![]() I agree, the 44-2 is a great lens to learn lens construction, it's relativity simple construction and it's built like a tank, you really have to try to mess one up. holds tools and small parts, and has run-off areas for screws to slide into if they slip out of your fingers/tools.īut doing up a Helios-44 can almost be fun. I can recommend getting one of these repair mats: Pull lenses apart on a tray - you will be glad you did. Hard to know how to start getting inside and full of odd springs and levers, little ball bearings that pop out as if fired by a cannon and flea size slot head screws whose lugs break off and tend to dance around and disappear on to the floor without any provocation. Some other lenses are monsters of complication and weird construction. One not often spoken of attribute of all Helios-44 lenses is that because they are cheap and of relatively simple construction they are a good lens to practice your lens repair skills by pulling apart, cleaning and rebuilding. I might just go for the 44-2 since it is cheaper.Ī good assessment. Wonderful examples!□□ I had a theory that they were buying them dirt cheap at flea markets and thrift stores. Swirly bokeh is there when wide open on a FF body, APSc sensored cameras will not have a lot of this swirl though. Helios M44-4 with front element reversed.just reversing the element enables infinity focus. I lathe modified the M44-2 for the Nikon F mount with cheap M42 K mount to Nikon F adapter to get infinity focus.the M44-4 has the front element reversed to give that veiled dreamy look. I bought the M44-2 and the M44-4 for eight euros for both at a flea market. 8 blades no idea why people say this lens isn't sharp.what's not sharp about that?.and nice eight point stars!Ībsolutely no need to pay good money for this hyper common lens.any sort of car boot/jumble sale will turn one up for peanuts. My recommendation is that you buy a cheap, serviceable Helios and practice with it before you decide to spend big dollars (and for the Helios $100 IS big dollars) on one. Shooting wide open it really doesn't matter if the lens has 16, 13 or 8 blades in the aperture because the blades aren't in the light path.ģ. Closing down the aperture converts the Helios to it's alter ego, a beautifully sharp normal lens. The swirly bokeh is generally most evident when the lens is used wide open. This will reduce the overall swirl effect that the lens is capable of.Ĭ. An APS-C camera will primarily be using the middle of the lens, most of the light from around the edges of the lens will not fall on the sensor. ![]() If you expect to get the lens, mount it on your camera and go out shooting swirly images you are likely to be disappointed.ī. It takes lots of practice, and often a series of posed/re-posed shots to get that 'spontaneous' swirl. The make-up of the background needs to be of the right type (brick walls don't work, backlit trees with lots of branches generally do). The background needs to be the correct distance from the subject. The subject needs to be at the correct distance from the photographer. This lens does produce swirly bokeh, but only under the right conditions. There are millions of Helios-44 lenses in the world, with patience it shouldn't be difficult to find an excellent copy at significantly less than $100.Ī. Just take one cheap and then decide if you really want a model that's in better condition and a better version.ġ. So it's a very nice lens to have but just don't overpay for this thing. It's good for such an inexpensive lens and for that time but a lot have changed since, especially when it comes to flare resistance. ![]() For that, I think 40$ is really awesome for the quality of the lens and the picture it creates. I really like my Helios 44-2 but as a special lens for a specific purpose, i.e., close subject to get that swirly background bokeh. Why spend again more for a crappy lens that will never replace the quality of your current lens? There are no situation where you'll use this lens as your flagship, ever on your camera. You don't use this lens for the sharpness anyway. The design is decade old, the coating is bad and the sharpness is really nothing to be impressed with. The only interest of having more blade is when you stop down, you want to keep ball bokeh of wider aperture. At such wide aperture, having 13 instead of 8 blades will make little to no difference. To obtain the Swirly bokeh, you must shoot 2/2.8.
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