# More EF pancakes?



## adhocphotographer (Jan 30, 2014)

Do you think there are going to be more pancake lenses (EF mount)? The shorty-forty appeared to be a great success... I'm hoping it will spur canon to make others... ~20mm would be nice, especially attached to the 100D!

I know Voigtlander has there Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 II, but a nice AF version would be great!


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## Random Orbits (Jan 30, 2014)

I'm guessing "no"... at least not until after Canon develops something like the A7R. Have you looked at the 24, 28 and 35mm IS lenses? I have the 28, and it's a lot smaller than L lenses. A pancake will require the removal of IS and correcting elements, and I don't think the general market will go for that.


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## Sella174 (Jan 30, 2014)

I agree with the "no", because "pancake" lenses have smaller apertures (or higher f-numbers) than their "normal" siblings, and right now, today, large apertures are what sells lenses.


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## Mr_Canuck (Feb 5, 2014)

I think Canon is leaving the pancake game to Pentax. Although you're seeing some in Fuji and 4/3rds which makes a lot of sense. I think Sony are idiots for not pursuing physically shorter lenses with all their small mirrorless bodies. Maybe Zeiss refuses. But they're missing an opportunity. But then Zeiss has Voigtlander!

Maybe in Canon M you'll see more pancakes. Maybe. The 20 is a good indicator. I'd bank on the 40 stm being it for full-frame and apsc dslrs though.

But you mention the Voigtlander. I just bought one a month ago, and love it. At a 20mm focal length (I'm talking about full-frame) having autofocus isn't really that big a deal. If you're into wide-angle action, then I think you want both auto-focus AND a zoom for quick response and immediate flexibility. Get a 17-40. But for everything else, manually focussing on a 20mm lens is very safe, and the focus-confirm indicators on my 6D work great for ensuring I'm in focus. Typically, when I switch to the Voigt, I half-press the shutter (every time, I do this!) and nothing happens. Then I remember I need to focus the thing manually. And I'm good from then on. It's not hard at all to do, you just have to do it.


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 5, 2014)

adhocphotographer said:


> Do you think there are going to be more pancake lenses (EF mount)?



No.


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## adhocphotographer (Feb 6, 2014)

Sigh... I am starting to think the same... I think it is a shame though, as i am sure a 20mm pancake would be as well received as the 40. 

Well, i hope you are all wrong, but i'm not holding my breath!


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 6, 2014)

adhocphotographer said:


> Sigh... I am starting to think the same... I think it is a shame though, as i am sure a 20mm pancake would be as well received as the 40.
> 
> Well, i hope you are all wrong, but i'm not holding my breath!



Well if you must have one, Voightlander makes a 20mm pancake for EF mount...

http://www.voigtlaender.de/cms/voigtlaender/voigtlaender_cms.nsf/id/pa_fdih7pyj95.html


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## dcm (Feb 6, 2014)

mrsfotografie said:


> adhocphotographer said:
> 
> 
> > Sigh... I am starting to think the same... I think it is a shame though, as i am sure a 20mm pancake would be as well received as the 40.
> ...



And a 28 f2.8 pancake

http://www.voigtlaender.de/cms/voigtlaender/voigtlaender_cms.nsf/id/pa_fdih8vxb7z.html


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## Haydn1971 (Feb 7, 2014)

There was a patent posted on here for a EF-M 18-40mm pancake which I'd jump on for a lens I'd use for work - but still love the 22mm EF-M for casual photography use


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## ChienLunatique (Feb 7, 2014)

Not a pro 
Shooting with 700D and 40mm pancake and I would really love a 20mm it would be the maple syrup on my walkabout street kit.


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## Rienzphotoz (Feb 11, 2014)

adhocphotographer said:


> I know Voigtlander has there Color Skopar 20mm f/3.5 II


Hmmm ... I did not know about that interesting lens ... now you got me tempted to get one, to be used with the Sony a7 :-\


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## AvTvM (Feb 11, 2014)

michelleB said:


> Interesting. It's true that pancakes capture less.



capture less of what?

Both angle of view and image quality of the EF 40/2.8 pancake are certainly fully up to spec.
I would absolutely love to get a similarly compact, optically good and dirt-cheap 20mm/f 3.5 or f/4.0 
Personally I am not interested in EF 24 IS and even less so in the 28 IS oder 35 IS - too much money for what they are. I'll rather get a 24-70 II, which kills them all in one lens. 

