The 40mm 'Pancake' is a transformative lens!

Transformative in terms of the level of portability it gives my 5DII!

I am on my second of two business trips to Germany this summer. For my first trip, I rented a 17-40L and took my 85/1.8 and 135L. I also took my Galaxy Nexus smartphone. Guess what? Aside from the real important work appointments, I found myself leaving the 5DII in the hotel room and using my phone during after-hours. The 17-40 performed admirably but it's just not a fun lens to me. Not like the 16-35LII which I owned and sold. I put the 17-40 up there with the 24-105L. I have bought and sold that lens twice. Both are versatile but not fun to use.

So I was home between trips for 10 days. My real desire is to buy the 24-70LII but that couldn't happen. I also thought about renting the Tamron 28-75. (I briefly owned and returned the Tamron 24-70VC.) Instead, I took a small $200 risk and just bought the Pancake!

And I am glad I did! Now the 5DII goes with me at the end of the day. Images are sharp! Bokeh is good. Yes, one does need a second of more patience for auto focus as compared to the 85/1.8 or 135L but its versatility more than makes up for this! I even like the versatility of 40mm!

What a great buy!

So my advice to all the fence-sitters: just drop $200 and do it!

Agree with you.
I would rather travel light yet still be able to take great pictures than carrying all my gears then being undecided what to bring.

I was torn between getting an X100 but then I tested the pancake on the 5Dii and holy crap is it ever small and light now and immediately snagged the last pancake.
It's still in the box as I havent gone to any holidays yet but there have been times where I had no issues walking around with just my M6 + 40mm 1.4 lens

$199 state side, £199 in the UK. Not sure what happened to the exchange rate there, other than to say it's another example of rip-off UK.

Sorarse wrote in post #14796682
$199 state side, £199 in the UK. Not sure what happened to the exchange rate there, other than to say it's another example of rip-off UK.

Part of that will be VAT although I agree pounds for dollars =

That small form factor is one of the reasons I ended up with the Voigtlander 40mm. Had the Canon been available at the time, I probably would have given up f2 for f2.8 to gain AF.

I ended up getting the equally small Voigtlander 20mm. And there is a Voigtlander 28mm recently announced too. All three Voigtlander combined would take up hardly any room if you wanted to travel light.

SchnellerGT wrote in post #14796593
Instead, I took a small $200 risk and just bought the Pancake!

And I am glad I did! Now the 5DII goes with me at the end of the day. Images are sharp! Bokeh is good. Yes, one does need a second of more patience for auto focus as compared to the 85/1.8 or 135L but its versatility more than makes up for this! I even like the versatility of 40mm!

What a great buy!

So my advice to all the fence-sitters: just drop $200 and do it!

Thanks for the insight! This really put me over the edge and convinced me to buy the pancake!

I also like to lug my 5DII everywhere, but my lenses have become too cumbersome for a casual day out. The pancake might be THE option to go for and I won't even have to get the new Canon Mirrorless or Sony's new P&S camera.

Has anyone also considered going backwards to a Rebel- for out and about ?

Sorarse wrote in post #14796682
$199 state side, £199 in the UK. Not sure what happened to the exchange rate there, other than to say it's another example of rip-off UK.

I heard something about import taxes being higher. Gotta keep the royal family paid I guess ;P

I don't understand the logic of the pancake lens on a dSLR. I'm very happy with my bulky 5D2 and grip with any of my bulky zooms fitted, it goes everywhere with me no problem at all.

Have you considered the 50 f/1.8, the 28 f/2.8, 24 f/2.8, 35 f/2? Small portable lenses have been around for Canon EOS for a long time now.

Cesium wrote in post #14799766
Have you considered the 50 f/1.8, the 28 f/2.8, 24 f/2.8, 35 f/2? Small portable lenses have been around for Canon EOS for a long time now.

Yes, but none of those are 200 bucks or less, besides the nifty-fifty, and I personally think the 40mm is the better lens between those two.

progressive.radiosity wrote in post #14796696
Part of that will be VAT although I agree pounds for dollars =

Yeah, that's always seemed a bit unfair to me that they just take whatever the U.S. price is and throw a pound symbol instead of the dollar sign, as if it were the same thing.

That's double the price if it's currently two-to-one (and I'm too lazy to open a tab and check the exchange rate, even though it would have taken less time than typing this sentence in parenthesis).


I realize you have higher taxes in the UK, but is it illegal to buy online from an American retailer and have a friend in the U.S. simply mail it to you?

Where I live I can purchase any piece of equipment for the price listed online, and not pay any taxes or any shipping charges. So if the lens says $199 online, that's precisely what I pay, and a couple days later the men in brown bring it to my door.


Without evading legalities, is it legal to have a friend purchase it for you, and then mail it through the postal service and declare it properly, paying the VAT or whatever? Still seems it would be cheaper than the $400 you are paying over there (if it's 2-1 on the exchange rate).

I'm torn on which way to go with the 40mm.

Currently I have the old trusty 28-135 USM IS, and although it's not regarded by many as a top lens in the mid-range category, it grew on me and it's a keeper as my walkabout lens.

I also have the nifty fifty, which is okay if you have time to set up your shot, but it's a cheapy thing and isn't a pancake like the 40mm.

So, I have a $210 with Best buy here in town, and was thinking of heading up there today to pick up either the 55-250 (I used to own it, should have kept it....good lens) or the 40mm pancake.

Part of me is thinking of getting the 40mm (better than the nifty fifty and more stealth, making the T2i small and able to fit into a very small pack on the waist for day trips), and then just sell the 50mm 1.8 or trade it for something like a simple 18-55 kit lens.

Any suggestions?

FWIW, I don't shoot anything specifically, just what catches my eye. I don't shoot for others anymore (portraits, sports, performances, etc.), just myself. Most of what I shoot now are landscapes, architecture, my family, the dogs, and indoor/outdoor still life. I don't do candid photos or street photography (unless I ask first), so I don't have to be stealthy, but love small. I don't like any of the point and shoots or mirrorless stuff out. Not for me.

Thanks

wayne.robbins wrote in post #14798778
Has anyone also considered going backwards to a Rebel- for out and about ?

I de-gripped my 450d and put the pancake on it. What a great little trave/walkabout rig.

The difference between the rebel, and my 7d (particularly gripped) is significant - perhaps less so with some other cameras.

You really don't give much up with that approach.

jim

My wife hates holding my 7D(gripped) to heavy for her *hahaha

really liking the reviews I've been seeing with this 'pancake lens, might have to grab one, can't go wrong for $200