Short note about Helios-44-2 2/58 with sample photos

Brief gallery note on HELIOS-44-2 2/58, photographer Ksenia Orlova.

Caught! This is not Helios-44-2, this is 85 / 1.2L

Gotcha! This is not Helios-44-2, this is Canon 85 / 1.2L USM

My acquaintance with manual lenses began precisely with Helios-44-2 2/58... I really wanted something new, unusual. At that moment I had Canon and “the same” Canon EF 85mm 1: 1.2 L USM, but I did not hesitate to change it to an old Helios for 1500 rubles, such love.

I like everything about this lens, I don't need to talk about its famous swirling bokeh. I am satisfied with the sharpness and color rendition, ease of use, by the way, it is quite compact and lightweight, this is important. Of course, I had to endure some discomfort when switching from modern lenses to Helios. On the other hand, a clear understanding of how to shoot in manual mode, how to catch sharpness "by eye" has come. I don’t shoot with autofocus anymore and I don’t regret it at all.

I used this lens on Canon and Nikon. Now I have a mirrorless Sony and they also made great friends. At first it may seem difficult to select the adapters, but in fact it is just a matter of technology. Adapters also always take the simplest ones, without a chip and confirmation of autofocus, it seems to me so convenient. I must say that 99% of my photos were taken with at least one macro ring.

Therefore, most of the work can be attributed to macro photography, probably. Most of all I like art photography - still lifes, flowers surrounded by an “explosion” of bokeh. Also, my favorites are ordinary garden snails, I have many stories from their lives.

I have compiled a small collection of manual lenses, but to Helios-44-2 2/58 constantly coming back. In the process of shooting, I change the lens to Helios and it seems that I’ve returned home, here it is, your favorite picture, everything is fine and familiar. I have a Mir lens, Pentacon 50 mm, Super Takumar 50 mm, Jupiter, converted to monocle, there is another Helios-44-2 2/58 with an inverted front lens, there is a Sigma macro lens and a Modern Zeiss 55 mm 1.8 (but it lies idle). Lots of adapters and extension rings. My dream is Helios-40 and Petzval. We have a workshop in St. Petersburg where modern Petzvali are made, oh, keep me seven.

If we talk about working with Helios-44-2 2/58 , then we did not immediately become friends. From the first frames of the "magic picture" did not come out. I had to learn how to work by combining the macro ring, working with aperture and focusing distance. Seeing light, catching its refraction in water droplets to get bokeh. “Negotiate” with shutter speed to get the desired picture. But I want to say that everything is feasible. I even shot small video clips on this lens, although on the Internet you can read that it is impossible to catch sharpness on the video on Helios. So, everything is possible, the main thing is to set a goal.

In general, whoever is looking for new sensations, for some reason cannot afford an expensive new lens, I advise from the bottom of my heart - take an old man into your collection Helios-44-2 2/58 and if you make friends, he will surely be able to surprise you and fall in love with himself.

Much more interesting works of Xenia can be found at the following links:

Reviews for the Helios-44 2/58 lenses:

  1. Helios-44 2/58 [KMZ, 13 petals, M39, silver, No. 0220423]
  2. Helios-44 2/58 [KMZ, 8 petals, M39, silver]
  3. Helios-44 1: 2 F = 5,8 cm П [KMZ with replaced lenses, No. 0007220, review of the lens from the reader Radozhiva]
  4. HELIOS-44M 2/58 [KMZ, 8 petals, serial number 7843528]
  5. HELIOS-44M 2/58 [Jupiter plant, Valdai, 8 petals, serial number 8027170]
  6. HELIOS-44-2 2/58 [plant 'Jupiter', Valdai, 8 petals, serial number 83052779] + autofocus review
  7. MS Helios 44-3 2/58 [MMZ, 8 petals, 8619437, 9167912]
  8. MC Helios-44M-4 2/58
  9. Helios-44K-4 58mm 1:2 [KMZ, 6 petals, Pentax K]
  10. MC Helios-44M-4 58mm 1: 2 [plant 'Jupiter', Valdai, 6 petals] + autofocus review
  11. MC Helios-44M-5 58mm 1: 2 [Jupiter plant, Valdai, 6 petals]
  12. MC Helios-44M-6 58mm 1: 2 [plant 'Jupiter', Valdai, 6 petals]
  13. MC Helios-44M-7 58mm 1: 2 [plant 'Jupiter', Valdai, 6 petals]
  14. An article about most of the major modifications of the Helios-44 series
  15. Gallery of pictures on MC Helios-44M-4
  16. Look at modern the lenses 'Helios' can at this link
  17. A lot of Helios of all varieties can be found on ebay this link

