Bokemania with Helios-40

[IvanJ]

I have an opportunity to play with Helios 40-2 for a few weeks. So far I'm very impressed with it's performance, although using it with Nikon DX camera body has some serious limitations (only up to ~3m of focus reach making enviromental portraits with creamy surrounding almost impossible - at max distance model body would fill more than 50% of the frame).

I'm posting some bokeh examples and later I'll post fullsize bokeh and DOF area crops for each picture.

pics are hosted on flickr, so I'll link to each photo page and then you'll be able to look at the "original size" of 1200x797 pixels. Does anybody know how to make clickable thumbnails with Flickr? Or what (free) image host offers clickable thumbnails that open in fullsize when clicked (photobucket opens resized pics)?

this one is my favorite so far, Helios is great lens for women and flowers. Wide open it has a lot of beatiful glow, but it reamins sharp, it never gets mushy. Even in low light, color saturation is way above my expectations, and tonal gradations are subtle. It's bokeh may be very bubbly from time to time, but transitions to OOF seem very natural and smooth.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391231965/

these are OOF circles, this specimen is surely quite dirty inside:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392039230/

this is how Helios renders distant backgrounds:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392042148/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391215515/?rotated=1&cb=1207470664609

soft bokeh on this one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392050200/

harsher rendering on this one, lots of repeating lines
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392053552/

almost the same scene, on the other side of the fence, and the bokeh is perfect cream, no highlights and repeating pattern is tamed pretty well
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392056358/

these flower pots are spaced roughly 1.5m apart
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391228941/

this floral rendition reminds me of pictures with enlarger lens that I've seen here and on other MF forums, I very much like it's soft glow without losing definition
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391235537/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391238631/

note how sharply it rendered hangers, I didn't expect it at F1.5
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392072736/

near field shows some doubling, but I also like contrast I got in this one. None of these pics are altered in any way but resizing. Converted from RAW files with no corrections/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391244787/

two yellow blobs are tulips more than 3m behind. I think this bokeh is perfect and that no other lens could show significant improvement over it.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391247685/

and now something completely different: highlights, busy backgorunds and my head starts hurting when watching this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391250827/

very nice red saturation and great details on front glove
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391254127/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391257537/

and now some "wildlife". what do you think of background rendering of feathers on this one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392092782/

excellent details and sharpness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391266051/

perfect bokeh
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391269103/

whirling bokeh that really adds dynamic to the photo, it would be boring without it
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391273495/

some closeup performance, bokeh is perfect, the blob on the right is chicken
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392108760/

some spring bloom closeups
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2392112452/

notice excellent sharpness on the water pipe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11741216@N02/2391284523/