Is The Helios 44-2 Overrated???
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- Опубліковано 4 лют 2025
- I love vintage lenses, and the helios 44-2 is certainly one of them. It's famous swirly bokeh is what everyone talks about - but I think it has so much more to offer for filmmakers, cinematographers, and photographers!
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No one wants to do anything in post anymore. We want less decisions to make. ✊
Put the creative BACK in creative professional fr
You can't get the same in post.
Yeah. I'm tired of color correction and color grading. I want to be like Casey Neistat and save so much time and energy so I can post frequently
.... I do! I like being able to edit down to the smallest details. I like having absolute control over the final image.
@ love that for you! I’m speaking as if everyone is me 😂🤪
I recently got an adapter for my dad's old Praktica PB lenses and I've been having so much fun using them. Vintage lenses are definitely a thing to consider, especially if you're on a tight budget as many of them are really cheap.
That is awesome!
I made my camera brand decision specifically with this thought, that I'm a poor bastard from a third world country, and the K mount is 50 years old, so there's plenty of cheap old glass available)
I found an old PB Prakticar in my op shop for $30.00 a 80-200 lens. When you hit focus its quite lovely, renders quite contrasty colours. A bit heavy but I love it for wild flowers its not macro but does special closeups.
I too am loving family lenses on new mirrorless cameras. I have my grandfather’s Zeiss 50 2.0 from his Contax IIa.
I got Helios 44-2 from my dad, initially I asked him for Jupiter-9 85mm but when he saw my hype about vintage lenses he also gave me Helios, like it was his treasure. He said "back in the day it was a dream to get this". Unfortunately it's this cheap version, and built quality is low. But it's a nice focal length in apsc and I enjoyed walking with it, and I'm very happy with some pictures that have this special vibe. I even moved from Canon dslr to Sony, just to have focus picking when using manual focus
A big thing about the Helios is that the aperture is smooth and not clicked, and the focus breathing is very controlled for being such an old lens, which is both excellent for videographers and probably why they get rehoused to frequently for big budget productions. And I really can't complain about that low texture low contrast look, it just.... feels like 80s era film, which is rather enjoyable in a lot of cases.
Just my two cents!
I have a 50mm f1.4 Super Multi Coated Takumar and I shoot with a Canon t3i (600D in Europe). It's not the best example by far, the Thorium glass has developed the yellow tint of radioactive decay, and the focusing ring has some play. But boy does it bring out my creative eye. That warm, golden look it gives is something else, plus the soft focus quality it gives to the pictures is something I love. And they're cheap on ebay, like under 100 all day long
I love this lens too. Using it on a M50m2 with a power booster. Equivalent to 58mm 1.0. Also using it on the R6. Much fun.
That was my favourite thing for years on my 550d (t2i). Then I got my hands on Sony and found the field of view a tad too wide so I got Takumar 135. Initially used it a bit on 550D yet again and the effects were absolutely awesome too. Then on random found the Helios in my drawer (to this day no clue where it came from) so I got to finally give it a spin on full frame. It does feel quite different than good ol' reliable Takumars though.
You should definetely try the OM Zuiko vintage lenses, they have quite a unique flaring characteristic and super interesting bokeh artifacts.
I have used it exclusively on one project and my friend that I was shooting loved it
I remember as a university kid, you could get these lenses for free as a "body cap" when buying an M42 camera. Taking that into account, adding the image circle which allows to tilt/swing/shift the lens on FF or easily use it on a GFX size sensor - it's definitely not overrated. Rather every other lens that costs more than 10$ is overrated :P
I love old Russian glass! This Helios design a real classic. I had one and sold it to move on to another lens… wish I hadn’t. One I’ve kept is an old Industar 61 (10 blade aperture model based on a Zeiss Tessar design) - it’s got loads of character which I value more than clinical sharpness. Thanks for helping me take this trip down memory lane.
The best thing i like about this lens isn the colours and saturation. In both video and photo it can add such a cosy warm, magical element to a scene, especially if you tweak it in post. I think the softness also adds to that.
A nice look at one of my favourite lenses. It's hyped for a reason, but really shines on full-frame, like a lot of these lenses designed in the age of full frame film do. I've found some lenses I wrote off after using them on my APS-C DSLR actually are quite good on a full frame camera. I was initially a little disappointed by the sharpness of a Mir-37mm for instance, but on my 6D Mk1 it looks great, and even adds a lovely subtle vignette.
(One possible explanation for the difference in colour rendition could be the use of a variable ND, if that's what you're using.
