Pancake lenses

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Name
Aaron
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Just wondering why people use pancake lenses? Do they have any advantages over using a standard kit lens?
 
So a canon 50mm f/1.8 would be better in low light conditions that a f:3.5-5.6 kit lens?
 
Yes, assuming it is the focal length you need - it gives you over 3 stops of light gathering which, for example, is the equivalent of shooting ISO 800 rather than 6400
 
I have the Canon 40mm f/2.8 pancake, and I like and use it a lot. It is incredibly small and light, has quick and quiet autofocus (in fact, I really wouldn't recommend using it in MF mode; the STM means that the focus ring is an electronic actuator, and isn't physically connected to the lens optics), and has cracking image quality. 40mm is a very handy focal length, too.

I've often thought that the 40mm mounted on a Canon 100D would make a very portable travel/work camera.
 
Only two recent pancakes from Canon (that I know of). The EF 40mm F2.8 and the EF-S 24mm F2.8

Reasonably good IQ and reasonably wide aperture. Small in weight and size but no IS and a reasonable price.
 
At the moment, I'm using a 24mm EF-S STM on my 70d, rather than my Canon 17-55. 2 main reasons - weight saving/portability and the STM lens allows video autofocus without the "clicking" being heard on the audio track.
 
Just bought the 24mm pancake to replace my kit lens. It's excellent image quality wise compared to the kit lens. Use the the 50mm if I need something longer.
 
I will be looking for a pancake lens to put on a CSC body. Small enough to be put in a pouch and put in a small bag. My daughter is getting older and I want a light camera for her as well as a small backup for me.
 
Yeah, I wondered if the OP had confused pancakes and primes.

Its more of a case of I don't know what I'm on about! lol.

could someone please explain what the definition of a "prime" and "pancake" lenses are?
 
Its more of a case of I don't know what I'm on about! lol.

could someone please explain what the definition of a "prime" and "pancake" lenses are?

A prime lens is a fixed focal length, ie it doesn't zoom. A pancake lens is a really really compact lens, normally a prime, but Olympus now do a pancake zoom. It's called a pancake due to it being very short in physical length (but not necessarily focal length).
 
Thanks for explaining.

So is the image quality from a prime lens better that that of a zoom lens?
 
Thanks for explaining.

So is the image quality from a prime lens better that that of a zoom lens?
As a huge generalisation, Yes.

But they're also faster, cheaper, and much less convenient to use.

That said, zooms teach people really bad habits about use of focal length. Where they believe that staying in one place and zooming to change what is in a shot is the right thing. Which totally ignores that focal length choice and position is how we manipulate the relationship between objects.
 
As a huge generalisation, Yes.

But they're also faster, cheaper, and much less convenient to use.

That said, zooms teach people really bad habits about use of focal length. Where they believe that staying in one place and zooming to change what is in a shot is the right thing. Which totally ignores that focal length choice and position is how we manipulate the relationship between objects.

Well said Phil. I started wanting zoom lenses, was obsessed with them. I started using primes and my photography and results changed, I started to think more. I used reebok zoom to find the framing i wanted. I could almost instinctively see a image i wanted to take and know what lens i needed. I always kept zooms though. They are handy as backups even if you are a prime only shooter.
 
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