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Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

The Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar VM is in stock:

B&H Photo | CameraQuest

Review quick links:

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Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar VM - Intro:

A Worthy Complement to the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II

With much excitement and surprise, Voigtlander unveils the new Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar VM lens. This unexpected release has caught many of us off guard, and we were fortunate enough to get our hands on a review copy for testing. This lens doesn't seek to replace the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II; rather, it offers a fresh approach, prioritizing portability while maintaining comparable performance and aberration correction when compared to the Ultron. It's an appealing choice for photographers seeking an ultra-compact wide-angle option.

The lens's weightlessness causes the camera to float.

The pictures of the lens featured in this review are of the Type II version, which boasts an aluminum barrel, making it impressively lightweight at only 106 grams. This choice of material contributes to its exceptional portability, making it an excellent companion for travel and everyday photography.

While the Ultron II boasts a brighter maximum aperture of f/2, the Color-Skopar takes a step back with a maximum aperture of f/2.8. This reduction in speed enables a simpler optical design, featuring 8 elements in 5 groups, which further enhances the lens's compactness and lightness.

The Color-Skopar's optical design includes 1 double-sided aspherical element and 2 anomalous partial dispersion elements, which play a vital role in maintaining image quality. Though it might be one stop slower, this lens still impresses with its sharpness, contrast, and ability to minimize chromatic aberrations and distortions.

As with the Ultron II, the Color-Skopar comes equipped with an all-metal helicoid unit, and its focus ring operates smoothly for precise adjustments. The aperture ring shows a slight tendency to move too freely, but it features distinct indentations. This design choice likely enables convenient one-finger rotation for easy adjustments. Its small dimensions and excellent balance, combined with the lightweight design of Type II, make it an ideal match for Leica M bodies, ensuring a comfortable shooting experience.

Let's take a closer look at the full specifications of the Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar VM and compare them to the Ultron II:

Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Specifications:

Focal Length: 28mm
Maximum Aperture: f/2.8
Minimum Aperture: f/22
Angle of View: 74.6°
Minimum Focus Distance: 19.7" / 0.5 m
Optical Design: 8 Elements in 5 Groups
Special Glass: 1 double-sided aspherical element and 2 anomalous partial dispersion elements
Diaphragm Blades: 10
Filter Size: 39 mm (Front)
Focus throw: 180 degrees
Dimensions (ø x L): φ51.0 × 23.5mm
Weight: 106 g without hood

Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II Specifications:

Focal Length: 28mm
Maximum Aperture: f/2
Minimum Aperture: f/22
Angle of View: 74.51°
Minimum Focus Distance: 19.7" / 0.5 m
Optical Design: 10 Elements in 7 Groups
Special Glass: 1 double-sided aspherical element and 2 anomalous partial dispersion elements
Diaphragm Blades: 10
Filter Size: 39 mm (Front)
Dimensions (ø x L): 2 x 1.4" / 51.4 x 36 mm
Weight: 228 g without hood, 247g with hood (measured)

Comparison Summary:

The Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar VM and the Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II share the same focal length, filter thread size, minimum aperture, and lens mount, making them well-suited for Leica M cameras. However, they differ in some crucial aspects.

The Color-Skopar sacrifices one stop of maximum aperture compared to the Ultron II, resulting in an f/2.8 maximum aperture. This trade-off allows the Color-Skopar to be incredibly compact and lightweight, weighing only 106 grams. In contrast, the Ultron II brass construction, with its f/2 maximum aperture, is a bit heavier at 228 grams. In fact, it's more than twice as heavy!

The Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar VM comes in two distinct style types: Type I and Type II (Black or Silver). These style options offer unique appearances and build materials, catering to different preferences and shooting needs.

Type I of the Color-Skopar features a nostalgic and tasteful appearance with its exterior constructed from brass. This design choice not only imparts a classic feel to the lens but also adds some weight, bringing it to a total of 143 grams. The brass construction gives it a substantial and sturdy feel in hand.

Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Type I (brass)

Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Type I (brass)

Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Type I (brass)

On the other hand, Type II of the Color-Skopar adopts a different approach, featuring an aluminum barrel. This material choice allows the lens to shed some weight, resulting in an impressively lightweight construction.

Leica 28mm f/1.4 Lux | Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II | Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar

Optically, the Ultron II features a more complex design with 10 elements arranged in 7 groups, while the Color-Skopar adopts a simpler design with 8 elements in 5 groups. Despite the difference in optical complexity, both lenses incorporate special glass elements, such as double-sided aspherical elements and anomalous partial dispersion elements, ensuring excellent image quality with minimized aberrations and distortions.

Both lenses offer smooth manual focus operation and 10 diaphragm blades for pleasant bokeh. Additionally, they share the same 39 mm filter thread size. It's worth mentioning that the Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens comes with a compact hood that perfectly matches the aesthetics of the lens. Additionally, the package includes front caps for both the lens alone and the lens with the hood attached.

Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar with Hood

Front cap for the included hood

Whether you prefer the nostalgic and substantial feel of Type I or the lighter and more travel-friendly design of Type II, both versions of the Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar VM promise to deliver exceptional optical performance and offer valuable options for photographers using Leica M cameras.

