I've got 2 copies of this lens. A couple of interesting bits which other viewers may find useful: 1. There are 2 versions one with 8 aperture blades and one with 13 (if I recall correctly). The latter will be more expensive and harder to find. 2. The ring in front of the aperture ring which has the actual F stop numbers can also be turned. Or rather it clicks. By twisting it you are able to limit the max F-stop number. As the aperture ring is clickless it can be usefull to limit the max F stop number to say 5.6 instead of 16. 3. You can turn it into an autofocus lens by using a Fotodiox Pronto adpater. It has E-mount on one side and Leica M mount on the other so you will also need a M mount to E mount adapter but those are easy to find. The Fotodiox adapter will fit on the Sony A7III but it sticks out a bit lower than the bottom plate of the camera so fitting it on a tripod requires a spacer. It works rather well though you may want to first set the focus manually to get sufficient range. 4. I got my second copy from Ironglass. Better than say ebay as you never know if the lens elements are in good condition (no grease, no fungus). Ironglass buys second hand Helios lenses and fit them with follow focus gear and a filter adapter (as well as service the lens) and mount of you choice (fixed adapter). You can select the mount, add a colour ring and even an anamorphic flare mod. You can also send in your own copy and they will modify it for you or you can also buy a version with a completely new housing but those are quite expensive. I got mine with the filter thread adapter, amber internal coloring and oval bokeh and anamorphic flare (JJ Abrams flares :-)). Quite a nice effect! Conclusion, if you ever want to buy one vintage lens or start a collection then the Helios 44-2 58mm should be your first choice.
I used a kit apsc 18-55 from 15 years ago... Minolta mount, it was fabulous, soft corners, brown haze, horrendous flare... Real character for woodland footage
Beat me to the punch! Tomorrow I will be submitting my one lens film and I shot it on a 1974 Canon FD 1.4! I was so stoked to jump into the manual world and I hope you enjoy what I was able to produce!
Glad to see you're getting your feet wet in the world of vintage lenses Chris! I have a whole set of vintage Russian lenses that I use all the time on my Sony A7III. They are honestly a no-brainer if you want a more unique look, and you want to save some money.
Sweet! I have been using a 50mm F1.4 C-Mount CCTV lens on my A6400 for a while now, and while my 20mm G Lens pretty much lives on that camera most of the time, if I'm trying to get ANY sort of creative art-house look to a shot, and I don't need the auto-focus, I'm reaching for that lens. Glad to see a vintage lens getting some air-time!
Great video mate - have converted a few old lenses myself for use on various A7's. Makes me feel like a proper photographer and filmmaker again. As much as I love all the tech (especially for paid work) nothing like being a bit more considered with settings etc. Vintage lenses feel great in hand too and tend to be much smaller which helps in drawing attention to oneself. Current favourite Ai-s Nikon 50mm 1.4. Keep the content flowing please!!!
I was looking forward to this video ever since I saw you mention it on Twitter. Seeing it did my heart good! Love my Helios’s… Helii? Helioseseses…. Anyhoo, the 58mm CZJ biotar they are based on is a great vintage lens as well. You will probably want to check out some Super Takumar lenses as well. The 50 1.4 is amazing as is the 35, 85 and 135. Minolta lenses are crazy nice too. Their 200 f2.8 is heavy but you’ll pry it out of my cold, dead hands lol. Lots of great manual lenses out there.
Estate Sales are a great way to find vintage cameras and lenses - I have a small collection of cameras and lenses, including a Helios 44-2 (which is in not great shape, but was super cheap). I got a Nikon FM camera and a Nikkor 50 mm F2.0 lens for $17.50. You'll mostly find 50 mm lenses, I think that was the standard "kit" lens back in the day.
I got mine from Russia during the covid lockdown. He decided he didn’t want to send it to the Uk as it might get lost. Luckily I have a friend in Latvia. He sent it there then my friend sent it to me. Took about 4 months to get it. But I love it. It’s an amazing lens
I’ve been filming weddings with this lens for awhile. For certain shots. Fantastic lens! I also use my original Pentax 135mm f2.5, usually static shots
Love my Helios lens. The images it produces always stand out from any other lens I’ve tried. I tried a few comparison shots with a Super Takumar 50mm 1.4. The results were split 50/50…. But it was interesting to see what characteristics caught people’s attention.
I like GearFocus and actually sold my A7iii on it, but there's just not that big of a community yet. I hope it gets to the point where it can knock off eBay as the main spot to go to in order to sell camera bodies and lenses.
Bro, your video turned out to be very useful thank you!! Especially about active stabilization, I would hardly figure out how to set up the camera correctly for Helios 44-2. The only moment I was shooting on A7iv and I had a lot of noise when shooting at night. How much better is the a7siii in lowlight ? Or is it right to set the native iso on sony a7iv? At what iso values did you shoot?
