Voigtländer Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 P

Voigtländer Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 P

Among ultra-wide lenses for the Leica M mount, the Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 P stands out chiefly for how little of it there is. At roughly 25 mm long and 136 g, it is one of the smallest 21 mm lenses available for a rangefinder body, a genuine pancake that adds almost nothing to the depth of a camera [1][2]. The trade-off is a modest f/4 maximum aperture, which Cosina accepted in order to keep the optic flat and light. For photographers who shoot wide angles stopped down for street, landscape, cityscape and travel work, that compromise is often considered worthwhile.

The lens uses an eight-element, six-group design and covers a wide angle of view of about 91 degrees. It is built as an all-metal barrel with a smooth, well-damped focusing ring and a separately clicked aperture ring, and it ships with a small screw-in hood. The 39 mm filter thread matches the size long used on classic Leica lenses such as the 35 mm Summicron, so many existing accessories fit directly. The ten-bladed diaphragm closes down to keep the aperture opening rounded, the closest focus is 0.5 m, and the lens is rangefinder coupled for accurate focusing on M bodies. The "P" suffix denotes the VM (M-bayonet) pancake type; the lens is sold without a finder, so a separate 21 mm accessory viewfinder is needed for framing on a rangefinder camera [3].

The P version belongs to Cosina's long-running Voigtländer rangefinder line, which revived the Voigtländer name on modern, well-made lenses sold at prices well below comparable Leica optics. It followed an earlier Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 in Leica screw mount (LTM/M39), which was supplied with a matching viewfinder; the P updated the design to the M bayonet in a flat pancake form. A later P-type/VM iteration kept the same compact concept, so buyers should confirm exactly which version a listing refers to.

Optical qualities

Rendering Reviewers describe the Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 P as a sharp, contrasty wide angle that punches above its small size and modest aperture, with pleasing color and a sense of depth in everyday use.

Sharpness Center sharpness is reported as excellent already at f/4, with edges and corners holding up well; stopping down brings a further modest improvement, and the lens is considered usable across its whole aperture range.

Contrast and color Documented as good, giving images noticeable depth and subjects that separate cleanly from the background.

Distortion and vignetting Some vignetting is visible at f/4 and persists slightly when stopped down, though in normal shooting it is generally not regarded as a problem; the falloff is sometimes seen as part of the lens's character.

Flare resistance Flare appears only occasionally and is not described as a significant issue in everyday shooting.

Bokeh and transitions Background blur is limited by the 21 mm focal length and f/4 aperture, but the ten-bladed diaphragm helps keep out-of-focus areas smooth when close focusing allows some subject isolation.

History

Development and Launch The Color-Skopar 21mm f/4 P was produced by Cosina under the revived Voigtländer brand as part of its modern manual-focus rangefinder lens range, lenses built to a high mechanical standard and offered at far lower prices than equivalent Leica products. The P established a Leica M bayonet (VM) pancake at the 21 mm focal length.

Production Evolution A Leica screw-mount (LTM/M39) Color-Skopar 21mm f/4, sold with a dedicated 21 mm viewfinder, preceded the M-mount pancake. The P moved the lens to the M bayonet in its very compact form, and a subsequent P-type/VM version continued the same small-and-light approach for M cameras.

Collector Notes The lens is sold without a finder, so a 21 mm accessory viewfinder is needed for composing on a rangefinder; silver and black barrel finishes exist across the wider Color-Skopar 21mm family, and the screw-mount and bayonet versions are easy to confuse, so the mount and exact variant should be verified before purchase. Note that one user found that adding a filter to the earlier screw-mount lens produced pronounced vignetting, a point worth checking if filters are intended. As an all-metal mechanical lens, examples should be checked for smooth focus and clean clicked aperture action; an original screw-in hood adds to completeness.