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If you read my photography articles, you know I’ve always been looking for the ultimate camera: ultra-compact, full-frame, pocket-sized.
The problem with a Sony A7C or a Lumix S9 is the mismatch. The body is compact, but the autofocus lenses you have to screw onto it are massive. In the end, you lose the whole point of having a small body.
By switching to a Leica M , I lose autofocus. But I get the most compact full-frame on the market, and above all, a range of lenses of all sizes. Unlike their autofocus counterparts, M-mount lenses are often tiny.
Today, I’m talking about the Voigtländer Color Skopar 35mm f3.5, a lens that is only 14 mm long.
A real pancake, lens cap included
First thing that hits you is the size. Under 100 grams, 14 mm long. You can truly call it a pancake.
And for once, the lens cap doesn’t ruin everything. That’s a major gripe I have with Voigtländer: their clip-on caps add a solid 5 millimeters. It’s a shame to make an ultra-compact lens just to lengthen it with its cap. Here, the cap slips right on and adds only 1 or 2 mm at most.
The icing on the cake: the lens comes with a lens hood—usually sold as an optional extra—and a small UV filter.
Technical specifications
Voigtländer clearly designed a lens that is simple on paper but well thought out:
- Focal length: 35 mm
- Aperture: f3.5 to f22
- Construction: 6 elements in 4 groups, including a double-sided aspherical lens
- Diaphragm blades: 10
- Angle of view: 61.6°
- Minimum focus distance: 0.70 m
- Filter diameter: 34 mm
- Weight: 99 g
- Length: 14 mm
- Mount: VM (Leica M)
- Price: around €799
The 10 diaphragm blades are what give light sources that clean, round rendering when you stop down a bit.
Sharp right from wide open
The only real downside is that it only opens to f3.5. I would have liked f2.8. But I think that would have come at the expense of image quality.
Because at f3.5, this lens is super sharp. Very beautiful image, honestly nothing to complain about. Voigtländer clearly chose to prioritize sharpness over light gathering, and the bet paid off.
The infinity lock, I’m torn
The lens has an infinity lock. It might annoy some people, and I’m not really a fan of the concept.
On the other hand, you have to admit one benefit: this little tab makes it much easier to grab the lens to adjust the aperture ring. Without it, adjusting the ring single-handed would be quite a feat.
Close focus, the eternal weak spot
You can also criticize its minimum focus distance of 70 cm. That’s the classic rangefinder limit, but more and more lenses are dropping down to 40 or even 30 cm.
For me, that’s the future of these bodies. With focus peaking on the screen, you can focus much closer than what the rangefinder allows. Close focus remains the real weak spot of M-mount lenses.
Let’s talk aesthetics
I really like this lens, especially in silver. It matches the camera body perfectly.
A minor detail for the purists: Leica M bodies are usually matte black, whereas the black version of this lens is glossy black. Enough to shock those who care deeply about the visual harmony of their gear.
Why I’m still sending it back
I feel like there are more and more good pancakes out there, and the current trend is ultra-lightweight with focus distances reduced below 70 cm.
So, I’m going to send it back, maybe waiting for a v2 that opens at f2.8 this time, and why not with a minimum distance of 40 cm. 30 cm would be perfect. If you’re on the fence too, I’ve explained how to easily resell your camera gear .
Come on Voigtländer, just a little more effort, don’t let yourself get overtaken by all these Chinese manufacturers who are starting to release super interesting lenses (Artralab, Thypoch). 😏
Feel free to get in touch if you want to share your thoughts on this article.
