Baby Rabies
  • Start Here
    • About Baby Rabies
    • Baby Registry Top Picks
    • Favorite Pregnancy Apps
  • The Book
  • Pregnancy
    • Birth Stories
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
  • Parenthood
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • School Age Kids
    • Parenting LOLZ
  • Photography
    • Photography

      6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were…

      February 11, 2019

      Photography

      Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your…

      December 13, 2018

      Photography

      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

      December 6, 2018

      Photography

      Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great…

      November 27, 2018

      Photography

      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

  • Reviews
    • Reviews

      The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For…

      December 19, 2018

      Reviews

      I Was Never A Barbie Girl Until Now

      October 1, 2018

      Reviews

      Finally! Jeans For My Jean-Averse Kids!

      August 22, 2018

      Reviews

      If Your Kid Loves Dump Trucks & Garbage…

      August 13, 2018

      Reviews

      Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part…

      September 4, 2017

  • Subscribe

Baby Rabies

pregnancy & parenting

  • Start Here
    • About Baby Rabies
    • Baby Registry Top Picks
    • Favorite Pregnancy Apps
  • The Book
  • Pregnancy
    • Birth Stories
    • Perinatal Mood Disorders
  • Parenthood
    • Babies
    • Toddlers
    • School Age Kids
    • Parenting LOLZ
  • Photography
    • Photography

      6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were…

      February 11, 2019

      Photography

      Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your…

      December 13, 2018

      Photography

      I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is…

      December 6, 2018

      Photography

      Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great…

      November 27, 2018

      Photography

      Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On…

      November 19, 2018

  • Reviews
    • Reviews

      The Answer To Last Minute Holiday Gifting For…

      December 19, 2018

      Reviews

      I Was Never A Barbie Girl Until Now

      October 1, 2018

      Reviews

      Finally! Jeans For My Jean-Averse Kids!

      August 22, 2018

      Reviews

      If Your Kid Loves Dump Trucks & Garbage…

      August 13, 2018

      Reviews

      Nobody Tell My Kids ABC Mouse Is Part…

      September 4, 2017

  • Subscribe
Photography

This Lens Changes Everything- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens

by Jill February 7, 2014
February 7, 2014

PancakeLens

I now have 2 favorite lenses for my Canon 6D DSLR. Okay, I only have 2 lenses for it, but I love them both equally for different reasons.

My Sigma 35 1.4 is a dream. It’s sharp, it’s fast, it takes stunning pictures inside my home, even in tight spots.

It’s also really heavy and pretty expensive. So it doesn’t make it out of the house very often when I’m out with the kids.

I sold my beloved 50 1.4 because it just seemed glitchy on my 6D. I couldn’t always rely on it to focus, for some reason. It’s possible it needed another tune up, but instead of paying for that, I let it go for a steal, and used part of that to fund a lens I’d heard a ton of great things about, the Canon 40mm  2.8 pancake lens.

Now, on paper it doesn’t seem that stellar.* The aperture is definitely far from the 1.4 of my 50 and 35. But what it lacks there it makes up for in the lack of size.

In the words of my daughter, “Awww! So wittle, tiny, cuuuuute!”

This thing makes my camera feel like a point and shoot. It’s so small that I don’t have to worry about knocking against things as I walk with my camera slung over my shoulder.

And so cheap (relatively, in the world of lenses) that I don’t worry too much about it getting damaged. Amazon has it listed for $191 right now.

It also takes pretty great pictures. Here are a few from around the house.

IMG_9930 IMG_9927 IMG_9926 IMG_9958

And here are some I snapped in New Orleans last weekend, where I wouldn’t have even bothered lugging my camera with me with my 35 1.4 on it.

IMG_9998 IMG_0019 IMG_0002

All of these were shot at 2.8, with slight adjustments made in Lightroom, like some noise reduction and minor sharpening.

I am so excited about this little powerful lens. It makes me feel so much more free to take the “fancy” camera out of the house.

My Sigma 35 1.4 will still be my dream lens (for now), and will still live on my camera most of the time I’m in the house, but the 40 mm has certainly earned it’s place in my camera bag.

*Aperture affects the amount of light that comes into the lens. The smaller the number the more “wide open” the aperture is, and the more light that can get in. So a 1.4 aperture lets in more light than a 2.8, and is better in lower light situations, like indoors. This isn’t a huge issue for me with the 40 2.8 lens because my 6D camera body allows me to shoot at higher ISO without too much noise, and 2.8 is plenty wide for most outdoor shots I take.


50 Things to Do Before You Deliver: The First Time Moms Pregnancy Guide
Available now: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

  • 29
    Shares
best camera lens for traveling with kidscanon 40 mm lens reviewpancake lens
previous post
I Think I Should Blog About My Husband More
next post
Let It Be, And Let Him Nom An Avocado

Keep reading

6 Stunning Photos You Would Never Guess Were...

Simple Tips For Editing Snow Photos On Your...

I Wrote A Photography eBook And This Is...

Creative Lighting Ideas To Help You Take Great...

Learn How To Take And Edit Photos On...

I’ll Never Apologize For These Selfies

This Photographer’s Project Takes A Stand Against Mommy...

