Tiny 35 mm full-frame lens protrudes just 1.5 cm from the camera

DJ-Optical's latest lens aims to impress above all with its particularly compact dimensions. When mounted on a camera, it protrudes just 1.5 centimeters beyond the lens mount, while the rest of the lens disappears inside the camera body. Its weight of 140 grams is also exceptionally low for a full-frame lens.
The lens offers a small focusing ring with a depth-of-field scale, an aperture ring and a 25.5-millimeter filter thread. The minimum focusing distance is 0.5 meters, although, as usual, the rangefinder on a Leica M can only be used to focus on subjects at distances of 0.7 meters or more. With a maximum aperture of f/3.5, the 35 mm lens is not particularly fast, but its image circle is large enough for use with full-frame cameras.
The compact metal housing contains eight lens elements arranged in five groups. The aperture uses eight blades. In addition to the lens, DJ-Optical also includes front and rear caps as well as a matching UV filter to protect the front element. DJ-Optical has not published any data on vignetting, sharpness or distortion, so independent tests will be needed to assess the image quality.
Pricing and availability
The DJ-Optical Ultra Slim 35 mm f/3.5 MC Pancake lens is now available on ebay for $519.99 with free shipping. The lens is offered exclusively for the Leica M mount and is also rangefinder-coupled. However, separately available adapters allow the lens to be used on mirrorless cameras from Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, OM System and others.











