Tiny Brightin Star 28 mm f/2.8 pancake lens makes full-frame cameras truly pocketable

Brightin Star has introduced a remarkably compact full-frame lens, the MF 28 mm f/2.8, designed to minimize the bulk typically associated with full-frame camera systems. While cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S9 demonstrate that full-frame bodies can be small, the lenses often remain large. This pancake lens aims to change that.

The lens measures just 21.5 millimeters in total length, and once mounted on a camera, it protrudes only 9.9 millimeters from the mount. Weighing a mere 125 grams, it is housed in a brass body. Despite its tiny size, it includes a 25.5-millimeter filter thread, a focus ring with a depth-of-field scale, and an aperture ring. The nine-blade aperture can be adjusted from f/2.8 to f/16.

The optical design consists of six elements arranged in five groups, with three of the elements made from special glass. However, the compact dimensions come with compromises. According to the manufacturer's MTF curves, image sharpness drops significantly in the corners of the frame, even when the aperture is stopped down. Interestingly, the lens is said to produce sharper images in the center at the widest aperture than when stopped down, which is unusual for most lenses.

The Brightin Star MF 28 mm f/2.8 is currently available in a silver finish for $318.99 directly from the manufacturer's online store. This makes it $20 cheaper than the older black version. Shipping is free, but the price does not include import sales tax and customs duties. The lens is offered exclusively with a Leica M mount and is rangefinder-coupled. With an appropriate adapter, it can be used on cameras with Sony E, Canon RF, Nikon Z, Fuji X, Leica, and Panasonic L mounts.