@@KarinMajoka I had a 35mm F2.5 Color Skopar for my Nikon S3 that I really enjoyed! I think images from both lens look good, but I like the Color Skopar a little more - I feel like it's a bit punchier and suits my style. I like the smaller profile of the lens as well.
Hi Karin. Thank you for this video. The intro was outstanding. My preference was the Colour Skopar. I agree that the final choice is often personal. It would have been interesting to see both this lenses being used for B&W film. photography and how the image differs.I felt your images were well composed though Elmar gave stiff competition. His images had a certain warmth and increased contrast. The colour skopar depicted more realistic colours with better detail and sharpness I felt. The colour skopar size certainly pairs well with your M6. Using an almost similar lens in terms of size; the Zeiss 35mm F2.8 Biogon ,the smaller size certainly stays out of the way when composing using the viewfinder. In daylight, not having an aperture of F2 isn’t often missed by me but when going indoors the F2 is sorely missed. I think the Asph Summicron 35mm F2 is possibly the best lens. Thank you for this wonderful video and for inviting Elmar as a guest. I will buy you some coffees soon. Thank you.
Thanks so much for your comment! :) The decision was certainly not an easy one. Sometimes I am still debating if it was right to keep the Nokton over the Color Skopar - but I guess generally the differences are so minor (especially when shooting film) that it's hard to say. But I sometimes missed a brighter aperture when shooting the Color Skopar, so I hope that the Nokton will be the better "allrounder"-lens. But yes, it would be interesting to see a Summicron in comparison to that, I guess in the long term this would be the best option.
“Liked!” This is a useful presentation. I have the Color Skopar II, which I bought, pre-owned, a few years ago, but then somehow managed to almost immediately misplace the tiny thing, until I found it this year while spring cleaning. I recently met a fellow DPR forum member at a coffee shop, so that he could borrow my M10, to see if his eyes could still focus with the rangefinder, and I got to try his Nokton 35mm f/1,4 II MC, which he had been using on a digital CL. I had not yet found my Skopar, at the time of that meeting, so, could not test them side-by-side, but I was certainly impressed by the Nokton images. I think that I could make a case for having both, with the Skopar’s lesser distortion, for occasions with more buildings and other vertical/horizontal lines than people within the frame. Plus, I paid so very little for the pre-owned Skopar, and it does not eat much. 😉
Way back when I had one voigtlander 35mm/1.7 LTM. I loved that lens. it's very different than these newer lenses, but i loved the look, and the concave front element was super trippy. I don't have any film cameras anymore. If you can find one of those and compare to these "modern" voigtlanders, that would be very nifty video.
@@KarinMajoka frame line coupling depends on the LTM-M mount adapter. So, yes, you can set up to bring up 35mm framelines. Or you could have it be very confusing. 😃
This is arguably the best breakdown I’ve seen of these two lenses. Really practical and straight forward. I opted for the nokton for my first 35mm for my M2 and I haven’t looked back. It has been a very steady lens for me and I’ve used it more than I expected since I’m usually a 50mm guy. Great video!
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it a lot! Glad to hear you are also happy with your Nokton. Which version did you go for, the MC or SC version? :)
That’s great though! The ones sold used in my area were just as expensive as a new copy from the shop. But otherwise I also prefer to buy lenses used sometimes
I just stumbled on this excellent comparison two years late-- very helpful and entertaining. As a mirrorless Nikon Zf shooter, I would probably be leaning towards the Color Skopar 2.8 or the Ultron II. II'd be curious to hear what 35mm, and maybe also 28mm, lenses you've settled on now? I like your photographic eye on the street and engaging, clever presenting style. Incidentally, Anther comparison review I'd appreciate your doing would be the best low-profile backpacks and/or sling bags for your EDC photo walks. I really liked the low-profile black backpack (with blue zipper pulls) your male friend was using in this video--not too massive or boxy with ample front pockets. Is it possible to tell the model and name of that bag, after two years? Subscribed!
Literally just picked up my first M camera (M4) a couple weeks ago with the Nokton 1.4 - absolutely loving the setup for daily life capture! Nice to see more content on it
i just ordered the skopar and i think that was the right decision for me. Great video. I was confused by your friend being called Elmar honestly :D I was like what elmar this is supposed to be nokton vs skopar
Great channel, Karin!! I re-purchased the Nokton, but this time as the single-coated version because it gives a run for its money. I also own the Skopar. And I own a Summicron ASPH. The Nokton is a double-gauss design, the same as the classic Summicrons (not the ASPH and not the Skopar). That's why it renders pretty flat for a 35mm lens, flatter than the Skopar but similar to the Summicrons (also the ASPH). Faces look less distorted, closer to what one would typically expect from a 50mm. Perhaps that's why you like it more. In a way, it's the poor man's Steel Rim Summicron with very similar quirks. Great lens. Kudos to Voigtländer for making such a lens accessible to a broader public!!
