Image credit: CameraQuest
Voigtländer lens designs - An explanation
Have you ever thought: “Why is this lens called Classic, and this Vintage? What makes a Nokton a Nokton, or a Heliar a Heliar?”
This quick blog post will hopefully help you understand the difference between the names for the lenses / optical formulas and the design styling lines.
The brand (now under Cosina Japan) revives classic lens names from its long optical history, and each name generally points to a certain design philosophy or set of characteristics.
Lens types
Heliar
- Origin: A classic 1900s Voigtländer design by Hans Harting.
- Design/character: Typically a 5-element formula known for smooth, natural rendering and a gentle falloff of sharpness toward the edges.
- Modern use: Often used in slower lenses (f/3.5, f/4.5) and sometimes collapsible. They emphasize graceful tonality and a vintage-style look rather than clinical sharpness.
- Signature: Rounded bokeh, low distortion, more about “character” than technical perfection.
Ultron
- Origin: First appeared in the 1950s.
- Design/character: Modified double-Gauss type with high speed relative to its time.
- Modern use: Typically medium-fast lenses (f/2, f/2.8). They balance compact size with good sharpness.
- Signature: Often praised for their balance of performance and size — sharper and more contrasty than Heliar, but not as fast as Nokton.
Nokton
- Origin: From the 1950s, used on fast Voigtländer lenses. First showed up on the Voigtländer Prominent camera’s
- Design/character: The fast aperture lineup. f/1.5, f/1.2, f/1.0 and even f/0.95.
- Modern use: Usually larger lenses, designed for maximum speed while keeping aberrations under control.
- Signature: Creamy bokeh, strong subject isolation, some character wide open but sharp when stopped down.
Color-Skopar
- Origin: “Skopar” was Voigtländer’s Tessar-type design, updated post-war with color coatings (“Color”).
- Design/character: Tessar-derived, simple and compact.
- Modern use: Compact, slower lenses (f/2.2, f/2.5, f/3.5, f/4) optimized for portability, clean rendering, and affordability.
- Signature: Tiny, lightweight, sharp stopped down, excellent for travel or street shooting. A modern take on the Tessar ethos.
APO-Lanthar
- Origin: The “Lanthar” lenses were introduced mid-20th century with rare-earth glass.
- Design/character: APO stands for apochromatic — these are the modern flagship high-correction lenses.
- Modern use: High-end optics (e.g. 28mm f/2, 35mm f/2, 50mm f/2, 90mm f/2) designed to suppress chromatic aberrations and maximize resolution.
- Signature: Clinical sharpness, extremely low CA, high contrast — made to rival Leica APO Summicron lenses in performance for a fraction of the price.
The Design Styling Lines
Voigtländer Vintage Line
- What it is: Modern lenses styled to look like rangefinder glass from between the 70s and the 90s.
- Design cues: Black paint or silver chrome finishes, knurled focusing rings, scalloped metal grips, sometimes red/green engravings, all very “retro.”
- Optics: Modern coatings and designs (e.g. aspherical elements, high sharpness), but with a nostalgic exterior.
Voigtländer Classic Line
- What it is: Lenses that intentionally echo vintage optical rendering as well as styling, mainly from the 50s until the 70s.
- Design cues: Compact size, traditional mechanical designs (collapsible or small barrel), minimalistic engraving.
- Optics: Often based on older formulas, sometimes less corrected, giving more glow, swirly bokeh, or lower contrast wide open.
Coatings
- SC (Single Coating): Gives a lower contrast look. Might look great with black and white film or sensors.
- MC (Multi-Coating): Maximizes flare resistance and contrast. More suitable for color film or color sensors.
In summary
- Heliar → classic look, smooth rendering
- Ultron → balanced design, moderately fast, compact, light, sharp performers
- Nokton → fast aperture, characterful bokeh, subject isolation
- Color-Skopar → compact, simple and practical. Relatively clinical.
- APO-Lanthar → modern technical excellence, apochromatic correction, ultra-sharp, heavier lenses
Do you like your information in a table? I got you covered:
| Lens Line | Typical Aperture / “Speed Class” | Optical Goals / Correction Emphasis | Rendering / Characteristic Look | Size, Complexity & Cost | Use Case / Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heliar | moderate to slow (e.g. f/2.8, f/3.5, f/4, sometimes f/2), except for the 50mm f/1.5. | simpler designs (often 5-element or fewer), vintage-style corrections | soft to “gentle” look; lower contrast wide open; smooth transitions; pleasing falloff | smaller, lighter, lower cost (relative) | when character, nostalgia, “vintage” rendering or compactness matters |
| Ultron | fast to moderately fast (e.g. f/2, f/1.7, sometimes faster) | more aggressive correction, use of aspherics or more complex elements | sharper than Heliar, more contrast and punch; more modern rendering while retaining some “character” | moderate complexity, size, and price | as an all-rounder “working” lens: good balance of sharpness, usability, and compactness |
| Nokton | “fast” / “super-fast” (e.g. f/1.5, f/1.4, f/1.2, even f/1) | Some lenses are more corrected than others, but usually aberration, coma and distortion is quite controlled | subject isolation, creamy bokeh, sometimes more pronounced aberrations wide open (character) | tends to be bigger, heavier, more expensive | low light, portraiture, where maximum aperture / “speed” gives a creative edge |
| Color-Skopar | slower to moderate (e.g. f/2.5, f/3.5, f/4) | simpler, compact designs; modest correction | clean, efficient rendering, less “look” but good sharpness especially stopped down | minimal size, simpler construction, lower cost | travel, street, compact prime, when size & weight are priorities |
| APO-Lanthar | moderate (often around f/2) | apochromatic correction, use of exotic/low dispersion glass, often many elements | extremely low chromatic aberration, high resolution, high contrast, very clean, neutral rendering | high complexity, more elements, bigger size, higher cost | critical work, high resolution sensors, when optical performance (especially chromatic control) is a top priority |
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