For the opportunity review Helios-123H 1.4 / 50 Thanks to Alexander from the manual optics section.
Overview of the lens Helios-123N 1.4 50
TTX of the lens Helios-123N 1.4 / 50
Focal length: 50 mm
Diaphargma: F1.4-F16
Number of aperture blades: 7 pieces, matte gray
Optical design: 7 elements in 6 groups
The weight: 270g
MDF: 45sm
Front Filter Diameter: 52mm
Bayonet mount: H, similar to Nikon F ai-s type, installed on Nikon cameras without an adapter.
Note that MS Helios-123H 1.4/50 и Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 H - the same lens with different names. Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 H - newer version. After the collapse of the Soviet Union (possibly for other reasons), the Arsenal plant began to produce products under the Arsat brand. Lens Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 H was a standard (whale) lens on cameras of the "Kiev" brand. On the lens you can find the inscription Made in Ukraine. I live in Kiev and I am pleased to realize the fact that lenses of this quality were produced in Ukraine.
View of the lens Helios-123N 1.4 50 from different angles
The lens is very interesting for its huge aperture F1.4 and compatible with the Nikon Central Control Arm. Yes, MS Helios-123N just installed on Nikon. No adapters needed. At MS Helios-123H 1.4/50 The same mount (mount) as Nikon lenses. Lens AI-S such as the old and new modern native Nikon lenses, for example Nikon 50mm f / 1.4 AI-S. Old manual lenses (with manual focus) are interesting in that they can be used on other systems (on cameras from other manufacturers) without regret that autofocus will disappear. So, MS Helios-123N can be used without problems on Canon, Pentax cameras. How to use on Canon can be found in my article old lenses at canon. But modern autofocus lenses cannot be just as easily used on old cameras, as most lenses do not have manual iris control, and autofocus only works with native cameras. Roughly speaking, old lenses are more versatile in relation to different systems than modern ones, but working with old optics is much more difficult.
View of the lens Helios-123N 1.4 50 on a modern camera
The main features MS Helios-123N:
1. When working on modern digital-SLR cameras Nikon will operate semi-automatic aperture control - this means that the aperture will need to be set on the lens itself. When installed on a Nikon camera, MS Helios-123N the aperture will be constantly open, and it will close only when the shutter is released (when shooting). Almost all modern lenses work exactly the same way.. It is very comfortable. Using dandelion lushnikov it will be possible to achieve full automatic operation with the flesh lens until full automatic control of the diaphragm and pseudo-auto-focus.
Sample photo on Helios-123N
2. Focusing is manual only. The focusing ring rotates almost 180 degrees. The trunk of the lens is lengthened by almost a centimeter. When focusing, all lenses in the lens unit move. The focusing ring is rubberized. It's easy to focus, nothing unusual for a poltininka.
Sample photo on Helios-123N 1: 1.4 50mm
3. The maximum aperture of the F1.4 lens. This is a kind of limit for lenses, since all lenses with an even larger aperture are super fast and their cost rises sharply. The aperture of F1.4 is 1.8 times lighter than F1.65. A lens with such aperture It will be easier take pictures with hand. Big aperture makes it very easy to control the depth of field. At MS Helios-123N unpaired number of aperture blades - 7 pieces. I have met models with 6 petals on the Internet. When closed, the petals form classic “nuts” in the out-of-focus area. Also, when the diaphragm is closed, it does not always form a regular heptagon, but a "curve".
Sample photos on ARSAT H 1: 1.4 50mm
4. The lens is well assembled, without backlash. Given that my instance number 9500419, the lens is over 17 years old and it works great. The first two digits in the number of a Soviet lens almost always indicate the year of manufacture, in this case - 1995.
Example photo on Helios-123N 1: 1.4 50mm
5. The lens has multi-coating. EGF on Nikon DX cameras will correspond to 75mm, which can be used for portrait shooting. More details in the section on crop factor. Also, the lens Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 H will work on full-frame cameras. However, I have not yet met fifty kopecks, which was developed only for DX cameras.
Example photos on ARSAT H 1: 1.4 50mm. Raindrops visible
Image quality:
Good sharpness begins after F2.8, the lens suffers from spherical aberrations on open apertures (the edges of the contrast elements are blurred). HA 1.4 strongly affect the image. HA disappear at F2.8. For example, fast Nikon 50mm F1.2 is losing HA already at F2.0, but its cost is also much higher. Aberrations are the main problem high-aperture lenses. The lens has very little distortion (there is practically no distortion on the crop). Crop vignetting disappears at F2.8. The color rendering of the Helios-123N lens is normal, there is no characteristic “bottle tint”. The contrast at fully open aperture could be better, the contrast increases with closing the aperture. At F4.0-F8.0, the lens is very sharp. It is hardly possible to distinguish by eye the work of fifty dollars with closed diaphragms. The lens bokeh is excellent. Discs in the blur zone are well-defined with a thin edging, blurring is smooth. Unlike the legendary Helios-81H, Helios-123H does not spin the bokeh. On aperture 1.4, strong software, on such aperture you can get good portraits. In general, image quality could be better. Perhaps I have not the most successful instance, but the lens looks great in appearance.
