Voigtländer APO-LANTHAR 28mm f/2

Voigtländer APO-LANTHAR 28mm f/2

Cosina positions this lens as the highest performing wide-angle it has yet produced under the Voigtländer name, extending the APO-LANTHAR line of apochromatically corrected optics into a 28mm wide angle for the Leica M system [1][2]. The design targets near-complete correction of axial chromatic aberration across red, green and blue light, with the stated goal of maximizing resolution and contrast rather than simply offering a fast aperture. It was released in 2025 as a VM-mount (Leica M-compatible) lens and is supplied with front and rear caps and a metal bayonet hood.

The optical formula uses 12 elements in 8 groups, including six elements of anomalous partial dispersion glass and two double-sided aspherical elements, and incorporates a floating mechanism to maintain performance at close range. The 12-blade diaphragm is kept close to circular to shape out-of-focus highlights, and the maximum aperture is f/2 with a 49mm filter thread. Build is all-metal with a precision-machined helicoid for manual focusing, and the lens covers the full-frame image circle while being optimized for digital sensors. Minimum focus is 0.5m: focusing down to 0.7m is supported through the rangefinder linkage, while reaching the full 0.5m relies on the live-view function of compatible digital cameras. At roughly 50mm long and 56mm in diameter and about 265g, it is a compact addition to the lineup.

As a current-production lens there are no documented optical revisions, coating changes or barrel variants; it is offered in black. Cosina later announced the same APO-LANTHAR 28mm f/2 design in mirrorless mounts, so buyers should confirm they are looking at the VM (Leica M) version rather than the autofocusless mirrorless variants.

Optical qualities

Rendering The lens is built around apochromatic correction, and the manufacturer describes it as eliminating chromatic aberration while pursuing high resolution and contrast. The APO-LANTHAR line has a general reputation among rangefinder users for high contrast and very low chromatic aberration, and early hands-on impressions of this 28mm describe it in similar terms, noting clean, clinical correction and natural rendering [3]. As a recent release, long-term collector consensus is still limited, so detailed claims beyond the documented design intent should be treated cautiously.

Bokeh and transitions The 12 nearly circular aperture blades are intended to render out-of-focus point light sources smoothly, and reviewers describe the background blur as natural.

Aberrations The headline characteristic is apochromatic correction: the design brings axial chromatic aberration close to zero, supported by six anomalous partial dispersion glass elements.

History

Development and Launch Cosina officially announced the Voigtländer APO-LANTHAR 28mm f/2 Aspherical VM for Leica M-mount in June 2025, presenting it as part of the APO-LANTHAR family and as the best-performing wide angle in the brand's history. It joined an existing range of Voigtländer apochromatic primes for the M mount, broadening that group toward the wide-angle end.

Special editions No factory special editions, regional variants or alternative finishes for the M-mount version are documented; it has been offered in black.

Collector Notes The most important identification point is the mount: confirm the VM (Leica M) version rather than the later mirrorless-mount editions of the same optical design. Buyers should also note the close-focus behavior, since the lens focuses to 0.5m but rangefinder coupling is specified only to 0.7m, with the closest distances reached through live view. LeicaLensList records this lens as not rangefinder coupled and without six-bit coding; some manufacturer and review material instead describes a rangefinder linkage operating to 0.7m, so verify coupling behavior against the specific example before purchase. The lens ships with a reversible metal petal hood, which is worth confirming as present with any used copy.