These are the best pancake zoom lenses when you want pocket-size versatility, quick AF, and clean everyday images for travel, street, family, and café interiors—without the bulk of a standard zoom—and here’s what to look for as you buy: prefer truly compact retractable/collapsible designs that keep balance tidy on small bodies, quiet linear AF (nice for video), useful wide ends (24–28mm FF / 12–18mm APS-C/MFT) for tight spaces, reliable stabilization (or strong IBIS pairing), respectable close-focus for detail shots, and good flare control since tiny barrels often lack deep hoods; expect modest apertures (ƒ3.5–6.3) and a stop or two of corner improvement when you close down—pancake zooms trade speed for size. Full-frame standouts: Sony FE 28–60mm ƒ4–5.6 (the modern reference for tiny FF zooms—sharp stopped a touch, great travel combo), Nikon Z 24–50mm ƒ4–6.3 (collapsible, featherlight, surprisingly crisp), Canon RF 24–50mm ƒ4.5–6.3 IS (compact with IS for handhelds), and Panasonic Lumix S 20–60mm ƒ3.5–5.6 (not a literal pancake but close in size with a uniquely wide 20mm for interiors). APS-C pocket heroes: Sony E PZ 16–50mm ƒ3.5–5.6 OSS (true pancake power zoom—gimbal-friendly, stabilized), Nikon Z DX 16–50mm ƒ3.5–6.3 VR (collapsible, very sharp for its size, great street/travel starter), Fujifilm XC 15–45mm ƒ3.5–5.6 OIS PZ (ultra-light power zoom with useful 15mm wide), Canon RF-S 18–45mm ƒ4.5–6.3 IS STM (tiny, stabilized walk-around), Canon EF-M 15–45mm ƒ3.5–6.3 IS STM (legacy mirrorless favorite, flat and light), and Pentax DA 18–50mm ƒ4–5.6 DC WR RE (retractable, weather-resistant compact for K-mount APS-C). Micro Four Thirds mini marvels: Panasonic Lumix G 12–32mm ƒ3.5–5.6 (credit-card small, punchy optics), Panasonic 14–42mm ƒ3.5–5.6 PZ X Vario (pancake power zoom with motorized control for video), and Olympus M.Zuiko 14–42mm ƒ3.5–5.6 EZ (true pancake with snappy AF and handy close focus). Practical buyer tips: pick a 24/28–50/60mm FF zoom if you want the smallest travel combo and don’t need tele reach, or choose an APS-C/MFT 12/14/15–45/50 for wider interiors and lighter rigs; pair with IBIS bodies when possible to overcome slower apertures; power-zoom versions are great for smooth video framing and one-handed use, while manual retractables win for battery life and tactile feel; standardize filter sizes with slim step-up rings to use one CPL/VND without vignetting; shop kit-bundle versions used—many are optically better than their reputation and cost very little. Pancake-zoom shooting tips: set Auto ISO with a sane floor shutter (≈1/125s for people), stop down 2/3–1 stop from wide open for corner discipline while keeping backgrounds pleasant, use IBIS/IS to handhold at dusk but brace on doorframes or posts for extra stability, keep a tiny soft hood on to cut flare (or your hand as a flag), lean into the close-focus at the wide end for dynamic foregrounds, and use power zooms to make micro-reframes in video without wobble; travel with a pocket filter wallet and one spare battery—the joy of pancake zooms is that you forget the camera is there until a shot appears, and these lenses keep you nimble, discreet, and ready.