Sample photos on ARSAT H 1: 1.4 50mm
Sample photos on the lens Helios-123N 1.4 / 50 (Examples of photos on Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 H)
All sample photos were taken on camera. Nikon D200. All examples of photographs in this review are without processing (auto-level during conversion, since the lens has a little contrast on open apertures). I shoot in RAW, then convert to JPEG with Q80% quality and downsize to 1600 * 1200 and imprinting data with EXIF module. If you think that it will be more difficult to shoot with a simpler camera without exposure metering, just take a look at the Helios-81N gallery, everything was filmed there with a simple one Nikon D40below which nothing is found.
Comparison with cheap autofocus fix Nikon 50mm F1.8D
As it turned out, Helios-123N has a slightly wider viewing angle than a 50mm lens. I compared on aperture F2.0. The sharpness cannot be distinguished by eye. And the funny thing is that Helios turned out to be a little lighter on F2.0 than Nikon 50mm F1.8D @ F2.0, about 1/3 stops, which can be clearly seen from the histogram on my camera.
The difference in viewing angle. Taken from a tripod with the same settings
Personal impressions and recommendations:
I liked the lens. Unlike many Soviet lenses, it gives a normal color rendering and has a completely normal bokeh pattern. If you are looking for an interesting and inexpensive Soviet fifty-kopeck piece for Nikon, then you won't find anything better than the Helios-81n. At the same time, Helios-81H gives an interesting "twisted" bokeh, in contrast to Helios-123H. True, not everyone likes the "twist" of the Helios. In any case, Helios-123N still has a huge aperture.
1.4 depth of field is very shallow
Helios-123N MC is one of not many Soviet lenses with such a large aperture F1.4. This is even more than that of the legendary aperture Helios-40-2. It so happened that lenses with F1.4 can be counted on the fingers. If you do not even talk about the focal length, then with such aperture there are only the following Soviet lenses:
- Mir-46 35mm F1.4
- MS Zenitar-K 85mm F1.4 (MS Helionar-1 1.4 / 85)
- MS Wave-4 50mm F1.4
- MC Zenitar MA 50mm F1.4
The rest either remained in prototypes, or I simply did not find them. So Helios-123N is one of the five fastest lenses from the Soviet Union and the CIS countries.
Sharpness on Helios-123H F1.4 without processing, crop 1 to 1, compression quality 100%
For publicity: if you are interested in Helios-123N or old optics, you can purchase it by contacting the contacts from the manual optics section.
Sample photo on Helios-123
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Conclusion:
MC Helios-123N is a standard lens with a huge aperture. On open apertures up to 2.8, a soft effect appears due to aberrations; open apertures can be used for portraiture. Compatibility with modern Nikon cameras makes the lens very attractive to use. The lens can serve as a creative tool for the photographer.
Familiarity with the Soviet Helios brand lenses I recommend starting with an inexpensive and common lens Helios-44-2 2/58 (aka HELIOS-44-2 2/58). The following links can look at modern lenses Zenitar и HELIOS.
Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram
cool review :) there was such an object in my father - good photos came out :) now I constantly get why he sold his optics park (about 10 objects including helios 40-2) and exchanged for a soap dish: (((
by the way Mir-46 35mm F1.4
MS Zenitar-K 85mm F1.4 (MS Helionar-1 1.4 / 85)
MS Wave-4 50mm F1.4
MC Zenitar MA 50mm F1.4
etih never seen :) it would be interesting to read reviews about them =)
Cool review! I thought to myself to buy 81N; now I began to think about 123N :) By the way, how much does it cost you?
I still recommend the G-81n, I do not sell. If you are interested, please contact Sasha from the manual optics section.
D3100 camera, torn between 123Н and 81Н, The first one judging by the pictures is less contrasting (dull like that), the second aperture is less.
Torn in vain: on the 123rd aperture, most of all, only one (!!!) step. And to pay for this insignificant gain has a noticeably worse image quality, including increased light scattering in the camera.
OK! thanks
Hello Arkady!
good overview. I wanted to add that it looks a lot like a daring copy of the Carl Zeiss Planar 50 / 1.4 C / Y. It can be recommended for familiarization with the Planar optical design. The glasses, of course, are not at all the same and the enlightenment, too, but nevertheless .. And the fact that he does not twist also played not in his favor. Geometric vignetting (popularly called "background twisting") was used by Soviet and not only manufacturers of photographic lenses to correct higher-order aberrations. That is why I'd better twist it :) Soviet lenses are loved in the world for this "psychedelic".
But on the other hand, the original German planars also do not twist, like this lens. so it’s closer to the original.