Original 'Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 2/58 ':

  1. Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 1: 2 f = 5,8cm T [17 diaphragm blades, M42]
  2. Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 2 / 58 T [12 diaphragm blades, M42]
  3. A lot of Biotars of all varieties can be found on ebay this link

Look at modern the lenses 'Zenitar' и 'Helios' can at this link.

Add a comment: Ksenia

 

 

Comments: 30, on the topic: Brief note on Helios-44-2 2/58 with examples of photographs

  • Michael

    Cherries and a rose are not Jupiter, hour?))

    • Michael

      pah, daisy, that is)

    • Alexander

      Chamomile - no, but the cherries were definitely not shot on Helios.

      • Vlad

        What cherries were found there, it's mountain ash!)
        Photos are presented good, with a characteristic pattern of Helios.
        Of my 44s, I probably prefer G44-2, the really wonderful glass,
        as they say in taste and color, but I like it.

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Fixed
      Cherries accidentally crept in from the Pentacon

      • Ksenia

        Observation diversion наблюд

      • Asya

        Please tell me, is it possible to use Helios 44-2 58 on the Nikon D600 full frame? And then I read that when pulling out the mirror is scratched. I didn’t understand what at all, but she was terribly frightened. I know about the adapter.

        • Arkady Shapoval

          You can, does not catch.

      • Asya

        I mean the lens block does not extend and does not scratch the mirror

  • Alexander

    I liked the photo of work very much, thanks!

  • koba

    Thanks to the author for the wonderful photos. So, for me, I always have to make a thematic book, only publications in the internet are somehow not right, they are not eternal ... But the book remains ...

  • R'RёS,R ° F "RёR№

    Against the background of some speckles, circles, like dust, is that what? And how did it happen?

    • Ksenia

      This is a short exposure spray of water from a spray bottle.

      • Sergei

        Too often, this trick is visible in the above pictures.
        It is quite expressive in itself, but when it becomes a stamp, it begins to devalue.

  • Nicholas

    Is 44-2 suitable for macro photography? For I read about it, but I did not see any specifics anywhere

    • Arkady Shapoval

      Nobody will give specifics, since Helios-44 (any) by itself is not suitable for macro. To shoot macro with him, you need at least macro rings. Macro is different, with different requirements. This is a rather complicated area. And if such questions so far arise, then not a single lens will immediately give a good result, even a highly specialized one. But you can start with Helios.

      • Nicholas

        I will rephrase the question a little ...
        Are macro shots of flowers considered close-ups, such as the 6th, 8th and last photo in the gallery attached to the article?

        • Ksenia

          All photos are taken with macro rings :)

        • Valery A.

          Not a thing.

        • Roman

          Formally, a macro is everything on a scale of about 1: 1 or more.

    • Alexey

      I use "Gelios" for macroinodi. For the help of the extraordinary transitional children. Moreover, go, go to the old business people. Oh, just, you need to screw it in with the active and the adapter to your camera. Catching focus is important to bring the robustness through live view, but not manually when macro in nature. Ale, scho porobish - macro specificity. Catching the focus is not just on whatever it is, but also autofocus on quiet objects, de vin є, inodi, select the focus point “on your savor”. Tobto, patience and success. ))

      • Nicholas

        Dyakuyu for vidov!
        Can I call you here, so you can learn more about macrozyomku, from the first words so bimiti? Yaksho is not easy for you, it is snazzy)

      • Roman

        Therefore, a rotary screen helps.

  • Duck

    Lapshina’s influence is felt) And although a couple of shots are even more interesting, it no longer catches. Scoozy

    • Ksenia

      At the time of shooting, we were not familiar 😁

    • eugen

      I also thought about Lapshin.

  • Madpumpkin

    And how to watch photos in the original resolution?

  • Lina

    I installed Helios on the Canon RP through an adapter without a rank and there is no photo, the camera does not show up. What should I do, I’m a teapot (please tell me.

    • Gregor_S

      mb this?

      • Arkady Shapoval

        Yes

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