I love my helios anamorphic mod! I enjoy these videos, they’d be a bit easier to watch though if the focus settings were changed to grab focus of whatever you put up to the lens! :)
My spidey senses were tingling big time with this one ;). Great video Chris! Two weeks with any manual lens and you learn the mechanics of it pretty quick.
@@chrisbrockhurst Hmmm, let me get back to you on that. I might have some redundant lenses that are fun I could send you I need to check inventory. You've got a good all rounder with the Helios. Inexpensive, great focal length, character etc. It's the perfect gateway.
Just bought two of them, with body aswal, (sometimes with body You get better price) I paid 60£ all together 2x body + 2 lenses, why 2? Helios made over 10 different model of dose, You got 44-2 (the most swirly) i get 44M (first one) and 44-4 good sharpness, suprisly good quality optics, like for 50 yrs old piece of glass. Better than cheapest kit lenses from 15 yrs ago.
really cool lens .. and yes, the imperfections in vintage lenses makes them so unique, would love to use some vintage lenses myself. but i think gear focusis fir US, will be hard to access frm India
You gotta check out the Canon FD 135mm f/3.5 I don't know what it is but the stills I've taking on that camera just feel surreal. Maybe its just soft in all the corners 😂😂😂 who know's but its $20 and criminally cool on my Sony cameras
Only if you like the look with lack of contrast and sharpness and unsaturated colors. The focal length the 58mm (also 60mm) of the Lens are a focal length that should be much more common than then boring and more or less useless 50mm Lens for full frame (24x36mm) format Cameras.
Hey Chris was up man ? Hey I got a question? I have that same lens, and I was wanting to know , if you know the size focus ring I would need to get for this lens? Hope you have a good day bro
F***... I'll be hunting this (or other manual focus) lens(es) now 😂 Even surprised that it took me untill I saw this video. Before I switched to Sony I absolutely loved to shoot with old lenses on a Nikon D750. Somehow I forgot all of that. Thanks for reminding me 😊
You can find these all day long on Ebay, the sad part is many of them come out of Russia and Ukraine. So I imagine we will have to find them elsewhere. There are many on Ebay right now... but given the current events might be hard to actually get it.
The grease on the aperture blades is from people servicing them wrong years ago in the soviet union 😂 lots of people don't like it but I think it looks awesome
Makes no sense monitoring the audio through the mike. I guess it's better than nothing, but I would rather monitor it through HDMI than through the mike.
You do know they sell these on eBay right? You don’t need to follow that strange unhelpful advice. The exact year is also the first two digits of the number on the lens. A little research goes a long way.
Saddly those who don't do video work the lenses are not that great in quality.They are not a new thing I got my first one in 2012 soon sold it on. I can't imagine why I should purchase a poor and often fungus ridden lens on a camera that is designed for today's lenses. The idea of it taking great photos is a myth . The ones you buy on eBay have done the buy it try it and sell on. If the lens really was any good 20£ would have a few more zeros behind it. Youtude is full off parrots and if you pause the video on the picture on tube the truth of how bad these lenses are . Really best save your money buy a proper lens
Greig Fraser used it in the batman so it’s definitely viable. Is it on par with a Gmaster? No. Can you get very interesting bokeh and creative shots? Yes.
I've got 2 copies of this lens. A couple of interesting bits which other viewers may find useful:
1. There are 2 versions one with 8 aperture blades and one with 13 (if I recall correctly). The latter will be more expensive and harder to find.
2. The ring in front of the aperture ring which has the actual F stop numbers can also be turned. Or rather it clicks. By twisting it you are able to limit the max F-stop number. As the aperture ring is clickless it can be usefull to limit the max F stop number to say 5.6 instead of 16.
3. You can turn it into an autofocus lens by using a Fotodiox Pronto adpater. It has E-mount on one side and Leica M mount on the other so you will also need a M mount to E mount adapter but those are easy to find. The Fotodiox adapter will fit on the Sony A7III but it sticks out a bit lower than the bottom plate of the camera so fitting it on a tripod requires a spacer.
It works rather well though you may want to first set the focus manually to get sufficient range.
4. I got my second copy from Ironglass. Better than say ebay as you never know if the lens elements are in good condition (no grease, no fungus). Ironglass buys second hand Helios lenses and fit them with follow focus gear and a filter adapter (as well as service the lens) and mount of you choice (fixed adapter). You can select the mount, add a colour ring and even an anamorphic flare mod. You can also send in your own copy and they will modify it for you or you can also buy a version with a completely new housing but those are quite expensive. I got mine with the filter thread adapter, amber internal coloring and oval bokeh and anamorphic flare (JJ Abrams flares :-)). Quite a nice effect!