I learned recently that they act like a polariser (they are two CPLs on top of one another after all), so if you had it turned a different way from one lens to the other, the sky and other things would have changed colour/brightness. This handily means you can de-shine windows or water or affect cloud/sky brightness by unscrewing your VND slightly - I wouldn't bother getting a special spinning adapter though, as it make it difficult to spin the VND, and might get stuck to the filter ring, ask how I know!)
I love my little Mir. Such a nice lens. Have you used a Tair 11? It is 135mm f2.8 with 20 blades for the rounded bokah
@@meatbyproducts I've got an early Pentacon 135mm f2.8 (Meyer Optik Gorlitz design) for the same effect, with its many blades. I wonder how they compare with such similar specs.
@@C.I... I need to find one to compare.
If the crop is getting you down, try a speedbooster! The Pixco ones are cheap and cheerful and work well in my testing.
I used this lens to shoot Flogging Molly at Cains Ballroom in Tulsa. Great effects
I love shooting with vintage lenses! The lens that stays on my X-Pro2 is the SMC Takumar 55mm f1.8
There are much more cool things about the Helios lens than the swirly bokeh, which is a bit overhyped. I love the colors this lens gives and the soft flares it creates when shooting against the light.
I’m currently building a collection of Tamron Adaptall glass (not for the first time , long story) which are both great to use but can flip between my digital system and various film bodies, just with a quick adapter swap.
The 28mm is a hidden gem.
Also, good choice in tea, Sir.
Saying there's a good 28mm lens is like my version of the batsignal, I will investigate. Only the best tea!
nice video bro! you mentioned you use an fx30, did you use a speedbooster with both lenses? because the effect of helios is very noticeable 🤩
No speedboosters, no optical elements in the adapters - just a mount adapter for each!
@@huntercreatesthings I'm more a video guy but I watched many of your videos! I love your style
You can get very similar bokeh from a Cosina 50mm f2. They sell for far less than a Helios 44. I got mine for £6. Love your videos mate - please keep up th good work.
Helios-44-2 is a good lens. Not great, but it's definitely good. It's got the swirly bokeh if you're inclined to shoot wide open at short distances. It was made in the millions, which means there's a ton of supply even to this day so you can get one for peanuts. And it's a lens that's cheap and easy to service so you can have it cleaned and get a modern PETE helicoid lube that won't separate and get your aperture blades stuck. This is why it's popular. I wouldn't call it "hype", it's just a solid lens you can easily have for very little money.
The 44-2 was made in three factories AFAIK: Minsk (MMZ/BelOMO), Valdai (Jupiter) and Krasnodarsk (KMZ). The Minsk ones are considered best and are usually priced higher than the others. Valdai units are OK in general, at least from my experience. What makes them less sought after are two issues: a shorter thread for the front lens retaining ring (which makes it tricky or outright impossible to flip the front element) and a different helicoid grease that has a tendency to separate and cover the aperture blades in oil. I'm actually not 100% sure on the latter point; I know it was an issue with Helios-44M-x lenses.
Nikkor 135mm f/2 D
A dream if I do say so myself.
Also consider comparing this lens to the likes of the Canon FD 50 1.4 S.S.C.
I have one (the late 70s version) and shot with it on FF and APS-C and i can tell you, I'm a 28mm shooter but this one on Cropped Sensors is something i can't hate. So i get you man✨
my favorite when I got my GH2 waaaaaaaay back in olden days... was the RADIOACTIVE lens I had - Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 that was a gem.
I think one of the most interesting things that maybe separate the Helios from the other swirly lenses is that even though it swirls in the bokeh, it doesn't carry distortion on the edges for things in focus near the edges, only for things out of focus, compared to cheaper lenses that have artifacts in focus.
If you get the Helios adapted to another mount like EF or PL and use an adapter, then you can probably get the same swirl that you would see on the FX3 with a speedbooster.
I just ordered a modded Lucar Petzval projector lens for e mount and an Iron Glass Helios lens cine-modded with a PL mount for my FX30 and I am pretty dang excited for them. Next year I plan on getting the Metabones speedbooster 0.71x, allowing me to adapt the Helios via PL mount to near FF and get the swirly bokeh that we know and love, just without having to buy an FX3, but I can't wait for the ability to use these lenses for so many projects regardless of what adapter I have!
Ohh wow I didn't know this lens is some kind of famous. I've received my aunt's old Zenit with it like a week ago and I'm in the middle of the first roll. Now I can't wait for the results even more!
People in the West: God, this lens is amazing!
