[RioRico]

As you may know, I own a few lenses. Including a 21mm, four 24mm's, sixteen 28mm's, and ten 35mm's, as well as various others. And I try to use them all.

But I have a favorite cache of tiny ultralight lenses, always in my carry bag: Enna Tele-Sandmar 100/4.5 (110g, 10 iris blades), CZJ Tessar 50/2.8 (110g, 12 blades), and pancake Meyer Helioplan 40/4.5 (100g, 12 blades). These are my favorite lenses for many situations, including the mountain passes I cruised today. They have a very 1950's German clear sharp image quality. And they easily go macro.

Alas, I am not yet happy. The Helioplan is a bit sticky and not different enough from the Tessar. I need something wider while tiny. Wider means, 30mm or shorter. Tiny mean under 150g. Ok, maybe I could stretch it to 160g, no more.

I want a tiny 28mm or shorter, to be part of my always-there kit, where I can stuff the whole kit into one pocket and hardly notice. I already have some candidates in stock:

* Paragon 24/2.4 (220g) -- my lightest 24 but much too heavy
* Tamron BBAR 02B 28/2.5 (230g) -- lightest fast 28, heavier
* Vivitar-Komine 28/2 CFWA (270g) -- fast, compact, heavier yet
* Pentax M28/2.8 (150g) -- almost light enough, but how is IQ?

When I have money again, I'll be looking for something lighter and funkier than the M28 (150g), to keep in that always-have lens pouch. I'd thought of maybe a SuperTak 28/3.5 but they're heavier (220-260g). If I can figure how to convert an Enna Sandmar 35/4.5 (60g) to PK mount, that will almost suffice.

So, the question: What is the tiniest 28mm lens you know of? Something with character, in the 100g neighborhood. Some cheap little jewel I can stick in my pocket. Does it exist? Am I dreaming?

[RickyFromVegas]

Sixteen 28s!

[Lowell Goudge]

Of my collection of 28's which includes 3 vivitars a sigma and a Tamron as well I would go for the M28 It is the smallest I have

[RioRico]

Sixteen 28s!

Yeah, well, I intend to sell a couple. I don't really need the Tak Bayonet 28/2.8, nor the duplicate Makinon and Focal 28/2.8's -- I'll keep the Focal. But all the rest are different. That's the fun: comparing the taste of each.

[ddharriman]

Hello

I have a Vivitar 28mm 2.8 I bought last month who weights (by our kitchen scales) around 110/120 grams.
It’s a version K22 on the “Great Vivitar 28mm Bestiary (Great Vivitar 28mm Bestiary: Details).

Best regards,

[stevebrot]

I have the three 28s and the smallest/lightest is the Vivitar 28/2.8 CF (Komine, K02). It weighs in at 200gm. The build is not up to the same standard as my Tamron 28/2.5 (02B), but I guess that accounts for the extra 30gm.


Steve

[Steinback]

I think that you need an M20mm f/4 at 150 grams. It's a very thin (almost pancake) lens. For DSLR use I would take an A 28mm f/2.8 over the M28mm for more convenient metering with the same optics. The F and FA 28mm f/2.8s are also pretty small at less than 200 grams each.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

If m42 is OK with you I would suggest the Meyer Lydith 30mm f3.5, 10 blades, 195g.

Its bokeh has a lot of character.

[hoanpham]

M20/4 is tiny yes, but big dollar.
Meyer Lydith is beautiful ;-P

[Just1MoreDave]

My best all around 28mm is also my smallest, the Pentax-F 28mm f2.8, better than the M but heavier too, maybe no character, expensive now. The ones I have at the moment:



Front is Tamron 28/2.5 02B, Tokina EL 28/2.8, Pentax-F.
Rear is Sears 28/2.8, Vivitar 28/2 K12, Sigma 28/1.8, Sakar 28/2/8

As you can see, no real tiny ones here.

[RioRico]

So far, ddharriman's 120g Vivitar sounds like the winner. Douglas's Meyer Lydith is a bit heavy but I'm queer for Meyer so it's hot on my want list. Any mount is fine; my current lightweights are in Exakta (40+50mm) and Argus (100mm) mounts. Again, my goal is a small set of tiny character-driven affordable lenses of negligible mass and volume that I'll always have in my bag or pocket. Keep those suggestions coming! Thanks.

[paperbag846]

Industar 69 28mm f2.8 might fit the bill, never used one though.

[Douglas_of_Sweden]

Industar 69 28mm f2.8 might fit the bill, never used one though.

Isn't that an m39 lens, with a short Leica registration distance? Will take heavy modification to make it work on a Pentax DSLR.

[Blue]

I would have to go with the F 28/2.8 here because it is about as compact as they come, AF and a pretty good performer. Of course if space was no object, I would take along the K 28/2.

[RioRico]

I would have to go with the F 28/2.8 here because it is about as compact as they come, AF and a pretty good performer. Of course if space was no object, I would take along the K 28/2.

Thanks. My goal is a lens that's light+tiny, with a period feel, which means MF not AF, and speed isn't important. My Komine 28/2 CFWA (270g) is hard to beat optically and it's not too huge but it's still larger and much heavier than I want for this mini-kit. The pancake M20/4 (150g) is very tempting. All I need is money. The small-version Vivitar 28/2.8 (~120g) looks like a very good candidate, depending on how it renders. Ah, if only Meyer or Steinheil or Enna had a 25/3.5 or f/4.5 around 120g...