Brightin Star MF 28mm f/2.8 - Lens review and specs

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Leica M Wide Angle Prime full-frame 2023

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B&H Photo Brightin Star MF 28mm f/2.8

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Compare with

28mm

Focal length

f/2.8

Max aperture

125 g

Weight

14mm35mm85mm200mm600mm

▲ 28mm

Max aperture

f/1.8

f/2.8

f/5.6

Constant Aperture

Aperturef/2.8

f/2.8f/16

Near focus4' 4"

Far focus5' 11"

Total DOF1' 7"

Hyperfocal31' 11"

Subject distance5' 0"

Focal length28 mm

Aperturef/2.8

SensorFull Frame

Illustrative scene preview based on this lens's focal length, aperture, and sensor coverage.

This preview uses 28mm, f/2.8, and Full Frame. Subject distance is estimated to keep lens previews comparable.

Min aperture: f/16
Diaphragm blades: 10

Optics

Optical construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Special elements: 3 High Refraction elements, 1 Extra-Low Dispersion element

Focusing

Minimum focus: 70 cm

Physical

Weight: 125 g
Dimensions: 10mm
Color: Liquid Silver / Black Lacquered Brass

Handling & Controls

Distance Scale: Yes

Recommended Use

Ideal for: Street, Travel, Walkaround / Daily

Release year: 2023
Approx price: $319 USD

The best

A full-frame manual 28mm Leica M pancake built from brass.

Also

9.9mm profile, 125 g weight and Liquid Silver or Black Lacquered Brass finishes.

Summary

The Brightin Star MF 28mm f/2.8 is a manual-focus full-frame prime lens for Leica M mount, built around a very specific idea: fitting a real 28mm optic into an extremely thin pancake body. The official page highlights its 9.9mm profile, 125 g weight, brass construction, rangefinder-coupled manual focus and stepless f/2.8-16 aperture ring. The recent Liquid Silver finish is the visible news, but the same product page also lists Black Lacquered Brass, so the lens is best treated as one optical design with color variants rather than separate records.

For Leica M photographers, its appeal is how much it reduces the camera footprint while preserving a mechanical focusing experience. The 28mm angle of view is useful for street work, travel, documentary photography and context-rich everyday scenes, while f/2.8 keeps the lens reasonably bright without compromising the unusually slim form. Brightin Star lists a 6-element optical design with 3 high-refraction elements and 1 extra-low dispersion element; review coverage frames it as a lens with good central sharpness, visible character and less emphasis on perfect corners, which fits the physical constraints of a lens-cap style pancake.

In practical terms, the Brightin Star MF 28mm f/2.8 works best as a walkaround, street and travel lens rather than a technical optic for demanding architecture or edge-to-edge landscape work. Its manual focus, distance scale and rangefinder coupling support zone focusing and a deliberate shooting rhythm. Official kits with adapters for Sony E, Nikon Z, Canon RF, Fujifilm X, L Mount and GFX broaden compatibility, but the lens remains native Leica M; the record should therefore preserve the native mount instead of splitting the design by adapter bundles.