![]() Only the two early Helios 44s have 13 aperture blades, the later ones have either 8 or 6 blades. The 44-2 version itself has been produced in different variants and at different factories (KMZ, BeLOMO and Valdai) in the Soviet Union. Later versions are all black and have the namings 44-2 (the most spread version), 44-3, 44M, 44M-4, 44M-5, 44M-6 and the final 44M-7. This second version exists in three variants the first variant had 13 aperture blades in the range of f/2-f/22, second version (the one in this review) has also 13 aperture blades but with the range of f/2-f/16 and the last variant has only 8 aperture blades f/2-f/16. Lens Mount: M39 (Zenit SLR, not rangefinder)Īs far as I know there are two versions of the early silver metal body an original very early version with a bayonet mount and 40.5mm filter size and this one, which has a M39 screw mount with 49mm filter size. Let’s have a look! Sample Images Nikon Z6 | Helios 44 58/2 | f/2 Nikon Z6 | Helios 44 58/2 | f/2 Nikon Z6 | Helios 44 58/2 | f/2 Nikon Z6 | Helios 44 58mm f/2 | f/2 Nikon Z6 | Helios 44 58mm f/2 | f/2 It is very popular for its image character, its clickless aperture, balanced center sharpness and not least its swirly bokeh. The Helios 44 lenses have built a cult around themselves in modern days and have been very popular for portrait photography and videography, it is the number one vintage lens used for making videos on modern cameras. KMZ (the same factory that made the Zenit cameras) started manufacturing this lens from 1945. The Soviet Union manufactured millions of this lens in different variants and it shipped as standard lens on many Soviet (Zenit) cameras. At the end of Wold War II the Russians took the Zeiss’ designs and materials back to Russia and copied them. I still see this lens for sale at less than £10 in the UK, which is a remarkable price for such a great lens, personally I think it's a legendary lens because of the combination of quality and price.The Helios 44 is basically a copy of the Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f/2, optically that is. It benefits from a lens hood to reduce flare, but it's not a huge problem. I haven't got the technical knowledge to comment on the optics of thelens, but as a regular user of the Helios I rarely have cause to critisize the results, I get sharp and accurately coloured pictures from this easy to use lens. I find that I'm using the unmodified lens all the time now as I think it's easier. Without the modification the switch allows the aperture to be quickly opened up when focusing and then stopped back down to the preset aperture. Modifying or removing the aperture pin is a popular modification that disables the AUTO -MANUAL switch and makes the aperture ring available in both positions. But light oil doesn't seem to have any detrimental effect. The other commonly reported problem is oil on the aperture blades, which if very bad can cause the blades to stick. If the focusing ring isn't stiff they are silky smooth.Ī stiff focusing ring can be easily fixed, there are detailed instructions all around the internet. The lenses are very well made, the build quality is as good as the Takumars I have and they have a very nice tactile feel to them. One copy has the aperture pin removed and the other is completely standard. ![]() I'm a huge Helios fan, and have two copies of the 44 M.
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