I have both of these lenses, but I bought the version 1 of the Color Skopar because I preferred the focusing knob over the focusing tab and I preferred the aperture ring of the version 1. I’m seriously considering selling both of them and going with the Ultron II. That being said, I have enjoyed my time with both of these lenses.
Thanks for your comment! :) If I were you I would test the Ultron out before buying it. I loved how it sounded on paper and it is supposed to be incredibly sharp. But the lack of a proper distance scale and the closer minimum focusing distance sadly ruined the experience with this lens for me.
@@KarinMajoka thanks for the information. I very rarely if ever use the distance scale on my lenses for the type of photography I do. The minimum focusing distance doesn’t bother me since both of my Voigtlander 35mm and my 50mm focus closer than the rangefinder on my M2. It’s something I’ve learned to live with. Great video, by the way.
Probably one of the most meaningful and best practical reviews. It gave me exactly what I was looking for to make up my mind and get a clearer picture of the different 35 mm M-lenses and their characteristics. I bought the Nokton F1.4 MC after watching this - convinced it was for me. Thanks Karin, you convey this way too complex stuff brilliantly! 🙏😎
Thank you for this amazing and practical review! I agree with you on the choice, at the end of the day if it inspires you with its look it is really all you need. I'm shooting a ton of film recently and I get a ton of inspiration from you channel, keep crushing!
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it a lot! It’s really easy to be technical and pixel peep - but I think sometimes it’s easier to trust your guts and go with what you like. :)
Great comparison, you did great on the technical part as well! And i fully agree. The 40mm Nokton was the first M mount lens i bought and i still enjoy it quite a bit!
@@KarinMajoka back when i bought it, reviews said that the 35 had nosier bokeh. Also it was a bit more expensive so I went for the 40, but I'm sure i would've enjoyed either just fine!
Dear Karin, im a big fan of the Zeiss ZM lenses. Did you ever tryed them? I bought the 35/2 Biogon for 550€ and the 35/2.8 is even cheaper. They have extraordinary build and picture quality with great micro contrast which has a beautiful cinematic look out of camera.
I have heard so many good things about the Zeiss lenses - the F2.0 is a bit too big for my taste but other than that I hope I get the chance to try one one day. Thanks for your comment :)
Very well made video! I tried the 7 artisans 35 mm 2.0. For the money very well made. The Voigtländer Nokton is different league though… Thanks for the informative video! Keep up the good work!
Wow, the skopar really shines in the street section of the video. Considering sharpness tests later in the video (and youtube’s compression preventing any meaningful comparisons in terms of sharpness) it must come down to macro- and microcontrast. I also find the way skopar renders scene depth so enjoyable, though not quite sure what quality contributes to that effect. I own a nokton, and despite seeing really great photos on some reviews (KJ Vogelius did written reviews on both lenses) of skopar, I ended up choosing nokton because of the aperture. Considering purely film workflow, it was a right decision in hindsight. I can think of several situations where I just wouldn’t have been able to get away with 2.5 (some photos were taken @1.4, 1/60th, already way out of comfort zone both in terms of rangefinder focusing and blur from shaky hands), which, in the end, means much more than sharpness or contrast or vignetting. Now I want a skopar as well. Thanks for reminding about that, Karin. Seriously though, great video.
I totally agree! I don’t know what it is, but I found the „blind test“ results with the Skopar really pleasing. I used it for years and was really happy with my results. However, I was also surprised how much „worse“ in some areas (such as vignetting and center sharpness) it performed even though it has such a nice look.
In the past I be been using both color skopar and the nokton. Color skopar was amazing lens. Really liked the images I got from it, but I decided to upgrade to nokton. Nokton was superb wide open. It proven irreplaceable indoors where every stop of light on film counts. But it had a fatal flaw: focus shift, which caused back- focus when stopped down. I just could not deal with it at f2. So off it went. All in all, looking back in time I regret selling both of these lenses. Maybe I’ll try Nokton v2 which supposedly has the focus shift issue fixed?
