Brightin Star 28mm F2.8 Liquid Silver review – the tiny pancake gets a classic coat

By Keith Wee on August 18, 2026

Introduction

Once in a while, a lens appears not because it promises to outperform everything else on the market, but because it simply makes one curious. The Brightin Star XSlim-M 28mm ƒ2.8 was one such lens for me when I first reviewed it in its original black paint finish back in 2023.

The Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 in liquid silver is avail here.
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It was almost impossibly thin, rangefinder coupled, made of brass, and most importantly, it was not like those oreo-inspired toy lenses that photographs only at ƒ16 where you hope for the best.

the Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8, now in Liquid Silver

My 1st full review of the Brightin Star XSlim-M 28mm ƒ2.8 from 2023 is here

Three years later now in 2026, Brightin Star has followed up with a liquid silver version of the same 28mm ƒ2.8 lens, and while the optical formula and core handling remain familiar, the change in finish does affect the way one feels about the lens.

And yes, this sounds superficial until one remembers that Leica M users are probably among the most guilty people when it comes to caring about how a lens looks on a camera body.

The original black paint version had its charm. It looked like a tiny black lacquered jewel, with the promise of brassing over time. On a black Leica M body, it almost disappeared. On a silver chrome M body, however, the original black version had a more modern contrast-heavy look. The new silver version shifts the mood entirely to one more classic, more vintage-inspired, and perhaps even more visually at home on non-black paint Leica bodies like the Safari and Chrome models.

The Brightin Star XSlim-M 28mm ƒ2.8 in Black Paint

The question, then, is not whether the Liquid Silver version changes the lens optically. It does not need to. The better question is whether this finish makes an already interesting everyday-carry pancake lens even more attractive as a compact companion for Leica M photographers.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

tl:dr

The Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 Liquid Silver is best understood as a cosmetic follow-up to the original black paint version rather than a new optical design. That is not a bad thing because the original lens already got many things right.

In fact, in all honestly I am doing a follow-up review because this lens is really fun to photograph with, and so thin that it will surely change your feelings regarding the M system.

It remains tiny, brass-built, rangefinder coupled, and genuinely usable on a Leica M body. This is not one of those ultra-thin lenses that exists only for the sake of being small. Centre sharpness is very good even wide open, colours are nicely saturated, and the rendering has enough character that it is wrong to ever describe this lens as clinical.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

Of course, there are compromises. At wide open, the corners are not the reason to buy this lens. Field curvature is present, the aperture ring is small and not the easiest to work with. But this is expected when the lens is this thin. In fact, it is almost unfair to judge it using the same expectations we would apply to a conventional 28mm lens.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

The silver version’s greatest appeal is aesthetic. On a Leica M, it looks almost like a body cap with glass inside. It gives the camera a classic, discreet and lightweight setup that one can bring out for casual street, travel, family, cafe, and everyday moments.

If one already owns the black version, there is no urgent need to switch unless the silver finish matters to you. But if you were previously holding back because the black paint version did not quite match your silver or Safari body, this new version may be the one to get.

In fact, a big regret was giving away the original black paint lens when a friend asked for it.

Technicalities

The Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 Silver keeps the same key specifications as the original XSlim-M 28mm ƒ2.8. The lens is designed for Leica M-mount cameras and is rangefinder coupled, which is important, especially if you plan to use it on a film or LCD-less Leica M body.

Note that this is the lens mounted with the UV-filter fitted too.

The lens is only around 9.9mm thick, which is the headline feature here. This is not merely a pancake lens. It is closer to a lens-cap lens like existence that happens to be optically useful.

Key specifications:

Focal length: 28mm, full-frame
Aperture: ƒ2.8 to ƒ16
Minimum focusing distance: 0.7m
Optical design: 6 elements in 5 groups
9 Aperture blades design
Brass body construction with a 25.5mm filter size
Thickness: approximately 9.9mm at approximately 125 grams
Liquid Silver finish

The 28mm focal length is, to me, one of the most versatile focal lengths for everyday photography. It is wide enough for environmental scenes, street photography, travel and context-driven images, but not so wide that the perspective becomes distracting.

This lens is so thin Brightin Star actually custom made a UV filter for its 25.5mm filter size

The lens also comes with a tiny screw-on metal cap. As with the black paint version, I would personally recommend using a slim protective filter instead if possible, simply because a screw-on cap on a lens this small is something I know I will eventually misplace.

Handling & Performance

Handling the Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 Silver is where expectations matter.

If one expects it to handle like a Leica Elmarit-M 28mm ƒ2.8 ASPH (my review is linked), then no, it does not. The lens is simply too thin for that. There is only so much physical space for a large focusing ring, a generous aperture ring and big engraved markings.

