Thypoch Ksana 21mm f/3.5 Review: A Sprinkle of Classic Canon Magic

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An ultra-wide lens is not something I often reach for. They can be useful as interior architecture lenses, for capturing dramatic vistas, and even for the occasional shot on the street, however, I usually find the propensity of the lenses to capture so much in the frame a tricky proposition.

I often have to be very close to my subject, or I need to be in front of majestic open spaces. It turned out to be perfect timing that I had trips planned to both the mountains of China and the deserts of New Mexico.

A black, modern rangefinder camera with a textured grip and attached lens is placed on a blue grid-patterned surface, with a black background behind it.

Thypoch Ksana 21mm f/3.5: How It Feels

I also had access to an awesome travel companion in the form of the Thypoch Ksana 21mm f/3.5. Mounted for Leica M cameras. The Ksana 21mm proved to be incredibly small at only 4.6 ounces (131 grams), and barely extended more than an inch away from the Leica M11 I tested it on. This was not a bulky ultra-wide optic to carry around.

A black camera lens with white and orange markings showing aperture and focus distances, placed upright on a blue cutting mat with grid lines.

The machining on Thypoch lenses is always premium, with beautifully knurled and scalloped focusing rings, and a finger cutout designed into the Ksana 21mm. The aperture ring has a slightly wider diameter so as not to interfere with the focusing ring. The click-stops are solid, and the aperture is easy to find regardless of the tiny dimensions of the lens.

A close-up photo of a camera lens placed on a blue grid-patterned surface, showing the lens glass and engraved text detailing the lens model and specifications, with a black background.

You can mount common (for Leica) 39mm filters to the front of the lens, and the Ksana couples perfectly with the rangefinder. However, there is no 6-bit coding on the lens mount, so don’t expect the EXIF data to know which focal length is being used. There isn’t much else to point out about the handling of this compact and simple little lens.

A vintage camera lens with distance and aperture markings lies on its side on a blue grid-patterned surface.

New Mexico gave me a great opportunity to shoot tight streets and panoramic landscapes all in one place. The framing of the 21mm lens does not have any matching frame lines within the Leica M11, but I found the extreme edges of the viewfinder to be a close approximation. You could use a separate optical viewfinder if desired. However, I found myself using the LCD panel most of the time for a reason which I’ll explain shortly.

A camera lens positioned with its mount facing up rests on a blue grid-patterned surface, with a black background behind it.

Thypoch Ksana 21mm f/3.5: How It Shoots

Bokeh on this lens is smooth-looking, and any out-of-focus areas have a pleasant look free of distractions. That being said, a 21mm lens with an f/3.5 aperture is not often going to provide shallow depth of field. In most situations, the entire frame will be largely in focus, so the bokeh quality is not a big concern for me.

A stone statue of the Virgin Mary with folded hands and a beaded rosary, set beneath a wooden roof with sunlight highlighting the figure and trees visible in the background.

An adobe archway frames the view of a historic church with two bell towers under a clear blue sky. Sunlight casts tree shadows on the wall and ground, with greenery flanking the entrance path.

A shadow of a person wearing a hat is cast on an adobe-style building with a barred window, under a clear blue sky. Bare trees and courtyard elements are visible in the background.

A metal bench casts a shadow on the sidewalk in front of a window with colorful abstract bars and a heart-shaped security grill. Sunlight highlights the bench and part of the window, creating strong contrasts.

Likewise, LoCA, or longitudinal chromatic aberration, is not an issue on slower wide-angle lenses like the 21mm Ksana. The shots are free of any distracting color fringing, and the contrast of the lens is quite punchy overall. The color rendering of the lens does have some beautiful surprises, though, and this is why I was relying so heavily on the LCD panel to compose.

Black and white photo of a stone statue of a woman in a hooded robe, hands clasped in front of her chest, standing under a wooden roof with stacked stone walls in the background.

A dirt path runs alongside a white, weathered building with green-trimmed doors and windows. Shadows from nearby trees fall across the scene. A traffic cone and a water spigot labeled "01" are near the building.

A bronze statue sits on a stone base in a sunlit courtyard with red stone tiles. Long shadows stretch across the ground, and a stucco wall with small windows and protruding wooden beams lines the background.

Adobe-style tan tower with two windows and an emblem, casting strong shadows under a deep blue sky. Power lines cross the scene, and trees are visible in the background.

The Ksana 21mm has unique lens coatings that shine with a golden glow on the front element of the lens. When the lens is used on overcast days or pointed away from bright light sources, I would say that the color rendering is quite neutral with a slight lean towards the warmer side. However, when pointed towards sources of light, the lens shines, literally.

A marble grave marker for Benita B. Ortiz (1869–1953) features a saint statue, with sunlight shining behind it and a tree and cross visible in the background.

