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Voigtländer lens designs - An explanation

Have you ever thought: “Why is this lens called Classic, and this Vintage? What makes a Nokton a Nokton, or a Heliar a Heliar?”

This quick blog post will hopefully help you understand the difference between the names for the lenses / optical formulas and the design styling lines.

The brand (now under Cosina Japan) revives classic lens names from its long optical history, and each name generally points to a certain design philosophy or set of characteristics.

Lens types

Heliar

Origin: A classic 1900s Voigtländer design by Hans Harting.
Design/character: Typically a 5-element formula known for smooth, natural rendering and a gentle falloff of sharpness toward the edges.
Modern use: Often used in slower lenses (f/3.5, f/4.5) and sometimes collapsible. They emphasize graceful tonality and a vintage-style look rather than clinical sharpness.
Signature: Rounded bokeh, low distortion, more about “character” than technical perfection.

Ultron

Origin: First appeared in the 1950s.
Design/character: Modified double-Gauss type with high speed relative to its time.
Modern use: Typically medium-fast lenses (f/2, f/2.8). They balance compact size with good sharpness.
Signature: Often praised for their balance of performance and size — sharper and more contrasty than Heliar, but not as fast as Nokton.

Nokton

Origin: From the 1950s, used on fast Voigtländer lenses. First showed up on the Voigtländer Prominent camera’s
Design/character: The fast aperture lineup. f/1.5, f/1.2, f/1.0 and even f/0.95.
Modern use: Usually larger lenses, designed for maximum speed while keeping aberrations under control.
Signature: Creamy bokeh, strong subject isolation, some character wide open but sharp when stopped down.

Color-Skopar

Origin: “Skopar” was Voigtländer’s Tessar-type design, updated post-war with color coatings (“Color”).
Design/character: Tessar-derived, simple and compact.
Modern use: Compact, slower lenses (f/2.2, f/2.5, f/3.5, f/4) optimized for portability, clean rendering, and affordability.
Signature: Tiny, lightweight, sharp stopped down, excellent for travel or street shooting. A modern take on the Tessar ethos.

APO-Lanthar

Origin: The “Lanthar” lenses were introduced mid-20th century with rare-earth glass.
Design/character: APO stands for apochromatic — these are the modern flagship high-correction lenses.
Modern use: High-end optics (e.g. 28mm f/2, 35mm f/2, 50mm f/2, 90mm f/2) designed to suppress chromatic aberrations and maximize resolution.
Signature: Clinical sharpness, extremely low CA, high contrast — made to rival Leica APO Summicron lenses in performance for a fraction of the price.

The Design Styling Lines

Voigtländer Vintage Line

What it is: Modern lenses styled to look like rangefinder glass from between the 70s and the 90s.
Design cues: Black paint or silver chrome finishes, knurled focusing rings, scalloped metal grips, sometimes red/green engravings, all very “retro.”
Optics: Modern coatings and designs (e.g. aspherical elements, high sharpness), but with a nostalgic exterior.

Voigtländer Classic Line

What it is: Lenses that intentionally echo vintage optical rendering as well as styling, mainly from the 50s until the 70s.
Design cues: Compact size, traditional mechanical designs (collapsible or small barrel), minimalistic engraving.
Optics: Often based on older formulas, sometimes less corrected, giving more glow, swirly bokeh, or lower contrast wide open.

Coatings

SC (Single Coating): Gives a lower contrast look. Might look great with black and white film or sensors.
MC (Multi-Coating): Maximizes flare resistance and contrast. More suitable for color film or color sensors.

In summary

Heliar → classic look, smooth rendering
Ultron → balanced design, moderately fast, compact, light, sharp performers
Nokton → fast aperture, characterful bokeh, subject isolation
Color-Skopar → compact, simple and practical. Relatively clinical.
APO-Lanthar → modern technical excellence, apochromatic correction, ultra-sharp, heavier lenses

Do you like your information in a table? I got you covered:

Lens Line	Typical Aperture / “Speed Class”	Optical Goals / Correction Emphasis	Rendering / Characteristic Look	Size, Complexity & Cost	Use Case / Best For
Heliar	moderate to slow (e.g. f/2.8, f/3.5, f/4, sometimes f/2), except for the 50mm f/1.5.	simpler designs (often 5-element or fewer), vintage-style corrections	soft to “gentle” look; lower contrast wide open; smooth transitions; pleasing falloff	smaller, lighter, lower cost (relative)	when character, nostalgia, “vintage” rendering or compactness matters
Ultron	fast to moderately fast (e.g. f/2, f/1.7, sometimes faster)	more aggressive correction, use of aspherics or more complex elements	sharper than Heliar, more contrast and punch; more modern rendering while retaining some “character”	moderate complexity, size, and price	as an all-rounder “working” lens: good balance of sharpness, usability, and compactness
Nokton	“fast” / “super-fast” (e.g. f/1.5, f/1.4, f/1.2, even f/1)	Some lenses are more corrected than others, but usually aberration, coma and distortion is quite controlled	subject isolation, creamy bokeh, sometimes more pronounced aberrations wide open (character)	tends to be bigger, heavier, more expensive	low light, portraiture, where maximum aperture / “speed” gives a creative edge
Color-Skopar	slower to moderate (e.g. f/2.5, f/3.5, f/4)	simpler, compact designs; modest correction	clean, efficient rendering, less “look” but good sharpness especially stopped down	minimal size, simpler construction, lower cost	travel, street, compact prime, when size & weight are priorities
APO-Lanthar	moderate (often around f/2)	apochromatic correction, use of exotic/low dispersion glass, often many elements	extremely low chromatic aberration, high resolution, high contrast, very clean, neutral rendering	high complexity, more elements, bigger size, higher cost	critical work, high resolution sensors, when optical performance (especially chromatic control) is a top priority