Overview Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

There are a huge number of different modifications of the Helios-81 lens, the whole list can be found in the review MS Helios-81H 2/50.

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Overview Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Often amateur photographers for their Nikon cameras buy a Helios-81 2/50 Avtomat lens, and then they don’t know what to do with it. Helios-81 2/50 Automatic has specific mount, from which no adapters for modern SLR cameras... The lens fits only two SLR cameras - 'Kiev-10', 'Kiev-15'. Since the focal length of the lens is 44mm, theoretically there is every chance of converting such a lens for other SLR cameras.

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Due to the great popularity of Soviet lenses of the 'H' series, in particular MC Helios-81N, which can without adapter installed on modern Nikon cameras, I meet detractors who pass off the 'Automatic' version as the 'H' version. Be careful not to get caught.

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

The rarest mount Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic is a very small lens, which was manufactured at the Arsenal factory in Kiev. On my copy, the focus ring has a slight backlash, but on the whole the lens is not bad.

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Enlightenment of the lens Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

A feature of Helios-81 2/50 Automatic is lack of aperture ring... Aperture on this lens is adjustable only from Kiev-10 and Kiev-15 cameras. Actually, that's why the lens is called 'Automatic'. The diaphragm itself has 6 blades that shine a lot, creating extra reflections in the middle of the lens.

The focusing ring rotates 270 degrees, the MDF is 50 cm. The diameter of the front filter is 49 mm.

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Brilliant aperture lens aperture Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

To mount the lens on the camera, I just used ordinary tape.

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

Helios-81 2/50 Automatic, only scotch tape, only hardcore

Due to the fact that with such an extraordinary installation of the lens on the camera the optical axis sometimes got lost, some of the photographs “floated”. Although, in this case, you can view a characteristic picture of the lens.


In practice, due to the lack of multi-illumination, the lens works very poorly in back and side light. A characteristic feature of Helios-81 is the twisting of the blur zone.

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.


Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

MS Helios-81N 2/50 and Helios-81 2/50 Automatic


Comments on this post do not require registration. Anyone can leave a comment. Many different photographic equipment can be found on AliExpress.

An overview of the modification of this lens appeared on Radozhiv, namely - HELIOS-81 2/53 AUTOMATIC MACHINE, there you can see examples of photos on a full-format camera.

Material prepared Arkady Shapoval. Training/Consultations | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Telegram

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Comments: 44, on the topic: Review Helios-81 2/50 Automatic

  • Lena

    I bought Nikon d5100, crop, respectively, and got Helios 81n for a penny. I can’t live without it now, very soft, airy photos, and sharpness is often a problem to catch, especially focusing children, but in general, it’s a joy))

    • Andrii

      You don't buy retail between G-81N and G-81 Automatic?

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