Voigtländer Color-Skopar 21mm f/4

Voigtländer Color-Skopar 21mm f/4

Among the smallest rangefinder-coupled ultra-wides ever sold, the Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 packs an eight-element optical system into a body barely longer than a lens cap. Cosina built it for the Voigtländer Bessa system in Leica screw mount (M39 / LTM), and its slim, all-metal barrel and light weight made it a favourite travel and street optic for users of both Bessa and classic Leica screw and adapter-mounted bodies [1][3]. The lens shipped as a kit with a 21mm bright-line accessory viewfinder for the hot shoe, since neither the Bessa-L nor most Leica bodies provide 21mm framelines, plus a small screw-in shade [3][4].

The optical formula uses eight elements in six groups in a retrofocus arrangement, a design Voigtländer derived from its 25mm f/4 Snapshot-Skopar [3]. The aperture runs from f/4 to f/22 with click half-stops and uses ten blades, and the lens takes 39mm filters [1][2]. It is rangefinder coupled down to its closest coupled distance and can be scale-focused closer still, reaching roughly half a metre [2][3]. The maximum aperture of f/4 is modest, but reviewers note the wide angle of view and small maximum aperture make depth of field generous, so the lens is easy to zone-focus and shoot at small apertures [1]. Build quality is frequently praised, with metal focus and aperture rings that recall older Leica-era lenses [1].

The screw-mount Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 was sold from April 2001 to October 2012 [3]. It was later joined and effectively replaced by a Leica M-bayonet version, the 21mm f/4 P, released in April 2007, which keeps the same eight-element, six-group optics but uses a new barrel styled after the pre-aspherical 35mm Summicron and is supplied without a viewfinder because it brings up framelines on the Voigtländer R-series and 28/90 framelines on Leica M bodies [2][3]. Because the two share optics, sample images and rendering observations are largely interchangeable, though the barrels, dimensions, and accessories differ; buyers should confirm which mount and body style they are looking at.

Optical qualities

Rendering On film the lens is widely regarded as sharp, contrasty, and pleasingly compact, with good colour and brilliance reported across apertures [1][5]. Center sharpness is strong even wide open, and reviewers describe it as tack sharp by f/5.6 to f/8 [1].

Sharpness Testers report it is sharp at the centre from f/4 and improves stopped down, with one collector note observing the corners are slightly softer than the related 25mm f/4 Snapshot-Skopar [1][3].

Distortion and vignetting As with most fast, ultra-wide rangefinder designs, vignetting is present and becomes more noticeable on digital sensors [3][5].

Digital use On digital full-frame Leica bodies the lens can show vignetting and a magenta colour cast toward the edges, a consequence of its short back-focus, film-era optical design [3][5]. Users mitigate this with lens profiles or in-camera correction, and several report the lens performs better on the Leica SL/SL2 and on APS-C bodies than on digital M cameras; on film the colour and edge issues are not a concern [5].

History

Development and Launch Cosina launched the Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 in screw mount as part of the Voigtländer Bessa rangefinder line, which began with the finderless, screw-mount Bessa-L in 1999 and a small family of inexpensive wide-angle M39 lenses [3][6]. The 21mm f/4 entered the range in 2001, extending the affordable ultra-wide offerings alongside the existing 15mm and 25mm lenses [3][6].

Production Evolution The screw-mount lens remained in the catalogue until late 2012 [3]. In April 2007 Voigtländer introduced a Leica M-mount 21mm f/4 P with identical optics but a redesigned barrel, produced primarily for the M-bayonet Bessa R-series; the M version is not bundled with a viewfinder [2][3]. In 2010 Voigtländer also revised its 21/25 accessory viewfinders, offering updated optics in a metal body alongside the older plastic-bodied design [2].

Special editions No major factory special or military variants of the screw-mount Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 are widely documented; the principal variation is the later M-mount 21mm f/4 P sharing the same optical design [2][3].

Collector Notes The most common point of confusion is between the original LTM screw-mount lens and the later M-mount 21mm f/4 P, which look different and carry different dimensions, weights, and accessories despite identical optics, so verify the mount before buying [2][3]. Because the lens was sold as a kit, an original 21mm bright-line viewfinder and the small screw-in shade are worth confirming, as they are easily separated from the lens over time [3][4]. Buyers intending to use it on digital full-frame Leica bodies should be aware of the documented edge vignetting and magenta cast and budget for software correction; on film these are non-issues [3][5]. Note that some published figures of around 144 g and a wider barrel diameter refer to the later M-mount 21mm f/4 P rather than the lighter, slimmer screw-mount lens documented here [2].

Sources

• [1] Finding Range. Voigtlander Color-Skopar 21mm f4 P Lens Review. https://findingrange.com/2020/07/02/voigtlander-color-skopar-21mm-f4-p-lens-review/
• [2] CameraQuest. Voigtlander 21mm f/4 P Leica M Color Skopar Lens. https://shop.cameraquest.com/voigtlander-leica-mount-lenses/voigtlander-21mm-f/4-p-color-skopar-lens/
• [3] Klassik-Cameras.de. Voigtlander Rangefinder Lenses since 1999 in LTM Screw Mount. https://www.klassik-cameras.de/Bessa_RF-Lenses.html
• [4] B&H Photo. Voigtlander Color-Skopar 21mm f/4.0 Lens with Viewfinder. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/232565-REG/Voigtlander_45BA211A_Color_Skopar_21mm_f_4_0_Lens.html
• [5] MrLeica (Matt Osborne). Voigtlander 21mm f4 Review (21mm Color Skopar). https://mrleica.com/voigtlander-21mm-f4/
• [6] Camerapedia. Bessa (35mm). https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Bessa_(35mm)