35mm Lenses

The Mandler 35mm f/2, a compact 7-element wide-angle for Leica M and LTM screw mount, is a recent rangefinder design offered in black and silver.

The 7Artisans M 35mm f/2.8 is a tiny double-Gauss pancake prime in M and LTM mounts, a low-cost vintage-styled 35mm aimed at rangefinder shooters.

The Mr. Ding V2.1 conversion rehouses the seven-element Contax G Planar T* 35mm f/2 in a lightweight, rangefinder-coupled Leica M barrel.

The Artralab Similar 35mm f/1.4 is a compact silver Leica M-mount lens, a fast 35mm wide-angle of recent manufacture aimed at mirrorless and adapter users.

The Voigtländer Color-Skopar 35mm f/3.5 ASPH. is a compact six-element M-mount wide-angle, a 2025 Cosina lens of interest to Leica rangefinder collectors.

The Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 II is a focus-tab M-mount lens that swaps the original infinity lock for a crescent tab, keeping the same 14-blade optics.

The Omnar NK35-25 Silver & Pearl is a UK-made 35mm f/2.5 M-mount conversion of the Nikonos W-Nikkor, prized by collectors for its compact form and amphibious optics.

The Funleader Contax Planar 35mm f/2 Conversion V2.0 is the mechanically redesigned successor to Funleader's original Contax G35 Leica M conversion. It retains the original Carl Zeiss 7-element, 5-group Planar optics while introducing revised focusing mechanics, improved damping and a redesigned Leica M barrel.

Peace Lens Optics 35mm f/1.4 E41 Classical is a rangefinder-coupled Leica M lens with 7/5 optics and a classic Steel Rim-inspired design.

The Thypoch Simera 35mm f/1.4 is a manual-focus M-mount prime with a 14-blade aperture and red dot depth-of-field scale, a budget alternative to Leica's 35mm glass.

The Omnar NK35-18 is a UK-built M-mount conversion of Nikon's 35mm f/1.8 W-Nikkor, giving this 1950s super-speed rangefinder optic full coupling on Leica cameras.

The 7artisans 35mm f/2 WEN (Mark II) is a compact 8-element manual prime in Leica M mount, part of the street-oriented WEN series for rangefinder shooters.

The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Steel Rim is a 2022 M-mount reissue of the 1961 Mandler design, prized by collectors for its vintage rendering.

The TTArtisan APO-M 35mm f/2 ASPH is a manual-focus Leica M-mount lens that brings apochromatic, aspherical correction to rangefinders at a budget price.

The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.5 Aspherical VM Type 2 is a compact brass-bodied M-mount lens prized for vintage rendering and Leica Summilux-rivaling value.

The Leica APO-Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. is a compact, reference-class M-mount prime, prized by collectors as the fourth apochromatic Summicron-M.

Voigtländer's Ultron 35mm f/2 II ASPH is a compact M-mount rangefinder lens whose Type II styling revives the look of a classic Leica steel-rim hood.

The 7artisans 35mm f/1.4 WEN is an internal-focus M-mount lens for Leica rangefinders, a low-cost Summilux-style 35mm that drew attention from collectors.

