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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Helios 40-2
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:43 pm
Post subject: Helios 40-2
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:43 pm
Post subject: Helios 40-2
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Katie got her hair done with red and blond extensions. These are attachments that clip to her hair and look as if she has colored her hair. I Could have bought a nice 44-2. Sometimes you just have to pay. Laughing
Anyway I got several shots in with the 40-2. Shooting at about F4.0 I believe. Alien Bee strobe set for about 1/8 power. I used the corner of the room to give the background.



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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:46 pm
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:46 pm
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Nice portrait ! I would like to see more in a little bigger size if possible.


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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:56 pm
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:56 pm
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A FINE portrait! The focus is smack-dab-right-on in the eye, and the "falloff" is beautiful! VERY nice work!


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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:04 pm
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:04 pm
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Yes, a nice portrait - waiting for more!

What is alien bee? Sometimes this is mentioned in the miranda wedding forum. Sound like a flash trigger - but is there anything special with this one?

Michael


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:00 am
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 4:00 am
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It's a studio flash. I found a used one on a forum complete with light stand, umbrella, soft box shipped for 230.00. a steal. This is a lens you have to really practice with. The DOF can become vapor thin at times. I lucked out on this one. Laughing
http://www.alienbees.com/b800.html#


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:04 am
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 5:04 am
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Nicely done! I find dof thin enough at f1.4 on a 50 so on anything longer...


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:09 am
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:09 am
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nice portrait bob
useful to have a studio flash and it look powerful with beautiful result


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:35 am
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:35 am
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Bob

Try to shot on f/1.5 Wink




Helios 40-2 (85/1.5) is fantastic Russian lens (CZ Biotar clon)

very Soon I will write the full review about Helios 40-2 and now 2 photo:


OLYMPUS Е-330 + Helios-40 (85/1.5),
all f/1.5





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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:40 am
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:40 am
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VGR - First photo is one of the best I have seen in this category.

EDIT: I need this lens Shocked


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:08 am
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:08 am
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lahnet wrote:
VGR - First photo is one of the best I have seen in this category.

EDIT: I need this lens Shocked


Too late, Orio was faster with my one Very Happy

Bob's and VGR's pictures are the proof how fantastic this lens is. And also a proof that there are many nice woman in the eastern european countries Very Happy . It's interesting how unselfconscious they act in front of the camera.

And I'm impressed about the ability shown here to use the lens for street portraits. The reason why I have sold this lens (although it's the most beautiful lens I ever saw) was that manual focusing with this thin DOF is too slow when things going fast during a wedding. I'm sure that someone with a command of this lens like VGR is able to use it even for this purpose.

Michael


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:22 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 12:22 pm
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Those are great Cool


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:14 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:14 pm
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Why don't we make a thread dedicated to Helios-40-2 portraits?
I see great samples here.


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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:07 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:07 pm
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Orio wrote:
Why don't we make a thread dedicated to Helios-40-2 portraits?
I see great samples here.

Good idea ! Bob has just to rename this one Wink


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:22 am
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:22 am
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Here's a part of my living room, photographed this morning with the Helios-40-2 (wide open) that Michael sold to me (thanks Michael!), a very mint copy, and has just arrived:



This is the third copy of this lens that I have, and the amazing thing is, each copy is different. Each has its own personality and bokeh and flare - no two 40-2 look identical.


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:50 am
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:50 am
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Here are some analytics:
Photozone.

Something very remarkable about this lens you can see here:
http://zenit.istra.ru/archive/lenses/helios-40.html
The chart on the right shows that the resolution of this lens is best in the center with above 40 (yep, what else Very Happy ), goes down under 20 and is again increasing to 30 towards the border. According to http://zenit.istra.ru/archive/history/baklanov-about-helios.html the reason is a conflict in correction of some optical errors of different order in the lens design because of the thick glasses and wide space between them.


O.k., I will stop talking about stupid theory - I like the output of this lens very much Very Happy


Michael


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:23 pm
Post subject: Some Helios 40-2 Pictures
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:23 pm
Post subject: Some Helios 40-2 Pictures
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Thanks to Bob and VGR for some great portraits.

Thank you also for reminding me of this lens. I took it out of its bag and shot a few pictures this afternoon (all wide open, except No.5 taken at f/16):

1:


2:


3:


4:


5:


6:


Cheers!

Abbazz


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:25 pm
Post subject: Re: Some Helios 40-2 Pictures
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:25 pm
Post subject: Re: Some Helios 40-2 Pictures
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Abbazz

thanks!

Your photos also the beautiful! Fantastical bohe, it cannot be confused...


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:08 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:08 pm
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I really like the second one.


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:50 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:50 pm
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@Abbazz: liked both portraits, but #5 is the stunner for me. Amazing!


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:57 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:57 pm
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2 and 4 are my favourites, but they're all fine shots. The only thing is I now a) desperately want this lens and b) desperately want a fraction of your talent in using it Smile


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:22 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:22 pm
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#4 is great. I cant wait for my lens to stop cooking - it's been under light UV for a week now and I can still see the yellow cast. Sad Sad


patrickh


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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:58 pm
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:58 pm
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Thanks to all for the kind comments. Keep the Helios-40 pictures coming.

patrickh wrote:
#4 is great. I cant wait for my lens to stop cooking - it's been under light UV for a week now and I can still see the yellow cast. Sad Sad


Think about your luck: you have a free built-in yellow filter for B&W shooting!

Cheers!

Abbazz


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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:06 am
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:06 am
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Abbazz
That's a disgustingly cheerful and practical view to take - I prefer to wallow Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy


patrickh


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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:19 am
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 11:19 am
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patrickh wrote:
I cant wait for my lens to stop cooking - it's been under light UV for a week now and I can still see the yellow cast. Sad Sad


Hi Patrick, in Nov 2006 I had a very yellowed S-Tak 1.4/50 arrive and sometime around mid-December I put it on my bathroom window cill (facing South West) to cook. I know you appreciate what our weather is like here, and we had a particularly grey winter last year - weeks and weeks without any sun. And what with the short days as well, I don't think the lens received any useful sunlight until mid February at least. But, even when the sun did start to appear, nothing seemed to change for ages I got a bit despondent about it. But suddenly in late March I noticed it had got appreciably clearer, and by May the yellow had virtually disappeared and there was no cast on the pictures.

I suppose what I'm trying to say to you is, be patient. The lens has probably been kept with caps on, maybe inside a closed case, for years and years. To expect the yellow to disappear quickly is asking too much, and if it did, I would always be very worried about blocking light from it at all in future.

It's a great lens and it deserves some time to heal on its own. I'm delighted with mine now, and I'm sure you will be too when it's ready.


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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:45 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:45 pm
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Peterq

Thanks for the encouragement. I guess I have always known it would take time, but I see these samples and want to get in there. The few shots I did manage to take were in fact encouraging. That's where digital raw is a real advantage - the ability to adjust the WB. Also I just like looking at the lens - it is almost a work of art in its beautiful aluminium body! Smile Smile

patrickh
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