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Helios-44 in M39 Russian reflex mount
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PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:35 pm    Post subject: Helios-44 in M39 Russian reflex mount Reply with quote

Attila has made me a beautiful gift of this great old lens, in aluminium barrel, the very first of all Helios-44.
The least I can make is to show you how good it is. No great pictures for the moment, because I have to work. But a test picture that shows at least the potential of this lens:

http://www.orio.ws/temp/_MG_1828_sh_srgb.jpg

The file is large so I could not upload it to imageshack. It was taken at f/8 and I applied my "final sharpening" formula, the same I use on the photographs when I consider them final (and ready to print).

So as you can see, the final quality is that of a class A lens, consistent from corner to corner in spite of the age of the lens, built in the Minsk Mechanical Factory (MMZ) in a period that with most probability was the end of the 50s - so the lens is half-a-century old!
And - we are talking real corners here - the photo was taken on a 5D.

I have not made a direct comparison with my newer Helios-44s (the only one that looks of a similar shape is the Helios-44-2, which is black however), but I have the feeling that it may even beat them all. Which would not be so strange, because the factory is different, and also because at the time, true Zeiss machinery was used in the Russian factories.
So thank you Attila! And of course if you like this test image, you can take it and use it on your web site.
I will remove it in a few days from my server - I don't have much room left anymore.

P.S. the file is BIG so you have to give it the time to download. Don'f forget that your browser may resize it automatically, so if you notice something strange (such as the logo graphic crippled on the top right), do what is needed to see it full size - this is a full size 5D image so it means 4368 pixels of larger side!


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice quality indeed! Good lens!


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have you noticed how many shades of green the lens could capture in spite of the AA of the Beyer sensor?

Another remarkable thing for fine viewers: in the image there are many grey shades. Note how all of them are saturated. They are really different shades of grey color, not just "grey".

And, saturation was not applied.

Of course the 5D plays a role here. But you must put in front of it, a lens that respects the colors.
In the "important" lens factories, such as Leitz, the color tests for the lenses are as much important as the resolvance tests.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It seems to be a great lens. Would you show us a photo of it?
Sorin


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hope Orio that ist ok to join in with some pictures made with this lens.

Since I hav no m39 adapter I mounted this lens reverse with a revers adapter, (macro only) this is the result. straith from my Ist Ds.

http://home.scarlet.be/geystersveld/forum/helios-44large.jpg

and the small version (resize only) Gues I need an adpter!

P.S the picture is made directly against the sun (evening) with f5.6,
Mine is a black version, the markings on the filter side are:
Helios-44 2/58 N°8025657 and some lens logo.
On the side ist says "made in ussr"

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PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am happy now, I expected this result. I am glad if a fine lens found a new home. I downloaded the picture, you fill free to remove any time.This lens the older Helios-44 what I ever seen.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great captured depthness in the scene..
I am not an expert, but grays are really different from normal lens.

Orio, Could you post the front and side view of this lens? That will help in keep eyes open...


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Himself wrote:
It seems to be a great lens. Would you show us a photo of it?
Sorin


Of course, I'm happy to!

Here it is, mounted on my Praktica Nova II:



And here it is standing alone. The threaded mount you see it's the M39+M42 ring adapter, which is black (I forgot to remove it):



PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great looking pic Guido!


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jigt wrote:
Hope Orio that ist ok to join in with some pictures made with this lens.


Of course, this is the purpose of the forum!

Jigt wrote:
Since I hav no m39 adapter I mounted this lens reverse with a revers adapter, (macro only) this is the result. straith from my Ist Ds.


The shooting conditions are not ideal for this lens. But you can appreciate a very nice highlight bokeh. I can not understand why people says that the Biotar 58mm (of which the Helios-44 is a copy) has a bad bokeh. I only saw good bokeh coming out of this lens.

Jigt wrote:
Mine is a black version, the markings on the filter side are:
Helios-44 2/58 N°8025657 and some lens logo.
On the side ist says "made in ussr"


Well, mine is obviously older. The serial number says 4004876.
It can not be however of the Forties, as the MMZ factory started to work in 1957. Another evidence against the "first 2 digits = year of build" theory for CCCP lenses.
My guess is that this lens is one of the earliest, because soon the barrel was turned to black and also the production of this lens was moved to the Valdai and KMZ factories.
It was probably made in the last years of the 50s, or the very first years of the 60s at the latest.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a picture of my copy

Guido




PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
I am happy now, I expected this result.


Well, I was expecting a good result, but sincerely, I wasn't expecting it SO good. The amount of detail recorder by this old glass is amazing. It puts most modern day zoom lenses to shame.

Attila wrote:
I am glad if a fine lens found a new home. I downloaded the picture, you fill free to remove any time.


I will keep it on for a few days, until the thread is read. Unless you can relink to the image on your server.

Attila wrote:
This lens the older Helios-44 what I ever seen.


Same for me. So thanks again, pal!!


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jigt wrote:
This is a picture of my copy


Yeah, looks a lot like my Helios-44-2 (but the writings are of a different color)
Hey very nice Zenit-3 you have there! I'd say really mint condition!
Does it work well?


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did not have a film in it yet, but as far as I can tell it works fine.

Even the timer works.

Guido


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stop it, look what you've done. I'm envy again. So many different Helios-Versions and no aluminium barrel here. I just purchased a zebra...

Nice lens, congratulation Very Happy

Michael


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Borges wrote:
Stop it, look what you've done. I'm envy again. So many different Helios-Versions and no aluminium barrel here. I just purchased a zebra...
Michael


There's a zebra Helios? First time I ever hear of one.
What about a picture? Wink


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Borges, if I see again I will thinking of you Smile, show us the zebra. I never heard zebra version.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I go surfing the net for an m39 to m42 adapter.

Any ideas were to look?

Guido


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I bought from Ebay many Russian seller offer it.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The problem with Russian sellers can be the customs.
My M39M42 adapter took more than one month to arrive. In the meantime I bought another one from the USA.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Perhaps not always, I bought I guess 5 pieces from Russia,Ukraine and Lithuania. Only one item was that long another ones was fast as any EU member country.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
Perhaps not always, I bought I guess 5 pieces from Russia,Ukraine and Lithuania. Only one item was that long another ones was fast as any EU member country.


Italian customs are notorious for being totally uncooperative for goods incoming from non-EU countries, with the only exception of the USA, which is as fast as EU once you consider the necessary time for the distance.

Heck even from Canada I had problems, the customs did not want to deliver, I had to fax them the Ebay receipt.
Some Hong-Kong and China resellers have stopped delivering to Italy for this reason.

I think there is a political choice behind it. Our companies are suffering a lot of imitation products from the Far East and from the ex-USSR countries as well. I bet that this restrictive attitude of the customs is a way to make the exports from those countries as difficult as they can.
Of course they do not make distinctions if I buy a fake Gucci bag or a totally non-Italian M39-M42 ring of Eur 1.99 value. They just take whatever comes from the countries in the "bad" list and treat it with the maximum possible delay.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pretty sad. Seems every country has idiot things, sorry about that.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Attila wrote:
I never heard zebra version.


Perhaps it's a misunderstanding. I mean the one that was shown by guido with the aluminium and black striped barrel. And I have no pics until now - it's on the way from the seller. I hope so... Very Happy

Michael


PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think when I say zebra like czj "zebra".