Voigtländer

Voigtländer holds the title of the oldest name in photography, founded in 1756. However, for the modern Leica M-mount photographer, the brand is defined by a singular event in 1999: the moment the Japanese manufacturer Cosina licensed the name. Under the guidance of CEO Hirofumi Kobayashi, a passionate camera collector himself, Voigtländer was transformed from a dormant German label into the most prolific and innovative manufacturer of rangefinder lenses in the world.

Today, Voigtländer (branded as the VM System) is the only true rival to Leica. They offer a comprehensive lineup that ranges from ultra compact "pancake" lenses to high speed f/1.0 optics and technically perfect APO designs. They provide 95% of Leica's performance (and sometimes 110%) at a fraction of the price.

History

The brand has lived two very different lives.

The Austrian/German Origins (1756 to 1999)

Founded in Vienna in 1756 (later moving to Braunschweig, Germany), Voigtländer invented the first mathematically calculated lens, the Petzval, in 1840. Throughout the 20th century, they were a major player with the Bessa and Prominent cameras. However, the brand struggled in the late 20th century, bouncing between owners like Zeiss and Rollei before effectively vanishing from the high end market.

The Cosina Era (1999 to Present)

In 1999, Cosina (based in Nakano, Japan) revived the brand to launch the Bessa L and a set of LTM lenses.

• Kobayashi's Vision: Unlike corporate giants, Cosina is run by engineers who love rangefinders. They resurrected the M-mount market almost single handedly in the early 2000s when Leica was struggling. They produced the Bessa R series cameras, which were affordable entry points to the M-system. While the cameras are discontinued, the lens development has accelerated, with Cosina releasing new M-mount designs almost every year [[1]].

Product Lines (VM & LTM)

Voigtländer lenses are categorized by classic trade names that denote their maximum aperture or optical design.

Nokton (High Speed)

The "Night" lenses, typically f/1.5 or faster.

• Nokton 35mm f/1.2: A historic lens. Upon release, it was the fastest 35mm lens ever made for M-mount. It is now in its third version (III), significantly smaller than the original.
• Nokton 50mm f/1.0 and f/1.2: These are direct competitors to the Leica Noctilux. While the f/1.0 is large, the f/1.2 is shockingly compact and offers a modern, sharp rendering with smooth bokeh [[2]].

Ultron (f/1.7 or f/2)

The "Balanced" performers.

• Ultron 28mm & 35mm f/2 "Vintage Line": These are widely considered the "Summicron Killers."
  • Aesthetics: They feature retro brass housings (resembling 1950s Leica or Canon lenses) but contain modern aspherical optics.
  • Performance: They are razor sharp, compact, and offer a dedicated focusing tab. Many users prefer the Ultron 35mm f/2 over the current Leica Summicron ASPH due to its deeper contrast and lower price [[3]].

Color-Skopar (Compact/Slow)

The "Pancake" lenses.

• Color-Skopar 21mm f/4: A legendary tiny lens. It is barely larger than a body cap but produces punchy, high contrast images.
• Color-Skopar 35mm f/2.5: Often cited as the best "starter lens" for the M-system. It is inexpensive, clinically sharp, and virtually distortion free.

APO-Lanthar (Perfection)

The technical peaks.

• APO-Lanthar 35mm f/2 & 50mm f/2: These lenses are designed to have zero chromatic aberration. They are arguably the sharpest lenses available for the M-mount today, beating even Leica's standard Summicrons in technical resolution charts (MTF). They are optimized for high resolution sensors like the Leica M11 [[4]].

Technical Specifications

Feature	Specification Details
Native Mount	VM (Leica M-Bayonet) and legacy LTM (L39).
Focus Coupling	Coupled. (Usually 0.7m to Infinity, some closer). Note: Many newer lenses focus down to 0.5m, but rangefinder coupling stops at 0.7m (Live View required for closer).
Build Materials	All Metal. High grade aluminum or brass (Vintage Line).
Focus Tabs	Voigtländer is famous for offering different ergonomic styles (Type I "Stick" vs Type II "Tab") on the same lens model.
6-Bit Coding	No. (The mount is flat). Users must hand paint codes if they want Exif data on digital Leicas.
Coatings	Multi-Coated. (Some special "Single Coated" SC versions exist for black and white shooters).

Why Photographers Choose Voigtländer

• The "Vintage Line" Aesthetics: Cosina understands that M-users care about style. Their Vintage Line lenses look like 1950s jewelry but perform like 2020s optics. They match perfectly with older M3s or newer M10-R bodies.
• APO Performance for Mortals: The APO-Summicron 50mm costs $9,000. The Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 50mm offers nearly identical (some say better) optical correction for under $1,100. It is the pragmatic choice for landscape and architectural photographers.
• Innovation Speed: While Leica releases a new lens every few years, Voigtländer releases multiple lenses annually, constantly filling niches (like 40mm, 75mm f/1.5, or 15mm) that other manufacturers ignore.

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Sources

• [1] Cosina (Official History): http://www.cosina.co.jp/seihin/voigtlander/english/
• [2] Phillip Reeve (Voigtländer Reviews): https://phillipreeve.net/blog/lenses/voigtlander-lens-reviews/
• [3] 35mmc (The Ultron 35mm f/2 Review): https://www.35mmc.com/26/05/2021/voigtlander-35mm-f-2-ultron-vintage-line-type-ii-vm-review/
• [4] Fred Miranda (APO-Lanthar Analysis): https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1625777
• [5] CameraQuest (The Main Voigtländer Distributor): https://cameraquest.com/voigtlen.htm