street with parked cars, beige buildings, and a stairway leading to a shop with a tailoring sign.

Shelves filled with neatly folded and rolled fabric in a tailor or fabric shop, with bags and switches nearby.

A sunlit staircase with railings casts shadows near parked cars and a beige apartment building.

A tailor measures floral fabric in a cluttered workshop, wearing a patterned shirt and green measuring tape.

White fabric draped over an open notebook with handwritten notes on a cluttered desk.

A barber pole and “TAILORING” sign beside a street with cars and apartment buildings on a sunny day.

A tailor smiles while holding a plaid shirt in a cluttered workshop with clothes and fabrics around him.

Narrow corridor with beige walls, ceiling pipes, a hanging light, and a woman’s photo on a shop sign.

A red and white Tri Colours Tailoring shop sign with Arabic text, mounted on a building, blue sky background.

Black and white image of a modern building with a glass skywalk and a parking sign in the foreground.

A speed bump warning sign on a pole beside a street lined with parked cars and modern buildings.

Upward view of an old, weathered building with open balconies against a clear sky, sunshade in foreground.

Old pottery and metalware displayed on a wooden stand against a rustic building with clay pots nearby.

Outdoor market stall with mannequins dressed in clothes, textile displays, and shaded seating nearby.

A variety of colorful powdered spices displayed in metal bowls with patterned red containers.

Tan fabric shades cover an outdoor market walkway, with sunlight streaming through in the background.

Black and white image of a shaded wooden bench beneath concrete stairs, with trees and buildings in the background.

Handmade bags and clutches with colorful embroidered designs displayed on a metal grid at a market stall.

A shaded market corridor with clothing and souvenirs displayed on racks, lit by sunlight filtering through canopies.

A young man with short dark hair and a trimmed beard stands outside, wearing a tan shalwar kameez.

A person’s hand wearing a blue watch rests on a jewelry display stand with assorted beaded bracelets.

A man in a tan shirt smiles and gestures with his hand in an indoor market setting.

Man in traditional clothing stands by a jewelry stall outside a shop selling bags and accessories.

A man in a tan shalwar kameez stands near a jewelry stall in a market, wearing white sandals.

A man stands outside TAWAKAL FASHION shop next to mannequins displaying traditional clothing.

A sunlit alley with hanging shades, leafy trees, market stalls, and a person standing in the shadow.

A narrow sunlit alley with shoppers, tree branches, shops, and mannequins displaying clothes.

A shaded outdoor market area with string lights, signs, trees, and two people sitting on a bench.

Outdoor seating area with shade sails, string lights, green trees, and a red Tim Hortons flag.

Outdoor market with shaded canopies, souvenir shops, colorful fabrics, and a white flag on the left.

A leafy tree grows beside an old building on a sunlit urban street corner with traffic signs in the background.

A mosque with a tall minaret at sunset, surrounded by trees and soft sunlight in the background.

An Indian flag hangs from a wooden balcony on a traditional building in warm sunlight.

Close-up of an old wooden door with a metal bar latch and round metal studs.

A collection of assorted paintbrushes and art tools clustered together in containers.

Sign with numbers and QR code on a beige wall along a narrow alley; mural visible in the background.

Black and white photo of a courtyard with wooden doors, benches, stairs, and decorative wall vents.

A wide-brimmed hat with a ribbon hangs on a stand in a dimly lit room.

Black and white photo of a traditional building with a wind tower, stairs, and decorative windows.

A pile of assorted paintbrushes lies on a tray on a wooden table, in black and white.

Black and white photo of eyeglasses, sketches, and a drawing of nature on a table.

Bottles of blue acrylic paint, paintbrushes, and art supplies arranged on a table in an art studio.

A pile of used paintbrushes rests on a palette on a wooden table near paint bottles and a glass of water.

A white minaret rises behind the shadowed corner of a traditional building under a clear sky.

A person takes a mirror selfie with a camera in a black-and-white indoor setting.

Black and white photo of traditional-style buildings with wooden beams against a clear sky.

Black and white photo of arched columns in a covered walkway, with patterned wall in the background.

Black and white photo of a tower with wooden beams, a shoe mid-air, and tree shadows on the wall.

Narrow alley with traditional wind towers and beige walls in soft evening light.

Traditional beige buildings with wind towers and a distant white minaret under a clear sky.

An old courtyard with wooden chairs, white walls, stairs, and a traditional wind tower in the background.

A traditional beige wind tower with perched birds and one bird flying against a clear blue sky.

A person in a purple shirt holds a Nikon camera, taking a photo in a bright, indoor setting.

A white minaret rises above a brown wall, with a clear blue sky in the background.

White building with geometric patterns on the facade against a clear blue sky, viewed from a low angle.

Mannequin in traditional Middle Eastern attire and sunglasses stands by clothing displays in a market alley.

Traditional Middle Eastern market with clothing displays and a historic wind tower building in the background.

A person’s reflection in a camera appears in a rustic mirror among several framed mirrors on a wooden wall.

A man stands in a market alley with shops selling dresses, souvenirs, and cushions on both sides.

A market stall displaying patterned textiles, colorful plates, cups, and decorative items under warm lighting.

Outdoor market with souvenir stalls, clothing, and people walking under beige shade sails at sunset.

A man in a red polo shirt stands behind a food stall with a grill and fridge in the background.

String lights and triangular beige canopies hang between stone buildings under a clear evening sky.

A market street at dusk with antique shops, string lights, and a person sitting on the right.

A man stands behind a red street food cart with snacks and drinks, indoors at a market.

Cityscape at night with illuminated roads, buildings, and a glass balcony in the foreground.

Outdoor market with various antiques and sculptures displayed on tables, surrounded by warm lights and a tree.

Declaration of Journalistic Intent

The Phoblographer is one of the last standing dedicated photography publications that speaks to both art and tech in our articles. We put declarations up front in our reviews to adhere to journalistic standards that several publications abide by. These help you understand a lot more about what we do:

At the time of publishing this review, Thypoch is not running direct-sold advertising with the Phoblographer. This doesn’t affect our reviews anyway and it never has in our 15 years of publishing our articles. This article is in no way sponsored.
Note that this isn’t necessarily our final review of the unit. It will be updated, and it’s more of an in-progress review than anything. In fact, almost all our reviews are like this.
None of the reviews on the Phoblographer are sponsored. That’s against FTC laws and we adhere to them just the same way that newspapers, magazines, and corporate publications do.
Thypoch sent the Simera 28mm f1.4 lens to the Phoblographer for review. There was no money exchange between us or their 3rd party partners and the Phoblographer for this to happen. Manufacturers trust the Phoblographer’s reviews, as they are incredibly blunt.
Thypoch knows that it cannot influence the site’s reviews. If we don’t like something or if we have issues with it, we’ll let our readers know.
Thypoch paid for shipping of the lens. This is a standard practice in the world of journalism.
The Phoblographer’s standards for reviewing products have become much stricter. After having the world’s largest database of real-world lens reviews, we choose not to review anything we don’t find innovative or unique, and in many cases, products that lack weather resistance. Unless something is very unique, we probably won’t touch it.
In recent years, brands have withheld NDA information from us or stopped working with us because they feel they cannot control our coverage. These days, many brands will not give products to the press unless they get favorable coverage. In other situations, we’ve stopped working with several brands for ethical issues. Either way, we report as honestly and raw as humanity allows.
At the time of publishing, the Phoblographer is the only photography publication that is a member of Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative. We champion human-made art and are frank with our audience. We are also the only photography publication that labels when an image is edited or not.

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