Over the years, I’ve tested quite a few so-called “pancake” lenses – from the classic Nikon Series E 50mm f1.8 to the TTArtisan 27mm f2.8 and the Fujinon 27mm f2.8. But what Viltrox has pulled off here is on a whole different level – and rightfully earns the title “cookie lens.” At first glance, you could genuinely mistake it for a biscuit. And the crazy part? It even has autofocus.
Of course, in order to fit all that tech into such a tiny shell, some compromises had to be made. So let’s take a closer look at what the Viltrox 28mm f4.5 can really do – and whether it’s more cookie than camera lens.
Build & Handling
For a moment, Viltrox actually managed to fool me. While the body is clearly plastic, I initially thought the lens mount was made of metal – turns out it’s just silver-colored plastic. Not a bad trick, though. You’d barely notice the difference at first glance.
At just 72 grams, this thing is incredibly lightweight – not surprising given its size. With a price tag of €99 including autofocus, I wouldn’t expect a metal barrel anyway. Still, the build quality feels solid. There aren’t many moving parts – just a small lever that slides the built-in lens cap in front of the glass. A clever move, since a standard filter thread or clip-on lens cap would’ve made it bulkier – and I lose lens caps more often than I’d like to admit.
Now for the official dimensions of the Viltrox 28mm f4.5:
It measures just 60.3 mm in diameter and 15.25 mm in length, weighing only 60 g. That makes it one of the most compact lenses I’ve ever tested. It really does feel like a body cap – only this one has glass in it.
As you might expect, it’s not weather-sealed.
But it does include a USB-C port hidden in the mount for firmware updates. How the engineers fit that in, I have no idea – but it’s impressive.
Naturally, some features had to be left out.
The aperture is fixed at f4.5, with no option to adjust it. And although it has autofocus, manual focus is completely absent – which can be a bit annoying in certain situations. I had trouble shooting video with the Fujifilm X-T4, where the video autofocus isn’t exactly the best. My only option would’ve been to autofocus once, then switch the camera to MF to avoid focus shifts – but that would’ve made manual adjustments a hassle.
Image Quality
So what kind of performance can you expect from something this small?
Viltrox managed to pack in seven elements in six groups – the rear element even sticks out slightly beyond the mount.
A real advantage of the Fujifilm X-Mount version is that it’s actually designed for full frame, so on an APS-C sensor you benefit from using the “sweet spot” of the lens. That helps eliminate many of the typical issues found in cheaper lenses. I noticed very little vignetting, and the corner sharpness was surprisingly decent. There’s a touch of barrel distortion, but it’s very subtle.
Sharpness overall is “okay” – not exactly what I’d hope for at f4.5, but acceptable. The images respond well to post-processing: a bit of clarity and texture added in Lightroom, and the results are perfectly usable. I also found the contrast to be on the lower side – which I don’t mind, since I usually lift the blacks a bit anyway. In this case, I didn’t need to, which I consider a plus. For others, it might be a small drawback – but nothing that can’t be fixed with some editing.
What really surprised me were the sunstars.
Viltrox could’ve gone with a simple circular aperture, but instead they chose an octagonal shape. That gives you eight-pointed sunstars when bright light sources are in the frame – and under the right conditions, you even get a little rainbow flare. Nice touch!
Chromatic aberration?
I really tried to provoke some, but couldn’t. So in that regard, the lens seems to be well corrected.
Conclusion for Viltrox 28mm f4.5 Cookie Lens
I’m genuinely impressed by what Viltrox has created here – and not because of the optical performance. Aside from the impressive sunstars, image quality is average at best. But when it comes to form factor, this lens sets a new standard. I honestly wouldn’t have thought it was possible to build something this compact and still functional.
Of course, you have to live with a few compromises – a fixed aperture and no manual focus – but if you can accept that, you’re getting a lens that you can always keep on your camera. Just use it in place of your body cap, and you’ve got a practical everyday focal length ready to go – for all those spontaneous moments you might otherwise miss.
The Viltrox 28mm f4.5 is currently available for just €109 and can be ordered directly from the Viltrox online store. Use the Code FLOKU to get 8% off
