Thypoch, a relatively new lens manufacturer based in China, is eliminating the polarizing lock switch that automatically engages when a lens is focused at infinity. In some cases, the company will replace it with a crescent-shaped focusing tab.
Last year, PetaPixel‘s Chris Niccolls reviewed the Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 lens for Leica M-mount. He noted an appreciation for the build quality and classy look of the design, but one major factor he couldn’t get over was the automatic locking switch.
“The focusing knob is tuned nicely and works well, save for an annoying quirk that makes it auto-lock at infinity. This locking knob should have been designed to be toggled to either lock or focus freely but instead, it is a constant point of irritation,” Niccolls writes.
He wasn’t alone in this opinion as a Reddit thread about Thypoch lenses shows, although some users actually like the lock.
“It’s a great way to assist in mounting/dismounting the lens as it removes strain from the focus mechanism,” a Thypoch lens owner writes on the Fred Miranda forums. “It provides a built-in focus tab. It even allows you to lock focus on infinity.”
“With just a little bit of use, you get used to maintaining pressure on the release button when you are in that lock zone, so it does not lock,” another user comments.
While it is certainly possible to ignore or get used to, the fact it comes up this much in online conversation about the lens does speak to the polarizing nature of the design choice. Photographers rarely spend this much time talking about lens ergonomics. Thypoch must be hearing enough negative chatter to warrant a response, however, as the company will be shifting away from the infinity lock moving forward.
“The Simera 28mm and 35mm will have a new version featuring a focus tab as the other Simera lenses. They may be launched in late March or April,” a Thypoch representative tells PetaPixel. “All our new lenses won’t adopt the infinity lock in the future to satisfy most photographers’ demands.”
Eagle-eyed photographers may have noticed that the recently announced Simera 75mm f/1.4 doesn’t have the infinity lock.
Unfortunately, not all currently available lenses will get this treatment. The Eureka 50mm f/2 lens, for example, will not get a version without the locking switch. Thypoch will, however, not include the switch on future lenses in the Eureka line.
Image credits: Thypoch
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