The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 III is a compact, all-metal M-mount manual lens, the smallest and lightest of Cosina's fast 35mm trio.</parameter> <parameter name="long_description">## Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 III This is the third version of Cosina's fast 35mm Nokton for Leica M-mount, and it marks a clear break from the two designs that came before it. Where the original Nokton and its Mark II both used a ten-element optical layout, the III was rebuilt around a smaller nine-element, seven-group formula, allowing Cosina to shed bulk while keeping the f/1.2 maximum aperture that gives the line its reputation as one of the fastest 35mm rangefinder lenses available [1][2]. The result is a lens that is roughly 20 percent shorter and about 30 percent lighter than the Mark II, which makes it considerably easier to carry and to balance on a Leica M body than its predecessors. Build and handling follow the pattern collectors expect from modern Voigtländer M-mount glass. The barrel is almost entirely metal with engraved, paint-filled markings, the focus ring turns with firm resistance over roughly 130 degrees from the 0.5 m minimum focus distance to infinity, and the aperture ring uses half-stop click detents across its travel. The diaphragm has twelve straight blades, and the lens is rangefinder coupled, so it focuses through the optical finder on M cameras. It is not factory six-bit coded. Reviewers note that the III balances better on an M10 than the earlier versions, with only mild finder blockage, and that it shows essentially no focus shift, which is useful for rangefinder users who set focus wide open. The 52 mm filter thread is shared across this generation of Voigtländer fast primes, and as with most of Cosina's M-mount lenses a hood is not supplied in the box. The III should not be confused with the earlier Mark I and Mark II Noktons, which are heavier and use the older ten-element design, nor with the Nokton 35mm f/1.2 SE, a Sony E-mount lens that shares the III's optical formula but adds electronic coupling and focuses closer. Sources note that the M-mount III and the E-mount SE differ in how they are optimized for their respective sensor stacks, so corner rendering on a digital body can vary between them. --- ## Optical qualities **Rendering** The III is generally described as a lens built for atmosphere and shallow depth of field rather than clinical across-frame sharpness. The center is good wide open and improves quickly on stopping down, while the midframe and corners are soft at f/1.2 and need to be stopped down well, with f/8 recommended for best even sharpness at infinity. It appears to be a unit-focus design optimized for a middle distance, so at the close end wide open it is soft, again clearing up by around f/2. **Bokeh and transitions** Out-of-focus rendering is a strength. Close and mid-distance backgrounds are smooth, though cat's-eye shapes from optical vignetting become visible with point lights toward the edges, and at long distances the corner bokeh can suffer from the field-curvature effects common to fast rangefinder wide-angles on thick-sensor-stack cameras. **Flare resistance** Flare control is good, and reviewers found it hard to provoke strong ghosting even with the sun near the frame edge, which softens the absence of a bundled hood. **Distortion and vignetting** Distortion is described as pronounced and wavy, correctable with the E-mount version's profile in software, and light falloff wide open is strong at roughly 3.3 EV, easing as the lens is stopped down. **Aberrations** Coma correction is moderate, with astigmatism present until about f/4, and the lens shows spherical-aberration glow at f/1.2. Lateral chromatic aberration is moderate and easily corrected, while longitudinal CA and purple fringing wide open are notable, the latter being singled out as a weak point. --- ## History **Development and Launch** The Nokton 35mm f/1.2 III is the latest member of a line that Cosina has positioned as the fastest 35mm lens for the Leica M system. The design goal of this version was size reduction: by adopting newer optical glasses and a revised computation, Cosina cut both length and weight relative to the Mark II while retaining the established performance level of the previous model. It is sold as the Nokton 35mm F1.2 Aspherical III VM [3]. **Production Evolution** Across the three M-mount Noktons the most significant change is at the III, which moved from the ten-element, seven-group construction of versions I and II to a nine-element, seven-group layout, accompanied by the large drop in weight and length. The earlier Mark I also had a longer 0.7 m minimum focus distance, which was shortened to 0.5 m from the Mark II onward. **Special editions** No major factory special editions of the III are widely documented. Cosina did release an optically related Sony E-mount variant, the Nokton 35mm f/1.2 SE, but that is a separate E-mount product rather than a finish variant of the M-mount III. **Collector Notes** The chief point of confusion is version identification: the III is distinctly smaller and lighter than the heavier Mark I and Mark II, and buyers should confirm they are getting the nine-element III rather than an older ten-element copy. The lens is identified as the VM (M-mount) model and carries the manufacturer code BA355A in retail listings. Because no hood ships in the box, a hood is an accessory worth sourcing separately. --- ## Sources * [1] phillipreeve.net (Bastian Kratzke). *Review: Voigtlander VM 35mm 1.2 III*. https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-voigtlander-vm-35mm-1-2-iii/ * [2] Adorama (manufacturer specifications and description). *Used Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f/1.2 Aspherical III VM Lens*. https://www.adorama.com/used-voigtlander-nokton-35mm-f-12-aspherical-iii-vm-lens/p/us2000502 * [3] findingrange.com. *Voigtlander Nokton 35mm f1.2 Aspherical III Lens Review*. http://findingrange.com/2020/08/19/voigtlander-nokton-35mm-f1-2-aspherical-iii-lens-review/

The Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 II, an M-mount rangefinder lens in SC and MC coatings, updates a cult fast 35mm for digital sensors.

The Light Lens Lab 35mm f/2 Eight Element is a brass M-mount replica of Leica's 1958 Summicron, prized by collectors wanting that classic look affordably.

The Zenit Zenitar 35mm f/1.0 is a native Leica M ultra-fast wide-angle lens with nine elements, ten blades and a substantial 740g barrel.

The Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 ASPH. II is a compact M-mount wide-angle prime, a 2016 refresh of the classic 35 Summicron with 11 aperture blades.

The MS-Optics Apoqualia 35mm f/1.4 is a tiny hand-built Leica M double Gauss by Miyazaki Sadayasu, a sought-after collector lens.

The Carl Zeiss Distagon T* 35mm f/1.4 ZM is a fast retrofocus M-mount wide-angle prized by Leica collectors as a Summilux alternative.

The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 II is a fast aspherical M-mount rangefinder lens, long valued as the quickest 35mm option for the Leica M system.

The MS-Optics Perar 35mm f/3.5 is a hand-built three-element triplet pancake for Leica M mount, the lens that made Miyazaki's MS-Optics a collector name.

The Voigtländer Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 (Version I) is a compact, fast M-mount rangefinder lens offered in single-coated and multi-coated forms.

The Carl Zeiss Biogon T* 35mm f/2 ZM is an M-mount rangefinder lens prized for its near-symmetrical optics, low distortion, and neutral rendering.

The Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 I is the original f/1.2 aspherical M-mount 35, prized by collectors as the fastest production rangefinder 35mm of its day.

Konica M-Hexanon 35mm f/2 is a Leica M-mount wide-normal lens built for the Hexar RF, a sleeper among collectors of non-Leica M glass.

The Voigtländer Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P I is a tiny LTM screw-mount pancake lens prized by Bessa and Leica rangefinder users for its size and value.

The Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 ASPH M39 11608 is a rare silver Japanese-market screw-mount edition of the modern 35mm Summicron ASPH.

The Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. II is the 1994 single-aspherical M-mount fast wide-angle, prized by collectors for its rendering despite focus shift.

The Leica Summicron-M 35mm f/2 IV is a compact M-mount wide-angle prime nicknamed "King of Bokeh," prized by collectors for its smooth rendering.

The Leica Summicron 35mm f/2 II is a six-element M-mount wide lens (1969 to 1971) that bridges the famed 8-element original and the later v3, prized by collectors.

The Canon 35mm f/2 is a compact LTM rangefinder lens from 1962, nicknamed the "Japanese Summicron" and prized as the last of Canon's 35mm screw-mount line.

The Canon 35mm f/1.5 is a scarce LTM (M39) screw-mount rangefinder wide-angle, a fast 1958 Japanese lens prized by Leica thread-mount collectors.

The Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8 SIMOM is a compact M-mount rangefinder wide-angle, an affordable classic 35mm that collectors and users still favor today.

The Leica Summaron 35mm f/2.8 SIMOO is the screw-mount (LTM) version of Leica's classic six-element wide-angle, prized as an affordable vintage M39 lens.

The Zunow 35mm f/1.7 is a rare LTM screw-mount wide-angle from Japan's Zunow Optical, a fast 1950s rangefinder lens prized by collectors.