Aug 03, 2023 at 06:03 PM

Desmolicious
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Judging by the pics, the lens is so light it makes
the camera float.

Aug 03, 2023 at 06:31 PM

thrice
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Desmolicious wrote:
Judging by the pics, the lens is so light it makes
the camera float.

Hah! Well spotted

well done by Fred, I wonder how...

Aug 03, 2023 at 07:37 PM

rscheffler
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Transcendental Meditation yogic flying??

Aug 04, 2023 at 02:04 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

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Infinity Performance compared to Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II

Both optical designs are tuned for high resolution and contrast, but the faster Voigtlander 28/2 Ultron has a more complex design with 10 elements versus 8 elements on the Color-Skopar. I was not expecting the Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar to perform equally wide open compared to the 28mm f/2 Ultron stopped down to f/2.8, but they were close at center. Away from the center, and especially at the corners, the Ultron performed slightly better. However, the Color-Skopar catches up at smaller apertures.
The Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 is slightly less corrected for lateral chromatic aberration (CA) correction and vignetting, and since I have not corrected for these aberrations, it will be easy to see the difference in this direct side-by-side comparison.

Distance: Infinity
Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
WB: Daylight for both lenses
Both Lenses perfectly centered using my decentering test
Software: Lightroom with FM Default Landscape Sharpening. All other settings set to default

PS: Vignetting, CA and distortion were NOT corrected for both lenses.

Center Resolution and Contrast
Infinity Performance compared to Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II

Center, Ultron @f/2, Color Skopar @f/2.8: Similar performance when both wide open

Center at f/2.8: Very small advantage for the Ultron in terms of resolution/contrast

Center at f/4: With the Color-Skopar stopped down one stop, both lenses perform very similar now

Center at f/5.6: Similar performance

Center at f/8: Similar performance

Aug 04, 2023 at 09:13 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Mid-Field Resolution and Contrast
Infinity Performance compared to Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II

Mid-Field, Ultron @f/2, Color Skopar @f/2.8: In this area, the Ultron performed better in terms of resolution with both lenses wide open

Mid-field at F/2.8: The Ultron shows noticeable improvement at this aperture, while the Color-Skopar, still wide open, lags behind in performance. Vignetting is also less pronounced with the Ultron.

Mid-field at F/4: Small improvement for both lenses. The Ultron is still head in terms of resolution.

Mid-field at f/5.6: Both lenses improve further, with the Color-Skopar catching up to the Ultron, though it remains slightly behind in resolution. A higher-resolution sensor might reveal this difference more distinctly.

The performance remains consistent with f/5.6, and both lenses are now equal as diffraction levels the playing field.

Aug 04, 2023 at 09:14 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Extreme Corner Resolution and Contrast
Infinity Performance compared to Voigtlander 28mm f/2 Ultron II

Extreme Corner, Ultron @f/2, Color Skopar @f/2.8: Similar resolution/contrast with both lenses wide open but the Ultron shows a slight advantage

Extreme Corner at f/2.8: As expected, the Ultron pulls ahead, performing better one stop down compared to the wide-open Color-Skopar. Vignetting is also significantly reduced with the Ultron.

Extreme Corner at f/4: Both lenses show improvement, but the Ultron remains ahead in resolution, contrast, and vignetting control.

Extreme Corner at f/5.6: The Color-Skopar shows further improvement, but the Ultron continues to perform slightly better in this area. Vignetting remains pronounced with the Color-Skopar.

Extreme Corner at f/8: Diffraction leads to similar performance for both lenses, though I still give a slight edge to the Ultron.

Aug 04, 2023 at 09:14 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

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Infinity Performance compared to Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux

Here we have two vastly different lenses in terms of price, speed, and size. The Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux performs admirably even wide open and boasts a two-stop advantage in speed over the Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar. However, I was curious to compare them at similar apertures. While I primarily shoot with the Leica wide open, I've noticed it also performs impressively when stopped down. So, I wanted to see how it fares against the Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar in those conditions.

Distance: Infinity
Focus: Center - Best of three @ 12.4x magnification
WB: Daylight for both lenses
Both Lenses perfectly centered using my decentering test
Software: Lightroom with FM Default Landscape Sharpening. All other settings set to default

PS: Vignetting, CA and distortion were NOT corrected for both lenses.

Center Resolution and Contrast
Infinity Performance compared to Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux

Center: Both lenses wide open: Leica @f/1.4, Voigtlander @f/2.8

Center: Leica @f/2, Voigtlander @f/2.8

Center at f/2.8

Center at f/4

Center at f/5.6

Center at f/8

Aug 04, 2023 at 09:58 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Mid-Field Resolution and Contrast
Infinity Performance compared to Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux

Mid-Field: Both lenses wide open: Leica @f/1.4, Voigtlander @f/2.8

Mid-Field: Leica @f/2, Voigtlander @f/2.8

Mid-Field at f/2.8

Mid-Field at f/4

Mid-Field at f/5.6

Mid-Field at f/8

Aug 04, 2023 at 09:58 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Extreme Corner Resolution and Contrast
Infinity Performance compared to Leica 28mm f/1.4 Summilux

Extreme Corner: Both lenses wide open: Leica @f/1.4, Voigtlander @f/2.8

Extreme Corner: Leica @f/2, Voigtlander @f/2.8

Extreme Corner at f/2.8

Extreme Corner at f/4

Extreme Corner at f/5.6

Extreme Corner at f/8

Aug 04, 2023 at 09:58 AM

Fred Miranda
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

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Samples (Low Light)

This copy is perfectly aligned with the rangefinder and is 100% centered.

