Voigtlander Color Skopar L 28mm F3.5
A review and photo examples using the Voigtlander Color Skopar 28mm F3.5 with film and digital cameras.
Table of contents
Gallery
- The Sample photo were taken with a HEXAR-RF Film camera and LEICA M8 digital camera.
Review
1．Overview
The Color Skopar 28mm L39 is a wide-angle lens with an L39 screw mount released by Cosina Voigtlander in 2002.
Its main specifications are a lens configuration of 7 elements in 5 groups, a minimum focusing distance of 0.5m, and 10 aperture blades.
The total length of the lens from the mount surface to the tip of the lens is 25.8mm, the filter diameter is 39mm, the lens mount is a Leica L39 screw mount, and it is linked to the rangefinder of a rangefinder camera up to 0.7m.
2．Usability
The Color Skopar 28mm L39 does not pursue brightness, so it produces a clean, flawless image even at full aperture. With 35mm film, there is no light falloff in the periphery, and the image is healthy.
The digital camera uses the LEICA M8, which has a smaller sensor size than the 35mm format, so the sample photos do not allow for evaluation of the periphery.
Because the rear lens of the lens is relatively close to the sensor surface, some cameras equipped with 35mm full-frame sensors may produce color casts in the periphery.
The lens design is the same as the Color Skopar series of the same era, with a compact barrel and a cylindrical hood attached as standard. Although the basic design is the same, the details of the design are subtly different for each lens, and this lens uses an elaborate focus lever with a thick focus lever that is knurled.
The LH-1, which is shared with the Color Skopar 21mm and Snapshot Skopar 25mm, is sold as an optional hood. The LH-2 for 35mm and 50mm can also be attached, and there was no problem with the Leica M8. There is a high possibility of vignetting at the edges with a 35mm full-frame sensor.
This lens is rarely seen on the used market, probably because it was produced in small numbers. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, it was very cheap, with the lowest used price being 30,000 yen, but in 2023 it is approaching 100,000 yen. If you fall in love with the appearance or are a lens collector, you will have no choice but to buy it, but if you are going to use it for practical purposes, it seems better to buy another 28mm lens rather than paying 100,000 yen for this lens. Also, many Cosina Voigtlander lenses from this era have balsam peeling and cloudiness, so it is necessary to check the lens condition carefully before purchasing.
3．Summary
In conclusion, to sum up the Color Skopar 28mm L39, it is a compact and easy-to-use wide-angle lens. I would consider buying it if it was around 30,000 yen when it was released, but when it comes to a price approaching 100,000 yen, it is difficult to see value in the price.
There are a wide variety of lenses with a focal length of 28mm for rangefinder cameras, making it a focal length worth choosing from.
Specification and Study more
As of 2025, Voigtlander has eight 28mm focal length lenses in four types: the F1.5 NOKTON (1 type), the F2 ULTRON (3 types), the F2 APO LANHTER (1 type), and the F2.8 and F3.5 COLO SKOPAR (3 types).
As a successor to the lenses introduced above, Cosina released the COLOR-SKOPAR 28mm F2.8 Aspherical in 2023. This lens is more compact, half a stop brighter, and uses an aspherical lens. The COLOR-SKOPAR 28mm F2.8 Aspherical comes in two types, Type-I and Type-II. Type-I has a lens barrel that pays homage to the LEICA SUMMARON 28mm, while Type-II uses a lens barrel that pays homage to Minolta’s L39 screw-mount lens, the G-ROKKOR 28mm, cleverly incorporating the essence of past lenses.
The price of the COLOR-SKOPAR 28mm F2.8 Aspherical has risen somewhat, but it’s not so expensive that it’s unaffordable, and I’m impressed by how well they’ve hit the sweet spot.
Lenses from other companies that use a compact lens barrel similar to the Color Skopar 28mm L39 include the RICOH GR 28, MINOLTA G-ROKKOR 28, 28mm for MINOLTA CLE, and CANON S 28mm. For rangefinder cameras, it seems possible to make lenses with an aperture value slower than 2.8 quite compact.
| Items | Color Skopar 28mm F3.5 | Color Skopar 28mm F2.8 Aspherical |
| Focal length(mm) | 28 | 28 |
| Max aperture | 3.5 | 2.8 |
| Min aperture | 22 | 22 |
| Leaf blade | 10 | ← |
| Lens Construction | 7elements in 5groups | 8elements in 5groups |
| Aspherical lens | No use | Use |
| Min distance(m) | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Lens length(mm) | 25.8 | 23.5/22.5 |
| Max diameter(mm) | 50 | 51/47 |
| フィルター径(mm) | 39 | 39/34 |
| マウント | L39 | VM/L39 |
| Weight(g) | 163 | 106/122 |
| Release date | May,2002. | August 8, 2023. |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | – | TypeII(VM) Silver ¥85,000 Black¥85,000 L39 Silver ¥78,000 Black paint ¥81,000 |
Reference links
- Leica Lenses of the World Part3 (P76) / COLOR SKOPAR 28mm(Japanese book)・amazon affiliate link
- LENS-DB COLOR SKOPAR 28mm
Update history
- 2025.7.7
- 2024.04.22
- 2023.10.27
Affiliate link
- Voigtlander lens・Ads by Amazon
- Voigtlander books・Ads by Amazon
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