Next Helios after 44M?

[pdesopo]

I saw several posts about differences between the Helios series, even though is still not clear to me what could be considered the best solution.
By this I mean best in terms of sharpness, as the bokeh should be quite good among all models.

My current Helios is a 44M 2/58. Someone states that 44-3 is the sharpest one. Somewhere else the rule seems to be, the newer they are, the better they are. So, for instance, 44-6 is better than 44-5, 44-7 better than 44-6.

So, what you would go for?

Also, it seems that on ebay the range goes from 50 to 70 bucks shipment included. I guess the price slightly raised after the refreshed popularity on the forums.

Thanks for any hint.

[std]

If you need to pay so much for this crappy lens you should definitely get a biotar instead. The aluminum versions from the 60-ies are very good.

[pdesopo]

Which biotar? I only see biotar over 400 bucks.

[std]

Search for '58 biotar' - check the ''Include description".

You will see the results like Click here to see on Ebay
hints: you can get them cheaper if it comes as an auction with a camera body.
or it is in exakta mount.

PS: another nice biotar is older pre-war design in brass and length in cm like Click here to see on Ebay

[ManualFocus-G]

Firstly, the lens isn't crappy. The Helios 44 (whichever variety) can produce some amazing results with unique bokeh. Obviously some models have multi coating, but all the varieties I've seen have been sharp. Any dodgy ones are more likely to be Sunday afternoon jobs rather than a poor variety.

However, you shouldn't pay more than £15 / $20 for an excellent one. The CZJ Biotar gives slightly different colours, and I actually prefer it slightly, but the costs of these are already much higher.

[std]

The not good ones are most probably Monday .. and Friday builds

[ManualFocus-G]

Maybe we got the better ones shipped over here then, as I've had around 20 or so pass through my hands and they've all been in great mechanical condition with no fungus and no IQ issues Compare that to CZJ Pancolars, and out of five I've never had one in working condition

[BRunner]

Differences between various Helios-44 variants are for all practical purposes negligible. Only small differences in contrast and color rendering. If you copy is good in terms in sharpness and elements centering, keep it and look for another lens.
I found the Helios-77M 1.8/50 to be very good too and - of course - Helios-40 1.5/85 is very interesting lens.

Biotar 2/58 has better contrast and different color rendering, otherwise is very close to Helios-44.

[pst]

I had the same problem deciding so I simply got three:

44-2, 44-M4 and 44-M7

The M7 is sharpest, but not by that much really. One problem is, that for all M44s you must stop down quite far for really decent borders. I found it quite hard to work with the Helios if the subject is not in center.

My overall conclusion is, that the area of "usable" sharpness (extending from the middle of the frame) is larger with later versions of the lens. (I use full format camera)

[martyn_bannister]

[ManualFocus-G]

[martyn_bannister]

[iangreenhalgh1]

I've yet to see a Helios-44 that wasn't a good one, mechanically very reliable too.

On the Tessar/Pancolar thing, the main problem is the lubricant Zeiss used, it turns into glue eventually and the focus gets stiffer and stiffer, my otherwise wonderful Tessar has stiff focus, need to dismantle it to relube.

Also, Zeiss Jena aperture mechanisms are weak, badly designed, hence you will see endless Flektogon, Tessar, Pancolar and Sonnar lenses with broken apertures.

Why Zeiss couldn't get it right is beyond me, the Russians and Meyer/Pentacon lenses don't have the same issues, all of mine (apart from the Meyer Dogsh*tplan) have smooth focus and working aperture.

The Domiplan really is dogsh*t, I have a mint copy and it's been sat on my shelf for a couple of months, went to use it yesterday and whaddya know, the aperture has started behaving erratically, there's no oil on the blades. I can't be bothered fixing it, no point when it has such rotten IQ, I'm going to remove the glass and use the helicoid to mount a Schacht Travegar enlarger lens.

I really think the Domiplan is only good for using as a body cap for M42 cameras, it feels cheap and fragile compared to other all-metal lenses, just a dog of a design.

[BRunner]

[martyn_bannister]

Domi is a good lens +100

It's a cheap lens, but for the price and for me the IQ is good, not sh*t.

[martinsmith99]

[pdesopo]

Thank you all for your comments.
So it seems I can probably stick to the Helios I've already have and go for another lens.
I'll ask in another thread.

[pst]