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sonics
Joined: 13 May 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 11:58 am Post subject: helios 44m soft from midframe |
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sonics wrote:
From my grandpa's lens collection the most known one is a helios 44m sticked on a zenith camera.
On my 5D I use a tokina 17mm rmc f/3.5 and a CZ distagon 28mm f/2.8. Both met my expectations.
The helios however showed realy soft from midframe to border on my 5D. Worst wideopen only getting real sharp at f/11 at the corners.
My plan however is to use this lens on a sony nex, so I tried the helios on the nex.
For portraits the lens is fine but also on the nex the helios is not sharp near the borders up to f/8
Is this normal for this lens or is this a bad copy? The adapters I use are cheap china ones but I don't think that can be the cause.
tnx, |
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Olivier
Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Posts: 5078 Location: France
Expire: 2015-08-06
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:44 pm Post subject: Re: helios 44m soft from midframe |
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Olivier wrote:
sonics wrote: |
From my grandpa's lens collection the most known one is a helios 44m sticked on a zenith camera.
On my 5D I use a tokina 17mm rmc f/3.5 and a CZ distagon 28mm f/2.8. Both met my expectations.
The helios however showed realy soft from midframe to border on my 5D. Worst wideopen only getting real sharp at f/11 at the corners.
My plan however is to use this lens on a sony nex, so I tried the helios on the nex.
For portraits the lens is fine but also on the nex the helios is not sharp near the borders up to f/8
Is this normal for this lens or is this a bad copy? The adapters I use are cheap china ones but I don't think that can be the cause.
tnx, |
Hi Sonics and welcome.
I don't know what you call "sharp" but if it is the same as I, I would say it's not normal. The lens should be sharp.
The adapter is not the reason, for sure.
Maybe a glass is misaligned ?
You can post some sample pictures so that we confirm you there's an issue with your lens. _________________ Olivier - Moderator
Dslr : Olympus Pen E-P2 - Fujifilm X-Pro2 - Canon 5D MkII.
SLr and MF lenses : for feedback and helping people, cameras and lenses I own : full list here http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1442740.html#1442740 |
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Attila
Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 57865 Location: Hungary
Expire: 2025-11-18
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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Attila wrote:
Welcome! Your lens has faulty, hundreds of Helios user here and they are happy with their lens, buy another lens, I think less cost than get this one fixed. _________________ -------------------------------
Items on sale on Ebay
Sony NEX-7 Carl Zeiss Planar 85mm f1.4, Minolta MD 35mm f1.8, Konica 135mm f2.5, Minolta MD 50mm f1.2, Minolta MD 250mm f5.6, Carl Zeiss Sonnar 180mm f2.8
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Lloydy
Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 7788 Location: Ironbridge. UK.
Expire: 2022-01-01
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:06 pm Post subject: |
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Lloydy wrote:
All five of my Helios are sharp, I love them. Post some pictures taken with it, the problem might be simple to put right. _________________ LENSES & CAMERAS FOR SALE.....
I have loads of stuff that I have to get rid of, if you see me commenting about something I have got and you want one, ask me.
My Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/mudplugga/
My ipernity -
http://www.ipernity.com/home/294337 |
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sonics
Joined: 13 May 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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sonics wrote:
Hi there,
tnx for the reply. I post 3 examples of what I mean. All were taken at f/2.8
this one is from a sony nex at f/2.8
... and this one from a Canon 5D
When doing portraits the lens seems to do fine because borders are blurred anyways. Made with the sony nex
I also made some landscape photos which I deleted at f/4 and f/5.6 on my 5D which showed also border softness but less than here. |
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Lightshow
Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 5:19 am Post subject: |
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Lightshow wrote:
Looks soft to me, decentered(or loose) or maybe an element is in backwards.
Here's a WO shot from my KMZ 44-2 on my 1DIII
_________________ A Manual Focus Junky...
One photographers junk lens is an artists favorite tool.
My lens list
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightshow-photography/ |
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Olivier
Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Posts: 5078 Location: France
Expire: 2015-08-06
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:53 am Post subject: |
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Olivier wrote:
Lightshow wrote: |
Looks soft to me, decentered(or loose) or maybe an element is in backwards.