Other than a 20/3.5 or 4.0 I would also be interested in an ultra-compact EF 75mm/2.8 (IS).

And I'd prefer all those pancakes to be "AF-only", without any manual focus ring & gear on them, but fully wheather-sealed instead.


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## philmoz (Feb 11, 2014)

AvTvM said:


> michelleB said:
> 
> 
> > Interesting. It's true that pancakes capture less.
> ...



The message from 'michelleB' looks like it was posted by a spam-bot - two stupid messages posted, followed by two blatant spam posts.

Phil.


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## ecka (Feb 11, 2014)

mMmmmm ... 20mm pancake  sounds delicious.


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## slclick (Feb 11, 2014)

I love pancakes and I like the Voiglanders but then I tell myself that they would make a good down payment on a Zeiss instead. I'd rather save up, get it right with the lens instead of correcting in PP.


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## StudentOfLight (Feb 13, 2014)

AvTvM said:


> michelleB said:
> 
> 
> > Interesting. It's true that pancakes capture less.
> ...



Interesting idea but I find a manual focus ring is very handy (e.g. shooting stars at night where the camera will be unable to lock focus.)


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## iron-t (Feb 13, 2014)

It seems like 40mm (on FF) is about the sweet spot for pancakes because it provides a very natural perspective and is a simple lens requiring few corrections to achieve decent optical performance. My favorite lens on Micro 4/3 is the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake that is 40mm FF equivalent. Extremely versatile.

I doubt an EF wide-angle pancake would be able to come anywhere near the optical performance of either (1) full-size wide-angle lenses; or (2) the 40mm pancake. Not enough room for corrective elements. For longer focal length lenses there's probably not enough room to space the elements without some optical magic like diffractive elements (read: crazily expensive, priced out of reach of the target market).

If any new pancake were to come out I'd expect it to be EF-S, 25mm and probably f/2.8 (though f/2 would make it far more attractive on APS-C). That would put it in line in terms of angle of view with the 40mm f/2.8 on FF, and not coincidentally also with the 20mm f/1.7 Panasonic.


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## Sella174 (Feb 13, 2014)

iron-t said:


> If any new pancake were to come out I'd expect it to be EF-S ...



In our dreams ... but this is never, ever going to happen in reality.


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## mrsfotografie (Feb 13, 2014)

iron-t said:


> It seems like 40mm (on FF) is about the sweet spot for pancakes because it provides a very natural perspective and is a simple lens requiring few corrections to achieve decent optical performance. My favorite lens on Micro 4/3 is the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake that is 40mm FF equivalent. Extremely versatile.
> 
> I doubt an EF wide-angle pancake would be able to come anywhere near the optical performance of either (1) full-size wide-angle lenses; or (2) the 40mm pancake. Not enough room for corrective elements. For longer focal length lenses there's probably not enough room to space the elements without some optical magic like diffractive elements (read: crazily expensive, priced out of reach of the target market).
> 
> If any new pancake were to come out I'd expect it to be EF-S, 25mm and probably f/2.8 (though f/2 would make it far more attractive on APS-C). That would put it in line in terms of angle of view with the 40mm f/2.8 on FF, and not coincidentally also with the 20mm f/1.7 Panasonic.



You're right, short focal length lenses need to be retro-focus and that makes it a real challenge to get a good optical formula into a pancake.

As for pancakes, I had a 40mm Voightlander but to be honest I think a pancake is too small on a 5DMk* body. I prefer my little 50 and 35 mm Canon lenses for compactness and light weight while they still give something to hold on to.


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## StudentOfLight (Feb 26, 2014)

mrsfotografie said:


> iron-t said:
> 
> 
> > It seems like 40mm (on FF) is about the sweet spot for pancakes because it provides a very natural perspective and is a simple lens requiring few corrections to achieve decent optical performance. My favorite lens on Micro 4/3 is the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 pancake that is 40mm FF equivalent. Extremely versatile.
> ...



I have the EF 40mm so just imagine what that looks like on a 1D body. LOL ;D


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## adhocphotographer (Feb 26, 2014)

iron-t said:


> If any new pancake were to come out I'd expect it to be EF-S, 25mm and probably f/2.8 (though f/2 would make it far more attractive on APS-C).



I would still consider getting one for my 100D!


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## slclick (Mar 8, 2014)

I always dreamed of an EF 20 akin to the Voigtlander yet with AF, that was until I bought the Zeiss 18, lol.


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