The goggled Leica 35mm f/2 eight-element Summicron for the M3, catalogue 11108, with coupled focusing, E39 filters and a 16-blade diaphragm.

Nippon-Kogaku's W-Nikkor.C 3.5cm f/2.5 is a compact six-element LTM wide-angle, a brass-built rangefinder favorite prized for its handling and classic rendering.

The Canon 35mm f/2.8 II is a compact 1957, rangefinder-coupled LTM wide-angle lens with six elements, a 40mm filter thread and 125g weight.

Leica Summaron 35mm f/3.5 SOONC-MW / SOMWO 11107 is the goggled M3 version of the classic chrome 35mm Summaron.

Nippon-Kogaku's W-Nikkor.C 35mm f/1.8, the world's first f/1.8 wide-angle, is a collectible LTM rangefinder lens prized for its symmetric design.

The Tanaka Kogaku W Tanar 35mm f/3.5 is a scarce all-chrome LTM wide-angle made for Tanack rangefinders, a sought collector item from late-1950s Japan.

The Leica Summaron 35mm f/3.5 with OVU goggles (SOONC-M, 11105) is an M-mount classic prized by M3 users for its compact build and vintage character.</parameter> <parameter name="long_description">## Leica Summaron 35mm f/3.5 with OVU SOONC-M What sets this version of the Summaron 35mm f/3.5 apart is the OVU optical attachment, the pair of auxiliary "goggles" that sit in front of the rangefinder and viewfinder windows. The Leica M3, the camera the lens was designed to accompany, has no built-in 35mm frame line, so the goggles magnify the wider field down into the M3 finder and bring up the correct framing while keeping the rangefinder coupled. The result is a lens that lets M3 owners shoot 35mm without an accessory finder, and the assembly is why collectors single out this configuration, catalogued under model number 11105 [1][2]. Optically the lens uses a six-element, four-group design, and the same formula was carried across the screw-mount and bayonet versions of the lens [2]. The bayonet M version was produced toward the end of the Summaron 35mm f/3.5 run, which spanned roughly the mid-1940s to about 1960 in screw mount and the second half of the 1950s in M mount [2][3]. The barrel is short and light, in keeping with other compact Leica wide angles of the era, and build quality is regularly described as excellent, with many surviving copies still working smoothly and remaining largely free of internal dust [2][3]. The diaphragm uses ten blades, which keeps the aperture opening close to circular and contributes to the lens's gentle out-of-focus rendering [2]. The lens is rangefinder coupled, takes 39mm filters, and focuses to one meter. Because the optical cell is shared between mounts, the most important identification point is the mount and the presence of the goggles rather than the glass itself. A goggled f/3.5 Summaron in M bayonet, carrying the SOONC-M designation and model number 11105, is distinct from the plain screw-mount lens used with an adapter and from the later faster f/2.8 Summaron, which is a different optical design and is not covered here [2][3]. --- ## Optical qualities **Rendering** The Summaron 35mm f/3.5 is valued more for character than for clinical correctness. Reviewers describe a lens that is not flawless wide open but renders with a distinctive, atmospheric quality, combining mild softness, vignetting and a particular tonal feel that suits mood-led and black-and-white work [3]. It was designed in an era when monochrome was the dominant medium, and users note that it performs at its best in good light, where it can still produce smooth, pleasant out-of-focus areas helped by the ten-bladed diaphragm [1][3]. Those drawn to it generally want the classic vintage Leica look and a rendering that differs visibly from modern optics, rather than maximum sharpness across the frame [1]. --- ## History **Development and Launch** The Summaron 35mm f/3.5 was one of Leica's common wide-angle lenses of the period, first offered in screw mount and later adapted to the M bayonet [2][3]. With the introduction of the M3 in 1954, Leica needed a way to use a 35mm lens on a camera whose viewfinder lacked a 35mm frame line, and the goggled SOONC-M version answered that need by adding the OVU optical attachment to the bayonet lens [1][2]. **Production Evolution** The lens kept its six-element, four-group optical formula across both the screw-mount and M-mount versions, so the principal change over its life was the mount and the addition of the finder goggles for M3 use rather than a new optical design [2]. Production of the f/3.5 Summaron ran to about 1960, after which Leica's 35mm offerings moved on to faster designs [2][3]. **Special editions** No major factory special editions of this specific goggled f/3.5 version are widely documented in collector sources beyond the standard SOONC-M configuration recorded as model 11105 [1][2]. **Collector Notes** For an M3 user the goggled Summaron is often regarded as both a usable lens and a desirable collector item [1]. When evaluating a copy, confirm that the goggles are present, undamaged and clear, since they are integral to correct framing on the M3 and are awkward to replace. As with any lens of this age, check the front and rear glass and internal elements for haze, fungus and separation; many surviving examples remain clean, but condition varies. The 39mm filter thread and period caps and hoods are worth verifying as original. Note also that the plain screw-mount Summaron and the later f/2.8 Summaron are easily confused with this version in listings, so checking the mount, the goggles and the model number helps avoid mistaken purchases [2][3]. --- ## Sources * [1] Dankerin Photography. *Leica 35mm F3.5 Summaron*. https://dankerinphotography.com/leica-35mm-f35-summaron * [2] Vintage Camera Lenses. *Leica Summaron 35mm f3.5*. https://vintage-camera-lenses.com/leica-summaron-35mm-f3-5/ * [3] MrLeica (Matt Osborne). *Leica Summaron 35mm f3.5 Review & Photos*. https://mrleica.com/summaron-35mm-f3-5/

