Which Helios 40?

tammyb · Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 37 Location: Sweden

Hello,

I wonder which Helios 40 gives the swirly bokeh? And I also wondering about black or silver? Is there anything that is different if I choose a black or a silver? I have seen some black that looks very new on Ebay, and that Is confusing me cause I thought this lenses were old?

I want to buy one, but I only want a lens that gives that swirly background, and now I wonder if you could help me out here?

Any tip on any good ones on the net?

Kind regards

Tammy

Arctures · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 295

As far as I know any version - black or silver has excellent swirly bokeh. Black version that looks like new is really new I guess. KMZ factory has been continued lens production since this year. Silver version was produced in the USSR. As far as I know all Helioses differs from each other by sharpness wide open because the quality control issues. So the best way is to get a picture wide open before purchase if possible.

tammyb · Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 37 Location: Sweden

BurstMox · Expire: 2016-08-02

Swirly bokeh is not automatic. I mean, both H-40 have capacity to make this bokeh, but it also depend of the photo (distance from subject + distance from background + light). So, I think it's not that strange to see a photo taken wide open with H-40 without this bokeh.

I'm pretty sure that all H-40 can produce this bokeh.

Arctures · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 295

Tammy, as it was mentioned by BurstMox, bokeh or out of focus area is really not "automatic". That means you really have to learn how to get the best from this lens. So you should go and make plenty of shots in order to achieve the results you want. As far as I know all Helios-40-2 share the same optical schema so they produce the same OOF painting. But how wonderful would your photos be depends solely on you. So be ready to learn how to get the most of your tool. That is true for any lens out there.

Attila · Expire: 2025-11-18

Arctures · Joined: 10 Jul 2009 Posts: 295

I forgot to mention Helios 40-2 performs (in terms of OOF areas) better on a full frame camera because of wider FOV. So if you are shooting with APS-C or even MFT you may be kinda disappointed. Just go to flickr.com and compare photos from Helios 40-2 + Nex/Pentax/other APS-C with Helios 40-2 + Canon 5D/5D Mark II-III/other FF. You'll see the difference I mean.

lo3ll · Joined: 24 Aug 2012 Posts: 14

Beside the helios 40, cyclop 85mm 1.5 also does give you the same bokeh!
Cheaper and lighter in weight!

http://imageshack.us/a/img18/640/qa89.jpg

tammyb · Joined: 24 Jun 2012 Posts: 37 Location: Sweden

lo3ll · Joined: 24 Aug 2012 Posts: 14

Optically helios 40 and cyclop same. But cyclop does not have aperture so it is always at f1.5 and that is why it is lighter and cheaper.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Misha_M · Joined: 08 Oct 2012 Posts: 178

Actually, not only the Helios-40 in all of its versions, but any Helios lens, just like its German "progenitor", the Biotar series lenses, will give you the swirly bokeh thanks to the optical design of these lenses...

And you certainly can get the effect on crop cameras as well, but there will be less of it (shot with 550D):

One thing that is a required condition for getting this effect is a busy background, something like tree leaves, pebbles, a grassy field, etc.

It also depends on the distance of the subject from the background (like all types of bokeh) .

BurstMox · Expire: 2016-08-02

I'm not sure if it's totaly related to formula. Naturely, formula is big part of the reason, but I noticed that lastest Helios's (77M4 for exemple) doesn't give easily this type of bokeh. In opposite, Helios 44 give this effect very easily. Maybe the coating have something to do with it, or just the slight changes they may have done from the origial 44 to the last one's.