By Tati Taylor 10 days ago, Cameras & Lenses
Top-rated pancake lenses from famous brands.
A pancake lens may be associated with food, but they have nothing in common. Pancake lens usually refers to a flat, thin lens with a compact design. Such optics is especially popular among those photographers who can't afford to purchase expensive lenses.
However, it doesn't mean pancake lenses are suitable only for beginners. If you are an experienced hobbyist or even a professional, having a decent model at hand will significantly help you in your work.
Such flat and small lenses allow you to reduce the size of your camera body, without sacrificing the image quality. If you are hesitating which model to choose, read on the overview of the best pancake lenses available in 2024.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.18 m | Max magnification: 0.2x | Filter thread: 46 mm | Dimensions (WxL): 55.5x20.5 mm | Weight: 55 g
⊕ High-quality optical system
⊕ Short and lightweight
⊕ Multilayer optical coating
⊕ Good focusing capabilities
⊖ Slightly blurry results at the edges
Panasonic Lumix G II is a compact wide-angle lens, primarily designed for micro four-thirds cameras. Since it has an f/2.5 maximum aperture, it demonstrates outstanding low light performance. If you mount this lens on a mirrorless camera, you can make the most out of accurate and fast contrast-detection AF.
This universal model is suitable for every photography challenge. Due to its 35mm maximum focal length and first-class viewing angle, Panasonic Lumix G II will especially come in handy for those, who are all about street photography.
Mount: Sony E | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: No | Min focus distance: 0.3 m | Max magnification: 0.11x | Filter thread: 49 mm | Dimensions (WxL): 60.5x41 mm | Weight: 176 g
⊕ Good center sharpness
⊕ Excellent contrast and micro-contrast
⊕ First-class construction
⊕ Affordable
⊖ Lacks autofocus
Meike 35mm f1.7 is a 35mm pancake lens designed for APS-C sensors. Although it doesn’t offer autofocus and image stabilization systems, it still produces decent photo quality. Apart from numerous useful features, Meike 35mm f1.7 has excellent build quality, which is rare among lenses in this price segment.
It has a black matte metal covering with a sleek and noiseless aperture ring. The focus ring glides smoothly and has just the right amount of resistance. If you are on the lookout for an affordable but still robust lens for street photography, Meike 35mm f1.7 might be the best fit.
Mount: Canon EF-S | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.16 m | Max magnification: 0.27x | Filter thread: 52 mm | Dimensions (WxL): 68.2x22.8 mm | Weight: 125 g
⊕ Noiseless focusing system
⊕ Excellent low light performance
⊕ Decent image quality
⊕ Minimum focusing distance is 0.16m
⊖ Sight coma aberration issues
With a 38.4mm equivalent focal length, Canon EF-S 24mm is an excellent option among the best pancake lenses. It is designed for APS-C sensors and excellently shows the grayscale brightness values.
Also, this lens does a great job at revealing the details both in bright or dark areas in the image. Moreover, a well-elaborated STM focusing system produces fast, silent, and smooth focusing when recording videos. This compact, high-speed and affordable pancake lens will amaze novice photographers and become a perfect addition to a professional photography gear set.
Mount: FUJIFILM X | Diaphragm blades: 9 | Autofocus: No | Min focus distance: 0.4 m | Max magnification: 0.11x | Filter thread: 49 mm | Dimensions (WxL): 60.5x42 mm | Weight:220 g
⊕ Small size
⊕ Easy to use
⊕ First-class quality
⊕ Costs less than $100
⊖ Poor focusing in low light conditions
Meike 35mm f1.4 is a wide-angle pancake lens with a 52.5mm equivalent focal length. Due to its universal specifications, it is suitable for a wide range of photography ventures.
This model features a multi-layer nano-coating to deliver enhanced contrast and color reproduction while shooting in both good and poor light situations. Meike 35mm f1.4 is a perfect choice for photographers, who are looking for portability and robust, appealing design on a budget.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.35 m |Max magnification: 0.21x | Filter thread: 49 mm | Dimensions (WxL): 69.2x39.2 mm | Weight:160 g
⊕ Decent low light shooting capabilities
⊕ Accurate focusing
⊕ Stunning portrait pictures
⊕ Comes with metal mount
⊖ Slow autofocus
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 deserves praise for a perfect balance of features and price. Due to an f/1.8 aperture, accurate focusing system, and stunning out-of-focus backgrounds, you can produce jaw-dropping images.
