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My very own Helios-40 craze !
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:30 am    Post subject: My very own Helios-40 craze ! Reply with quote

Its official, I have the Helios fever.

Ive now had some time to test out my own Helios-40. Its from 1964, that means its M39 and its silver. Got it for 140 € (its good to live in a ex-soviet country if you want old soviet items). And Ive gotta to say, its my nr. 1 lens now and it seems the Helios does not want to give that precious place to any other lover of mine. Its just perfect. I am totally in love.

I mostly use it wide open, because I for once just enjoy that crazy bokeh. The closest focus on my version is 0.8m, but the swirly effect comes in from about 1.5m. I find it sharp sharp enough open wide.

As you guys may know, I almost dont shoot to digital at all. All pictures her are from my good ol Spotmatic. I have been using really cheap (1€ for ISO400 36 frames) negative (got a bag of them from Germany and they havent gone bad or anything).
I work in a photostore, so I have developed and scanned all of them in my store (oldchool Noritsu machines are guilty).

Here we go.









These two take with 2.8




And guys, dont worry.
There will be more.

Best to ya all from Estonia.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice shots !

#8 my fav, because difficult to hit the focus spot on with a (rapidly!) moving target. Cute dog Smile


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Took me 3 frames to nail it. Very Happy


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 8:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joosep wrote:
Took me 3 frames to nail it. Very Happy


I bet! I did a walkabout with a (supposedly) Helios 40 clone, the H3T-1, the other day. Shots on flickr here. Nothing as good as yours though Sad

Crazy lens. I love the bokeh


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very nice pictures.
Good for you,for 150 Euro I would buy a such great lens too. Laughing
Thank you for sharing your photos.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

nice series! great lens
great to work in a photostore, Noritsu are great but here they oversharp my pics
as you use the machine, you can tweak it to your preference


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 9:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

poilu wrote:
nice series! great lens
great to work in a photostore, Noritsu are great but here they oversharp my pics
as you use the machine, you can tweak it to your preference

As I do work there Ive created my own channel for the scanner.
Cool


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice lens.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Joosep - very nice indeed. And I like your dog ! Looks like our 'Jack Russell' terrier.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

scsambrook wrote:
Joosep - very nice indeed. And I like your dog ! Looks like our 'Jack Russell' terrier.

Not mine. But yes. Its a Jack Russel, his name is Norris Smile


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 3:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

#8 is superb.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are you able to tell us which shots were wide open? I am wondering too from what I inferred from Martyn's comment - how close are these to the Cyclop wide open pictures?


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

woodrim wrote:
Are you able to tell us which shots were wide open? I am wondering too from what I inferred from Martyn's comment - how close are these to the Cyclop wide open pictures?

All of them are wide open. Laughing

Except the last two, like it says.

Wouldnt really suggest you to compare. As this is on a film and Martyn shoots to digital. There is a huge difference in rendering. As digital sensors are less dynamic (comparing to a ISO400 negative) they will look alot more contrasty. In digital cameras you have white balance, with film you dont. And digital sensors dont like light with an angle, film doesnt care, this makes a huge difference in the abberation department. We can go on and on about film vs digital, noise vs grain, no reason to.

If you want to compare them, you should use the same cameras and settings.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 5:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The swirl effect seems to have a great deal to do with the distance to the subject in focus, or how close/far the lens is to infinity. Makes sense I suppose.

Martyn: What are your thoughts about wide open in comparison? Better to compare shots taken at same approximate distance.


PostPosted: Mon Aug 23, 2010 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

woodrim wrote:
The swirl effect seems to have a great deal to do with the distance to the subject in focus, or how close/far the lens is to infinity. Makes sense I suppose.

Martyn: What are your thoughts about wide open in comparison? Better to compare shots taken at same approximate distance.


I'm with Joosep, can't really compare, since chalk and cheese. I will try to get some time tomorrow and work out at what distacne of subject and background the swirl comes into effect. I love it Smile


PostPosted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 9:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great photography!

Not sure about the Bokeh, bouquet or whatever. Seems suited for centrally placed subjects only?


PostPosted: Sat Aug 28, 2010 1:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

pat donnelly wrote:
Great photography!

Not sure about the Bokeh, bouquet or whatever. Seems suited for centrally placed subjects only?

Yes. Because center sharpness wide open is 37 and the edge is 17 lines. So your better off putting everything in the center when you shoot wide open on a FF.
Im gonna go for a trip to Croatia in october. I plan to do some street photography there with this baby. Well see if anything comes out.