I have the 35 Color Skopar in Leica Screw Mount and its a very sharp lens. I've used it both on my Canon P, 7 and with an M mount adapter on my Leica M4-2. I was on the fence with the 35 F1.4 Nokton but chose a different path instead going with a vintage later 1950s Canon LTM 35 F1.8 lens which is a gem.
Those two Voigtländer are maybe budget prices, but I only want the best optical performance, so I have the Voigtländer APO-Lanthar 35mm 2.0 Aspherical which I think are worth all the money and I can very highly recommend it !
Love my Color Skopar. Have the LTM version, so usable on my FSU gear as well as the M2 (with adapter). Also use it on my Nikon Z7ii. It also came complete with a lens hood👍
Karin, I own the Color Skopar 35mm f2.5 and the NOKTON 40mm f1.4 SC. I use both lenses on my Fujifilm X-Pro3 and love the both for different reasons. I use the Color Skopar for colour photography and the NOKTON for black and white utilising a few film simulations on the X-Pro3. But interestingly enough, I prefer the 7Artisans 35mm f1.2 MkII over the Color Skopar in general. So I have two 35mm lenses in my X-Pro3 kit.
@@KarinMajoka I'd say 7Artisans M mount lenses are certainly a mixed bag but the X mount 35mm f1.2 MkII is their best one to date. The 35mm f1.4 Mount lens is no Leica but it's a great lens for the price based on the old Sonar design.
Good to know, thanks! :) It‘s proabably easier to make lenses for cameras with smaller sensors, which would explain why their lenses are better for something like Fuji cameras
call: 112-ELMAR for 24/7 Leica support. :D I think the only really important aspect is whether you can use F1.4 in an emergency or not. Voigtländers makes some of the best M-mount lenses either way. Like the shot at 4:33 with the funny dog.😆 The vintage roll card in your office is pretty cool.
Interesting, before the reveal I thought that the lens you used (Skopar) had more "pop" (what does that mean?) and character! But on the other hand, is it correct (?) I feel like I noticed the Nokton's out-of-focus areas have less contrast and its in-focus areas more contrast in an interesting and engaging way? That's a quality I love about the old Sonnar lens I almost always have on my camera.
Thanks for your comment! Glad you feel like you made the right choice! I also loved my Skopar :)
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The one lens I kind of regret selling is the Nokton 1.4. I sold it to get an M2 with a DR-Summicron 50, so I’m not complaining too loud, but still. Sometimes I miss the Nokton.
Actually, after selling the Color Skopar I really miss it. So I totally feel you! Luckily the Nokton is still somewhat affordable, so there is chance for a reunion for your two. ;)
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the colors on the Nokon are a bit more on the warmer side, which I like. BUT there is one thing in your comparison that you need to know. Some lenses perform much worse on digital cameras than on film cameras. I have a tiny Color Skopar 21mm F4, a solid performer on film. With a digital Leica, I get a lot of vignetting and crazy color shifts in the corners. These effects are caused by the angle of attack in which the light beams hit the sensor. For a film, this is irrelevant as long as light hits the film. But for digital cameras, this is a huge problem. So keep that in mind if you compare lenses with digital cameras.
Very very good point, that is true - thanks for noting that! :) I hope that there is still some useful information in this video for both, digital and film photographers. Some people might use these lenses on their digital Leica M bodies and I also know that many people adapt Voigtländer glass on their mirrorless digital cameras such as Sonys.
It's probably a bit narrower on the APS-C sensor, right? But with that more problems like corner falloff and vignetting also disappear. Thanks for your comment! :)
Great review Karin, always a good idea to have a lens that gives you more flexibility. Was also hoping you’d move your head so I could get a better look at that awesome daido poster 😂
this was really insightful - do you mind posting the audio version of these videos on audea? I like to listen more than watch and that's where I get most of my audio content
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it! :) My videos work as a concept between video and audio since they are not meant to be podcasts which is why I will only publish them in video format. If you prefer only listening to the audio I totally understand that and it is more than fine, but in that case you could download the audio from RU-vid yourself for example :)
Actually there’s a very good and cheap 3rd party vented lens hood that has a bayonet fit to the front of the Nokton just like the original Voigtlander one for much less. It’s made by Haoge available on Amazon. Check it out
I recently sold the 1.4 SC first version and got the Color skopar, I haven’t used the latter extensively but I found the Nokton to be too imperfect sometimes, the bokeh was sort of distracting and even though they are both small i kinda enjoy the even smaller form factor of the 2.5 I’ll keep an eye out for the second version of the nokton, should be a good in between, voigtlander also has a 35 ultron that would probably be the best Leica alternative
Interesting choice, glad you have found a lens you like for now :) I also think that the Ultron is supposed to be the best lens of the bunch image quality wise. But ergonomically it was a pain - at least for me. I don't think it's a lens that was made to be shot on old rangefinder cameras but makes more sense when shooting with an LCD screen on digital cameras where you don't really need a distance scale.
