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Production resumed Helios 40-2, Zenitar, TeleZenitar
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hmmm. Weren't the Helios-40-2s going for like $100 back in the early 90s? I find it hard to believe that would now cost 750€ to manufacture.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 4:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rawhead wrote:
Hmmm. Weren't the Helios-40-2s going for like $100 back in the early 90s? I find it hard to believe that would now cost 750€ to manufacture.

Probably average monthly wage was also $100 at the time. Factory today wouldn't be a part of Soviet conglomerate, exchanging materials, sharing resources,
partly working for military purposes, getting it's revenue from state no matter the real production costs.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pancolart wrote:
rawhead wrote:
Hmmm. Weren't the Helios-40-2s going for like $100 back in the early 90s? I find it hard to believe that would now cost 750€ to manufacture.

Probably average monthly wage was also $100 at the time. Factory today wouldn't be a part of Soviet conglomerate, exchanging materials, sharing resources,
partly working for military purposes, getting it's revenue from state no matter the real production costs.

The main specialization of the plant is the same: The military and space optics. Following the statement by President of Russia V.V. Putin, that it is necessary to develop a civil optics in Russia. The plant has received funds and financing items. Just because of this, there was the marketing department photos)
And, of course, the marketing department could not help but notice the popularity of Helios 40-2. because equipment stored in the hangar of the plant, it was not difficult to resume production )))

Because in Helios 40-2 not used Fluorite and UD Lenses, its cost is low.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 7:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am going to get one copy of 40-2 as soon as I get some detailed info or tests. I am agree with Metalluga and I am sure they could provide excellent quality lenses for reasonable price. I am not going to visit Moscow in the next 2-3 weeks but I wish visiting that shop so much Smile Hope to see some shots at least. Also I believe they really could make a new lens series based on different designes already developed in USSR.

BTW. They do have a basic international section on their website:
http://www.zenit-foto.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=426&Itemid=143
Banner says "Foreign trade" so I believe it is very likely they will ship abroad.

PPS. Looking on their services I fund the following section:
....
On demand optical elements production.
Herein OJSC KMZ a new technological equipment produced by «Optotech» (Germany) has been implemented. This equipment is for precision spherical, aspherical, cylindrical, planar type and prizmatic optical elements.
....

They are also surely could manufacture an apochromatic optics. So this is just wonderful.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

New 16mm Zenitar 16mms are 199USD here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FishEye-MC-Zenitar-f-2-8-16mm-Minolta-AF-Sony-Alpha-New-/150556751240?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item230de1b588#ht_4650wt_1163


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
New 16mm Zenitar 16mms are 199USD here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FishEye-MC-Zenitar-f-2-8-16mm-Minolta-AF-Sony-Alpha-New-/150556751240?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item230de1b588#ht_4650wt_1163

This is not Minolta AF, This is M42 mount with adapter Minolta.
МС Зенитар (Zenitar) - M 2.8/16 - M42 mount
МС Зенитар (Zenitar) - K 2.8/16 - Pentax K mount
МС Зенитар (Zenitar) - H 2.8/16 - Nikon F mount
МС Зенитар (Zenitar) - C 2.8/16 - Canon EF mount

Very good price. Smile In the shop of the plant Price 170$ but not free shipped.

PS: The new Zenitar 2.8/16 packaging design (from September 2012):



PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pancolart wrote:
Sirrith wrote:
Pancolart wrote:
Helios-40-2 of the same quality materials if produced today would have price of at least 750 EUR. Minimum.

How do you know this?

It's an estimate. Imagine Samyang with thicker, solid materials and whole different production process.

I think the biggest price factor of production is the optical glas and the hours of work.
Samyang is using high-end glas, while the Russian production still uses the good old formulars.
Hope there will be a lot shops selling these lenses without much extra charge soon


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Laurentiu Cristofor wrote:
PS: Word got out on other forums too: http://www.mu-43.com/f40/russian-lens-production-starts-up-again-33267/
I hope I didn't break any etiquette by reposting some of the material Smile

Can anyone tell me why they are focusing on SLR mounts, and not mounts more suitable for the mirrorless revolution? I would have thought churning out old skool Russian lenses for M39 would be a winner given the popularity of Nex and M43 systems.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think their lens selection is very smart.

First they are doing the lenses that KMZ already manufactured in the past, so that they have all the documentation and know how. Secondly, it would be stupid to focus on lenses that are cheaply available on second hand market in large quantities. For example, they wouldn't be able to offer Jupiter-8 at the price that I would be interested to buy it. Jupiter-12 that can be used on mirrorless would be interesting, but that requires modifications to the existing design.

That limits their choices to Teles and UWA and here their best designs are SLR lenses, with possible exception of Jupiter-9. Not to mention that SLR lenses can be used both on mirrorless and DSLRs, while RF lenses are only for mirrorless.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ForenSeil wrote:
Pancolart wrote:
Sirrith wrote:
Pancolart wrote:
Helios-40-2 of the same quality materials if produced today would have price of at least 750 EUR. Minimum.

How do you know this?

It's an estimate. Imagine Samyang with thicker, solid materials and whole different production process.