People in Ukraine: God, how do I get rid of this lens?
2:20 they're like 10-35$ in Ukraine and no one wants them. And it's true even for pre-invasion.
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I have the Helios on my Fuji X-E3 for street and cityscape shooting. Its a great lense. One important feature for video, is the apperture ring with no clicks.... you can stop it up or down with no click. This is great.
yes I do like the de-clicked iris, much nicer for video!
Please compare superlative Kodak Ektar 2 - 47 coated lens! Many say the Kodak is the best ever! The Munich made German Steinheil Quinon 1,9 - 50 isnt bad bad either.
i got a 44-2 zebra in a fairly bad state but had fun with it, so later i ordered a 44-4m from on ebay who adapts it to whatever camera you want it for relatively cheap.
would definetly recommend! they are serviced and as good as new: "retro foto house" they are called. i think they also do other kinds of special mods to them
Nice! I got this one from SovietCameraStore and they were super as well :)
(Sorry for Eng. its not my first lang). Id like to tell about my experience with Helios 44m. I bought it at a local flea market for 20 dollars with a Zenit TTL. First of all. i got it cuz it was the cheapest 50mm in a 200km range. I didnt wanted to buy lens from afar without looking at it with my eyes and hands. Helios 44m (and helios 44-2. my bro have it) are much heavier than all lenses what more or less NOT huge. Its heavy. its focus also "heavy". A lot of people say what Helios is a cheap portrait lens for newbies. but it does NOT mean its easy. This applies to all Soviet equipment: cars. cameras etc. Its cheap. its easy to find and get. but its hard to get to it at that level. where you can actually use it for something than just outoffocus crap.
Great video btw
Thanks! It's definitely not the easiest compared to modern AF lenses, but it rewards the effort for sure
Goodness gracious. Your lighting setup is beautiful :0
Thank you so much!!!
Good trick to find them cheap and in good condition is just look for an old zenit. The 44-2 was the kit lens with them in the kmz days. Got one for $20 and i don't think it was ever taken off the camera.
I own several. I would not discourage anyone from getting one, but do your research. They are not all created equally and you have to make a lot of informed choices just from pictures on eBay (that said, I’ve had largely positive buying experiences from former eastern block countries, so don’t be afraid with any seller above a 99.5% rating).
When good, it is a great lens all around, swirlyness aside. I will say, the bokeh is not swirly all the time in my experience; there has to be the right distance between camera, subject, and background to really make it pop. Be ready to not see it in a lot of scenarios you’d think you would.
I would more recommend buy it as a lens with a distinct character (like the weird field curvature mentioned in the video) and just be happy with its general unique look and feel as a lens . Don’t fixate on the bokeh, think of that as an added feature.
It’s a popular lens for a reason: it’s a solid performer.
Try the Pentacon 135mm f2.8! A very nice vintage lens and relatively cheap.
135mm is going to really challenge my handheld skills hahaha
@@huntercreatesthings It's a dare then! I challenge you to try it! I'll get mine fixed (stuck aperture, prolly not a big deal) and send it your way if you want it :P
I use a vivitar 135mm f2.8 for astrophotography, at that focal length taking pictures is hard without a tripod
I just bought this lens, specifically for capturing Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet, I bought it in literally antique shop, in great condition and even with this sick looking hard-leather case with red velvet inside! I'm very happy with it, considering it cost around $50. Great entry tele lens for astrophotography, but I think next step will be Samyang 135 f/2
I also went for a walk couple days ago and tried to capture some streetphotos, but it's not my focal length, I felt like a paparazzi or some kind of a creep 😅
@@zelazowy yeah I got a great shot of the Atlas comet with the 135. Sadly I don't have a tracker, but did some stacking and also managed to create something good. The 135 for street photography might work if you want crazy depth of field and if your composition style is centered everything
Several months ago I purchased a 44M-4 and a 44-2 and adapters for my Fuji x-T2 and my Nikon DSLRs. One thing I found out AFTER purchasing both of them is that for some reason Nikon has a different sensor to flange distance and the lenses won't focus to infinity. They work great on my Nikons at close focus (a few feet) or "macro" with extension tubes, not to infinity. There is a seller in the Ukraine that re-works them so they focus all the way out to infinity for Nikons. I purchased a 44-2 from him and it works perfectly on my Nikons. I wanted to let others know so they don't make the same mistake I did. I live in the US (Virginia), two Ebay sellers live in Ukraine, and the other lives in Poland. Both arrived safely and a very reasonable time frame.
