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A Canon Pancake Lens for RF Cameras Would Rock, But We’d Like More

Brett Day
3 Comments
06/21/2020
3 Mins read
Camera deals Canon EOS RP

Last Updated on 06/21/2020 by Mark Beckenbach

A Canon pancake lens will be an excellent, small and affordable addition to the RF mount lens library.

There are no two ways about it; when it comes to lenses for Mirrorless cameras, Canon has been the most innovative company in recent years. Canon’s current lineup of RF mount glass is excellent, with perhaps the only negatives being the size of the lenses and the hefty price points that go along with them. Lately, we have been seeing and hearing mumbling of some new smaller and hopefully more affordable RF lenses, and one of these new lenses is a possible Canon pancake lens. After the break, we will talk about this and other pancake lenses we would love to see for Canon’s RF mount Mirrorless cameras.

If the news over at Canon Watch is to be believed, come 2021, Canon will have launched several new RF mount lenses including a 100-400mm f7.1-11, which will no doubt please wildlife photographers, and the aforementioned RF 18-24mm f4 pancake zoom lens. As you would expect, there are no more details about the lenses available, but the news of these possible lenses is exciting in itself. If there is one thing Canon’s RF platform needs it’s more affordable lenses that the average user (and not just photographers with well-endowed wallets) can reach for. This news got us thinking: a Canon pancake lens would be great, but we would like to see more than just one.

Canon Pancake lens
The EF 40mm f2.8 STM is a fantastic Canon pancake lens.

One of the factors that made the EF mount so enjoyable was the sheer variety of lenses offered. The RF mount is still in its infancy, but, so far, the platform and the lenses released for it have targeted professional portrait photographers more than anything else, and it has left every other photographer waiting in the wings. If Canon really wants their RF mount cameras widely adopted, they need to cater to more needs, and now, my friends, it sounds like this might be starting to happen.

Starting off with an 18-24mm f4 Canon pancake lens would be great. It will be smaller and much more affordable than the RF lenses on the market now. Along with this Canon pancake lens, we would love to see an 18-55mm f2.8-4 or a 16-50mm f3.5-6.3 like the fantastic Z mount offering from Nikon. These lenses will give many photographers a good starting place, and could even be sold as kit lenses. Heck, many so-called kit lenses are excellent these days and can be used by more than hobbyists. We would also love to see more pancake primes as well.

Canon Pancake lens

There are lenses from the Canon EF mount that could be re-imagined with an RF mount, like the 24mm f2.8 pancake and the 40mm f2.8 Canon pancake lenses. These lenses are optically superb and dirt cheap. They would be perfect to pair up with the entry-level Canon EOS RP and great for any Canon APS-C RF mount camera Canon may release in the future.

Let’s face it; right now, the average user of the RP is not going out and buying lenses that cost more than $2,000 apiece. I am also sure that I’m not the only photographer who wants to use the lenses that are designed for the system I am buying into rather than adapting, so the need for cheaper RF lenses is very real. Here’s hoping that the upcoming Canon pancake lens is just the start of much more affordable Canon glass.

canon canon lenses canon pancake lenses canon rf 18-24mm canon rf lenses Pancake Lenses Photography
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Brett Day is the Gear Editor at The Phoblographer and has been a photographer for as long as he can remember. Brett has his own photography business that focuses on corporate events and portraiture. In his spare time, Brett loves to practice landscape and wildlife photography. When he's not behind a camera, he's enjoying life with his wife and two kids, or he's playing video games, drinking coffee, and eating Cheetos.
3 Comments

  1. Ernst

    10/12/2020 9:59 pm
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    I'm with Brett. They will produce a nifty 50 and a bit later a pancake like the EF 40mm f2.8, as it is relatvely cheap to produce and will fit the needs of the people that like compact stuff for travelling.
    EOS RP + pancake would boost the sales of the RP as well. I am using the RP mostly wit the RP 35mm f1.8 – good set but a bit smaller would be nice to have.

  2. Lorin Duckman

    06/22/2020 1:16 pm
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    I love the new lenses. 85mm 1.2 too heavy for me, but the images were matchless, so I returned it. Same for 24-70. Love the kit lens and the 35mm. Have the prime 50 1.2. Just a wonderful piece of glass. Effortless and elegant. Have the 70-200 which I use now in my studio, even though it’s lighter than the older one and much sharper. Need a macro. BTW, sold all my old stuff to pay for this and delay in production has given me time to save up.

  3. Dustspeck

    06/21/2020 8:58 pm
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    Spot.IM/1.0 (Export)

    Let’s face it, the average user is not going out to buy the RP either. When you consider that the camera with two basic lenses costs well over $5000 – the price of a reasonable used car to get you to your job. Then there’s the fact that just one of the admittedly great EOS R lenses costs more than two iPhone 11 Pro Max phones. Little wonder camera sales from mainstream manufacturers are shrinking. After the initial rush of well-heeled buyers, how does Canon propose to stay in business? I love my 40 mm f2.8 pancake and wish the 24 mm was available as an EF lens and not just EF-S. It’s nice to see all the new tech, but there are not that many people who make the kind of salaries that makes camera company executives think that $2500 is a great price for a new lens. This current recession is going to last is long as the one in 2008. Can Canon and the camera companies survive until it’s over? Especially if cell phone manufacturers continue to improve products whose AI manipulated images are not so discernibly different, leading users see no reason to “upgrade” to a larger mirrorless camera? There needs to be cost effect excitement even at the low and mid-range to eventually direct users to the “top of the line”, but so far that path is being filled by Apple and Samsung.

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