Voigtländer Color-Skopar 35mm f/3.5 Aspherical

The Voigtländer Color-Skopar 35mm f/3.5 Aspherical is an ultra compact manual focus wide-angle lens with the VM bayonet, compatible with Leica M. Cosina announced it in February 2025. Its main feature is size: the lens is only 14 mm long from the mount surface and weighs 99 g, which Cosina presents as snap-shooting mobility in the tradition of rangefinder cameras. It covers the full frame format.

Optical design

The lens has 6 elements in 4 groups. One of them is a double-sided aspherical element, and three are made of anomalous partial dispersion glass. According to Cosina, the combination of the simple construction and the latest optical design is meant to give clear, crisp images. The diaphragm has 10 blades and closes down to f/22. The angle of view is 61.6 degrees.

Focusing and handling

Focusing is manual through an all-metal helicoid with a focusing tab shaped for the finger. The minimum focus distance is 0.7 m, which is also the limit of the rangefinder coupling. The hood is built into the aperture ring. Cosina also includes a special thin protective filter that sticks out only 1.1 mm from the filter thread, to keep the lens as small as possible with a filter fitted. The focus lock button, the focus lever and the infinity and close stopper are nickel plated for contrast.

Build and size

The exterior is brass and comes in silver or black paint. On the black version the mount is also finished in black, and Cosina notes that cameras reading a 6-bit lens code may not recognise it, in which case the lens detection should be set to off. The lens measures 52.0 mm in diameter by 14.0 mm in length and takes 34 mm filters.

Where it fits

Among 35 mm lenses for Leica M in the database, it is lighter than the options below: the Mandler 35mm F2 7 Elements weighs 138 g, the Funleader Artizlab Classic 35mm F1.4 157 g and the Thypoch Ksana 35mm F2 ASPH 199 g. The Zeiss Biogon T* 2/35 ZM weighs 240 g and the Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH 255 g. The Voigtlander 35mm F2.5 Color Skopar is the faster alternative from the same maker. The f/3.5 lens trades speed for size.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Only 14 mm long and 99 g
• Double-sided aspherical element and three anomalous partial dispersion elements
• Hood built into the aperture ring
• Thin protective filter included
• Brass construction in silver or black

Cons

• f/3.5 is slow for a 35 mm
• Minimum focus distance of 0.7 m
• Manual focus only
• Black version with black mount may not be read by 6-bit code cameras

Verdict

The Color-Skopar 35mm f/3.5 Aspherical is made for photographers who want the smallest possible 35 mm for a Leica M or VM camera. It is a lens for daylight street and travel use, where its size matters more than the f/3.5 aperture.