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Helios-44M 2/58 (KMZ) limited swirl
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 16, 2022 11:43 pm    Post subject: Helios-44M 2/58 (KMZ) limited swirl Reply with quote
In order not to hijack another member's post concerning thislens, I put my observations into a separate one.

Before I got a copy of Helios-44M (The KMZ, not the Valday one), I thought all the Helioses make the same swirl on FF. To my suprise, I don't see much of it, as compared to the most widespread Helios 44-2.

This is the maximum swirl I've got from the 44M, wide open, with speed boster.

#1


#2


In some other cases where the swirl is expected with patchy background, it does not happen at all.

#3


This lens is capable to render in a nice rectilinear way

#4


In a broader sense, the 44M seems another lens as for colour rendering and bokeh. Colours are a bit muted in 44M, while 44-2 tends to jolly green and blue cast. And the 44M bokeh has a consistency and slight harshness, almost squarish OOF spots, while 44-2 gives an airy OOF.

#5


My first test shots let me think that aestetically 44M is a kind of longer version of Mir-1, with some not that jolly swirl happening in some cases. I did not find a systematic comparison of 44-2 and 44M and wonder if someone made a consistent observation of differences between the two lenses.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2022 12:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I once compared the 44-2(KMZ), 44M(KMZ) and 44M-6(Valdai)

44-2
Helios 44 comparison 44-2 by The lens profile, on Flickr

44M
Helios 44 comparison 44M by The lens profile, on Flickr[

44M-6
Helios 44 comparison 44M-6 by The lens profile, on Flickr


PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for the test shots! It looks like the 44m-6 version has the largest soft corners. And that sounds as a counter-fact to what I knew before about this variety of Helios.

Did you also test the three against a patchy background? That could be interesting to see a comparison of how all three render a charged OOF.


PostPosted: Sun Apr 17, 2022 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I could do a swirl comparison, but first i'd have to repair the m-6 It came apart in my hands...

I also notice that from these three the 44-2 has different colors the reds and yellows from the matchbox are warmer and the blue of the book is a bit faded.


PostPosted: Mon Apr 18, 2022 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
alex ph wrote:
Thank you for the test shots! It looks like the 44m-6 version has the largest soft corners. And that sounds as a counter-fact to what I knew before about this variety of Helios.

Did you also test the three against a patchy background? That could be interesting to see a comparison of how all three render a charged OOF.


Perhaps the results would be different with longer focusing distance (perhaps not). As to what we know about Helios lenses, you may find different copies from the same model/factory and still get different glass or coatings on them. Individual copies vary much more than specific versions (which exist mostly on paper). You can take, say, two Valdai 44-2 lenses of the same type and get totally different colour rendering. They used parts they could put their hands on at the time, with as much improvising as possible, in good Soviet fashion. That's why you'll find so many confusing reports as to which version is "the best", which swirls the most etc.
They all swirl very, very similarly, but the colour rendition, resolution and contrast vary a lot. Some lenses profit a lot from stopping down just a little, tiny bit (say to F2.2), some don't need that.
I've tried many copies and they were all usable and interesting. 44m-7 (genuine, not fake from e-Bay) proved better with edge sharpness when stopped down (usable as "normal" lens when stopped down, where 44-2 would still show softness even at F8 on the outer parts of the image). Otherwise I didn't see a big difference, except with contrast and colour (due to MC). For close ups, in real world usage, I can't say I've noticed any significant performance difference, except with flaring. 44-3 are the worst despite MC. 44-2's front element is deeply recessed and that proved more effective than weak multi-layer coating.


PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2022 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
That's a very reasonable note. I ignored the copy variation when making my conclusions. Let's see what D1N0's comparison shows, after he repairs his younger Helios.
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