Voigtländer Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II

Voigtländer Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II

Cosina's Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II is one of the smallest native M-mount 35mm lenses on the market, valued less for outright speed than for how little it adds to a Leica body. It debuted at the PMA show in Las Vegas in February 2004 as the bayonet M-mount member of a family of optically identical 35mm f/2.5 designs, which also included the screw-mount 35/2.5 C, the earlier screw-mount Pancake (P I), and the SC version for Nikon rangefinder mount [1]. All of these share the same seven-element, five-group optical formula and ten-bladed diaphragm, so the P II differs from its siblings chiefly in mount and handling rather than in rendering [1].

The lens is built entirely from metal and is notably compact, protruding only a couple of centimetres from the camera while weighing very little, which makes it a natural travel and street companion [2]. Styling deliberately echoes the pre-aspherical Leica 35mm Summicron, including the focusing tab and aperture controls, and Cosina supplies a snap-on 39mm cap to suit the small filter thread [1]. Focusing is rangefinder coupled down to 0.7 m, with a short, well-damped throw of roughly 45 degrees that makes it quick to use; the focus tab is easy to locate by feel [2]. Reviewers have noted that the aperture ring on some copies can feel loose and is easy to nudge out of position while focusing, a minor ergonomic quibble rather than a build flaw [2]. On Leica M bodies other than the M3 the lens brings up the 35mm frameline automatically; on the M3 and on certain Bessa bodies an accessory finder or manual frameline selection is needed [1].

Because the P II shares optics with the screw-mount versions, buyers often weigh it against the 35/2.5 C and the earlier Pancake. The key practical distinctions are mount and minimum focus: the early screw-mount Pancake focused only to 0.9 m, whereas the C and the P II reach 0.7 m [3]. The P II is also distinguished by a very short focus throw that makes it faster to focus than the C, and by the fact that its vented LH-4 metal lens hood is sold separately rather than included, unlike most other Voigtländer screw-mount lenses [1].

Optical qualities

Rendering The Color-Skopar 35/2.5 has a reputation among users for sharpness that belies its modest price, performing well even wide open [2]. Documented behaviour below is drawn from review testing on both film and adapted digital bodies; results differ markedly between the two.

Sharpness Central sharpness is strong from f/2.5 and improves on stopping down [2]. On a full-frame mirrorless body the extreme corners can look soft and smeared between roughly f/2.5 and f/4, an effect commonly attributed to the steep angle at which light from wide rangefinder lenses strikes a digital sensor stack rather than to the optics themselves; on film the corner softness is far less apparent [2].

Bokeh and transitions The ten-bladed diaphragm keeps out-of-focus highlights largely round, though they crush toward the edges of the frame and can take on hard outlines, and busy backgrounds can look slightly nervous in the corners wide open [2].

Flare resistance The lens resists flare well, with only minimal veiling even when shot toward the sun; reviewers found it difficult to provoke significant flare except at very specific angles [2].

Distortion and vignetting Vignetting is heavy at f/2.5 and remains visible a stop or two down on full-frame digital, clearing by about f/5.6 to f/8; on film it is much less pronounced [2].

History

Development and Launch The 35/2.5 P II was introduced at PMA in Las Vegas in February 2004 as a native Leica M bayonet option for what had until then been a screw-mount design, giving M-body users automatic frameline selection and direct mounting [1]. It positioned itself well below the cost of comparable Zeiss and Leica 35mm lenses, which made it a popular entry point for new M shooters [2].

Production Evolution The 35/2.5 line evolved through the screw-mount Pancake (P I), the screw-mount C, this M-mount P II, and a Nikon rangefinder SC version, all built on the same seven-element optical block [1]. The most meaningful changes across the family concerned mount and minimum focusing distance rather than glass: the early Pancake focused to 0.9 m, while the C and P II reach 0.7 m [3].

Special editions No major factory special editions of the P II are widely documented; the notable variations are the parallel mount versions of the same optical design rather than limited finishes [1].

Collector Notes The dedicated LH-4 vented metal hood is an accessory purchased separately and is worth verifying as present, as is the snap-on 39mm cap, which some users have found flimsy [1][2]. Buyers cross-shopping the screw-mount versions should confirm which variant they are looking at, since the Pancake, C and M-mount P II look related but differ in mount and close-focus capability [3]. As with older Cosina-Voigtländer lenses generally, it is worth checking the cemented elements for haze before purchase, since haze in optical cement is effectively unrepairable, though a clear copy is likely to stay clear [3].

Sources

• [1] CameraQuest. Voigtlander Leica Screw and M Mount Lenses. https://cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm
• [2] Theo Wiersema, 35mmc. Voigtländer 35mm f/2.5 Color Skopar Review. https://www.35mmc.com/23/10/2016/voigtlander-35mm-f2-5-color-skopar-review/
• [3] Rangefinder Forum. Voigtlander 35mm f2.5 Color-Skopar Differences. https://rangefinderforum.com/threads/voigtlander-35mm-f2-5-color-skopar-differences.4789576/