Voigtlander's vintage-styled Heliar fifty for M — the APO-Lanthar 50mm f/3.5 compact design.
The Voigtlander APO-Lanthar 50mm f/3.5 VM Type I is a unique combination — APO-Lanthar apochromatic correction in a slow, ultra-compact Heliar-type design for Leica M mount. The f/3.5 trades speed for extreme compactness while maintaining APO-Lanthar's reference-class CA correction. One of the most compact APO-corrected lenses in existence.
The APO-Lanthar correction provides virtually zero chromatic aberration — in a slow f/3.5 package. Sharpness is outstanding — the modest aperture means the lens is always near peak performance. The Heliar-type compact design creates one of the thinnest APO-corrected lenses. Rendering is precise and clean. A unique specification.
Leica M mount with rangefinder coupling. Filter thread 39mm (E39). Weight approximately 115 grams — extremely compact. Build quality outstanding Cosina. Manual focus. The Type I is the original version. The f/3.5 APO-Lanthar is unique — APO correction in pancake-adjacent compactness. One of the lightest M-mount APO lenses.
Available at moderate prices. Check smooth focus. A unique lens — APO-Lanthar correction at 115 grams. The f/3.5 limits DOF control but the CA correction is reference-class. For M-mount photographers who value absolute optical precision in the most compact possible package. The Summicron f/2 is faster; this is more precise and lighter.