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Helios 44-2 modification...
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 4:52 am    Post subject: Helios 44-2 modification... Reply with quote

is this only to allow for Nikon fit infinity focus and/or would it not also be beneficial with crop sensor cameras in aiding to achieve/retain a stronger 'swirly'?
copied from http://digital-photography-school.com/creating-swirly-bokeh-with-the-helios-44-2-lens/
scroll about 3/4 down...
"Aaron K David McMasters • 7 days ago

There are 7 or so versions of this lens. I have here both the 44-4 and the 44-2. I use them on the D800 with just a cheap adapter from eBay. I would suggest you buy the the 44-2 as well. The reason being is that you can unscrew the lens very easily and remove the spacer ring inside that is about 4mm in thickness. You then replace it with a thinner spacer. I just used some electrical wire. Then screw the lens back together. This moves the rear optic nearer the focal plane and allows you to almost achieve infinity focus. Without it, infinity focus occurs at about 2m, making it useless for all but head shots and hard to get that swirly effect.

Use an M42 to Nikon adapter but don't get one that has an optic in it to allow infinity focus. It absolutely RUINS image quality, Get the 44-2 and perform the simple modification I mentioned above and you'll not need the correcting element in the adapter. It's not quite infinity but it is way more than you'll need for the majority of portraits. If I needed more focal distance to play with, I could add a spacer behind the rear optic doublet, which again would move it nearer the sensor and I'd definitely have infinity focus then."


PostPosted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 5:19 am    Post subject: Re: Helios 44-2 modification... Reply with quote

Paul A wrote:
is this only to allow for Nikon fit infinity focus and/or would it not also be beneficial with crop sensor cameras in aiding to achieve/retain a stronger 'swirly'?
copied from http://digital-photography-school.com/creating-swirly-bokeh-with-the-helios-44-2-lens/
scroll about 3/4 down...
"Aaron K David McMasters • 7 days ago

There are 7 or so versions of this lens. I have here both the 44-4 and the 44-2. I use them on the D800 with just a cheap adapter from eBay. I would suggest you buy the the 44-2 as well. The reason being is that you can unscrew the lens very easily and remove the spacer ring inside that is about 4mm in thickness. You then replace it with a thinner spacer. I just used some electrical wire. Then screw the lens back together. This moves the rear optic nearer the focal plane and allows you to almost achieve infinity focus. Without it, infinity focus occurs at about 2m, making it useless for all but head shots and hard to get that swirly effect.

Use an M42 to Nikon adapter but don't get one that has an optic in it to allow infinity focus. It absolutely RUINS image quality, Get the 44-2 and perform the simple modification I mentioned above and you'll not need the correcting element in the adapter. It's not quite infinity but it is way more than you'll need for the majority of portraits. If I needed more focal distance to play with, I could add a spacer behind the rear optic doublet, which again would move it nearer the sensor and I'd definitely have infinity focus then."


No, this is just to allow infinity focus for this lens when used on a Nikon body, which would be impossible with an unmodified helios because of the difference of register distances between Nikon camera body and the lens (the lens sits too far from the sensor when mounted on a nikon body, and this does not allow to obtain focus at infinity, just like it was mounted on an extension tube.)
To get more swirl you should (besides obvious things like using the lens wide open and choosing the right distance between subject and background) either switch to full frame or mount the lens on a wide converter - the last lens turbo is relatively cheap and not bad. This will take light coming from the edges too, and make the swirl much more evident on crop cameras.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 28, 2014 5:24 am    Post subject: Re: Helios 44-2 modification... Reply with quote

Aanything wrote:
Paul A wrote:
is this only to allow for Nikon fit infinity focus and/or would it not also be beneficial with crop sensor cameras in aiding to achieve/retain a stronger 'swirly'?
copied from http://digital-photography-school.com/creating-swirly-bokeh-with-the-helios-44-2-lens/
scroll about 3/4 down...
"Aaron K David McMasters • 7 days ago

There are 7 or so versions of this lens. I have here both the 44-4 and the 44-2. I use them on the D800 with just a cheap adapter from eBay. I would suggest you buy the the 44-2 as well. The reason being is that you can unscrew the lens very easily and remove the spacer ring inside that is about 4mm in thickness. You then replace it with a thinner spacer. I just used some electrical wire. Then screw the lens back together. This moves the rear optic nearer the focal plane and allows you to almost achieve infinity focus. Without it, infinity focus occurs at about 2m, making it useless for all but head shots and hard to get that swirly effect.

Use an M42 to Nikon adapter but don't get one that has an optic in it to allow infinity focus. It absolutely RUINS image quality, Get the 44-2 and perform the simple modification I mentioned above and you'll not need the correcting element in the adapter. It's not quite infinity but it is way more than you'll need for the majority of portraits. If I needed more focal distance to play with, I could add a spacer behind the rear optic doublet, which again would move it nearer the sensor and I'd definitely have infinity focus then."


No, this is just to allow infinity focus for this lens when used on a Nikon body, which would be impossible with an unmodified helios because of the difference of register distances between Nikon camera body and the lens (the lens sits too far from the sensor when mounted on a nikon body, and this does not allow to obtain focus at infinity, just like it was mounted on an extension tube.)
To get more swirl you should (besides obvious things like using the lens wide open and choosing the right distance between subject and background) either switch to full frame or mount the lens on a wide converter - the last lens turbo is relatively cheap and not bad. This will take light coming from the edges too, and make the swirl much more evident on crop cameras.

i recently have a small voice in my head whispering use FF for the manual focus lenses. i thought of the wide/focal reducer convertors too.