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This pancake lens is so slim that it looks like a lens cap

by 16 Comments

Scrolling through my Facebook feed, I stumbled upon a sponsored post for an interesting Kickstarter campaign promoting Funleader Cap Lens 18mm f/8.0. It’s a very slim, lightweight, and very cheap wide-angle lens. As the name says, it’s so slim, that it looks like a lens cap.

The Funleader 18mm f/8 lens doesn’t have any electronic components, which makes it really lightweight. Naturally, it also doesn’t provide autofocus. Instead, it relies on hyperfocal distance, similar to lenses in those old point-and-shoot film cameras. This can be a disadvantage in many ways. But on the other hand, toy and vintage-looking gear is making a comeback, so I guess we can put this lens somewhere in this category.

The dessert lover in me would say that this lens is more of a crepe than a pancake. It’s really slim, and it doubles as a body cap. A body cap that lets you take photos, which is kind of cool. Here are the key specs:

  • Focal Length: 18mm
  • Aperture: f/8.0
  • Field of view: 100°
  • Closest focusing distance: 0.8m
  • Construction: 6 elements in 4 groups
  • Coating: Multi-coated
  • Body material: Brass
  • Finishing: chrome plating
  • Weight: 80g
  • Size: 62mmØ × 15mm

And here are a few sample photos:

As I mentioned, the Funleader Cap Lens 18mm f/8.0 is only available through Kickstarter for now. It comes in three mounts: Sony E, Leica L, and Sigma L, but Canon RF is set to come next. You can get one for a pledge of $833 HK (which is around $100 US). Of course – in case the campaign gets fully funded.

This probably isn’t the sharpest lens you’ll find for your pricey camera (especially if you shoot Leica). But it can be an interesting lens to play with and to bring with you when you want to pack super-light. What do you think?

Related posts:

Pentax’s New Announcements: A Camera With Looks to Kill And A Wide-Angle Lens Samyang releases 14mm f/2.8 EF – its first full frame autofocus lens for Canon Samyang announces 10mm f/3.5, the world’s widest lens for full frame DSLRs Nikon launches the wide-angle 24mm f/1.8 S lens for Z-mount mirrorless cameras

  • Like the Olympus bodycap lens. But now for FF.

  • Jeoncs

    Would be fun to have for a pocket camera

  • Bill

    I’m not sure why someone would spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on a mirrorless camera, only to put a crappy lens that doesn’t even focus on it. Most brands actually have decent pancake primes available that aren’t all that much bigger…

    • AmitGM

      Exactly!
      Like 24mm f/2.8 or 40mm f/2.8

      • WillMondy

        A well made f/2.8 prime is better than a zoom but much more compact to carry around.

        You can easily walk around with a mirrorless camera with 2 or 3 f/2.8 primes inside your jacket pockets rather than lugging round a heavy F/2.8 zoom

    • wsanders

      I have the Olympus m4/3 one, it was gift back when I had an iPhone 5. It makes better images than an iPhone 5. Nowadays my Pixel 3 has a far better camera, even approaching older m4/3 gear for jpegs.

    • cnnspy

      But the lenses ARE bigger. In the lomo market (to avoid buying yet another camera) it may produce that…’i dont know what’ look being sought. Either way, you buy another thing for the hobby. You know how GAS works, right?

      Its good for something if like the first photo you catch the mail thief coming down the path to your mailbox with a blue umbrella to take your next package.

    • samagon

      just another tool in the bag. I have a BCL for my camera. The initial cost was about $50. It is so small and light that I do not even consider packing it in the gear to be a waste of space/weight. I end up using it more frequently than I would have imagined.

      It’s not a lens that I would use exclusively, and it is situational at best, but at $50, I didn’t expect it to be a workhorse, just something I can toss on in the right setting, and it’s so small it’s the only lens that is always in my bag.

  • ninobr0wn

    In the immortal words of Lord Vader, the vignetting is strong with this one.

  • Beeline

    F8! Okay, if it is just for fun to create certain look, then fine – but not for 100 USD. Rather spend that money on used prime lenses…

  • JohnPell

    Holy vignetting Batman!
    I’ll start a kickstarting with a shoebox camera next.

  • Afotey Annum

    F/8.0?

    That’s a literal deal breaker.

  • If they make an RF version, that would be interesting for the Canon RP size

  • HEVIHITR

    For less you can get any number of better pancake lenses, mirrorless has opened up so many options for cheap lenses, add to this kickstarter has become full scammers tricking people into buying crap products thinking they’re getting a deal, it’s pathetic, stay clear of anything that’s on kickstarter.

    • Andrius Mačiūnas

      Can you name the one for full frame below 28mm, that is small and cheap?

      • HEVIHITR

        Any number of M42 lenses will work, unless you’re one that’s pedantic about old lenses, I found a takumar 24mm for like $40.

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