@@taneltinnuri8985 I tried the new Ultron. The distance scale on the old version is better, however I did not like the style of focusing tab on that one.
I had the 1.4 but sold it because it had too much contrast to my liking. Now I'm looking for a new 35mm lens, thinking about the old ltm version of the Skopar...
Also good ideas, thanks! :) The Elmar is a different focal length though (I am for example not really a 50mm shooter). But the Summaron might be a great alternative if F3.5 is fast enough for you and you can find one used for that price ✌🏼
Im guessing Karin has the Skopar, lets see if Im right. Edit: ayy I was right. The skopar has a more modern look. I like a more clinical lens for film, I had the 7artisans 35mm and quite liked it (especially for b&w film). The softness at the edges and flare was really bad though. I had the Ultron f2 for a while and its a great lens but I didn’t like the swirl and I sold it after I got a really good deal on a 2.5 Summarit. That one is just about perfect IMO, but I might get a a Skopar bc I like the higher contrast on film. Its perfect on digital though.
I decided to keep the Nokton :) It is really interesting because many people mentioned good results with their Summaron or Summarit lenses. maybe I will check it out one day - thanks for your comment! :)
No problem, just send me a Summilux in the mail and then I can do it haha. Just kidding - sadly I don’t own a Summilux, but otherwise I would also love to see a comparison between these two.
@@Galeidan I don't know anybody who owns a Summilux, only a Summicron. Also, I do not really earn a lot of money with these videos, so it's not an easy decision to even spend some extra money for making a video. But we'll see
I used to use a V5 35mm summicron and boy did I have to be careful to avoid sun flaring!! Never had that on my color skopar. I found the color skopar got considerably worse the further away from the subject i got. Terrible corners on my copy when shooting urban or countryside scenes... fine for street.
That is really interesting! I never had the chance to try out a Summicron more in depth, but I will pay attention to sun flaring the next time I get my hands on a copy. I also noticed that there are big differences between the batches on Voigtländer lenses. The Ultron I got for a day was also not well calibrated, so I guess you also have to get a bit lucky with the batch.
I think these small, low element count Voigtlanders are optimised for film. With the wider lenses this makes a big difference with fall-off and colour. The rear element is quite close to the film/sensor. Personally I’m very happy to have grabbed film optimised lenses (that may become a rarity). I _really_ like the 25 f4 and 40 f1.4 personally.
The Nokton is a lens that I kept and used to make some of my fav photos. It's a completely different lens between 1.4-2 where it's hazy and dreamy. 2.8 up is much sharper and contrasty. I love that characteristic, and it's something that Voigtlander probably took from the original 35mm Summilux for its renowned "glow". Oh and Chinese brand Haoge makes a bayonet mount lens hood that's the exact same as the voigtlander original for a fraction of the price. The model name is the LH-ZV05. Works like a charm!
Thanks for your comment, I totally agree with your thoughts about the Nokton characteristics! I tried one of the Haoge hoods as well but it did not work as well for me since it was bulkier than the Voigtländer one and also not that much cheaper than the original one (but maybe that's only a thing here in Germany).
I just saw your video today, a year later. But I just want you to know that it was so useful for me, especially that part about the Ultron f2. You made me save a few Euros there, thank you! If Voigtländer could just put a stop click at 0.7m... I am definitely going for the Nokton f1.4. Great content, you got a new follower. Cheers!
Glad to hear the video was useful for you! :) I mean it all comes down to personal preference, some people might not be bothered by the Ultron's minimal focusing distance and the small focusing scale, but for me it was unfortunately a deal breaker. I switched to the Leica Summicron 35mm/F2 by now and will make a comparison video against the Nokton at some point! :)
@@KarinMajoka looking forward to your post because I've just tested the 35mm f1.4 VM and found a common complaint: focus shift at wider apertures. Not sure if my copy is defective but it was a deal breaker for me. In the end Leica lenses are just better hands down. They are expensive for a reason and that's top quality. Saving money for the summicron already. Best wishes!