But if one approaches it as an ultra-compact pancake lens, the handling is much better than expected.

The focusing tab is tiny but very usable. It allows quick adjustments, and once one gets used to the short throw, focusing becomes quite intuitive. For street photography, this lens also makes sense as a zone-focus lens. Set it to ƒ8, pre-focus, and the setup becomes very fast and discreet.

I realise it is actually much easier to just pre-set the aperture and simply enjoy the photography process

The aperture ring is small and takes some getting used to. This is probably the handling compromise one notices most. Because the lens barely protrudes from the camera body, changing aperture is not as simple as glancing down at a normal lens barrel. One will need to bring the camera down slightly or rotate it enough to check the setting.

That said, this is more of a quirk than a fatal flaw.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

The real magic is how the whole setup feels. Mounted on a Leica M body, the Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 disappears. It does not make the camera front heavy and you may even think you forgot to bring a lens. And for those who like to carry a camera daily, this matters more than many people realise.

A Leica M with this lens attached becomes something one can easily bring along without feeling like one is “going out to shoot.” It becomes a camera one simply has with them.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

That, to me, is the strongest argument for this lens.

The Liquid silver finish also changes the personality of the lens. The black paint version felt stealthier and perhaps more romantic in the way black paint lenses usually do. The Silver version feels more classic and perhaps more mature. On a silver chrome body, it looks extremely coherent. On a black body, it gives a vintage contrast.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

Build quality remains one of the pleasant surprises. The quality construction gives it a reassuring density despite the tiny size. It does not feel like a cheap accessory pretending to be a lens. It feels like a small, carefully made object.

Image quality is also much better than the lens’ size suggests.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

Wide open at ƒ2.8, the centre is sharp enough and usable. This is not the kind of lens where one must immediately stop down to ƒ8 to get acceptable results. There is enough detail and contrast in the centre to make ƒ2.8 genuinely usable for everyday photography and most of the samples here were photographed wide open.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

The corners, however, are not the highlight. Field curvature is part of the character here, and one should not expect perfectly flat-field performance across the frame. If one photographs brick walls, documents, landscapes requiring edge-to-edge sharpness, or architecture where the corners matter greatly, this is not the 28mm lens to choose.

It is quite important to not miss the point of this lens.

For everyday photography, the rendering works. The lens gives a pleasant combination of sharp centre detail, saturated colour, visible character and a touch of imperfection. There is some vignetting wide open, but it improves as one stops down.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

Flare can appear when shooting directly into strong light, and depending on one’s taste, this can either be a flaw or a feature. I see it as part of the lens’ character. It is not a clinically corrected modern 28mm, and I think this lens should stay as it is.

Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 on Leica M10-R

The bokeh is never the main reason to buy a 28mm ƒ2.8 lens, especially one with this design, but at closer distances the out-of-focus areas can be pleasant enough. The rendering is not perfectly smooth with the field curvature The main use case remains simple: keep it on the camera, bring it everywhere, and enjoy having a ‘real’ 28mm lens in a setup that feels like you forgot to mount the lens.

Conclusions

The Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 Silver does not reinvent the original lens, and that is perfectly fine.

What it does is give photographers another finish option for what was already one of the more interesting ultra-compact M-mount lenses available. The black paint version had a lovely charm, especially for those who enjoy patina and brassing. The Liquid Silver version, however, brings a more classic look that pairs beautifully with silver or Safari Leica M bodies.

Optically, the lens remains a surprisingly capable performer for its size. Centre sharpness is good, colours are pleasing, and the rendering has enough personality to make the images feel less sterile. The compromises are still there: field curvature, less impressive corners, small controls, and a handling experience that requires some patience.

Photography gear is not always about perfection.

Sometimes, the best lens is the one that makes you want to bring the camera out. The Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 Liquid Silver does exactly that. It turns a Leica M into an even more compact, more casual, more approachable everyday camera.

It is not perfect and it is not even trying to be.

And perhaps that is why I still like this lens after three years and I will not be giving it away out of good-will this time round.

The Brightin Star 28mm ƒ2.8 in liquid silver is avail here.
Use ‘ keithwee ‘ for 6% off. After all, can save, just save.

Disclaimers:

1. All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos.

2. All images were shot with my personal sets of the Brightin Star XSlim-M 28mmƒ2.8 on the Leica M10-R. My personal set of the chrome Leica M9-P was used for the product shots.

3. This review is not sponsored.

4. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.

5. The best way to support me is to share the review, or you can always help support me by contributing to my fees to WordPress for the domain using the Paypal button at the bottom of the page.