Yeah adapting to Nikon DSLR is tricky - you can get adapters with a glass element in them for infinity focus but I've found that you really do get what you pay for in terms of image quality. I bought my 44-2 from Ukraine too!
I have a Helios 44m-4; not sure how different it is but it's fun. Just remembered I have yet to try it on my M10.
Optically, it's the same formula, but 44-2 were made in the 70s and 80s and the 44M-x ones are a decade younger. You can expect some better coatings. As far as the barrel construction goes, the 44-2 has a deeply recessed front element while the 44M-x do not. This makes the 44M-x more prone to catching stray light and flaring.
@@DominikMarczuk Thank you; excellent info. Yes, it definitely does like to flare.
NIce, well done as always. Enjoyed this one much. Have Zebrano edition of the 44-2, love it, look into the other variations, super cheap and interesting. I have 3, 4 and 6. Also take a look at the MNP-1B (37 mm), might give you the wide you are used to, very cool lens. My set of Takumars are priceless to me, 24, 28, 50 and 135. Last one if you ever come across a good copy (getting hard to find (note "good" copy) is the Mamiya Sekor 55mm 1.8. Flares like a b%$ch, but insanely cool and warm tones from the "radiation" (just don't walk around with it in your pocket nest to your jewels all day for months and should be good to go, LOL), cool lens.
thanks!!
Got a Helios 44-m early kmz version and love it, not as swirly as the 442 but still very swirly
I prefer the mamiya-sekor f1.4 55mm, it has a swirly bokeh and built like a tank too, can sometimes also be found cheaper.
I ordered one a short while back, after watching a LOT (too many) videos about which foundry and which version and which ... you know.
It's shipping from Kazakstan (no, really) so it'll be here before Christmas, allegedly.
Fingers crossed! Mine came from Ukraine and arrived super quick, although they are right next door
One of the best lens what i own, is Carl Zeiss Planar 50mm 1.7 T. C/y.. That lens EXPLODE your object in picture to your eyes🤪🤪 and its sharp.
If you have an M-mount camera you could try the Voightlander 50mm Heliar, which is purposely made to have a vintage character. The benefit is they can be bought brand new.
"if you have an m-mount camera" do not threaten my financial stability with a statement like that 😂
Helios is not overrated. It is what it is. No more. No less.
soviet lenses needs to be serviced. they are not "QC all over the place", they are just old. and a proper servicing will cost more than the lens itself in its current price. this is me commenting after servicing over 50 pcs of "bad" valdai, and other mmz kmz variants, refusing to believe the overhyped "valdai is bad kmz is good".
I find the Valdai to be softer than the KMZ, especially around the edges. By the way, you might as well service these lenses yourself as they're one of the easiest to service.
I have about 15 versions of this lens. You want a pre 1978 lens as they are the best made and the esiest to get the swirl. The older version is a 39 screw mount and you can get a brass or plastic adapter that just ads width to the screw. The ones with the 39 screw threads are all silver, they also have 13 blades vs 8 in the later editions. There are some other mounts but they are crazy rare. Look for the ones called zebra pattern as they are some of the most fun to shoot.
You want even better? Look for the Helios 40. It is 85mm f1.5 and swirls even better. It is heavy but has become my favorite to shoot with. I need to get my apeture blades repaired, but I shoot with it and the blades are in a cup on my desk so it is wide open to f1.4 without any blades.
Go buy some cheap vintage glass and go have fun. Learn why they flare or why they have washed out color. Learn about the coatings and enjoy a manual lens on a modern camera, oh and you should shoot this old glass on full frame to get the full feel of thier uniqueness.
Helios 77M-4 is the best Helios with swirle bokeh.
I need to offer some clarification.
What's cheeky is the use of your air quotes for words like *designed* and *borrowed* . You may not know this, but the Soviets were awarded war reparations after the end of WW2. Among those reparations were entire Zeiss factories which included optical schemas and designs, production line equipment and actual Zeiss glass, which the Soviets proceded to use in their early production.
So you see now, these designs weren't *AIR QUOTES* borrowed *AIR QUOTES* . The Soviets got them legitimately fair and square. Morevoer, when they exhausted the batches of Zeiss glass, a lot of their lenses saw (sometimes significant) redesigns and optical recalculations in order to work with new Soviet glass, so they kind of made them their own.
Futhermore, your remark about how the Soviets couldn't design as good a lens as the Germans because they were all hungry is simply tasteless.
Now, regarding sharpness, it is generally accepted that in some ways, sharpness included, the Helios is quite a bit better than the Biotar.
cope
@@VGMO17 you know, using full sentences does a much better job at making a point than a monosyllabic answer does.
