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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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Helios Auto Wide Angle 28 f/2.8
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This is my first post to showcase a lens, so I hope you enjoy this post.

I bought this lens together with a Helios 44M for 25 euros and took it out while I cycled to work on one of the sunny days last week.
Perhaps not the most exciting shots but a nice way to see the character of the lens.

It's made in Japan and from the outside it looks a bit like my Auto Chinon 28/2.8

I think it is acceptably sharp wide open and pretty good stopped down at f/4.
The bokeh is also interesting, a bit swirly like the Helios 44 and nice and soft.


The lens itself:









Shots made in the grasses on a sunny day:

#1 - f/2.8


#2 - f/4


#3 - f2/.8


#4 - f/4


#5 - f/2.8


#6 - f/4


#7 - f/2.8


#8 - f/2.8


#9 - f/2.8


#10 - f/4


#11 - f/2.8


#12 - f2/.8


#13 - f/2.8


#14 - f/2.8


#15 - f/2.8


#16 - Helios 44-2 - f/2 (I think..)




Thanks for checking out and your comments!


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Nice test, thanks for sharing. It looks a little soft at 2.8 but nicely sharp at f4, so I would say tat as long as you try to avoid using it at 2.8, it will serve you well.


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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Nice test, thanks for sharing. It looks a little soft at 2.8 but nicely sharp at f4, so I would say tat as long as you try to avoid using it at 2.8, it will serve you well.


Well, with a 28mm, that should be ok to avoid 2.8 Smile


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Yes Pierre, I agree. Smile

I would add, it is typical for these 28mms to be a little soft wide open, and quite a few are still soft at f4, only becoming sharp at 5.6, so this one is not bad at all.


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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Yes Pierre, I agree. Smile

I would add, it is typical for these 28mms to be a little soft wide open, and quite a few are still soft at f4, only becoming sharp at 5.6, so this one is not bad at all.



Thanks for looking!
It's indeed somewhat soft at f/2.8, don't know exactly how it compared to my other 28mm lenses.
In these shots I also like the depth better at f/4, but f/2.8 fully shows the bokeh.

What do you think of the bokeh?


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The bokeh is, to my eyes, typical of these fairly modern 5 element 28mms, not bad but a little 'busy'. I prefer the bokeh of the f4 shots actually, to my eyes it looks smoother and less 'busy', I think because the glowing circles that are present at 2.8 have gone. I actually think the f4 bokeh is pretty nice.