Moms, Direct Your Own Photos

Get Inspired By These Baby Photo Ideas- Birth...

Work Smarter, Not Harder- This Service Will Design...

17 comments

Sara R February 7, 2014 - 12:32 pm

I love your crisp pictures!! I could afford the lens but not the camera 🙁 I stick with my iphone for now. but I enjoy your pictures!

Reply
Jill February 7, 2014 - 12:34 pm

Thanks, Sara! I imagine the lens works equally well on the Rebel cameras. My first camera was a Rebel (much less expensive than the 6D) and it really served me well. iPhone pictures can be pretty amazing, too. 🙂

Reply
Stephanie February 7, 2014 - 12:47 pm

I always love to hear product reviews! Honestly would have never considered a 40 mm. I long for the Sigma 35 but it is currently a dream 🙂

Sort of unrelated but I could have sworn you had a 5dmkIII?

Reply
Tracy @ The UnCoordinated Mommy February 8, 2014 - 1:42 am

Oooh I love the size of that thing! I totally beat the crap out of mine when it’s slung over my shoulder with my 50 1.8 or god forbid my kit lens. I can’t afford a 35 right now, but this would widen my shots a tad but more. I just have a rebel but I mostly shoot at home and we have a TON of natural light in our new house so I think I would be ok with the 2.8. Definitely a great tip! Thanks for sharing!

Reply
canol February 8, 2014 - 2:25 am

This Lens Changes Everything- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens http://t.co/oPlfFFj5en

Reply
cierniak February 8, 2014 - 5:31 am

This Lens Changes Everything- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens http://t.co/WLeoMBkh6g

Reply
leontinker February 8, 2014 - 1:18 pm

This Lens Changes Everything- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens http://t.co/KPqlcO5jkQ

Reply
TBManInc February 8, 2014 - 5:20 pm

Este lente transforma todo lo que toma- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens (via @Pocket) – http://t.co/SxfFu1lKxe

Reply
ewd February 9, 2014 - 7:07 am

This Lens Changes Everything- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens c.c @danwet http://t.co/YdtMDKF8oy

Reply
viktordite February 9, 2014 - 9:44 am

This Lens Changes Everything- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens http://t.co/0JksOPl6Qq

Reply
ingewall February 9, 2014 - 6:21 pm

This Lens Changes Everything- Canon 40mm Pancake Lens http://t.co/pEe0oUxBuC

Reply
Tiffany | Peanut Blossom March 1, 2014 - 8:53 am

Ugh, I think you just cost me $191 Jill! This post has been sitting at the back of my brain since you shared it. We’re heading to Disneyland in April and I’m thinking the 40 has to come along for the ride. Last year I shot Disney World exclusively with my 50 so I’m pretty sure this will do the trick. Last summer you pushed me into a 6D, now this? Stop buying gear please. 😉

Reply
Maria Giannadakis Angelopoulos May 9, 2014 - 7:11 pm

Adding this to my wish list! It does look tiny on the 6D! I noticed that niether the 35mm or the 40mm are stablized lenses? i find with kids they move when you least expect and then so do i! i have a non stablized lens now (24-70 f/2.4 on my 6D) and need to go to 1/200 or faster to compensate for movement but when i do i cut down on light (which is limited to begin with indoors) 🙁 can up the ISO but then has too much noise for my liking ;( Any suggestions?

Reply
How To Get Great Pictures At Disney World May 30, 2014 - 4:45 pm

[…] I got all of these shots with only my 40mm pancake lens on my Canon 6D. You can read more about my love for my pancake lens here. Maybe consider bringing wide-angle, fisheye, and macro lenses for your phone (like these) to get a […]

Reply
jay June 9, 2014 - 11:12 pm

Interesting what you said about the 50 – I have the same lens and while I loved it on my Rebel(s) I have not loved it on the 6d. Can’t explain it really. It misses focus a lot, and front focuses some. (etc).

I had a 40mm with the last Rebel I had, then sold it (then the rebel).

I just bought a Fuji x-t1 as a travel camera, and I am finding it impossible to use. I think the 6d (which I’m ok with) and a 40mm might be a great travel (Disney!) system.

If the weight is even close I will save myself over $1k going that route.

You have any thoughts about that?

Reply
Jill June 21, 2014 - 3:32 pm

Hey Jay! I’m in a FB group with many 6D users and so many have lost the love for their 50 on the 6D body. I don’t know exactly what it is, but focus is a big issue for a lot of us with it. I think the 6D and the 40mm combo is perfect for travel and out and about. You have a fantastic body and a pretty great lens to start with, then you can add more expensive glass as your budget allows.

Reply
Baby Rabies | Pictures From Inside The White House- Free To Download March 18, 2016 - 3:09 pm

[…] bring my 85 1.8. The pictures from within the parlor rooms were all shot with my pancake lens (oh, how I love that lens for traveling), but when we got to our table, I switched to my […]

Reply

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

@babyrabies

Instagram has returned invalid data.

Buy Jill’s Book

50 Things to Do Before You Deliver: The First Time Moms Pregnancy Guide

Up Your Phone Photography

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

©2019 | BabyRabies.com


Back To Top