You are not in vain proud of Ukrainian production :) it was in Kiev and a large number of equipment and drawings from Carl Zeiss / CZ Ikon were exported after the war.
Not so long ago I was holding a Kiev-4 camera, a Ukrainian copy of Contax. Made very soundly! Absolute copy! Just write another. I even regret selling it.
There is nothing to be proud of…. such a country was pissed away ... the independent one was unable to preserve the great heritage ... but now we have SUGS. Morons, fuck
Where is my leopard piccha?
That “the glasses are not the same” (Dmitry) is too much (Mir-1 made of Lytkarinsky glass - without STK! - the then Zeiss-Schottky Vlectogon put it in his belt). In general, the picture of the G-123 is worse than that of the G-81, at all aperture values.
There is a lot of talk about fast lenses, and about this not a word, the fastest Soviet lens suitable for Nikon cameras, with F mount.
MS Volna-8N 50mm f / 1,2
Please note that I wrote about 1.4, and not about all fast lenses, otherwise you will have to add from 1.2 cameras to add.
What is the best lens for Nikon Helios 81n, Helios 44-2, Helios 44M-7, Helios 77?
81Н.
I have an Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4, Helios-81H MC (the old one in a large frame), and several Arsat 50mm 1: 2 (the same Helios-81H only in a new frame) so these are just completely different lenses. They can’t even be compared which one is better or worse, Arsat 50mm 1: 2 is sharper and more contrast, Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 is more plastic and airy. And at their cost, I see no obstacles to buying both. And when comparing with the Nikon Nikkor 50 mm f / 1.4 (I have a transition, between non-Ai and Ai), the Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 shows very decent results at a lower cost.
I can’t find the resolution of helios-123n anywhere. How is it compared to the Helios 44m-7 in resolution?
Arkady the price for it in AUCRO is from 800-900 UAH. Is this the price adequate ?????
For 2012 - yes, adequate for super aperture 1.4
Hello, tell me how and where to buy the MC Helios-123 1,4 / 50mm photo lens, with respect to Valery, I will be in Donetsk on the twentieth of September.
Perhaps the manual optics section will help you.
Tell me what is better helios 123n or helios 81n? I just know the difference in aperture.
Will the picture be different?
Yes, there will be another. This is clearly seen from the sample photos in this review and in the Helios-81n review.
What does the Arsat 50mm 1: 1,4 H look like?
If there is a photo please))
Photos under the title of the review.
Arkady so advise to take? I am confused I have 18-55 + 55-200 I want to take something from these
I recommend Helios-81N, it has a great price and quality. I have enough examples of photographs in the review to draw a conclusion about the quality of this lens.
Thank you, I turn to Alexander for purchase.
Yes, Sasha will choose a good option for you.
I bought an arsat 50 1: 2 lens on my nikon D40, when shooting, only black is displayed on the screen, I photograph in M mode, maybe some additional settings are needed ?? thank you in advance for your response)
In M mode, set the correct shutter speed, ISO and flash power, as well as set the desired aperture on the lens and everything should work. More details in the section on Soviet lenses.
Helios-81N will work with Nirjy D90
yes it will.
Helios-81N will work with D90
Yes, it will, have already been asked.
Attention! Some Helios-81N lenses cannot be installed on the following cameras without additional modifications: D90, D80, D70s, D50, D70, D100 or jam when disconnected .. What kind of improvements are we talking about?
In the Helios-81H thread you can find the answer (in the comments). Helios-123N normally sits on any camera.
Arkady, i.e. Does Helios-123N absolutely sit on a digital Nikon D3000 and a film Nikon F90x?
They gave me this one for use ...
I could not start the built-in pyhu with it ...
Well, I bought an external one :)
I am very pleased with the photos both me and the clients :)
The built-in works only in manual mode.
"Conclusion:
MC Gelisos (typo. Yab say a smirny typo) -123Н - standard "
zenit 135 mm on Nikon D3100, It works great, portraits are a pleasure to shoot, and it’s even more so because the whole process is in the manual)
I had a decent copy until today, but now I gave it in good hands, I'm talking about arsat 50 / 1.4
sharpness on d70 nikon starting from 2,8 aperture is such that my nikkor 50 / 1,2 could envy
envy, but in general having such an objective, all Nikon's budget zooms in the middle focus can clearly be thrown away, they take one pampering on state employees
Arkady, did you test Helios-123 or its version Apcat?
If Gelios please write his serial number.
I think it’s enough to look at the first photo with a view of the lens to understand what I had on the review.
People tell me pliz .... "Helios 123" and "Helios-103" are not the same objective ????? Why is it that only this one is found on Aukro with "Kiev" ... Maybe it's just a typo in the author?
Helios-103 is a lens for Kiev-I, II, III, IV cameras - has a Contax bayonet
Helios-123 - lens for Kiev-20, Kiev-19 - has Nikon F mount
Which would be better for shooting video Helios-103 or 81N