..first lens I got with the original M, as well as the defunct 18-55mm.
Decent close up macro-ish photography with good Bokeh.
Great low profile street photography lens with F2.
ITs always in my bag and is the goto for group people shots
Shot friends discreetly. On the M3, I would tilt the flash back and have it bounce off the ceiling, creating great toplight for the subjects with a BG falloff of like a stop. Shooting at iso 1600-6400, the ambient light is about a stop or more down (typically a bar) and the iso is high enough for the built flash to cover the few feet that you need with 22mm(35mm FF equiv) field of view. Example below
resized for web, otherwise untouched jpg from M3 using F2 22mm pancake lens.
Great form factor but the extending lens barrel scares me a far as reliability, i.e. not as rugged as I'd like. Thats a lot of surfae that can be pushed in and have the gears stripped. Think canon's F1.4 50mm lens build. That being said, its lasted me since the M release.
Lenscap adds like 1/4 to the length. I say ditch the orig lens cap, get the EW-43 lens hood. It helps prevent your fingers from contacting lens. I have that instead of a protective lens. The Vello version is cheaper than the canon.
I also got the Sensei 43mm Screw-in metal lens cap. This helps reduce the profile to the lens. Not as fast as a push release, but whats the rush? Lens cap is ply on when its in the bag. When the lens/camera is out, the above lens hod does the protecting. I always tell novices that if the camera is out, the lens cap is off! Get a lens hood to "protect" the lens while its out, as well as UV filter. Lenscaps are for bags.
However its a prime, which it owes its IQ to, and you have to zoom with your feet. Its more of a purist photographers lens than a consumer one. The current 15-45 is what canon's is pushing as a kit lens which is more versatile (24-72mm FF equiv) with IS, built for video. However for me, personally, how I shoot, I feel more confident with the F2 22mm prime. thx for reading.