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Helios-103 on a Sony A7II
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PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:30 pm    Post subject: Helios-103 on a Sony A7II Reply with quote
If a leaf falls in the forest does it make a noise?


I don't know, ask her.



PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I love the Helios-103, it performs way above it's price tag. Well done on that leaf capture. Smile


PostPosted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 11:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you Ian. Over time I have replaced all of my Soviet Kiev mount lenses with their Zeiss predecessors except the Helios-103. While I would like a Zeiss Contax Biotar that collector pricing has left me far behind, particularly as this lens really does outperform its pricetag.

As for the leaf, I cheated. It was slowly spinning in the breeze, hanging about 10 feet up from a bit of spider silk. The hardest part of the shot was getting the leaf in focus. At the distance it was you could just barely see it in the viewfinder. I made several attempts to be sure I got it, and the final image is a massive crop.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have all the Russians in Kiev, and some Zeiss - prewar Sonnar 1.5/50, postwar Opton Sonnar 4/135, prewar Triotar 4/85, postwar Opton Biogon 2.8/35, I intend to collect more of the Zeiss, especially the West German Optons. The prewar Zeiss are very nice albeit uncoated, I like the look they give with BW film. The Helios-103 definitely has it's place, more modern design & coatings, but my favourite of them all remains the humble J-8, of which I have several dozen in M39 and Kiev and will never part with any of them.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 12:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I had the J-8, J-3, J-9, J-11 and J-12. All of them are fine lenses but one day I got a Pre-war Jena 1.5/50 Sonnar and I saw a qualitative difference between it and the J-3. Now, I don't know whether this was caused by sample variation or overall quality but I assume that Zeiss, with Schott glass, has a leg up on optics. I certainly prefer the chromed brass bodies of the Zeiss lenses to the aluminum bodies of the Soviet lenses.

Eventually I sold off all my Jupiter Kiev lenses to help pay for my Zeiss Contax kit. Currently I have:

Biogon 2.8/35 Zeiss-Opton (the smaller rear element of the Opton lens for Contax 2a/3a cameras fits in Sony APS-C cameras)
Sonnar 2.0/50 both pre-war Jena uncoated and post war T coated Zeiss Opton
Sonnar 1.5/50 both pre-war Jena uncoated and post war T coated Zeiss Opton
Tessar 2.8/50 Pre-war Jena collapsible
Sonnar 2.0/85 Post war Jena, coated
Triotar 4.0/85 Zeiss Opton, coated
Sonnar 4.0/135 Zeiss Opton

I also have the Helios-103 (of course) as well as Kiev mount Industar-26 and Industar-61 lenses that came free with a pair of Kiev to Sony E adapters.

If I ever find a reasonably priced Contax mount Biotar or Biometar I will expand my kit. Until then these lenses are a small, high optical quality kit that work well on the A7II and A6500 with manual adapters or the Techart Pro autofocus adapter.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I also have a couple of dozen of these Kiev mount J-8,J-8M, J-3, and Helios-103s. The problem is that the adaptors are very expensive that often cost many times of the lens. It cost more than a Nikon F2,or Canon F1!
I shall wait until the price is down. I always wanted to try the J-8M that took some excellent film images.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 8:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kievuser wrote:
I also have a couple of dozen of these Kiev mount J-8,J-8M, J-3, and Helios-103s. The problem is that the adaptors are very expensive that often cost many times of the lens. It cost more than a Nikon F2,or Canon F1!
I shall wait until the price is down. I always wanted to try the J-8M that took some excellent film images.


You can get an adapter for $27 on ebay. For E-mount.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 19, 2017 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kievuser wrote:
I also have a couple of dozen of these Kiev mount J-8,J-8M, J-3, and Helios-103s. The problem is that the adaptors are very expensive that often cost many times of the lens. It cost more than a Nikon F2,or Canon F1!
I shall wait until the price is down. I always wanted to try the J-8M that took some excellent film images.


As stated, on Ebay there are East European sellers that sell Contax adapters that are made from mounts recovered from dead Kiev cameras. These are inexpensive and, in my experience (I have three of them) they work well. As an added bonus there are at least two sellers who include a serviceable lens with the adapter as a 'bonus'. I own a Kiev mount Helios-103, Industar 61 and Industar-26m that were purchased as free bonuses with adapters. I have also seen Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-8M offered in the same fashion.

Of course this depends on what camera you intend to mount these on.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
newst wrote:
kievuser wrote:
I also have a couple of dozen of these Kiev mount J-8,J-8M, J-3, and Helios-103s. The problem is that the adaptors are very expensive that often cost many times of the lens. It cost more than a Nikon F2,or Canon F1!
I shall wait until the price is down. I always wanted to try the J-8M that took some excellent film images.


As stated, on Ebay there are East European sellers that sell Contax adapters that are made from mounts recovered from dead Kiev cameras. These are inexpensive and, in my experience (I have three of them) they work well. As an added bonus there are at least two sellers who include a serviceable lens with the adapter as a 'bonus'. I own a Kiev mount Helios-103, Industar 61 and Industar-26m that were purchased as free bonuses with adapters. I have also seen Jupiter-8 and Jupiter-8M offered in the same fashion.

Of course this depends on what camera you intend to mount these on.


Thanks Steve for the input. I just checked Ebay for the prices. Yes, they are much cheaper, but it is still a bother for me as I don't have an ebay account. Maybe I should wait until someone bring them into Beijing's local shops.
It is interesting that you mentioned Kiev mount I-61. I was the guy who 'invented' this lens many years ago either at Beststuff,or at yahoo's Russian cameras forum. Laugh 1 I still have that lens now.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, the I-61 came free with the adapter. It works as well as the LTM version I used to own. However, with 4 different Zeiss 50mm Sonnars, a Zeiss 2.8/50 Tessar and the Helios-103 it doesn't get much use.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 6:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great collection you have assembled Steve, bold but great move!! Congrats


PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kds315* wrote:
Great collection you have assembled Steve, bold but great move!! Congrats


Thanks. I just wanted something different.


PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 4:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Like Dog


PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I started with a Helios 44M-7 and then acquired a Biotar. The Helios outperforms the Biotar.
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