Your way of ‘approaching’ people in the streets is disrespectful. E.g., if the guy on the bench at the river turns his whole body, he does not want to be on your picture - it’s pretty obvious!
In the shooting part of the video i definititely preferred the color skopar. The nokton had too much vignetting for me but maybe i just preferred your shooting style because in the scientific test the nokton looked better to me as the only advantage i could see from the skopar is sharper corners at 2.8. Difficult decision to make
Great comparison! Seeing as how I don’t use super wide open apertures very much when shooting film, I would definitely save the money and go with the Color Skopar. I really want the LTM version for my canon p
Thanks for your comment, Reimann! I totally see your point - when I use the Nokton I rarely find myself using the fast apertures. But every time I used the Skopar I would have needed that extra stops of light. So I am not sure which one I really "need" yet haha.
Hi Karin, thanks for this. I recently purchased an M3. I already have a Barnack iiic. I suspect that both of the lenses reviewed are CS Voigtländer lenses? I'm considering getting a Voigtländer 35/2.5 with the LTM so I can use it on either (with an adapter on the M3).
Nice vid once again ! I find 35mm to be a weird focal length to use and I can't make it work for some reason but you both use it in a very natural way ! Quick tip from an audio pro : you should try and use a de-esser on your voice because "s" tends to whistle a lot in your mic, it can become pretty unconfortable when using earplugs in particular, this is a very recurrent issue in digital audio, and the cause is most likely your mic not your voice. I don't know what editing software you use for your videos but most of them have stock plugins that work just fine !
I own the Nokton 1.4 SC and used it extensively for a couple of months. It renders significantly warmer meeting color film renderings a lot better. For digital I'd go the MC version but as we're film shooters 😎 Found a great deal on the Summilux recently and could not resist. It's the pre-asph version and the quality is from another planet vs. the Nokton. Kind of expected though given the price difference. I'd recommend the Nokton SC at any time though. It's a wonderful lens and is budget friendly.
Thanks for your comment! I would love to get my hands on an SC for a couple of days to do a proper comparison between both. Back when I got mine there was not a lot of information on the differences between both. The employee in the camera store told me that the SC is considered better for black and white photography while the MC is considered better for color. And since I shoot more color film at the moment I went for the MC. But a more in depth comparison between both would be insightful! :)
Great overview of these lenses! And I think you made a sound choice for your style. Back in my M4-P days, I had a Zeiss Biogon 35 f/2 ZM lens that was spectacular. I need to dig out and rescan those negatives at some point soon, especially since they're pre-Negative Lab Pro.
Thanks for your comment, Jamie! :) I have heard so so many good things about the Biogon that I feel like I should try it out for myself one day! I think what held me back so far is the slightly bigger form factor of the lens.
@@KarinMajoka I could see that. I would say it's mostly a bit longer but still surprisingly compact. I do like the ease of focusing with it, too. I used it on a Sony A7 for a while before it joined my Leica, too.
Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it! :) I think being critical and testing out gear extensively can be helpful - but in the end it’s still subjective and always a matter of personal preference.
Hallo Karin! Danke für deinen Beitrag. In der Zwischenzeit ist das Nokton 35/1.4 meine Standard Linse. Ob an der SL601, der M240, M2, M6 oder der M9. Nachtaufnahmen mit der SL601 werden super. Für meine M8.2 hab ich einen UV/IR Filter kommen lassen. Noch keine Tests gemacht. Ich liebe den Look Wide Open. Super scharf in der Mitte und Randunschärfe. Wie du ja weisst, habe ich auch diverse Leica Linsen.... Grüsse, Gerhard
Vielen Dank für deinen Kommentar - das ist auf jeden Fall eine breitere Auswahl an Bodies, an denen du das Objektiv testen konntest. Deshalb klasse zu hören, dass es auf allen Kameras eine gute Figur macht! :)
Thank you very much for this review - it was extremely helpful and informative. I was leaning towards the Color Skopar, but having watched this video, I think I will change my decision, in favour of the Nokton.
I can be a snob on this one since along with an M3 my dad got a sumicron 50mm and Leica 35mm. In the 70s I got a Leica 35mm with goggles. The only non Leica lens that my dad got was a Schnieder 135mm which was for his IIIf. He added the adapter ring to mount to M3 and it is OK on bright days but not great for hand held on dim days. Since I consider my dad's M3 a museum piece the 50mm Sumicron ended up on my son's digital camera since the 1950s lens lens is better optically than most lenses made today. I got it cleaned and adjusted for my son's use and that cost more than the list price of the body in the 1950s.
