Canon RF Pancake Lens Guide

As you may have already noticed, I’m gradually resuming writing articles on specific brands. This time, I’m going to talk to you about pancake lenses for the Canon RF mount. Indeed, there are quite a few advantages to choosing pancake lenses: they are lightweight, compact, very thin, perfect for street and travel photography, while remaining discreet. And above all, without the bulk! By the way, if you like landscapes and wide shots, note that I’ve prepared a comprehensive guide to the best Canon RF wide-angle lenses.

We agree, the Canon RF mount is much newer than, say, Sony FE. For that reason, the selection is still more limited for this mount (for now). But there are still a few options that I find interesting.

As I was saying, we’re talking about a mount that is still “newer” than others. So the selection is still limited. But I’d say there are mainly two options available to you: an autofocus lens and a manual-focus lens. If you’re looking for a pancake lens for the Canon RF mount, you won’t have any other choice for now.

The Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM, available since May 2023, stands as the first pancake lens for the RF mount. It stands out for its compact size: just 2.47 cm long and weighing 120 g. Its 28 mm focal length is fairly uncommon and is perfect for street, travel, or everyday photography.

The construction of this lens is, of course, minimalist. Specifically, its plastic barrel is lightweight, while the finish is quite acceptable. Its optical design uses 8 elements in 6 groups, including two aspherical lenses. For the record, it is not stabilized. Its minimum focusing distance is 23 cm, giving 0.17× magnification.

In terms of optical performance, even wide open at f/2.8 the sharpness is excellent in the center, though the edges lag a little behind. To improve uniformity from center to edges, you need to stop down to f/4 or f/5.6. On the downside, vignetting is fairly pronounced, although it can be corrected in post-processing. Distortion is also noticeable. But chromatic aberrations are well controlled. Finally, the bokeh is of course limited. That’s not surprising with this focal length, coupled with an f/2.8 aperture and a 7-blade diaphragm.

In a nutshell, the Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM is an excellent option for the RF mount. Even though it has some limitations, such as the lack of stabilization or its somewhat plastic build, the lens offers great compactness and above all strong optical performance. What’s more, it offers good value for money. Honestly, this Canon is ideal for everyday or travel photography.

You’ve got it, pancake lenses are very appealing for shooting inconspicuously while you travel. By the way, I recommend taking a look at our article on the best versatile Canon lenses, which are good allies to consider for your trips.

Launched in 2022, the Laowa 15 mm f/5 Cookie RF is an ultra-wide-angle lens that is compact and very light (pancake). It weighs only 120 g and measures between 25 and 35 mm in length. It clearly positions itself as a compact alternative to other full-frame ultra-wide lenses.

As for its build, there’s nothing to complain about: this lens is solid and reliable with its metal barrel. It includes 13 elements in 9 groups, with two aspherical lenses, two high-refractive-index (HR) glasses, and four low-dispersion elements. On the other hand, it lacks stabilization, autofocus, and weather sealing. The minimum focusing distance is 12 cm, with a magnification ratio of 0.2×. In terms of performance, sharpness is quite good in the center even wide open. For better uniformity, simply stop down to f/8 or f/11. Vignetting is visible wide open but remains discreet and easy to correct in post-production. Chromatic aberrations are well controlled, while flare is moderate.

In short, the Laowa 15 mm f/5 Cookie RF is appealing for its compact and lightweight nature. Thanks to its 110° field of view, it works well for landscape, architecture, or everyday street photography. Put simply, if you’re willing to go with manual focus and a rather modest aperture, this is the lens for you! It’s original, effective, and above all easy to carry.

The summary table below compares these lenses.

For your information, we have also written a complete article on Canon RF macro lenses.

As of the writing of this article, there are simply no Canon RF pancake lenses with autofocus for APS-C bodies. However, there is one option available with manual focus: the Laowa 10 mm f/4 Cookie RF-S. I present it to you in detail below.

Released in September 2022, the Laowa 10 mm f/4 Cookie is an ultra-wide-angle pancake lens suited to APS-C mirrorless cameras. Among its main strengths are its full-frame equivalent focal length of about 16 mm, its 109.3° field of view, and its compact dimensions (25 mm long and weighing 130 g).

As for construction, it is both simple and well executed. The lens is manual, with no built-in autofocus or stabilization. Its optical formula is based on 12 elements in 8 groups, with 4 ultra-low-dispersion lenses and 2 aspherical lenses. Its minimum focusing distance goes down to 10 cm, which allows good close-ups even with magnification limited to 0.15×. In terms of performance, the lens offers good uniformity from center to edges. Distortion is very well controlled thanks to the optical design. However, vignetting remains pronounced, even though it can always be corrected in post-production. Finally, chromatic aberrations are rather well contained.

To conclude, if you are looking for a lens that is above all discreet, compact, and practical, the Laowa 10 mm f/4 Cookie is an interesting choice for you. It is particularly well suited to landscape and architecture photography. If its manual construction is not an issue for you, this ultra-wide is the perfect ally to take everywhere with you.

I’ll stop here for this article on the best Canon RF pancake lenses. Although the selection is still limited for now, I hope this guide has helped you make your choice. Of course, as soon as third-party brands release pancake lenses for this mount, I will add them to this article!

In the meantime, if you’re interested in this mount, I invite you to read our guide to the best Canon RF lenses.

See you soon for another photography article!

Written by Sylvain PONS

I've been passionate about photography since 2010, learning as I went along. Today, I dedicate myself to guiding others in their choice of camera gear and sharing a variety of tips to improve their photography skills.

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