Don't forget the staff from these factories that was also "awarded" to the russians and taken to Russia. Russian forces occupied Dresden and decided they're taking the factory with them. Nobody awarded them anything.
@@kolouker get your history right. You're quite wrong.
@@kolouker don't try to argue with commie apologists. Those people can't accept the red army was worse than the germans with some countries. They won't accept that the USSR kept forced labor many years after WW2, and that Stalin and their people are guilty of even more deceases than the na zis, yet they won't come and live to the countries in Latin America where the same rotten ideology is kept alive
Tomioka yashinon 60 mm f2.8 macro. I like it for portraits and macro.
I have one. It's ok for general duties but nothing special - I'd rather use an Olympus Zuiko OM System as a budget vintage lens. But when you can get that bokeh working? Looks fantastic. But it's not as easy as you'd imagine - you really need to learn how to shoot with it.
how do you process your audio i have the same mic and this sounds amazing
also i have a helios im a little indifferent about it haven’t found a fit in my workflow yet but great video
Just basic EQ and compression + some sound iso in Resolve :)
2:55 the built quality depends only on how drunk workers were and it's not a joke. Though it's true for Valday factory, they were the worst and by far the drunkest.
3:22, did you go out and about in Warsaw or Walsall? 2 very different places 😂😂
Warsaw
Clicked the video too early, I NEED this lens
Get one it's worth it
It's also worth mentioning that thare were Helios lenses with Nikon F-mount, like Helios-81Н (Н stands for Russian translation of Nikon - Никон).
Maybe this fact would be new for you @huntercreatesthings
Bought mine with one of the zenit camera bodies for like $50 and it's KMZ, now the Valdai lenses are ~$100 😭 Mosin Nagant lens frfr
When i was at Vladimir (yes, i from Russia) i bought Zenit 11 with Helios 44M from Valdai for 25$.
why does nobody ever talk about the original helios 44? it's better in about every way
Have you (or anyone reading) tried the 44's with anamorphic mods? Wonder how the bokeh compares. I don't really care about anamorphic lens flare or shape of bokeh bubbles but wondering whether there are other differences in look.
I haven't - but I'd be interested to see what it looks like!
I think the title of Swirl King should be given to the Industar-69. That thing gives me motion sickness.
It honestly looks insane!
around 2.30 you talk about it being the mk2, what camera mount did it originally have? i know there is an m42 mount version, is that the mk1, or the one you have?
This one is M42! The first one was M39 I think, which means I'd need an extra adapter and afaik the flange distance can get kinda funky.
@@huntercreatesthings sure, that makes sense, did you need any kind of glass inside the adapter, to help with focusing to infinity? I know some lenses need that, or does the adapter just have the appropriate lens mounts?
thanks :)
on Sony E mount, nope! I thought about getting an adapter for my Nikon DSLR stills camera but that DOES need a glass element for infinity focus. Mirrorless definitely wins for adapting!
Thought so, thanks!! I might have to pick one up lol@@huntercreatesthings
1:07 savage😂
Bro his mic matches the Helios lmao
what do you mean *buy*? y'all don't find one in your grandparents cellar on the pickle jar shelf?
If my girlfriend says I should only take pictures of her with this lens. I think thats the case settled.
Amen
This lens is indeed very cool, but not as much as your mic holder.
What dod you put in your tea?
Raspberry syrup!
Spatchula mic!
You are a funny guy
click bait?
If I coulda liked this video twice I woulda 🫖
On APS-C I don't see swirly bokeh.
It's harder than you'd think!! You need some texture in the background, with some highlights - trees work great. What I did was rack focus from infinity until I dialed in the swirls and then worked my framing around that focus distance.
Soviets had first man in space, first robots on the Moon and Venus (I think Mars too, but not sure), made countless scientific discoveries - they could make things good, when they considered them important
But they never cared enough about consumer level products to perfect them (just make good enough to be mass-produced relatively cheaply and be standardized), because there were always more important ways to spend limited resources (politically and ideologically)
And the lenses' design were part of the contributions from Germany after winning WW2
Such lenses coast less then 30 USD in post-soviet countries now, in some places even less then 15 USD
P.S. Apart from that the video is very good
I'm so tired of English speakers using Japanese words just to sound cool. Blur. It's swirly blur FFS.
It's in the Oxford English Dictionary :) www.oed.com/dictionary/bokeh_n?tab=meaning_and_use#1279839420