A large tree stands beside a dirt path under a clear blue sky, with sunlight shining through its branches and creating a starburst effect. Shadows stretch across the ground, and hills are visible in the background.

The sun sets over a hilly, rocky landscape, casting long rays and lens flares across the scene. A jet’s contrail is visible in the sky, and the terrain is illuminated in warm, golden light.

A metal bridge spans over a calm river with the sun shining through its beams, creating a starburst effect. Rocky hills and sparse vegetation line the riverbanks under a clear blue sky.

The golden coatings are designed to mimic the amber rendering of classic Canon FD lenses, and although the flare and washed-out areas are very well controlled, the prominent ghosting of the lens glows with a vivid amber tone. When I first read about this, I was quite skeptical, but the actual appearance of the ghosting is both dramatic and pleasant.

Wooden crosses are propped up along a sunlit, leaf-covered forest path. The sun shines through bare tree branches, casting long shadows and illuminating the rustic scene.

A stop sign stands beside a curved road at sunset, casting a long shadow on the pavement. Rolling hills and mountains appear in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

A car drives down an empty road at sunset, with a view of pink clouds in a blue sky over a desert landscape and hills. The car’s side mirror and window are visible in the foreground.

A wooden cross stands under an archway, casting a shadow on tiled ground, with sunlight shining through tree branches in the background beside adobe buildings.

I found myself seeking out the sun to place it creatively within the frame and see where the ghosting would fall on the LCD screen. I could see this effect also being quite desirable in video applications. The sunstars are also gorgeous out of this lens when shot at tight apertures.

A man in a white shirt and dark pants leans against a sunlit wall under colorful hanging prayer flags in a narrow outdoor corridor. Light streams through a slatted roof above.

A sunlit adobe courtyard with red-orange walls, a turquoise door, small windows, potted plants, and a white sculpture on a pedestal at the center. Shadows create geometric patterns on the stone floor.

A white stucco wall with a blue-trimmed door covered by a metal grate, partially shaded by bright sunlight. Pink blossoms from a tree cast shadows on the wall and ground.

A sunny street scene with people walking and sitting outside a tan adobe-style building with green doors, balconies, and striped awning. Leafless trees cast shadows on the sidewalk.

The lens may have a vintage-looking rendering of flare, but the contrast and sharpness are very modern. The lens is full of detail in the center of the image at f/3.5. Stopping the lens down provides a noticeable level of contrast and punch, but the sharpness was already present. Corners had some minor issues with vignetting and softness present at the widest aperture. Going to f/8 helped quite a bit to reduce these issues, but the extreme corners never quite get there. An Astro photography lens this is not, but it excels at most street and landscape situations.

Side-by-side comparison of two camera test charts, labeled f/3.5 (left) and f/8 (right), each featuring color bars, grayscale blocks, concentric circles, arrows, and images of currency.

Two side-by-side test charts show a Canadian one-dollar bill and focus targets. The left side is labeled f/3.5 and the right f/8, demonstrating different aperture effects on sharpness and depth of field.

A city skyline with modern skyscrapers is reflected in calm water at sunset, creating a symmetrical, mirror-like effect. The sky is clear with a warm, golden hue.

A person sprays water to clean the side of a large cream-colored bus labeled "CD-TRANS" with Chinese characters, parked on a gravel surface near mountainous terrain.

A large black dog on a chain stands on rocky ground near unfinished concrete bridge pillars in a mountainous, cloudy landscape with a dirt road and misty hills in the background.

A dramatic black and white photo of a rugged mountain peak illuminated by sunlight, with sharp ridges and dark shadows in the foreground and background.

A glowing blue geodesic dome is in the foreground, with illuminated red and yellow skyscrapers towering in the background against a cloudy night sky. Trees are visible on the left side of the image.

A black and white photo of a car speeding through a dimly lit tunnel, with bright lights on the ceiling and an empty pedestrian sidewalk to the right. Light can be seen at the tunnel's end.

Thypoch Ksana 21mm f/3.5: A Great Addition

This little Thypoch lens really surprised me. It has an obvious weakness with its relatively slow aperture, but the compact size and optical performance are really pleasing. This is also one of those rare lenses that just begs to be pointed at bright light sources. You’ll constantly be seeking to create flare and ghosting just to see what will happen. The Ksana 21mm turns out to be a perfect companion for shooting cityscapes and glowing sunsets. The $549 price is also very reasonable for such a fun little optic.

A camera lens with a "Thypoch" branded lens cap rests on a blue, grid-patterned surface against a black background.

Are There Alternatives?

The Leica Super-Elmar-M 21mm f/3.4 lens is an ideally well-corrected lens, but the cost is exorbitant. Voigtlander makes an excellent 21mm VM f/3.5 Color-Skopar lens which is beautifully made, and only slightly more expensive. Neither of these alternatives will provide the warm-glow ghosting, however.