Voigtländer is celebrating 100 years of its legendary Skopar lens with a rather beautiful special edition of one of its most recognizable optics.
The new Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 Skopar 100th model takes the tried-and-tested formula of the long-running Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 P II and gives it an elegant silver makeover, complete with a matching metal lens hood and a specially designed aluminum rear cap.
It's a fitting tribute to a lens name that has been part of photographic history for an entire century, and one that should certainly catch the attention of Leica rangefinder enthusiasts.
One of the biggest attractions of the Color-Skopar has always been its remarkably compact design, and this anniversary edition is no different. Measuring just 23mm in length, it's an incredibly slim lens that looks perfectly at home on a Leica M camera.
Despite its small dimensions, Voigtländer hasn't compromised on the handling experience, with a carefully shaped focusing lever that sits naturally beneath your finger and a beautifully tactile aperture ring with precise clicks. It's the sort of mechanical simplicity that makes shooting with a manual-focus lens so enjoyable, particularly for street and documentary photographers who appreciate a more considered approach to photography.
The anniversary treatment extends beyond the silver finish, with Voigtländer including a specially designed metal bayonet-mount hood featuring distinctive slits. Not only does it complement the overall appearance of the lens, but its design also helps minimize viewfinder obstruction when shooting with a rangefinder camera.
There's also a rather unusual three-piece rear lens cap, precision-machined from aluminum to provide a premium metallic finish without adding unnecessary weight. These might seem like small details, but they're exactly the sort of touches that make a commemorative lens feel a little more special.
Sample images
Underneath that elegant exterior, the Color-Skopar retains the traditional manual-focus experience that has helped make Voigtländer lenses so popular among rangefinder photographers.
Its all-metal helicoid focusing mechanism is precision-machined and carefully adjusted, while specially selected grease provides the right amount of resistance for smooth, accurate focusing.
The lens also features a high-precision rangefinder coupling mechanism, allowing photographers to focus accurately through compatible rangefinder cameras, even when shooting at wider apertures.
The Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5 Skopar 100th model features a VM mount compatible with Leica M-mount cameras, although it can also be adapted for use with modern mirrorless systems.
Its full-frame image circle makes it suitable for both 35mm film and full-frame digital photography, while the compact design is particularly appealing to photographers who want to keep their camera setup as small and unobtrusive as possible.
For those who appreciate the craftsmanship, simplicity, and character of traditional rangefinder photography, this anniversary edition is a lovely reminder that sometimes the most appealing lenses aren't necessarily the biggest, fastest, or most complicated.
Check out our guide to the best Leica M-mount lenses
