Viltrox AF 28 mm F4.5 Chip L lens launches for $99: 13 mm thin, 60 g, VCM autofocus

Pancake lenses for mirrorless cameras have typically been the domain of manual focus or budget optics with slow autofocus. Viltrox's new AF 28 mm F4.5 Chip L, announced yesterday (June 16), pushes back on that with a $99 autofocus pancake built specifically for the L-Mount ecosystem.

At 13.2 mm thick and approximately 60 g, the lens is quite tiny — comparable in footprint to a body cap, as Viltrox puts it. For L-Mount shooters, particularly those using the Panasonic Lumix S9 (curr. $1,697 on Amazon), this creates a full-frame pocketable setup that isn't easily attainable at this price point.

Autofocus is handled by a VCM (Voice Coil Motor) system, which should deliver quiet and responsive performance for both stills and video. The fixed F4.5 aperture is a practical compromise for the form factor — it's not going to replace a fast prime, but at a minimum focusing distance of 0.32 m, the 28 mm field of view should give enough depth of field flexibility for everyday and street use. The lens also supports in-camera correction functions, which matters on L-Mount bodies that use software to compensate for edge distortion in compact optical designs.

Two specific design details are interesting to note. The first is a built-in slide-lever lens cover. This mechanism opens and closes the integrated cap without needing a separate piece of glass protection. The second is a polygonal aperture plate that produces starburst effects around point light sources. It should add some visual character to backlit and night shots.

The Viltrox AF 28 mm F4.5 Chip L is available now via Amazon US and Europe at $99 / €109 / £90.