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 p.4 #6 · Voigtlander 35mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar Review | |
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Final Thoughts
The Voigtlander 35mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar immediately impressed me with its ultra-compact size, lightweight build, and a smart mix of vintage barrel design and modern performance. At just 14mm in length and weighing 99 grams, it’s the smallest Voigtlander lens ever made, even more portable than the 40mm f/2.8 Heliar and 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar. Despite its small size, the solid brass construction gives it a dense, premium feel. The precise aperture clicks and the innovative hood-based adjustment add a nice touch to the user experience. The included extras, like a matching 1mm UV filter and multiple lens caps, are a rare bonus for Cosina. While the lens elements extend into the camera body, it stays unobtrusive on a Leica M and works with E-mount cameras, though with some limitations.
Optically, the 4-group, 6-element design, featuring aspheric and anomalous dispersion glass, offers strong performance. The 10-blade aperture also creates beautiful sunstars from f/4 to f/16. For street photographers, the long 180-degree focus throw and infinity lock might not be ideal, but its compact size, strong performance, and minimal distortion make it a very practical option.
Resolution and contrast tests at infinity showed surprising strengths. When compared to the Voigtlander 35mm f/2 Ultron on a 60MP Leica M11, it holds its own in terms of center sharpness wide open, and it almost matches the Ultron’s overall performance by f/4. Both lenses show minimal field curvature. Compared to the 40mm f/2.8 Heliar, the Color-Skopar offers a flatter field, better center resolution, and stronger corners, outshining the Heliar. On a Sony A7R II (42MP) with a thicker sensor, it does show some increased outward field curvature, but refocusing on the corners restores sharpness, though at the cost of center resolution, unlike the more adaptable 50mm f/3.5 APO-Lanthar. At its 0.7m minimum focus distance, it performs excellently wide open with no noticeable focus shift, which is great for rangefinder shooters. Its mild pincushion distortion is easily corrected, and its flare resistance is impressive, with no ghosting or veiling, even when pointed directly at the sun.
In summary, the Voigtlander 35mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar is an outstanding lens that masterfully combines compactness with excellent optics. It nearly matches the 35mm f/2 Ultron in resolution and contrast, while being far lighter and smaller. The rendering is pleasant, with smooth yet characterful bokeh due to some outlining, negligible chromatic aberration, and pleasingly rounded specular highlights near the corners. While the Ultron is slightly better in focus transitions at f/3.5, the Color-Skopar shines with defined sunstars almost from wide open, and vignetting, which is most noticeable at f/3.5, improves by f/5.6. For hikers or street photographers who value portability without compromise, this lens is a fantastic choice. Its few limitations, like field curvature on thicker sensors and the rare 34mm filter thread, are minor compared to its overall performance. Cosina has delivered on their promise of a retro-inspired lens with modern optics, making it an excellent option for Leica M users and mirrorless shooters seeking quality in a tiny package.
Pros:
- The smallest high-performance 35mm lens ever made!
- Constructed with Leica-like build quality, featuring a brass barrel and distinctive aperture clicks.
- Excellent resolution and contrast, even wide open, from minimal focus distance to infinity.
- Low distortion.
- The rendering is mostly smooth with a distinctive character.
- Flat-field curvature, offering even sharpness across the frame.
- Compact design that doesn’t block the 35mm framelines.
- Sunstars are sharp and defined from f/4 to f/16.
- Excellent flare resistance.
- Negligible lateral chromatic aberration.
- Negligible purple fringing and axial chromatic aberration.
Cons:
- The f/3.5 aperture may limit low-light performance and offers less subject separation compared to faster lenses.
- Image quality can suffer from increased field curvature when used on mirrorless cameras with thicker sensor stacks, though this isn’t an issue when mounted on a Leica M.
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