Pentax makes several pancake lenses for its digital SLRs and mirrorless cameras. Samsung also make several models for the NX-series cameras and Sony makes a 16mm pancake lens for its NEX mirrorless cameras. Panasonic also offers pancake lenses for its Lumix cameras and Olympus makes a couple for its Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds cameras. Whenever I buy a new lens I spend time taking photos with it.
This helps me get a feel for the perspective and bokeh in various situations. The 40mm pancake lens is light, and my camera is relatively heavy. The picture above shows my setup.
This is great for balance. With the pancake lens the centre of gravity of the setup is closer to my body. This makes it easy to hold the camera still. The advantages of size and balance extend to all pancake lenses. If you want to maximize image quality from a portable set-up, then a pancake lens on a mirrorless camera is hard to beat.
On an APS-C camera, thanks to the crop factor, it effectively becomes a short telephoto lens. I use the pancake lens on a full-frame camera as I like the perspective of the moderate wide-angle.
I find this a little disconcerting as I like to use the hyperfocal distance focusing technique to maximize depth-of-field. Another disadvantage is that I prefer to use a wide-angle zoom rather than a prime lens for landscape photos. I often find myself in locations where it is impossible to get physically closer to the subject therefore a zoom helps obtain precise framing.
For me, a pancake lens is not a great landscape lens. Except for one thing — it is tremendously sharp. I haven't used them for quite a while. Looks like I have a weekend challenge ahead of me! Pentax is the king of the pancake lenses, still offering several in different focal lengths. The major advantage of all pancakes is size and weight. The obvious disadvantages are mediocre speed and corner sharpness not a lot of glass.
Pancakes offer a lot a bang for the buck and are usually sharp enough. I always travel with one or two of them. Home Topics Opinion. Posted In:. Premium Photography Tutorials Check out the Fstoppers Store for in-depth tutorials from some of the best instructors in the business. The Fundamentals of Fashion Photography. Log in or register to post comments. Surprisingly sharp for such a cheap lens, I thought.
Andy Day Bob Brady - January 23, Yep, I agree - the best camera in the world is no good if it never comes out of its bag. Ravi Masand jonas y - January 23, I've thought about getting the 35 1. Gabrielle Colton - January 23, I used to have one of these, I was surprised how fun it was to use and it is surprisingly sharp indeed! Terry Poe - January 23, It's one of my favorite lenses, one of true Canon's gems, along with its Ef-s analogue 24mm.
Jonathan Schwind - January 23, Thanks for this. If you don't like it, I'll buy it from you and keep it as a spare. Dave Melges - January 23, In other words, get an Olympus. Joel Cleare Dave Melges - January 24, Change system because a Canon user wants a smaller lens to his exsisting kit?
Pancake lenses are intriguing little things for photographers — how can something this small and light-weight manage to take a good quality photo? However you decide to use your pancake lens, just be sure to use it.
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Enter your email to be sent today's Welcome Gift: 19 Photography Tools. Best Pancake Lens for Every Camera. Last Updated: November 27, Table of Contents. Twitter 43 Facebook 7 Pinterest Mark Condon. It has everything to do with size. Like the breakfast food, pancake lenses are thin and lightweight. And what you need to know before adding a pancake lens to your photography kit. Product links on ExpertPhotography are referral links. If you use one of these and buy something, we make a little bit of money.
Need more info? See how it all works here. Many of them are an inch or less. A handful measure a bit longer and are still called pancake lenses. Most agree that a pancake lens is a small, lightweight lens. Pancake lenses add little length to the front of the camera, so they are easy to use in a small camera bag. Shooting with a pancake lens feels like shooting with no lens at all.
The lens has such a minimal impact on the size and weight of the camera system. Most pancake lenses are prime lenses. Zoom lenses need more pieces that make them larger. Along those same lines, pancake lenses are usually wide-angle to standard focal lengths such as a 40mm lens.
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