Thypoch’s New AF 23mm f/1.4 Sculptor Lens
Thypoch has announced its new AF 23mm f/1.4 Sculptor, marking the company’s first autofocus prime lens and its first autofocus lens for Fujifilm X-mount cameras. With a focal length equivalent to approximately 35mm on full-frame, it covers a fairly versatile range for street, travel, portraits and everyday photography. Until recently, Thypoch was mainly known for its manual focus lenses, including the Simera 50mm f/1.4 and Ksana 21mm f/3.5. That changed with the introduction of the Voyager 24-50mm f/2.8 autofocus zoom for Sony E-mount earlier this year, and now the company is expanding its autofocus lineup with a prime lens. The Sculptor follows a similar design approach to the Voyager, with a metal exterior, diagonal detailing and a bit of a retro styling.
Inside, the AF 23mm f/1.4 Sculptor uses 12 elements arranged in 10 groups, along with a 10-blade aperture diaphragm. According to Thypoch, the optical design is intended to maintain good sharpness across the frame, even when shooting wide open at f/1.4, although we will have to wait for independent tests to see how well it actually performs. There is also a 52mm filter thread, while the minimum focusing distance is 25cm, giving a maximum magnification of approximately 0.13x. The lens measures 71.4mm in length and weighs 283g.
When it comes to alternatives, there are already several 23mm f/1.4 lenses available for Fujifilm cameras. Fujifilm’s own XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR costs around $1,050, weighs 375g and measures 77.8mm in length. Sigma also offers its 23mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary, which currently costs around $609 and weighs 340g. Both are larger and heavier than the new Thypoch. At the cheaper end, there is the TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 for approximately $114, although that one is manual focus only. So, at least on paper, the Sculptor sits in an interesting position when it comes to price, size and specs. Of course, autofocus reliability and optical performance will ultimately matter more than those numbers alone. The Thypoch AF 23mm f/1.4 Sculptor is available to preorder now for $349, with shipping expected to begin soon.
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