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Lens Tests: x4 Helios 44's Sharpness Test.
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:04 am    Post subject: Lens Tests: x4 Helios 44's Sharpness Test. Reply with quote

hello everyone, i made this test because i thought it would be interesting for you and me to see how these lenses perform when compared.

i've compared 4 lenses here when actually i tested 5:
Helios 44-2, Helios 44-6, Helios 44-4 MC and two Helios 44-6 MC
one of the 44-6's just slightly under perform the other so i didnt include it here.

all shot where taken night time in a closed room with a 1000W light shining to the wall on the right. camera on a steady tripod.

@f/2


@f/2.8


@f/4


and f5.6



so you can see here that when it comes to russian lenses and their sharpness the different coatings and what not, are not playing a major role. when even the contrast was always higher with the Helios 44-2.
So the oldest glass won. Probably because of higher density. what do you think?


PostPosted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

All 6 look very acceptable. I have four copies of the 44-2 and I can't tell them apart, they all work great. I also have a newer 44M-4 and I can't tell the shots from that apart from the 44-2s. I haven't examined comparative shots closely like you have but looking at the overall pics from them, they all look the same to me.

Thanks for performing this test, it is very useful.

Seems like the barrel styles changed many times but the optical performance stayed the same. I guess the good old 44 is one of the very few good things to result from Communism!


PostPosted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

you know i wanted to see witch one is really the sharpest because performance is varying between samples and you can see from here the big loser the helios 44-6 MC that supposed to be the better lens.

i've also compared a couple of 50 /1.4's i will post it later when i include a nikkor and a zuiko..


PostPosted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Once I compared my 44-2 with my 44M-7. Similar results. No big difference.
But I guess the newer ones have less problems with flaring and better contrast under some real life conditions.


PostPosted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 10:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think there's a lot more variation between copies of these lenses than between versions. I recently sold off my 44-2 because it was so soft at the edges, but my 44M-6 is very sharp.

f2



PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

ForenSeil wrote:
But I guess the newer ones have less problems with flaring and better contrast under some real life conditions.

Exactly. Newer versions invariably have better contrast in real-life shooting condition (e.g. when the sun is in the frame but close to the edge of it or *just* outside), especially those labeled MC. Sharpness wise, my 44-2 is sharper in the centre but much softer at the edges than my 44M-4.


PostPosted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 6:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Helios lenses can be good, or Friday afternoon lenses.