The point-and-shoot has returned with a vengeance \u2013 but as with any trendy product, prices of the portable camera format have skyrocketed. As a photographer with two mirrorless cameras already in my bag, I have a hard time justifying spending found figures on a compact camera with a large sensor hidden inside. The next best thing? Twisting a tiny pancake lens on a mirrorless instead.<\/p>\n
A pancake lens gets its name from a size so small that it resembles the (delicious) breakfast food. These tiny lenses don\u2019t pack in as much pro-level features, but they make a mirrorless body much more portable. Pancake lenses are a great compact camera alternative for photographers who don\u2019t want to give up a big sensor or fork over the luxury prices of high-end point-and-shoots like the Fujifilm X100VI<\/a>, the Ricoh GR IV<\/a>, or the Sony RX1R III<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, many of the best pancake lenses<\/a> are only a few hundred dollars \u2013 and some even come in at under $100 if you don\u2019t mind a narrower aperture. I\u2019ve scoured the spring deals to find the top tiny lenses for less.<\/p>\n Article continues below <\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n You may also like<\/p>\n For more inspiration, browse the best pancake lenses<\/a>, or the best Amazon Spring Sale camera deals<\/a>.<\/p>\n