Conclusion, if you ever want to buy one vintage lens or start a collection then the Helios 44-2 58mm should be your first choice.
I used a kit apsc 18-55 from 15 years ago... Minolta mount, it was fabulous, soft corners, brown haze, horrendous flare... Real character for woodland footage
Beat me to the punch! Tomorrow I will be submitting my one lens film and I shot it on a 1974 Canon FD 1.4! I was so stoked to jump into the manual world and I hope you enjoy what I was able to produce!
Oooooo that’s amazing. I’ll look forward to seeing it
Glad to see you're getting your feet wet in the world of vintage lenses Chris! I have a whole set of vintage Russian lenses that I use all the time on my Sony A7III. They are honestly a no-brainer if you want a more unique look, and you want to save some money.
Sweet! I have been using a 50mm F1.4 C-Mount CCTV lens on my A6400 for a while now, and while my 20mm G Lens pretty much lives on that camera most of the time, if I'm trying to get ANY sort of creative art-house look to a shot, and I don't need the auto-focus, I'm reaching for that lens. Glad to see a vintage lens getting some air-time!
I never used this lens for video & I just saw yours. Made me love this lens again; time to take her out ‼️🔥
its a stunner of a lens, super fun to shoot with, thankyou for watching.
Great video mate - have converted a few old lenses myself for use on various A7's. Makes me feel like a proper photographer and filmmaker again. As much as I love all the tech (especially for paid work) nothing like being a bit more considered with settings etc. Vintage lenses feel great in hand too and tend to be much smaller which helps in drawing attention to oneself. Current favourite Ai-s Nikon 50mm 1.4. Keep the content flowing please!!!
I was looking forward to this video ever since I saw you mention it on Twitter. Seeing it did my heart good! Love my Helios’s… Helii? Helioseseses…. Anyhoo, the 58mm CZJ biotar they are based on is a great vintage lens as well. You will probably want to check out some Super Takumar lenses as well. The 50 1.4 is amazing as is the 35, 85 and 135. Minolta lenses are crazy nice too. Their 200 f2.8 is heavy but you’ll pry it out of my cold, dead hands lol. Lots of great manual lenses out there.
I've got two of these lenses, love them to death.
Love this lens! Shot a whole feature on it paired with a Sony A7s2 and it just added so much extra character. Highly recommend!
Estate Sales are a great way to find vintage cameras and lenses - I have a small collection of cameras and lenses, including a Helios 44-2 (which is in not great shape, but was super cheap). I got a Nikon FM camera and a Nikkor 50 mm F2.0 lens for $17.50. You'll mostly find 50 mm lenses, I think that was the standard "kit" lens back in the day.
Just picked one up! Can’t wait to get some images with my copy!
I love how different all the copies are too
@@chrisbrockhurst Agreed! That’s the special sauce that makes these lenses so cool!
As a sucker for manual lenses, this is one of my favorites. I got one about a week ago and it's seriously so much fun to use
I bought one a few weeks ago and can't wait to get it/ use it.
I got mine from Russia during the covid lockdown. He decided he didn’t want to send it to the Uk as it might get lost. Luckily I have a friend in Latvia. He sent it there then my friend sent it to me. Took about 4 months to get it. But I love it. It’s an amazing lens
Looking good videos with that lens! Very interesting 🤔
I’ve been filming weddings with this lens for awhile. For certain shots. Fantastic lens! I also use my original Pentax 135mm f2.5, usually static shots
yeh im thinking i might use it for a few shots this year, the dreamy look would be perfect for prep shots.
I’ve got one but not used it since Fuji days, might have to get myself an adapter!
Yesssss grab the adapter and try it out
I love all the character.....Made me want to go shoot with my Canon FD 28mm 2.8 vintage lens. Hmmmmm Great video dude!
Thanks man, gotta get a FD next
I’m sold, just ordered one and an adaptor to go on my a7iii
You’re gunna love it
Love my Helios lens. The images it produces always stand out from any other lens I’ve tried.
I tried a few comparison shots with a Super Takumar 50mm 1.4. The results were split 50/50…. But it was interesting to see what characteristics caught people’s attention.
I like GearFocus and actually sold my A7iii on it, but there's just not that big of a community yet. I hope it gets to the point where it can knock off eBay as the main spot to go to in order to sell camera bodies and lenses.
Bro, your video turned out to be very useful thank you!! Especially about active stabilization, I would hardly figure out how to set up the camera correctly for Helios 44-2. The only moment I was shooting on A7iv and I had a lot of noise when shooting at night. How much better is the a7siii in lowlight ? Or is it right to set the native iso on sony a7iv? At what iso values did you shoot?
