Hey, another M-Mount lens!
This is the Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 PII; what a nicely built and compact lens!
I had wanted to maybe pick up an older Leitz Summaron 35mm f/2.8 with the goggles, but I just couldn't ever seem to find one in decent shape for a reasonable amount. Naturally this isn't a Leitz lens, but as a third party alternative I'm very impressed with it. It's not quite to the same level of build as the Zeiss 50/2.0 ZM Planar that I also have, but it's about right for the cost.
After having used this lens for awhile, I would agree with everything that's normally said about it. It's nice and contrasty, it's fairly sharp even wide open, it has a surprisingly nice out of focus rendering, and it's compact. It also doesn't really flare that badly, but, as a warning, when it does it is quite ugly and really has the possibility to ruin a shot so I'd recommend getting a hood with it; although, that then reduces the compactness of the lens.
I actually wound up selling this lens after having it for a couple of years, thinking that the 35mm focal length wasn't one I was using much, and boy did I regret it. I eventually replaced it with the Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 MC, which is another lens that I like quite a bit, but something about that Skopar still sort of tugs at me. I think in retrospect, it's easily the best value in the Voigtlander line-up, and if you're shooting mostly out doors in sufficient light, this is the lens for you; don't get suckered by lusting after those ultra-high-speed lenses. More modest lenses, when done correctly, are some of the best lenses you can buy, and this one is a gem.
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Thanks for the review, love how compact this is. Great photographs by the way.
ReplyDeleteThanks. I really do remember this lens fondly, which is something that I have a little more trouble saying about its more expensive brother the 35/1.4 Nokton. Maybe I'll review it one of these days.
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