Thx, looking for a 35mm option a bit better than my j-12 on my contax ii and the skopar comes in the contax mount. I already have the 25mm and this skopar compares well to the nokton, despite being a bit slower.
Great review, thanks. I just ordered a Leica m11P and received this lens before getting the camera and was not sure I was going to keep it until you mentioned that it's not as clinical looking which is nice for street photography and is exactly what I'm looking for. I was looking for a good walk around lens with more personality so this may work well at a reasonable price, and the build quality is excellent.
Nokton is the clear winner for me too. Excellent video. Please though, denoise your videos. It was difficult to watch but the good content kept me going. Kudos!
I have the Nokton MC II on my M2 and really like the look. If you are looking for other budget friendly lenses for Leica try out the Canon 50mm 1:1.4, it is M39 thread so needs an adapter ring and has a weird 48mm filter thread, but it is fabulous.
I see nothing wrong in having more than one lens in any particular focal length. They all render differently. I have about 4 50mm and 3 35mm lenses for my M bodies. As for A or B, B all day, much to my surprise. But its always difficult to compare when shot by different people who might use different apertures and shooting different subjects.
Thank you, Karin! Great video and so ideally timed for me, as I was about to order the Nokton and now won't rush it and maybe will get a 50mm first. I got the Skopar together with my M2 and was ever since impressed by how well it renders the image when paired with film. At the same time, I heard so much praise for the Nokton and thought it would be dramatically different in rendering. Another reason was the speed, as I fill limited in low light situations with Skopar. I actually would be just fine with the first part of the video, I guessed which one was the Skopar from the first moment, and what really surprised me was that images from Nokton looked blurrier to me the whole video, not sure why, maybe Skopar has higher contrast. Also very curious about who the two would perform with the black and white lower iso film. I understand that for your comparison the idea was to use it in the setting you prefer, at the same time I think I'm not a big fan of this particular color film :) So my main conclusion is that if I will switch to another 35mm lens, it might be a different one, or I might just get a fast 50mm lens and keep the Skopar. Thanks again!
You might need only one 35mm lens, but having more than one means having extra versatility. The Nokton allows extra shallow DoF when you want it, and has a soft glow wide open. The Skopar is more compact, fun to use, and great for reasonable light.
The 35mm color skopar was my first lens because I needed an m mount lens and at the time didn’t have the $6K for a Leica version. It’s so tiny it was very difficult to get used to until later. It’s a fun lens
Another budget lens I am just test out for my Leica M6 is the Minolta Rokkor 90mm f/4. At about $225 used it should be great for the street portraits I like to do. But I need a 35mm badly. I love my Sumi 50 but it’s a little tight for the street.
I love your practical approach - having been led and influenced by an unhealthy diet of reading photographic magazines which focused on seemingly esoteric discussions which test graph gave better technical results ( test targets etc) it took a long time to ignore all that and just enjoy taking photographs. I would interested to learn how you digitized the negatives from your test shoot ?
In the end technical specs about which lens performs better do not count if you simply don't like the look of it. I feel like those choices should more emotional than technical, because taste is not technical either. In this case I send my film to a lab and let it develop there (Fuji Frontier scanner).
Mine is a Color-Skopar but not the pancake version which I deemed too small for handling. There is a non-pancake version and it takes very sharp pictures too.
Awesome, glad to hear you found a lens that works for you! :) I like the small form factor of the pancake lens, but I have to admit that my hands are super small, so I see why it might not be for everybody
I don't know which I like more, as they seem so similar, outside of the pixel peep. But my fav couple of pics here all came from the Skopar. Could just be coincidence, or it was used by the photographer whose work felt more to my style, rather than anything to do with the lens itself. I do think both are way too highly priced for what comes out of them. But that's Leica gear for you. Outside the screw mount stuff, at least. M39 mount is full of cheap and interesting lenses.
They are indeed pretty similar, I agree! It’s pretty tricky to do a „real life comparison“ without the bias of the shooting style or motif. If I only had a blind test I don’t think I would be able to see much differences between the lenses to be honest. I actually think the prices are pretty fair if you consider regular Leica prices. And not all M39 lenses are coupled with the viewfinder of Leica M bodies - but generally great affordable options to absolutely take into account! :)
