8 Best Pancake Lens That Change the Way You Take Photographs

What is pancake lens？

A pancake lens is a compact, lightweight, and flat camera lens that resembles the shape of a pancake. The pancake lens has an exceptionally slim profile, which makes it highly portable and discreet. These lenses are primarily prime lenses with a fixed focal length, offering excellent optical quality despite their small size. The minimalist design results in fewer lens elements, enhancing image sharpness and quality. Pancake lenses are ideal for travel, street, and everyday photography, where their lightweight and unobtrusive nature allows photographers to capture spontaneous moments with ease and convenience.

What is the pros of pancake lens？

Aside from their ultra-light weight and beautifully harmonious appearance, many street photographers prefer pancake lenses for two reasons. First, pancake lenses usually have a wider focal length, and photos taken through wide-angle lenses have a more story-telling feel. Second, the pancake lens is not as aggressive as a professional camera plus a telephoto lens. If the subject is nervous or offended by the camera, it will affect the work of the street photographer.

What is the cons of pancake lens？

While pancake lenses offer notable advantages in terms of portability and convenience, they also come with several drawbacks. These lenses often have a limited maximum aperture, typically around f/2.8, which can hinder low-light performance. Being prime lenses, they have a fixed focal length, reducing versatility and necessitating frequent lens changes for different shooting scenarios. The compact design can sometimes lead to optical compromises like distortion or vignetting and might lack advanced features such as optical image stabilization. Additionally, their small size can make handling more difficult, especially for manual focusing, and they can feel unbalanced on larger camera bodies. Despite these limitations, pancake lenses remain popular for their compactness and suitability for travel, street, and everyday photography.

8 best pancake lens of 6 different brands

Canon

1. Canon EF 40mm f/2.8 STM

• Mount: Canon EF

• Aperture: f/2.8

• Features: STM motor for smooth and quiet autofocus, very compact design.

1. Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM

• Mount: Canon EF-M (for EOS M series mirrorless cameras)

• Aperture: f/2

• Features: Wide-angle lens, good for low light and landscape photography.

Nikon

1. Nikon 1 NIKKOR 10mm f/2.8

• Mount: Nikon 1

• Aperture: f/2.8

• Features: Very lightweight, great for travel photography.

Sony

1. Sony E 20mm f/2.8

• Mount: Sony E (for APS-C mirrorless cameras)

• Aperture: f/2.8

• Features: Wide-angle lens, compact design, suitable for vlogging and street photography.

Fujifilm

1. Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8

• Mount: Fujifilm X

• Aperture: f/2.8

• Features: Standard focal length, extremely compact, good for everyday use.

Olympus

1. Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ

• Mount: Micro Four Thirds

• Aperture: f/3.5-5.6

• Features: Zoom lens in a pancake form factor, versatile for different shooting scenarios.

2.Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/2.8

• Mount: Micro Four Thirds

• Aperture: f/2.8

• Features: Wide-angle lens, very slim and lightweight.

Panasonic

1. Panasonic Lumix G 14mm f/2.5 ASPH

• Mount: Micro Four Thirds

• Aperture: f/2.5

• Features: Wide-angle, very compact and portable, suitable for street and landscape photography.

These lenses are popular for their portability without compromising much on image quality, making them ideal for photographers who need a lightweight setup.

If you have a pancake lens from one brand and a body from another brand. You can purchase KFconcept adapter rings to make the most of the equipment you have.