Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through one of our partners, at no additional cost to you. This helps support our ongoing efforts to keep this site operating.
A pancake lens is a camera lens that is very thin and flat. This type of lens is often used in photography because it is easy to carry around and takes up very little space. They are a popular option for many travel photographers because you don’t look like a typical tourist carrying around a DSLR with a giant lens on it. If you want to remain more inconspicuous, pancake lenses allow you to take great photographs without drawing too much attention to yourself.
While they may be small in form-factor, Fujifilm pancake lens options deliver high performance with solid build-quality. Let’s take a look among the best Fuji lenses at what pancake lens options are available to you as a Fujifilm photographer.
Fujinon XF27mmF2.8 R WR
What I Liked:
- Compact and lightweight
- Decent image quality across all apertures
- Good focal length for a variety of photography styles
What I Didn't Like:
- Limited bokeh capability
- Autofocus is a bit noisy
The Fujinon XF18mmF2 R is another Fuji pancake lens available for X mount cameras. It has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 27mm, so you’ll be able to capture more of a scene compared to the 41mm equivalent on the XF27mmF2.8 R WR.
It has a shorter minimum focusing distance of 18cm versus 34cm on the 27mm lens. This will allow you to get closer to your subjects, but with a wider field of view, don’t expect amazing macro shots or anything. Keep in mind there are no weather seals on this lens, so you will have to be mindful of when you decide to use this lens.
Fujinon XF18mmF2 R
What I Liked:
- Compact and lightweight
- Solid build quality
- Good focal length for wide-angle street or travel photography
What I Didn't Like:
- No weather sealing
- Slower autofocus than other Fuji options
My pick for the best wide-angle zoom lens for Fuji is the Fujinon XF 10–24mmF4 R OIS WR. While this isn't the widest zoom lens in the X-series lineup, I recommend it due to its affordability and better focal length range for most photographers.
It provides a 35mm equivalent focal length range of 15-36mm and a constant maximum aperture of f/4. While that maximum aperture may not seem as appealing as f/2.8, keep in mind that most images you take with this lens won't need a shallow depth of field. In landscape or architectural photography, you'll most often land somewhere in the f/8–11 range.
Fujinon GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR
What I Liked:
- Compact and lightweight for travel and street photography
- Linear motor for quick and quiet autofocusing
- Great flare control for bright conditions
What I Didn't Like:
- Minimum focusing distance isn't very close (1.8 feet)
- Lacks optical image stabilization
The Fujinon GF50mmF3.5 R LM WR is a compact, lightweight lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length of 40mm. This is just 1mm difference in effective focal length compared to the X Mount option above.
The 50mm lens is the Fuji pancake lens for G Mount camera bodies, coming in at 48mm long and weighing 335g. While that is significantly heavier than the X Mount pancake lens, we found it still very light compared to the rest of the GFX line. It has a maximum aperture of f/3.5, but since most GFX camera sensors are medium format, you’ll find the depth of field quite shallow.
The GF50mmF3.5 has a linear motor for autofocusing which we found reliable. This keeps the lens portable, while still maintaining the silence and speed you expect from Fujifilm.
I like that this is weather resistant like all G Mount lenses for protection no matter where you’re shooting. As with all three lenses on this list, the GF50mmF3.5 doesn’t have OIS, but the latest GFX cameras have in-body image stabilization to help combat vibration reduction when you’re shooting at lower shutter speeds or handheld.