Which is better? Helios 44-4 vs SMC Takumar

kin2son · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 10

Need a bit of advice from you guys. I currently use a Helios 44-4 on a A7 and just wondering if the Taks is worth the extra money?

Also what's the fair price for the Taks 50 1.4? Any other lenses I should consider as well?

Thanks Smile

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4745 Location: Cheshire, England

The Helios 44's have a great reputation as being sharp lenses, I have one and it is pin sharp. Thats on APSc size sensors. The truth is they can fall off severely to the edges on full frame. The Takumars are built to a much higher standard and will be the better bet.

I think 55 to 70GBP is a fair price to pay for the 50 1.4, you will often get a film body thrown in for that.

kin2son · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 10

Langstrum · Joined: 16 Feb 2014 Posts: 351

They're very different, even though they're both 50mm lenses. Helios is slower, but good enough for shooting outdoor. Tak may produce images a bit sharper or the same, depending on the copy you can find. Helios gives you the swirly bokeh, which the Tak can't make, but Tak can shoot a significantly thinner DOF, which is very helpful when you need a more impressive focus and don't have much light. Based on my experience, the images produced by Helios are quite warmer.
To me, a fair price for the Tak is about $70-80, but currently you will find that most of them are sold with around $100 or more. While the Helios lenses were mass produced and the availability is still high, the Tak becomes rarer, and I can notice the increase in listing prices for the last year.
I heard that the Super Multi Coated version maybe better than the SMC one, so you should consider that if you can't test the lens directly.
If you're into 50(55, 58 )/1.4 lenses, there are many other good ones (good quality and reasonable price) are:

The first group is cheaper ($40 - $100)
Auto Rikenon/Auto Sear 55/1.4 (M42 mount)
Auto Chinon MC 50/1.4 (M42 mount)
Yashinon DS 50/1.4 (M42 mount)
Auto Revuenon (Pentax mount) 50/1.4
FD S.S.C/nFD (Canon FD mount) 50/1.4
Olympus Zuiko (OM mount) 50/1.4

more expensive, maybe better quality ($100 - $200):
Yashica ML 50/1.4 (CY mount)
Konica Hexanon AR 50/1.4 (AR mount)
Porst Color Reflex MC Auto 55mm f/1.4 (M42 mount)
Tomioka 50/1.4 (M42, even though it's the same as some Revuenon, Rikenon, Sears..)
Auto Mamiya Sekor 55/1.4 (M42 mount)
Nikkor Ai/AiS 50/1.4 (Nikon F mount)

even more expensive:
Voigtlander Nokton 58mm f/1.4
Leica Summilux-M ASPH 50/1.4
Zeiss Planar T* 50/1.4

and maybe on top of quality and price now is the Zeiss Otus 55/1.4 Shocked

I'm sure others can add many more to this list, they're just few that I experienced or lust after.

PS: Rokkor has less reputation than Tak, but in term of sharpness, you may have better IQ wide open with the Rokkor than the Tak. The difference between f/1.7 and f/1.4 is not very large.

Aanything · Expire: 2014-05-30

kin2son · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 10

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 940 Location: Poland

I have the A7 and many standard lenses. I tried all of them on my A7. My 55mm SMC is by far superior to my Helios 44 M6 .
If you buy this lens try to get a recent one, SMC or K in good condition.

Considering Minolta, I can recommend also the Rokkors MC 50/1.4 PG and MD 50/2. It looks like the 50/2 is preferable to the 1.7 and it is really sharp and cheap.
The MD 45/2 is not the sharpest but sharp enough and f2 is bad but it gives very refined coulours in my opinion. I like this lens.
I paid less than 20'euros for the MD 50/2 and 45/2. The adapter was more expensive.

Don't forget that because of the internal reflections , the shortest is the adapter the better it is. The M42 and K adapter are long. Konica and Minolta are better served . It took me a time to find a good M42 Nex adapter to use with the A7 .

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 940 Location: Poland

In addition, you should consider opinions only based on FF cameras .
Even opinions based on Canon FF are questionnable because the adapter M42 EF is a simple ring . So prefer opinions from A7 (r) owners.
I will not recommend to buy a Tomioka 55/1.4 for example . Mine produces unfortunately a hudge amount of flare and ghosting on my A7.
This was a disapointment as I like this lens very much.

kin2son · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 10

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 940 Location: Poland

Yes it is . This is the last version of this lens before it received the K bayonett mount.
55 mm f2 and f1.8 are the same lens . Asahi added a ring to reduce the speed of the 1.8 for marketing purposes.
This one does not look to be in very good condition. I don't how it is in Australia but normally it is possible to find mint ones.
I had mine which is like new and paid 35 euros for it.

kin2son · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 10

Oldhand · Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2014 11:45 am Post subject:

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4745 Location: Cheshire, England

memetph · Joined: 01 Dec 2013 Posts: 940 Location: Poland

That is what product marketing is. Price and content.It was a try to keep the price positionning of the SPII. They needed to justify a lower price of the Spotmatic 500 and 1000 compared to the SP II which was already a lit bit old fashioned.
They prefered to reduce slightly the features of those cameras and lenses even artificially than to discount the SPII . To create. a new low cost model would have required an investment . You could buy a Spot for a lower price without having discount.

kin2son · Joined: 09 Oct 2012 Posts: 10

Ok after some researches I've decided and purchased a Rokkor MD 50 1.7....hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

Gardener · Joined: 22 Sep 2013 Posts: 950 Location: USA

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

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