Voigtländer Color-Skopar 28mm f/2.8 Type I

Voigtländer Color-Skopar 28mm f/2.8 Type I

When Cosina announced its new 28mm Color-Skopar in mid-2023, it surprised observers who had expected a faster wide-angle to sit between the existing 21mm f/1.4 and 35mm f/1.2; instead the company released a smaller, slower and lighter f/2.8 design [1]. The Type I is the more traditionally styled member of the family, machined from brass and finished to recall older Voigtländer optics such as the Heliar 40mm f/2.8, and it is offered in shiny black and silver [2]. It revives the Color-Skopar name in the 28mm class, where the earlier 28mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar of 2002 to 2007 stands as a loose predecessor.

The optical formula uses eight elements in five groups, including one double-sided aspherical element and two elements that Voigtländer describes as having atypical partial dispersion. All members of the new 28mm f/2.8 line share this same optical design, so the Type I differs from its siblings in barrel construction, materials, mount and filter thread rather than in glass. It is rangefinder coupled and focuses by a focus tab, with a focus throw of roughly 120 degrees and an aperture ring carrying evenly spaced, distinct half-stop clicks; reviewers found the assembly tightly made with even resistance. Markings are engraved and paint filled in red and white. The Type I also carries an infinity lock, and because of its small size it intrudes only minimally into the rangefinder view.

Within the lineup, the f/2.8 Type I is the brass M-mount version with a 34mm filter thread and a 0.7 m minimum focus distance, distinguishing it from the otherwise similar M39 screw-mount version and from the lighter, more modern aluminium Type II, which adopts a 39mm filter thread and focuses to 0.5 m. Voigtländer lists the Type I at a notably higher weight than the aluminium Type II, a direct consequence of the brass construction. Buyers choosing between the variants generally pick the M39 Type I for older Leica or Canon screw-mount bodies and the M-mount versions for later cameras.

Optical qualities

Rendering For such a compact lens the Color-Skopar 28mm f/2.8 is regarded as a strong modern performer, with its main weakness being heavy vignetting. Because all variants share the same optics, rendering observations apply across the family.

Sharpness Reviewers report excellent sharpness across the focus range, with good results already at maximum aperture and a small improvement on stopping down. Fine detail is resolved well even on high-resolution sensors and in lower-contrast subjects.

Distortion Distortion is low and largely uniform; with no lens profile available at the time of testing, a small manual correction was reported to handle it adequately.

Flare resistance The lens shows good resistance to flare, with one reviewer finding it hard to provoke artefacts regardless of where the sun fell in or out of the frame, as expected of a modern design.

Distortion and vignetting Vignetting is the lens's clear shortcoming. It is heavy at f/2.8 and remains visible even stopped down, a trait attributed to the very compact optical and mechanical design. The short focal length is inherently sensitive to falloff.

Collector and user notes The conclusion of one detailed technical review rated sharpness at all distances, distortion, flare resistance, sunstars, coma correction, build quality, handling and size or weight as strong points, with bokeh and chromatic aberration correction judged average and vignetting the only real negative.

History

Development and Launch The 28mm f/2.8 Color-Skopar was launched in July 2023 by Cosina under the Voigtländer brand, with multiple variants planned from the outset. It reintroduced the Color-Skopar name to the 28mm focal length, following the discontinued 28mm f/3.5 Color-Skopar produced from 2002 to 2007. Rather than fill a perceived gap with a fast aperture, the design prioritised compactness and light weight, a goal one reviewer characterised as an optical engineering success given the lens focuses closer and weighs less than the regarded 28mm f/2.0 Ultron while being slower.

Production Evolution The line was offered in several forms sharing one optical formula. The brass Type I appears in M-mount and in an M39 screw-mount version, both with a 34mm filter thread, a 0.7 m close focus and an infinity lock, while the later aluminium Type II uses a 39mm filter thread and focuses to 0.5 m. Each form is available in black and silver.

Special editions No major factory special editions of the Type I are widely documented; the principal variations are the body material, mount and filter-thread differences between the Type I and Type II and the M-mount versus M39 options.

Collector Notes The Type I can be distinguished from the Type II by its more nostalgic styling, brass construction, 34mm filter thread and higher weight, the figure Voigtländer publishes well above that of the aluminium Type II. Prospective buyers should confirm whether a given example is the M-mount or M39 screw-mount Type I, since both exist with the same external look. The lens ships with a plastic front cover and a screw-in hood, and one reviewer noted the absence of the reflection-prone silver bayonet mount ring used for clip-on hoods on some other Voigtländer lenses.