![]() ![]() Also, when opened I discovered that all of lens rims had to be repainted because blackening was torn to pieces due to its age. optics, but totally covered with oil from inside and aperture was stuck solid. Some time ago I've got a from a friend a M39 Helios 44 58/2 lens, 13 blades, with almost mint, non scratched, no fungus, no separation etc. To be honest, this review is very subjective because I tend to like almost every lens based on classic Zeiss Biotar design. Sharpness: 8 Aberrations: 7 Bokeh: 9 Handling: 9 Value: 8 Camera Used: K-1II Most of them would need full CLA and adjustment to be used with m42 adapter & focus on infinity Warm color rendition, very sharp wide open, great joy to use These are often ridiculously hyped up online and subsequently cost-inflated. So what some folks say about older Helios lenses giving better bokeh and overall performance is debatable.Īs these lenses are shiny and make people attracted to shone drool, the costs are so inflated that this lens is rendered to being a money pit for the collector with cash to burn. Close up bokeh is interesting, but nothing different than a same spec black Helios 58mm F2. It's just not as good as a black Helios 44 58mm. On the downside, infinity is poor and focus is soft at all f-stops. Both are good reasons to buy if you are a collector of pretty lenses. ![]() Neither are reasons to buy this lens if you simply want good photos. It's also got more blades so people will assume it will take better circular "buttery bubbly bokeh" (which is a myth as bokeh is best at low F-stops when a non-shiny Helios is going to be open and therefore pretty much circular in aperture anyway). This lens is shiny silver so many people will buy it just for this feature. Just adding an adaptor will do nothing in itself. You have to make internal adjustments to get the M39 39mm mount lens working on an M42 camera mount. ![]() Sharpness: 7 Aberrations: 8 Bokeh: 8 Handling: 8 Value: 4 Camera Used: Film and Full Frame Digital Tips on using Helios 44 with pentax M42 adapter (loose fit, light leakage around mount edge) see this thread. Pic 5 shows my Helios 44 fitted with a 40mm taper washer (see link below) to prevent any light leaks around the mount - the narrow base does not cover the gap between a M42-PK adapter and the K mount. Logos here), however this is an 8 blade variant from rather later -1960's. One shows an MMZ Minsk mechanical factory made example (see My example is a bit too worn and scratched to provide a review. ![]() Most 44's are M42 mount, as mentioned early ones are M39 screw fitting (but same registration distance as M42, a cheap M39 to M42 adapter is all that is required), and later some were made in PK mount - the 44-K-4's see listings.Īlso according to Camerapedia, the Helios nomenclature is: Helios-44X-N, where X -is the index of lens mount (M for m42 thread, K for Pentax K bayonet, Д for Zenit-D bayonet) and N is a optical resolution index 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (the higher number the higher is an optical resolution of lens). The 44 soon acquired the black finish, 8 blade iris and looks of the most common Helios the 44-2. The earliest ones have a cyrillic letter on the nameplate and "5.8cm" rather than "58mm". (serial numbers where the first two digits indicate the date came later and on other lenses, not the 44's). According to his thread the 13 blade ones are all KMZ with serial numbers up to 02xxxxx. No-x on mflenses has put together a list of helios variants. According to Camerapedia it is not quite the original first manufactured at KMZ Kraznogorsk Mechanical Plant (manufacturer of Zenith cameras) in 1957, that was Helios bayonet mount and 40.5mm filter thread rather than my M39, 49mm filter example. This is an early model Helios 44, with distinctive 13 blade iris. The Helios 44 range is well known to be Russian made clones of the Zeiss Biotar. ![]()
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