A 1954 Japanese 35mm f/2 wide-angle with seven elements in five groups, coupled Leica M39 focusing, 1.07m close focus and E40.5 filters.

A late-1940s to early-1950s Steinheil 35mm f/4.5 wide-angle in coated, rangefinder-coupled Leica LTM form, with twin focusing tabs and chrome finish.

A 1951 Canon Serenar 35mm f/2.8 wide-angle with six elements in four groups, coupled LTM focusing, 1m close focus and a compact chrome barrel.

Leica Summaron 35mm f/3.5 SOONC 11005 is the early Leica L39/LTM A36 screw-mount version of the classic 3.5cm Summaron.

The KMZ Jupiter-12 35mm f/2.8 is a compact Soviet Biogon-derived rangefinder lens produced in both M39 and Contax/Kiev mounts, recognised by its deeply projecting rear element and classic low-contrast rendering

The postwar West German 35mm f/2.8 Biogon for Contax RF, a compact coupled wide-angle with a seven-element symmetrical optical construction.

A circa-1950 Officine Galileo 35mm f/4.5 wide-angle for coupled M39 rangefinders, with four elements in three groups and coated chrome construction.

The Old Delft Minor 3.5cm f/3.5 is a rare Dutch rangefinder wide-angle produced in original LTM and Contax RF mounts, with compact brass construction and a four-element Tessar-type optical design.

A rare 1938–1939 Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm f/3.5 Contax wide-angle with a five-element Herar design and coupled external-bayonet focusing.

The original 1936 Carl Zeiss Jena 35mm f/2.8 Biogon, a coupled six-element Contax wide-angle with a deeply projecting rear optical assembly.

A 1933 Makro-Plasmat 35mm f/2.7 wide-angle in original coupled Leica M39 mount, distinguished by a long focus throw and approximately 0.7m close focus.

Sankyo-Kohki's W-Komura 35mm f/2.8 is a compact six-element wide-angle in Leica screw mount (LTM), a scarce Japanese third-party rangefinder lens collectors seek.

The Kyoei W.Acall 35mm f/3.5 is a rare, compact Japanese LTM wide-angle lens with rangefinder coupling and black-and-chrome construction.

An Honor-branded 35mm f/3.5 wide-angle for the late-1950s Honor S1 system, documented in Leica thread mount with a matching external finder.