Canon RF Pancake Lens Guide

As you may have already noticed, I’m gradually getting back to writing articles on specific brands. This time, I’m going to talk about pancake lenses for the Canon RF mount. There are quite a few advantages to choosing pancake lenses: they are light, compact, very thin, perfect for street and travel photography, and they remain discreet. Above all, they avoid unnecessary bulk! By the way, if you like landscapes and wide shots, I’ve also prepared a comprehensive guide to the best Canon RF wide-angle lenses.

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

As I was saying, we are talking about a mount that is still newer than some others. So the selection remains limited. I would say there are mainly two options available to you: one autofocus lens and one manual-focus lens. If you are looking for a pancake lens for the Canon RF mount, you do not have many other choices for now.

The Canon RF 28mm f/2.8 STM, available since May 2023, is the first pancake lens designed for the RF mount. It stands out for its compact size: just 24.7 mm long and weighing 120 g. Its 28 mm focal length is fairly unusual and works very well for street, travel, and everyday photography.

The construction of this lens is, of course, minimalist. Its plastic barrel keeps the weight down, while the finish remains perfectly acceptable. Its optical design uses 8 elements in 6 groups, including 3 PMo aspherical elements. For the record, it is not stabilized. Its minimum focusing distance is 23 cm, with 0.17× maximum magnification.

In terms of optical performance, even wide open at f/2.8, 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 naturally limited. That is not surprising with this focal length, combined with an f/2.8 aperture and a 7-blade diaphragm.

In short, 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 and its fairly simple build, the lens offers excellent compactness and, above all, strong optical performance. What’s more, it offers good value for money. Honestly, this Canon lens is ideal for everyday or travel photography.

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

Launched in 2022, the Laowa 15 mm f/5 Cookie RF is a compact, lightweight, ultra-wide-angle pancake lens for full-frame cameras. It weighs around 158 g depending on the version and remains extremely short, which clearly positions it as a compact alternative to other full-frame ultra-wide lenses.

As for its build, there is nothing to complain about: this lens feels solid and reliable, with a metal barrel. It includes 13 elements in 9 groups. On the other hand, the Canon RF version is fully manual, with no autofocus, no optical stabilization, and no 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 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 because it is compact, lightweight, and genuinely original. Thanks to its 110° field of view, it works well for landscape, architecture, and everyday street photography. Put simply, if you are willing to use manual focus and accept a rather modest aperture, this is a lens worth considering. It is 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 in detail below.

Released in September 2022, the Laowa 10 mm f/4 Cookie is an ultra-wide-angle pancake lens designed for APS-C mirrorless cameras. Its main strengths include its full-frame equivalent focal length of about 16 mm, its 109.3° field of view, and its compact dimensions: just 25 mm long and 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 elements and 2 aspherical elements. Its minimum focusing distance goes down to 10 cm, which allows good close-up shots, 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 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. It is particularly well suited to landscape and architecture photography. If its fully manual operation is not an issue for you, this ultra-wide-angle pancake lens can be a great everyday companion.

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 more 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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