For higher ISOs (12800+) that’s where the A7SIII will perform better. In the lower amounts the A7IV will actually perform better
Love the Helios 44-2! Swirly bokeh king
I love my helios anamorphic mod! I enjoy these videos, they’d be a bit easier to watch though if the focus settings were changed to grab focus of whatever you put up to the lens! :)
My spidey senses were tingling big time with this one ;). Great video Chris! Two weeks with any manual lens and you learn the mechanics of it pretty quick.
the vintage king himself! Appreciate it Mark. So question for you then, what shall i grab next in terms of vintage?
@@chrisbrockhurst Hmmm, let me get back to you on that. I might have some redundant lenses that are fun I could send you I need to check inventory.
You've got a good all rounder with the Helios. Inexpensive, great focal length, character etc. It's the perfect gateway.
So nice! 🤘
Hey man this is not Instagram no unsubscribing!!!! Hahaha. Love your videos. Thanks for teaching us.
where do you suggest buying it?
Just bought two of them, with body aswal, (sometimes with body You get better price) I paid 60£ all together 2x body + 2 lenses, why 2? Helios made over 10 different model of dose, You got 44-2 (the most swirly) i get 44M (first one) and 44-4 good sharpness, suprisly good quality optics, like for 50 yrs old piece of glass. Better than cheapest kit lenses from 15 yrs ago.
are there specific types of shoots you should use this lens, or is it a use everywhere deal? I just ordered one from the Ukraine btw.
really cool lens .. and yes, the imperfections in vintage lenses makes them so unique, would love to use some vintage lenses myself. but i think gear focusis fir US, will be hard to access frm India
You gotta check out the Canon FD 135mm f/3.5
I don't know what it is but the stills I've taking on that camera just feel surreal. Maybe its just soft in all the corners 😂😂😂 who know's but its $20 and criminally cool on my Sony cameras
What lens did you use to film your talking head shots in this video?
Where can I buy this lens and will it fit on my Sony a7iii
Hi Chris, wich adapter are u using in it? I found some but they don't look nice... can u share?
Only if you like the look with lack of contrast and sharpness and unsaturated colors. The focal length the 58mm (also 60mm) of the Lens are a focal length that should be much more common than then boring and more or less useless 50mm Lens for full frame (24x36mm) format Cameras.
Hey Chris was up man ? Hey I got a question? I have that same lens, and I was wanting to know , if you know the size focus ring I would need to get for this lens?
Hope you have a good day bro
F***... I'll be hunting this (or other manual focus) lens(es) now 😂
Even surprised that it took me untill I saw this video. Before I switched to Sony I absolutely loved to shoot with old lenses on a Nikon D750. Somehow I forgot all of that. Thanks for reminding me 😊
Great video. I went to buy the Phantom LUTs but the code didn't work. Is it only a code available in Canada or US?
i think the code expired, reached out to Joel to update it, Should be good to go in a couple of days. Thanks for flagging.
So I don't need an adapter if I own a7 iv?
You can find these all day long on Ebay, the sad part is many of them come out of Russia and Ukraine. So I imagine we will have to find them elsewhere. There are many on Ebay right now... but given the current events might be hard to actually get it.
yeh thats going to make them really hard to get ahold of now.
Where can I get this lens for the A7 iii?
The grease on the aperture blades is from people servicing them wrong years ago in the soviet union 😂 lots of people don't like it but I think it looks awesome
Do I have to shoot in APS-C mode with this lens?
Gaer focus is a real In which county are you located ?
Canada.
Makes no sense monitoring the audio through the mike. I guess it's better than nothing, but I would rather monitor it through HDMI than through the mike.
it looks like a homevideo ... moving on
Since this is a Soviet lens, you can buy it in our country for only $ 17
You do know they sell these on eBay right? You don’t need to follow that strange unhelpful advice. The exact year is also the first two digits of the number on the lens. A little research goes a long way.
Saddly those who don't do video work the lenses are not that great in quality.They are not a new thing I got my first one in 2012 soon sold it on. I can't imagine why I should purchase a poor and often fungus ridden lens on a camera that is designed for today's lenses. The idea of it taking great photos is a myth . The ones you buy on eBay have done the buy it try it and sell on. If the lens really was any good 20£ would have a few more zeros behind it. Youtude is full off parrots and if you pause the video on the picture on tube the truth of how bad these lenses are . Really best save your money buy a proper lens
Greig Fraser used it in the batman so it’s definitely viable. Is it on par with a Gmaster? No. Can you get very interesting bokeh and creative shots? Yes.