Voigtlander 50/2.5 Color Skopar

[Miles.]

Could anyone here confirm the material of the focus tab on the 50mm f2.5? Plastic? Aluminum? Brass?

 

[reuno]

Mine shows some wear and I guess this is plastic I can see underneath

 

[Erik van Straten]

My Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 is number 9221094, heavy used. The focusing tab is aluminium or steel. Everything else is black painted brass, except the thread mount. That part is chromed brass. And the glass is glass, no plastic. My other Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 (number 9242011) is 100% the same, but still near mint.

In my opinion this is one of the finest 50mm lenses for Leica ever made.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (color skopar 50mm f2.5) leica lll

Amsterdam, KNSM, 2020

Erik.

 

[Shac]

The tab on my black version is not plastic but as Erik says, it's either aluminium or steel.

 

[reuno]

You are right guys. Mine is a silver but by looking closely I could see that it's metal too. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[besk]

My Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 is number 9221094, heavy used. The focusing tab is aluminium or steel. Everything else is black painted brass, except the thread mount. That part is chromed brass. And the glass is glass, no plastic. My other Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 (number 9242011) is 100% the same, but still near mint.

In my opinion this is one of the finest 50mm lenses for Leica ever made.

Erik.

Erik, my Skopar 50/2.5 would most likely be the last lens for Leica I would ever sell. It stays on one Leica or another all the time.

 

[Bingley]

My Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 is number 9221094, heavy used. The focusing tab is aluminium or steel. Everything else is black painted brass, except the thread mount. That part is chromed brass. And the glass is glass, no plastic. My other Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 (number 9242011) is 100% the same, but still near mint.

In my opinion this is one of the finest 50mm lenses for Leica ever made.

Erik.

Hard agree. I’ve been editing a portfolio of some black and white film photos I’ve made over the last five years. The photos made with the 50 Skopar stand out for sharpness and rendering. And, as you’ve pointed out Erik, the lens has very little distortion. This lens may be the latter day equivalent to the Elmar 5cm f3.5, but with much better handling.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I also find the Color-Skopar 50mm f2.5 more satisfying than the Heliar 50mm f2 versions.

The Heliar is not bad at all and is very sharp, and is often compared with the Summar, but something indefinable is missing, something that the Summar does have. Maybe it's because the Summar is made up of six elements; the Heliar is made up of five. The Summar's bokeh is finer, ultra smooth, and there is no dark point in the center of the scattering ovals. This comparison is of course comparing apples and oranges. The optical structure of the Summar is completely different.

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2) leica m3

Amsterdam 2023

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2) leica III

Amsterdam, 2022

 

[Godfrey]

hmm. That will be an interesting comparison: I've had the Color Skopar 50/2.5 for a long time, and just acquired another nice, clean Elmar 5.0cm/3.5 after many many years without one. 🙂

G

 

[Bingley]

Erik, I just noticed that the serial number on my (well used) Skopar 50 is very close to the number on your mint copy: 9242032.

Adding a photo I made w/ this lens in 2021, using a Leica IIIc and XP2 film:

Path by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

 

[Bingley]

Since it's coming up on spring, here's a photo from a few years back of apricot blossoms. Leica IIIc, Voigtlander Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 LTM, XP2:

Apricots by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

 

[MarkWalberg]

gelatin silver print (summar 50mm f2) leica m3

Amsterdam 2023

View attachment 4831841

Eric, I really enjoy seeing your many pictures on RFF. You make interesting pictures that look good, and that have a unique character that is yours. There are many other picures of yours posted on this site that I enjoy. Thank you for helping the rest of us to see!

 

[Chrisrw]

Fuji XT-1/ Color Skopar 50/2.5
Chamonix, France 2018

 

[Bingley]

A repost, with further editing work, of a photo I made in January 2017. Leica IIIc, Voigtlander Color Skopar 50mm f2.5 LTM, TMax 100 @ iso 200 in Diafine:

Hat and Book by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

 

[Chrisrw]

Fuji XT-1/ Color Skopar 50/2.5
Vaison-la-Romaine, France 2018

 

[Erik van Straten]

Erik, I just noticed that the serial number on my (well used) Skopar 50 is very close to the number on your mint copy: 9242032.

Adding a photo I made w/ this lens in 2021, using a Leica IIIc and XP2 film:

Path by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

One of the nicest lenses ever! Beautiful picture!

 

[Erik van Straten]

gelatin silver print (summilux 50mm f1.4 v2) leica m3

Rome, 1980