Helios-40 and Planar 1.4/85

[Orio]

They're basically the same lens.
I mean, it does not take an optical physics graduation to see that it's basically the same lens, that is, a double Gauss based design:

Helios:

Planar:


True, the Planar has two lens elements more (coherently with the tendency of lens makers to add more and more correction glasses as the time goes by); However, their position is the same than the single element in the Helios, and probably should have the same function.

Nothing new under the sun!

[Attila]

[LucisPictor]

"Never change a winning team!"

[KhanX]

Oh, the price is very different.

I have Helios 44-2 58mm but hardly use.

[Abbazz]

[ChrisLilley]

And here is the Cosina Voigtländer Nokton 58mm f/1.4



It seems the basic and classic designs are changed (either to refine them in some direction, or to make them less expensive) by many manufacturers. There are also differences in quality of glass used, coatings, precision of lens manufacture, allowable tolerances in manufacture and assembly, and level of post-assembly QA.

And thats before considering what the lens body is made of or how well the focus method works (and whether its optimised for rapidly getting to approximately the right focus, short throw, or slowly getting to precisely the right focus, long throw).

[BobDodds]

A Cosina 58mm f1.4 not Nokton on ebay right now:
ebay.com/Limited-Cosina-Auto-Topcor-58mm-F1-4-M42-MINT-58-1_W0QQitemZ310019100967QQihZ021QQcategoryZ4688QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem
...high price for a good standard fifty-some mm lens but may in fact be nokturnal.

If the CV 58mm f1.4 is a "Nokton", how about Cosinon 55mm f1.2 M42? Maybe nokturnal but not "Tomioka" as claimed on ebay. Looks in a lot of ways just like Porst 55mm f1.2 K-mount, which has f22.

cgi.ebay.com/Lens-Tomioka-Cosinon-1-2-55mm-f-Pentax-M42_W0QQitemZ350022324774QQihZ022QQcategoryZ707QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Abbazz]

[BobDodds]

"I am now convinced that the Porst 55/1.2 was manufactured by Cosina and is the same lens as the Cosinon 55/1.2, except I have never seen the Porst in M42 mount. My Porst goes only to F/16, no trace of F/22"

Some Porst with no f22, that's even more convincing they're Cosina.

I have three Porst 55mm f1.2 K mount lenses with f22.

Porst made a 50mm f1.2. I wonder where that came from, and if any M42.

Sometimes a Porst camera on ebay will have a 55mm f1.2 for a cheap price. I confess to throwing away a Porst camera!

[Abbazz]