Canon 28mm f/2.8

Name: Canon 28mm f/2.8
Brand: Canon

The Canon 28mm f/2.8 is a LTM-mount lens for Leica rangefinder cameras. As of June 2026, it sells from €446 used across 1 listing, with a 30-day median of €446. Leica price index ↗

Reference maintained by Thomas Boots· prices updated June 2026

Focal Length: 28mm

Aperture: 𝑓/2.8

Release Year (from): 1957

Diameter: 48 mm

Length: 20 mm

Minimum Focus Distance: 1m

Elements in Groups: 6/4

Aperture Blades: 6

Mount: LTM

Material Weight: Metal, 160g

Colors: Silver

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Canon 28mm f/2.8

Among Leica thread-mount wide-angles, the Canon 28mm f/2.8 occupies an unusual position: it is fast for its class yet remarkably small, and it is noticeably scarcer than the company's own 28mm f/3.5, which keeps it in steady demand among rangefinder collectors [1][2]. Canon listed its manufacture as beginning in 1957, roughly six years after the earlier Serenar 28mm f/3.5 of 1951, a gap that reflects the engineering difficulty of producing a faster wide-angle for the screw-mount system in that era [1]. Many photographers come to the f/2.8 after good experience with the more common f/3.5 and are looking for the extra speed in a similar compact package [1].

Optically the lens uses a six-element design in four groups, and it couples to the rangefinder for accurate focusing down to one metre [2]. The barrel is built from chromed brass and feels solidly made despite its light weight, with an infinity lock and click-stopped apertures running from f/2.8 to f/22 [3]. Reviewers note that it is one of the smallest 28mm lenses available, almost toy-like in the hand, and that its focusing ring is small and can feel fiddly in use [3]. The 40 mm filter thread and short overall length make it easy to carry, and because it is an LTM lens it adapts readily to M-mount bodies with a thread-to-bayonet adapter.

Compared with the earlier Serenar 28mm f/3.5, the f/2.8 looks slightly more modern and marks an early shift in Canon's barrel design; the front glass sits more recessed and the aperture ring is larger and easier to read, though the two remain closely related in handling [2]. Examples turning up today often come from Japan and may be marked in metres rather than feet [2].

Optical qualities

Rendering The lens is generally described as producing a classic, restrained look. Wide open it shows visible vignetting and is at its best in the central field, with sharpness spreading toward the corners as it is stopped down; reviewers report a usable level of across-frame sharpness by about f/5.6 and very good results around f/8 [2][3]. Contrast is moderate and fairly consistent through the aperture range, and colour rendering is slightly muted in the manner of older Canon optics [4]. Flare resistance is reported as good, and out-of-focus areas are rendered softly [4][3]. Because comparatively few detailed tests exist, much of the assessment of this lens rests on a relatively small body of user reports rather than extensive published measurements [3].

History

Development and Launch Canon's rangefinder wide-angle line began with the Serenar 28mm f/3.5 around 1951, and the faster 28mm f/2.8 followed with a manufacture date given by Canon as 1957 [1]. The six-year interval is widely read as evidence of how demanding a faster 28mm was to design and build at the time, as well as of Canon's growing optical capability and the rising demand for fast wide-angle lenses [1]. By the late 1950s and into the 1960s relatively few makers were producing screw-mount lenses in quantity, particularly wide-angles, which contributes to the lens's scarcity today [1].

Collector Notes The f/2.8 is decidedly less common than the 28mm f/3.5, and good examples command a premium that has risen over the years [1]. Buyers are advised to inspect the chrome for pitting and the glass for haze, cleaning marks and fungus, since some such faults cannot be fully corrected even by a service [1]. A clean, recently serviced example with clear glass is the safest purchase; the original leather case and a matching 28mm finder are desirable accessories, as a 28mm frame line is not present on many bodies [1][3]. No major factory special variants of this lens are widely documented in collector sources.