This 50mm pancake lens incorporates Stepper Motor technology that allows for a silent and smooth focusing while shooting. Although Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 is relatively cheap, it features robust construction and appealing design. You can use this lens to take street shots or portraits, even in poor light situations.
Mount: Sony E | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance:0.35 m | Max magnification: 0.12x | Filter thread: mm | Dimensions (WxL): 61.8x33 mm | Weight: 85.6 g
⊕ Suitable for full-frame cameras
⊕ Great image quality
⊕ Robust metal body
⊖ Noisy focusing motor
⊖ Isn’t suitable for recording video
Despite being compact, Samyang SYIO35AF-E 35mm demonstrates powerful capabilities and excellent performance. It is one of the best full-frame pancake lenses with Sony E-Mount and a universal viewing angle. Samyang SYIO35AF-E 35mm is suitable for a variety of photography genres and is a perfect option for everyday use.
This lens has a precise and fast AF system and a switch for manual focus. However, the focusing motor works loudly, so you can hear noise until you find the right focus position.
Mount: Canon EF-M | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.15 m | Max magnification: 0.5x | Filter thread: 43 mm | Dimensions (WxL): 6.1x2.29 mm | Weight: 105 g
⊕ Wide-angle lens
⊕ AF system
⊕ High-quality image
⊕ High-res results
⊖ Slow AF
Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 STM is a powerful wide-angle lens designed specifically for EOS M Digital Camera. It can deliver awesome results even in dark light conditions due to its bright aperture of f/2.0 and large sensor. You can also take even more creative photos since this lens produces a beautiful out-of-focus background effect.
Canon EF-M 22mm f/2 comes with STM technology with continuous AF system. This allows you to enjoy silent and smooth shooting in every situation. Besides, this model incorporates an aspheric lens element for high-resolution images with improved contrast.
Mount: Canon EF | Diaphragm blades: 7 | Autofocus: Yes | Min focus distance: 0.25 m | Max magnification: 0.23x | Filter thread: mm | Dimensions (WxL): 73x59 mm | Weight: 155 g
⊕ Lightweight and small
⊕ Top-notch image quality
⊕ Reasonable price
⊖ Poor image quality in the corners of the frame
⊖ Produces noise when focusing
Yongnuo YN35mm f/2.0 is one of the best pancake lenses that covers a 35mm equivalent focal length and is compatible with both full-frame format cameras and enthusiast-level Canon DSLRs. This model has a small size and is extremely lightweight.
Although it is a low-priced lens, it produces fantastic results even if you shoot in a dark environment. With Yongnuo YN35mm f/2.0, you can take street shots, document sporting events, and use it for your traveling adventures.
| Image | Name | Features | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Panasonic Lumix G II Lens
Our choice |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Meike 35mm F1.7
Budget |
CHECK PRICE → | |
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Canon EF-S 24MM
For Photo Enthusiasts |
CHECK PRICE → |
When shopping for the best pancake lenses, you should consider the price first. When you decide on the price range, you can start your search. This review describes the models costing from $70 to $250.
Make sure your pancake lens is compatible with your camera. Each camera has a different mounting type. For instance, Canon has EF-mount.
The AF system streamlines the shooting process. It allows you to take sharp pictures faster compared to manual focus. It may feel like manual focusing takes too long until you properly adjust it.
Each pancake lens reviewed in this article will demonstrate incredible results when taking street shots.
The term “pancake lens” means that the lens has a flat and slim body. Such a lens barely protrudes from the camera body, allowing you to keep the camera system compact and portable. Canon EF-S 24mm, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8, Canon EOS M Series belong to this group.
Pancake lenses are compact and lightweight. You can easily carry such a lens around and use it in any shooting adventure. Besides being short and portable, pancake lenses are usually reasonably-priced, bright prime lenses.
EF refers to a standard type of lens mounting used in Canon cameras. If your lens uses EF mount, it is compatible with Canon cameras.