That's what to expect in regards to vignetting at long distance

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/2.0 1/90s 640 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/2.0 1/60s 2000 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/2.0 1/60s 1000 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/3.4 1/90s 8000 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/4.0 1/60s 6400 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/2.0 1/90s 5000 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/2.0 1/60s 6400 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/2.4 1/30s 16000 ISO 0.0 EV

LEICA M10-R Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar lens 28mm f/2.0 1/45s 16000 ISO 0.0 EV

Aug 04, 2023 at 10:24 AM

RustyRus
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Wow...The Voigt looks like a solid performer! Even more so, the Summilux wide open in the corners is pretty impressive as well!

Aug 04, 2023 at 10:41 AM

lensfan
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

We need that for e-mount.
How does M-version perform on 61mpix Sony?

Aug 04, 2023 at 10:51 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

lensfan wrote:
We need that for e-mount.
How does M-version perform on 61mpix Sony?

I don't think it is going to happened. Cosina hasn't made the new 28 f/2 Ultron for Sony E mount yet and it doesn't look like they are going to do so.

Cosina does make the Voigtlander 28 f/2.8 II Color Skopar for Nikon F mount that can be easily adapted without performance issues to Sony E mount: https://www.cosina.co.jp/voigtlander/en/slr-mount/color-skopar-28mm-f2-8-aspherical-sl-ⅱs/

It isn't nearly as light as this lens and lacks the APD glass (and has a very different optical design) so probably isn't as well corrected, but it is still an interesting option for Sony E mount shooters, IMO.

I would expect this new M mount version which is a very short lens with a very short exit pupil to perform poorly on an unmodified Sony camera.

Aug 04, 2023 at 11:03 AM

Desmolicious
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

For me the takeaway is the summilux - wow.

And c’mon, what’s the deal w those twin Fjs? Just one is sweet. Two is sweetness overload!

Aug 04, 2023 at 11:06 AM

highdesertmesa
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Fred Miranda wrote:
...This copy is perfectly aligned with the rangefinder and is 100% centered.

Nice. I wish they would release a matching Type II aluminum/close-focus of the 40 2.8.

Aug 04, 2023 at 11:12 AM

highdesertmesa
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Desmolicious wrote:
For me the takeaway is the summilux - wow...

"Character", man. Still, I would love to see Voigtlander make a 28 1.4 that matched the performance of their 21 1.4.

Aug 04, 2023 at 11:18 AM

Steve Spencer
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Desmolicious wrote:
For me the takeaway is the summilux - wow.

And c’mon, what’s the deal w those twin Fjs? Just one is sweet. Two is sweetness overload!

I has the 28 Lux and it is a very nice lens, but there is a lot of finder blockage with that lens. It is an interesting lens that is very good, but not nearly as good as the Otis 28 f/1.4, but much much smaller. Still it has way more finder blockage that either of the CVM 28 (28 f/2 II and this new 28 f/2.8). I can see how some would see it as a goldilocks lens, but for me its performance also very good just doesn't justify its size and particularly how much of the finder it blocks.

Aug 04, 2023 at 01:15 PM

Steve Spencer
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

highdesertmesa wrote:
"Character", man. Still, I would love to see Voigtlander make a 28 1.4 that matched the performance of their 21 1.4.

That would be nice, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Voigtlander seems to be completely uninterested in a full set of lenses even for Leica M and we hear from Juha who follows the Japanese market that the 21 f/1.4 seems to be a very slow seller. Historically CV seems to be interested in fast 35s and 50s. There new 50 f/1.0 seems in line with those preferences. I think a 35 f/1.0 is more likely than a 28 f/1.4, but CV is also very hard to predict, so I could easily be wrong. I just don't think a 28 f/1.4 is at all likely.

Aug 04, 2023 at 01:19 PM

Desmolicious
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Voigtlander 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar Review

Steve Spencer wrote:
I has the 28 Lux and it is a very nice lens, but there is a lot of finder blockage with that lens. It is an interesting lens that is very good, but not nearly as good as the Otis 28 f/1.4, but much much smaller. Still it has way more finder blockage that either of the CVM 28 (28 f/2 II and this new 28 f/2.8). I can see how some would see it as a goldilocks lens, but for me its performance also very good just doesn't justify its size and particularly how much of the finder...Show more →

That’s why as an M user I do not have interest in actually owning a 28 Lux. I hate vf blockage and us why I never use my ZM 35 1.4 Distagon.

Aug 04, 2023 at 01:33 PM

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