I think the biggest price factor of production is the optical glas and the hours of work.
Samyang is using high-end glas, while the Russian production still uses the good old formulars.
Hope there will be a lot shops selling these lenses without much extra charge soon


In Russia traditionally high margins. Sometimes prices in different stores may differ by 2-2.5 times ...


PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 3:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got a custom Ebay search for "Helios 40". They fetch remarkably consistent prices, there's never a bargain.

Today I see an Ebay auction which says it's for a NEW Helios 40-2, M42, available 9/26, BIN $USD 550.

Click here to see on Ebay

I'm not affiliated with this guy, etc. But I knew you guys would be interested

Laughing

We seem to live in interesting times.

Even if I had the cash right now it's staying right in my wallet until some brave soul orders one, receives it, and posts test shots.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hope the price will drop when more and more seller start selling the new lens. Smile


PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 4:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fuzzywuzzy wrote:
I've got a custom Ebay search for "Helios 40". They fetch remarkably consistent prices, there's never a bargain.

Today I see an Ebay auction which says it's for a NEW Helios 40-2, M42, available 9/26, BIN $USD 550.

Click here to see on Ebay

I'm not affiliated with this guy, etc. But I knew you guys would be interested


I don't know about the sale, he has 0 feedback as a seller, all feedback is as a buyer. http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=kpoxobop&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller
The picture is the same as the one posted in the thread linked to on the first page.

I urge caution.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lightshow wrote:


I don't know about the sale, he has 0 feedback as a seller, all feedback is as a buyer. http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=kpoxobop&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller
The picture is the same as the one posted in the thread linked to on the first page.

I urge caution.


Good eye, didn't notice that.

Again I'm not endorsing this auction, just sharing another little scrap of gossip.

Hopefully in a couple of months these will start showing up at rugift or some other trusted outlet.


PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="fuzzywuzzy"]
Lightshow wrote:

Hopefully in a couple of months these will start showing up at rugift or some other trusted outlet.


The second a New Mir 20/3.5 shows up, I'm having it. I want one of these, but I can't risk losing out on the cash if it doesn't turn up. I've decided I am getting one, probably around Xmas (seeing as the Missus is always at a loss for Ideas for me). If it's early, then so be it, I'm still getting it.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 7:56 pm    Post subject: Re: Production resumed Helios 40-2, Zenitar, TeleZenitar Reply with quote

Official news http://www.zenit-foto.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=600:2012-09-19-07-03-08&catid=8:news&Itemid=104


PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Production resumed Helios 40-2, Zenitar, TeleZenitar Reply with quote

fotkino wrote:
Official news http://www.zenit-foto.ru/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=600:2012-09-19-07-03-08&catid=8:news&Itemid=104


AWESOME!!!! The APO Telezenitar looks intriguing as well... you could buy all three of these for what the Helios 40-2 is fetching on Ebay these days :LOL:

I want!!


PostPosted: Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't overlook the Zenitar M2S 2/50 either, it's a wonderful lens, better than many of the old Japanese 50s.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Will there be a European retailer?
They would sell a lot more this way I think.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Getting more and more interesting...

@ fotkino: According to the link you kindly provided, at the bottom line there is an announced offer of 20% discount for the full lens range till 7 October, is my understanding correct?


PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

MC MIR-20mm 1:3.5 for 7,612 Rubles. That's like $245. Holy heck that's a good price for a brand new ultra-wide. Too bad it sounds like they'll only be making them for Canon and Nikon.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

SVP wrote:
Getting more and more interesting...

@ fotkino: According to the link you kindly provided, at the bottom line there is an announced offer of 20% discount for the full lens range till 7 October, is my understanding correct?


Yes, you understood correctly, but the lens is out of stock now.
I just called the store and asked about Helios. The first batch of Helios 40-2 to appear on next week, but how many of them will go on sale - they can not say, but to tell the approximate amount of first batch - 10 to 50 pieces. They said that a lot of pre-orders. So I asked what version will be on sale - only M42. Other versions are in development, and when to go on sale - not known.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fotkino wrote:

Yes, you understood correctly, but the lens is out of stock now.
I just called the store and asked about Helios. The first batch of Helios 40-2 to appear on next week, but how many of them will go on sale - they can not say, but to tell the approximate amount of first batch - 10 to 50 pieces. They said that a lot of pre-orders. So I asked what version will be on sale - only M42. Other versions are in development, and when to go on sale - not known.


Ah, the lack of marketing or distribution channels makes perfect sense now, they need to ramp up before they can satisfy Russian demand, never mind international customers.

Still, even a slow trickle of new KMZ lenses is great news. Hopefully they'll soon iron out the kinks and ramp up production.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 30, 2012 8:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess the M42 lenses will be used instead of native K-mounts.

I'm interested in this.


PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

At this point, there is no news about someone even be able to buy one new Helios 40-2 in the store.
In the Russian segment of the network, there is no review or test, or information from the new happy owner.
It is not clear.

According to rumors: total was made only 100 pieces, but where did they go - is not clear.
Available lenses will not until next summer.
The price will be higher.

Did anyone buy a new Helios 40-2? Smile