Helios 35mm 2.8(Win) vs Sony NEX5 18-55 kit lens

[saffersteve]

Hi All

Really new to all this..but NOW really loving the Manual focus lens I picked up from car boot sales.

Anyway, a quick test was to compare the std kit lens to the Helios 35mm 2.8.

Nothing scientific here just got a test pattern image up on the pc, set the same FOV on the SEL1855 lens to the Helios 35mm. Both lens same 0.5m from the screen....and wow.

Win MF Prime Lens

Just look at how the Sony distorts the image, it almost makes the Helios image outer lines bow outwards.

Up till now I thought the kit lens took pretty good landscapes but now realise that its like shooting from within a goldfish bowl.

I guess that when people talk of zoom lenses being a compromise they are spot on.

Well at least these are my thoughts...what do you think?

[saffersteve]

image upload take 2

[fuzzywuzzy]

Welcome! First time posters can't upload images, it's a spam prevention measure, that's why you had trouble with your first post.

[saffersteve]

Ta...thought I was going mad.

Attempting to make the first post a little more interesting than ....just a hello.

I'm sure there are a few old timers here that will go....well da.... to the post...but Im just excited about this whole new manual lens world.

Affordable and fun.

[saffersteve]

Here is something a little less boring taking with the same lens a little earlier.

[OM]

Welcome

Hours and hours of info to read here...!

You should try and snag a Helios 44 series 58mm F2 lens - it's a Russian copy of the Zeiss Biotar and can be bought for almost nothing

The Helios 44-2 is a good place to start.

[Attila]

Welcome! Nice entry, thank you!

[saffersteve]

Thanks guys

OM , I've got the Helios 44-2 still to play with it because I've been playing with the penticon 50 1.8 and the Cannon fd 50 1:2.

These are great but the only thing I find is that these 50's on the Sony crop factor of 1.5 =75mm put me a little to far from the subject on indoor shots.

I find I'm always backing away from a baby that is crawling towards me just to get her in shot.

The 35 worked out closer to 50mm however the lens I really want to test is the smc asahi 24mm/3.5 but am waiting for a pk adaptor to arrive.

I will list my lens in another post to see what people think are any good.

[OM]

The Helios 44 (58mm) will become an 87mm equivalent on your NEX5 which is smack bang inbetween the classic 80-90mm portrait lens - it should be very nice.

I'm not familiar with the Pentax 24mm but I would expect good results as it is the slower F3.5 version and that, combined with the crop factor will help provide sharp results.

[Olivier]

Hi Steve and welcome !