Why canon never had pancake lenses

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daveandiputra

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As far as I know, from the FD to te EOS mount canon never had a pancake lenses while nikon and pentax always had. Now all knew that canon bodies always had small flange distance making it the most adaptable for other make lenses. Can it be for this small distance be the obstacle for designing a pancake?
 

altim

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Considering you can use other brands' pancakes with adapter, I don't think that is the case. They probably just didn't think it would sell :smile:
 

lxdude

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I heard they couldn't decide whether to make a pancake or not- all they did was waffle.
:wink:
 

erikg

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Canon didn't seem to be too concerned for size in their SLRs. Maybe they like waffles better.
 

Jeff Kubach

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I like waffles better, they hold more surple. The size of Canon SLR never really bother me.

Jeff
 
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daveandiputra

daveandiputra

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Considering you can use other brands' pancakes with adapter, I don't think that is the case. They probably just didn't think it would sell :smile:

But by adding adapter you're adding the flange distance :smile:

Either way this post is only a product of idle thinking :tongue: it could be it is only because they think it would not sell or other things.

Ps: I'm more into pancakes than waffles, it's more hands on and technique involving :D
 

benjiboy

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This is one of those questions that are best to get the answer for from the Canon Corporation.
 

Rol_Lei Nut

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At least in more recent years, Canon has solidly targeted PJs and sports photographers.
A pancake lens doesn't fit that image.

Huge white things as $&?§@€ enchancers/substitutes generate far more sales.... :wink:
 

holmburgers

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I once wondered the same thing.

Supposedly Voigtlander made a 40mm f/2 Ultron Aspherical for the Canon FD mount, but I can't find proof at the moment and furthermore I've never seen one for sale or anywhere online.
 

David A. Goldfarb

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Not pancakes, but I once tried to figure out what the most compact FD lenses were, and I think I came up with the 35/2.8 and 50/1.8.
 

Mackinaw

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As Harry pointed out, the FL-P 38mm for the Pellix is the only pancake lens Canon made. I have one sitting on my Pellix right now and it extends no more than an inch from the body. Bloody sharp lens too I must say.

Jim B.
 

darinwc

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Canon never seemed interested in making a compact camera. The smallest FD camera is the T60 which wasnt made by canon. The A-series is as close to small as they got and I would consider it more of a medium size. (I shoot olympus and I have some pentax ME's) They were reliable though.

In the EOS cameras (both film and digital), the big ass grips kinda take away from the compact feeling and I think a pancake would just feel funny.

Anyway, Pancake lenses are prone to flare anyway and I would rather have a lens with a deep throat like the Nikon 50mm f1.8 AF or 50mm f2.
 

hoffy

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At least in more recent years, Canon has solidly targeted PJs and sports photographers.
A pancake lens doesn't fit that image.

Huge white things as $&?§@€ enchancers/substitutes generate far more sales.... :wink:

As we have seen over recent years with the influx of LAMBWL photographers, the smaller the lens, the less the cred. Canon must have knew that years ago....

(Only Fridges and Washing machines come in white....)
 
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Someone post a link to the Praktica B200 to show what a true waffle camera looks like. When I think of Canon lenses I think of huge white telephotos at sporting events, which is what their marketing plan wants me to think, or "Wildlife as canon sees it".

David
 

spacer

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Maybe they were afraid we'd overdo it on the syrup. Tends to gunk up the works.
 

Markster

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Maybe they were afraid we'd overdo it on the syrup. Tends to gunk up the works.

Eggscuze me? You'd batter quit with the breakfast yolks -- I mean jokes! We can hash (browns) things out without such puns. Bacon yer pardon, but it had to be said.



Mmmm.... bacon..... :tongue:
 

spacer

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Hash! I haven't had breakfast yet!

Guess I'm off to the Petro. Oh, yeah... bacon!


Just to throw in to the topic so I'm not whipped with a spaghetti noodle: Most of my cameras are EOS, and I'd love a compact lens for 'em.
Was there perhaps something with the focal length and these bodies? Or was it purely a marketing decision?
 

holmburgers

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Not focal length, but flange focal distance. Though I'm sure they could still make one if they wanted, doze jurks.
 

MattKing

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I expect that the fact that each Canon EOS AF lens has its own focussing motor in it has something to do with the size of them.
 

lxdude

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Eggscuze me? You'd batter quit with the breakfast yolks -- I mean jokes! We can hash (browns) things out without such puns. Bacon yer pardon, but it had to be said.

I'm sure others would eggree, you've managed to syrup trouble by going to eggregious, eggravating eggstremes to opunly eggregate such punishingly punderous prose. If you do it in a cereal fashion, you shell be told to straighten up and fry right.


Mmmm.... bacon..... :tongue:

I can see that bacon a-grease with you.
 

spacer

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I'm sure others would eggree, you've managed to syrup trouble by going to eggregious, eggravating eggstremes to opunly eggregate such punishingly punderous prose. If you do it in a cereal fashion, you shell be told to straighten up and fry right.




I can see that bacon a-grease with you.

Hey! I resemble that remark! I tell ya, I never sausage a thing! :laugh:
 

David A. Goldfarb

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The two Voitlander manual-focus pancake lenses come in EOS mount (20/3.5 and 40/2), in response to the poster who asked about EOS pancakes.

Those don't come in FD mount or M42 mount, but maybe there's something else in M42 mount, which could work an FD camera.
 
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