The rising trend for compact cameras has similarly driven up prices – and many photographers are instead hacking mirrorless cameras with a pancake lens to create a smaller system without the wait or high price of trendy cameras. But is the trend towards compact cameras also driving up sales for tiny pancake lenses? The Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR is a small pancake lens that’s arguably the best way to make a Fujifilm mirrorless camera feel more like the trendy X100VI – but I can't find it in stock at major retailers in the US.
The Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR is a small lens that makes a mirrorless camera feel a bit more like a compact camera. The lens is close to the 23mm f/2.0 specifications for the built-in lens on the Fujifilm X100VI. I’ve been eyeing the 27mm over the last few months as a way to potentially make the camera that I already have feel like a X100VI for $400 / £419 / AU$646, but it seems the lens is out of stock at major retailers in the US.
Fujifilm’s US store lists the lens as out of stock. Similarly, it’s not currently showing as in stock from Adorama, B&H, Amazon, or Moment. I suspect the popularity of the X100VI has something to do with the lens’ sudden stock issues. And, with the lens appearing to be available from a few spots in the UK, the new US tariffs could also be coming into play.
Thankfully, the wait for the Fujifilm XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR doesn’t seem to be as long as the US waiting list for the temporarily paused pre-orders on the X100VI. Adorama lists an expected availability date of May 20. I hope that’s the case.
The advantage of a compact camera is right there in the name. The format is seeing a resurgence as younger generations embrace digital minimalism and small cameras trend on social media. But those trends make some of the most in-demand compacts more expensive than some mirrorless systems. Pairing the Fujifilm X-M5 with the 27mm, for example, costs less than the X100VI (although it lacks a viewfinder and has a lower resolution, and the X-M5 is similarly hard to find in the US).
Trading a compact camera for a mirrorless camera with a pancake certainly won’t create a camera system as small as options like the Ricoh GR III HDF, but it does create a small-ish system that has the ability to swap lenses as needed. This, of course, depends heavily on what body and lens you buy, as travel mirrorless cameras are far smaller than some larger bodies, and a small pancake is key.
You may also like
Don't want to wait? The TTArtisan AF 27mm f/2.8 isn't quite as good, but it's a good budget alternative to Fujifilm's pancake. Or, browse my favorite camera-pancake combinations for creating a small mirrorless kit or the best pancake lenses.
