My Favorite Pancake Lenses
Slim Pickin's for Analog, DSLRs, and Mirrorless Cameras
When it comes to traveling light, the lens size is more important than the camera itself. Fortunately, manufacturers have designed some fantastic pancake optics over the years. Here are some of my favorites.
Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH. Lens
This is a gem of an optic for Micro Four Thirds photographers. With an effective focal length of 40mm, this Lumix G 20mm ($297) is as versatile as it is fast with a max aperture of f/1.7. I particularly love shooting with it on the Olympus PEN-F. Plus, it’s a great value at less than $300!
FUJIFILM XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR Lens
With weather-sealed construction, the XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR lens ($399) also incorporates a manual aperture ring for intuitive and tactile exposure control, however, an 'A' position can also be used for camera-based settings adjustments. At a 41mm equivalent, this is a versatile optic that occupies very little space. And the pictures it produces are terrific!
Nikon NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 Lens
Providing a wide view for mirrorless photographers, the Nikon NIKKOR Z 26mm f/2.8 lens ($496) is Nikon’s most compact full-frame optic. Shown here with the lens hood mounted (you can go even more compact without it), this tandem will fit in a jacket pocket, yet provide state-of-the-art performance. Who says full frame has to be bulky!
Carl Zeiss Tessar 45mm f/2.8 Lens
This was the optic that made me fall in love with pancakes. It’s a street photographer’s dream on Contax or Yashica film cameras, delivering crisp, contrasty performance in a super compact package. I’m currently shooting with it on a Contax 159MM. If the f/22 marking is colored green on the aperture ring, that means that it works in program mode as well. If you get your hands on one, never let go!
Pentax HD Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited Lens
A must-have for any Pentax photographer, the DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited Lens ($396) is listed as a crop-sensor lens, but the secret is that it also works great on their film cameras and full-frame DSLRs. I use it on all of my analog models, including the ZX-5 and Program Plus. Then I can turn around, mount it to my Pentax KP DSLR, and travel light as a feather.
Olympus Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8 Lens
And finally, no list of pancake lenses would be complete without the Olympus Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8 Lens ($99). We call it the cookie, because it’s the size of an Oreo. And it’s the perfect lens cap for your backup camera stashed in the back of your gear bag. And the best part is, it takes great pictures.
More Views of My Favorite Pancakes
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I will always appreciate your suggestion of the Olympus 14-42 pancake, along with the auto-open lens cap, for Micro-4/3. Not a fast lens but crisp and super compact.
As much as I like (I never loved LOL) the Fujinon XF27mmF2.8 pancake, I absolutely *adore* the Voigtländer Ultron 27mm f/2.0 manual focus lens. It's a tiny bit smaller but one stop faster. It's manual focus, but a dream to use; it actually stops at infinity (unlike so many lenses that let you focus past infinity - something that never made sense to me) so for street work it's a breeze to just set it at f/8, infinity focus and go. Plus it doesn't have that slow, noisy AF motor that Fuji saddled the XF27 with.
That little Ultron is practically glued to my X-Pro3. It's wonderful.