In partnership with

The New Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/3.5 VM

Cosina just dropped a new Voigtlander lens, and it’s about as compact as they come. The Color-Skopar 35mm f/3.5 Aspherical for VM mount is a tiny, lightweight prime lens made for Leica M-mount rangefinder cameras. And when I say tiny, I mean it—this thing weighs just 99 grams (3.5 ounces) and sticks out only 14mm (0.55 inches) from the mount. It’s almost pocketable, and with a 34mm filter thread, even accessories won’t add much bulk.

Despite its size, the optical design isn’t cutting any corners. It’s got six elements in four groups, including a double-sided aspherical element and three anomalous partial dispersion elements, all working together to deliver sharp, clean images. Everything is manual, as you’d expect from Voigtlander, and it’s built with that solid, all-metal construction that gives a reassuringly smooth focus feel.

The lens comes in two finishes—classic silver or a sleek black paint that even extends to the mount, focus lock button, and focus lever for a clean, uniform look. To add a bit of contrast, Cosina has nickel-plated the infinity and close-focus stoppers. It also ships with a matching metal hood, and because they’ve really thought about the details, they’ve included an ultra-thin 1.1mm filter so the hood doesn’t make the lens stick out any further.

With a 10-bladed aperture diaphragm, rangefinder coupling, and a minimum focus distance of 0.7 meters (2.3 feet), it’s got everything you’d expect from a solid manual lens. And while it’s designed for rangefinders, it can easily be adapted to modern mirrorless cameras, where it should balance really nicely thanks to its small size.

The Voigtlander Color-Skopar 35mm f/3.5 Aspherical VM is set to launch in March, with prices at 102,000 yen (roughly $670) for the silver version and 105,000 yen (around $690) for black. Prices might vary depending on where you are, but for a tiny, well-built Voigtlander lens, it looks like a tempting option.

Image credits: Voigtlander

Get your Photos featured in this Magazine for Free

I am currently testing a new feature, where everyone can get a completely free chance to be featured in my magazine and get seen by thousands of fellow photography enthusiasts.

Advertisement (make sure to check it out) ⬇️

Get Booked on 3.8 Million Podcasts Automatically

Stop wasting time – 2025 is going by fast. If you finally want to be a regular podcast guest in your industry, PodPitch.com will make it happen. Even the beehiiv team uses it!

Imagine snapping your fingers & getting booked on the exact podcasts your customers are already listening to…

With PodPitch.com, it takes 60 secs to start emailing tons of podcast hosts to pitch YOU as the perfect next guest.

• Sync your email address

• Load in your brand info

• Click "go"

Now, you've just automated thousands of personalized emails pitching YOU as the PERFECT next podcast guest. Sit back and relax as you watch the emails send out from your email address.

Big brands like Feastables, Jack Links, and hundreds more are already using PodPitch.com instead of expensive PR agencies.

PodPitch.com is so confident in their tech that they'll give you a FREE Starbucks gift card if PodPitch.com isn't the most impressive 20 minute demo you've ever seen.

Ready to make 2025 your year?

Get your FREE personalized demo by clicking here now!

Interview with Chris Hytha

This week’s Interview with the amazing Chris Hytha, a street/architecture photographer from Philadelphia.

You can find him on Instagram as: @hytha.cg

Enjoy the amazing Interview ;)

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Chris Hytha. I had a fascination with the built environment from a young age, and decided to go to college for architecture in my freshman year of Highschool. There was something about cities that was entrancing to me. Iv always loved to draw, and study the world around me.

How did you get into photography?

I got into photography in my freshman year of college at Drexel University in Philly. It started with my love to explore. Early in college I got into urban exploring, getting on city rooftops and into abandoned buildings. I wanted to document these adventures, so I picked up a camera. Soon, I started to take delight in creating unique images without having to be in a unique location, this was a greater challenge for me.

What role does lighting play in your photos?

Lighting is a huge inspiration to me. Iv walked the streets of Philadelphia many times. The landscape stays the same, but the lighting is always different through the years. Typically the quality of light is what catches my eye and inspires a photo.

What do you think sets your work apart from others in the industry?

Photography alone isn't enough. I love when artists bring their other passions into the art of photography to create a unique cross-pollination. For me, my architectural background, and the skills I learned in school set my images apart.

How do you stay inspired and motivated to continue creating new and unique photographs?

Motivation is a precarious thing. I don't fret when I'm not inspired to create images. Sometimes I turn to other mediums like drawing or construction. I always like to let ideas marinate and develop, and eventually they catch fire and spark inspiration to create.

What are some of the most important qualities for a great photographer to have, in your opinion?

For street photography, patience. The best example of this is @eatenbyflowers. He captures the most absurd visual lineups all in camera, and his vision for the images is only possible with incredible patience. In general, I think a unique vision, or way of seeing the world is the most important thing for a good artist.

What gear do you use?

I have a canon EOS R and a DJI Air 2s, but the magic of my work happens mostly in Photoshop, the gear doesn't matter as much to me, it's just a starting point. I use a 24-105 lens for the majority of my images.

What is your editing software of choice and how much time do you spend editing?

I use Adobe Photoshop almost exclusively. Sometimes my images start in Lightroom. For my Highrises series images the edits take anywhere from 1-5 hours.

How did you find your signature photography/editing style?

I found my style through the process of creating a lot of bad work. I have hundreds of photos posted on Instagram from when I started that were just objectively bad, but it was a starting off point. Style is an illusive thing, and I think you find it through iterating many many times. Take thousands of photos, and assess each one. Which ones stand out to you and why? Learn from that photo, then create more like it. Eventually this process yields a style true to yourself.