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On the 1st shot it appears that left is blurred when right side is approx correct.
On the 5D's problem is obvious.
It seems an element is decentered or loose, as Lightshow says. _________________ Olivier - Moderator
Dslr : Olympus Pen E-P2 - Fujifilm X-Pro2 - Canon 5D MkII.
SLr and MF lenses : for feedback and helping people, cameras and lenses I own : full list here http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1442740.html#1442740 |
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sonics
Joined: 13 May 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:34 am Post subject: |
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sonics wrote:
Can I fix that myself? Or better to buy another one? |
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Olivier
Joined: 18 Feb 2009 Posts: 5078 Location: France
Expire: 2015-08-06
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Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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Olivier wrote:
First of all, try by yourself.
Remove the front ring with the helios name using a lens wrench.
Then you'll be able to pop glass out, clean it and reassemble it. Maybe this operation should realign the glass and solve the problem.
If not, try to remove the back glass by using the spanner wrench again, unmount, clean and remount the rear glass. _________________ Olivier - Moderator
Dslr : Olympus Pen E-P2 - Fujifilm X-Pro2 - Canon 5D MkII.
SLr and MF lenses : for feedback and helping people, cameras and lenses I own : full list here http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1442740.html#1442740 |
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Lightshow
Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 12:48 am Post subject: |
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Lightshow wrote:
The 2nd group below the line is the design layout of the 44, just make sure they are mounted correctly, the rear is the easiest to get backwards.
http://www.abload.de/img/lens_scheme_dg_v2k8hu.png
From: http://forum.mflenses.com/list-of-lens-diagrams-triplets-planars-and-hybrid-lenses-t22934.html _________________ A Manual Focus Junky...
One photographers junk lens is an artists favorite tool.
My lens list
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightshow-photography/ |
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Lloydy
Joined: 02 Sep 2009 Posts: 7788 Location: Ironbridge. UK.
Expire: 2022-01-01
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 1:15 am Post subject: |
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Lloydy wrote:
It's worth a try, they are robust so can be dismantled fairly easily. And they are cheap if it all goes wrong.
I've got an excellent set of instructions but they are in PDF format - I'll sort them out tomorrow and post them here. _________________ LENSES & CAMERAS FOR SALE.....
I have loads of stuff that I have to get rid of, if you see me commenting about something I have got and you want one, ask me.
My Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/mudplugga/
My ipernity -
http://www.ipernity.com/home/294337 |
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Lightshow
Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 4:33 am Post subject: |
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Lightshow wrote:
Helios lenses are great lenses to learn how to work on lenses, they're relatively simple, and somewhat cheap and fairly common so not a big deal if you have an oops. _________________ A Manual Focus Junky...
One photographers junk lens is an artists favorite tool.
My lens list
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lightshow-photography/ |
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sonics
Joined: 13 May 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 8:30 am Post subject: |
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sonics wrote:
Lloydy wrote: |
It's worth a try, they are robust so can be dismantled fairly easily. And they are cheap if it all goes wrong.
I've got an excellent set of instructions but they are in PDF format - I'll sort them out tomorrow and post them here. |
Ah thanks. Then I will definitly give it a try. The only thing I removed so far is the back plate where the A/M switch is. |
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Ultron
Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 60 Location: Amsterdam
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Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 9:15 am Post subject: |
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Ultron wrote:
Left and right seem equally soft to me. And the Helios is known to have soft corners wide open.
But your corners look softer then I would expect so maybe an element has been reversed. I would try turning them around. |
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sonics
Joined: 13 May 2011 Posts: 15 Location: Netherlands
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Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 5:25 pm Post subject: |
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sonics wrote:
I bought another 44m and 44-2 for cheap and did some testing.
I liked the 44-2 best in handling and feel; smooth focusring and stop-down ring.
Too bad the mirror will lock at infinity on my 5D but for portrait and close distance this is not a problem. I want to use it on my nex as well.
The top two are from the 44-2 with different focus points. Can I conlude that this lens suffers from field curvature?
The 44m shows me there is quite some sample variation. The new sample I bought is better around the borders but less good in the centre at f/2.8. I tried the lens outside at infinity distance and showed the same results. The new 44m sample achieves same centre sharpness as the rest at around f/5. |
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