What's it about the Color Skopar 28mm 3,5 LTM?

I sent the bubbleboy back to London (is there any camera store experience thread) and got a superclean copy for around 500 € which is totally fine these days. Now I can (and will) wear it down to the brass. :)

orange filter, chm 400 / kentmere 400 / apx 400 @ 800 in hc-110 loaded m2





orange filter, chm 400 / kentmere 400 / apx 400 @ 800 in rodinal 1:25 (I fought the fog with contrast!) loaded m2



 
By the way... the first two were shot with the "bubble copy". I think it's noticable softer than the pictures I took with the mint version.
 
Godfrey, have you done further experiments with lens codes on the M240/M262? I have been shooting the 28mm Color Skopar on my recently acquired M-P 240. I do not see any strange color shifting and only occasionally some vignetting. I am using the manual setting on the lens menu and have the lens coded as a pre-asph Elmarit-M (v. 4?). Here is a sample photo:


JJ000597 by Juan Alonzo, on Flickr


Godfrey said:
That's a ruined lens, and needs an expensive repair. Send it back for a refund.

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I have found that the Color Skopar 28mm f/3.5 performs beautifully on the Leica CL when I use the modern Summaron-M 28mm f/5.6 lens profile with it. It makes sense since that lens has a rather similar optical design. I'm going to set that lens profile on an LTM to M-mount adapter for the CL and also test it on the M-D that way, to see if that cleans up some of the color shifting.

Last July, I took the lens fitted to my M-D (sans coding) on a walk in San Francisco and posted five exposures in color and in black & white as albums:

Color ... https://flic.kr/s/aHskBn8Z4R
B&W ... https://flic.kr/s/aHsmogkwTo

Even with the funky color shifting in some circumstances, I like this lens a lot. I use it mostly with the M4-2 and B&W film, however.

G
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Erik van Straten said:
Also because it is the only modern lens, besides the 50mm f/2.5 Color-Skopar and some other extremely expensive Leica lenses, that is made in black paint on brass, in fact to match the Leica MP when that camera appeared in about 2002.

Erik.
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Stephan, As Erik said, it's a beautifully made lens & the brass mount does make a difference in the weight & handling. You can find them in fine condition most often in Japan. (i've bought a couple on Ebay). I'm just more of a 21/35 guy. I agree with Erik that the 28 f3.5 & the 50mm f2.5 are the most beautifully made Voigtlander lenses & sharp. It is substantially smaller & IMO handles much nicer than the Avenon/Kobalux which i also tried. I think it's definitely worth the effort to track one down.
mp by , on Flickr

E7FF4EED-EFE2-455F-8E26-A66656545CCD by , on Flickr
 
Looking at the examples posted I think, as many things on the internet, that the "problems" with it on digital in color are exaggerated at best and probably won't effect any real world use.

I've got one I bought new when they were cheap and I've used it on my M4-P and my M9 and it's a wonderful lens. Period.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy one for digital, color use. I prefer the results of it on my M9 to a Ricoh GR, although I use that camera too for portability. If you want a compact and very useable 28, I'm not sure you can beat it without shelling out significantly more money for a Leica 28. I haven't used the other older screw mount lenses mentioned but I always find the ergonomics of older lenses problematic in one way or another.

The ergonomics on the VC 28 and it's somewhat but not too light aperture ring with nice grippy protrusions and the little screw in focus tab are really amazing for fast street work. Both can be manipulated with a fingertip, rather than requiring a full grip, allowing almost effortless changes.
 
Yes, these lenses are still very low priced, the same is true for the Color-Skopar 50mm f/2.5. Grab one now, I would say.

I always wondered why Voigtländer didn't bring out a 35mm of the same mechanical and optical quality. A high quality brass black paint 35mm f/2.5 LTM lens. I really miss such a thing.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
I always wondered why Voigtländer didn't bring out a 35mm of the same mechanical and optical quality. A high quality brass black paint 35mm f/2.5 LTM lens. I really miss such a thing.

Erik.
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I would buy one in a heartbeat as well Erik. I'm sure it would have the similar feel & weight of the Summaron 35.

DSCN5837 by , on Flickr
 
I just bought a 28mm f3.5 Skopar in Nikon S mount. Is it the same formula as the LTM lens? I haven't had a chance to shoot with it yet. It's in great shape with the hood and caps and is very small on the Nikon SP. I know this thread is about the Voigtlander 28 but I have both Canon and Nikon 28mm f3.5 in LTM and find them to be fine optics. I got the Skopar from e bay for less than $250. Joe
 
nightfly said:
Looking at the examples posted I think, as many things on the internet, that the "problems" with it on digital in color are exaggerated at best and probably won't effect any real world use.

I've got one I bought new when they were cheap and I've used it on my M4-P and my M9 and it's a wonderful lens. Period.
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Agree with all of your points, particularly the above. I have not seen any results that would prevent me from continuing to enjoy this lens. I briefly considered replacing it with a new Elmarit-M Asph., but why? The SC is only slightly slower but, as you note, optically and ergonomically solid.
 
It is rare to find an SC Skopar 28mm F3.5 with a bayonet for the Nikon Rangefinder. I could not resist.
Against the sun, Ilford Pan 400 in Ilfosol 3.
 

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Erik van Straten said:
I am always surprised that people think that there are two kinds of lenses: lenses for digital and lenses for film. A lens is a lens, gentlemen, no more, no less.

Erik.
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That is absolutely false. Digital sensors do not do well when the light hits the sensor at a strong angle, which is the case with many wide angle lenses made for rangefinders that have the rear element stick inside the camera body. This is why Leica uses retrofocus designs on their newer wideangles, and is why lenses for mirrorless systems like Micro Four Thirds all have their rear elements spaced far from the sensor, despite not having an SLR mirror in the way. Many film-era SLR lenses work fine on digital for that reason.
 
jsrockit said:
Sure, I used to buy them anywhere from $275-450 even 8 years ago. That doesn't make them too expensive. There just aren't any LTM / M lenses that are better for the money really. What alternatives does someone have at $500?
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I had a 28mm f3.5 Color-Skopar and was not impressed. The images were sharp in the center and soft at the edges at all apertures. It just isn't that good. The old Nikkor 28mm f3.5 is vastly superior in sharpness and rendering, and even smaller. You can get one for the same or even less than the Voigtlander lens.
 
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