What does photography mean to you?

The rest, 3 more questions, of this Interview are for Premium subscribers only.

Subscribe to the Premium Version here

The New Harman Red 125 Negative Film

Harman just unveiled Red 125, a brand-new redscale 35mm film that continues its dive into color film after last year’s Phoenix 200 launch. The company, known for its work under both the Harman and Ilford names, has been a major player in analog photography for over a century. Now, with Red 125, it’s bringing a professionally finished redscale option to the market—something that’s been mostly DIY until now.

Redscale photography is all about shooting through the back of a color film, meaning light hits the red-sensitive layer first. The result? Dreamy, otherworldly images filled with deep reds, oranges, yellows, and hints of green. According to Harman’s Sales & Marketing Director, Giles Branthwaite, their Phoenix 200 film was the perfect base for this because of its high red sensitivity and lack of an anti-halation layer.

Red 125 is a medium-speed ISO 125 film, comes in DX-coded 36-exposure cassettes, and processes with standard C41 chemicals. Harman says it can turn everyday scenes into dystopian masterpieces with its bold contrast and rich colors. If Phoenix 200 was an experiment, this feels more like a real commitment to expanding their color film lineup. That film was initially labeled as a limited edition, but it’s still widely available today—so it’s no surprise that Red 125 isn’t being marketed as a short-run product.

Red 125 is available starting today through various retailers worldwide, and while availability will vary, it should start popping up in more places soon—just like Phoenix 200 did over the past year.

Image credits: Harman

Photo Analysis

Welcome to the new part of the Magazine Issue where we take a closer look at a photo and analyse it so that you can learn and better your own photography from it ;)

Photo by: @apollo.dubs

Let’s Analyse this Image

Composition

• What’s working:
  The placement of the trees is perfect. They frame the scene beautifully, leading the eye straight towards the joggers in the lower third. The layering of light and shadow adds a ton of depth, making it feel almost like you’re peeking into a little secret world.

• What could be tweaked:
  The people, while a nice touch, are quite small (so rather hard to make out). They work well as a storytelling element, but a tiny boost in contrast or clarity around them might help them pop just a bit more.

Lighting

• What’s working:
  That warm, golden light streaming through the trees? Truly beautiful. The way the sunbeams cut through the mist adds this magical softness, creating that dreamy atmosphere.

• What could be tweaked:
  The brightest part of the sky is very intense. It pulls the eye up and away from the main subjects. A slight exposure reduction in that area (or a bit of gradient burn) could help balance things out.

Colors

• What’s working:
  That blend of warm oranges and cool shadows is giving the image a lot of depth. The balance between warm and cool tones is just perfect, making the image feel vibrant without being overwhelming.

• What could be tweaked:
  The sky’s warm tones blend a little into the trees, reducing contrast. Slightly cooling the trees (or adding a tiny bit of separation with colour grading) could make them stand out more.

Mood & Storytelling

• What’s working:
  This image feels like a story, done very well. The mist, the golden light, the people walking/jogging through the scene—it all comes together to create a sense of adventure and calm. It also gives this amazing cinematic touch.

• What could be tweaked:
  If storytelling is the goal, the figures could be slightly more defined as I pointed out before. They’re noticeable but still subtle. A little light dodging around them could direct more attention their way.

Photography Tip of the Week

The weekly photography tip is only accessible to Premium Subscribers of The Magazine For Photographers.

Subscribe to the Premium Version here

Photographer of the Week

Photographer of the week goes to: Mimo Khair

You can find her on Instagram as: @mimokhair

A few of her images:

Don’t forget to check out the advertisement up top ⬆️

Tokina’s 11-18mm f/2.8 coming to Fujifilm X-Mount

Kenko Tokina is finally bringing its atx-m 11-18mm f/2.8 lens to Fujifilm X-mount cameras, giving Fuji shooters a much-needed ultra-wide zoom option. It’s got a full-frame equivalent range of about 17-27mm, a constant f/2.8 aperture, and fast autofocus, making it a solid pick for landscapes, architecture, astrophotography, and even vlogging. Basically, if you need a wide-angle lens that won’t break the bank, this could be it.

Fujifilm doesn’t really have a direct alternative to this. There’s the XF 8-16mm f/2.8, but it’s not exactly a one-to-one comparison—it’s wider, doesn’t take filters, and costs a whopping $1,500. That makes this Tokina lens a way more budget-friendly option for Fuji shooters who want a bright ultra-wide zoom.

Optically, it’s built with 13 elements in 11 groups, including two aspherical and two super low-dispersion elements to keep distortion and chromatic aberrations in check. The nine-blade aperture goes from f/2.8 to f/22, and the internal zoom means the lens doesn’t extend when you zoom in—super useful if you’re using a gimbal. Minimum focus distance is just 19cm at the wide end, which is great for close-up shots with dramatic perspectives. The only real letdown? It still uses a microUSB port for firmware updates, which feels pretty outdated.

If all of this sounds familiar, that’s because this lens already exists for Sony E-mount—it came out in 2022 and got solid reviews for offering good image quality at a reasonable price. Right now, the Sony version is on sale for just $399 (originally $600), but if you’re a Fujifilm user, you’ll have to pay a bit more. The X-mount version hits shelves on March 14, 2025, for $699.

Image credits: Tokina

The Rest of this Issue is for Premium Subscribers

The Premium Version of this Magazine is now on a ‘‘Pay What you Want’’ model. Meaning you get to decide the price.