Helios 44-2: A super fun retro lens for photo and video
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- Опубліковано 25 лис 2022
- Helios 44-2 is a fun retro lens that is very popular among photographers for its unique optical properties and amazing swirly bokeh (sagittal astigmatism). In this video I review Helios 44-2 and show sample photos and sample videos taken with Helios 44-2. I will show you how to use Helios 44-2, how good it is and what I think of it. I also show the lens sharpness graph to find the sweet spot of the 44-2. This lens was originally used with the Zenit cameras. My conclusion is that the Helios 44-2 is a unique and fun lens that will make it enjoy photography. The somewhat low contrast of this lens can be used to your advantage because this will make your video more cinematic and will add your film some additional character. I use my Helios 44-2 together with Fujifilm cameras so I need to use lens mount adapters (I use K&F concept lens mount adapters) to make it work. I recommend this affordable lens with a very high build quality in you photo and video arsenal.
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LINKS:
Helios 44-2 for video: • HELIOS 44-2 lens - A P...
Helios 44-2 with a macro filter: • Helios 44-2 bokeh with...
Helios 44-2 vs Helios 44-M4: • Helios 44M-4: review a...
Helios 44-2 sample photos: • HELIOS 44-2 sample pho...
Helios 44-2 with a macro filter: • Helios 44-2 bokeh with...
Helios 44-2 compared to a modern prime lens: • Helios 44-2 goes again...
Helios 44M-4 review: • Helios 44M-4: review a...
K&F Concept lens mount adapters: • K&F Concept lens mount...
How to find lens sweet spot: • How to measure LENS SW...
How to find image sharpness: • A quick method for mea...
Review of Fujifilm cameras: • My Fujifilm cameras: a...
Review of Fuji lenses: • My Fuji X-mount camera...
Review of Fujifilm X-T30: • Fujifilm X-T30 (in 202...
PR_69 - Фільми й анімація
One of best reviews on Helios and great sample images. Ordered one myself and stoked for it to arrive. .. even having to wait a month and half for it... should be here any day!
Hi Vinnie! Thank you very much, indeed. I think this lens is worth the wait. You're going to like it. Kind regards!
Very nice video you deserve more likes and comments.
Hi Hakan! I really appreciate your nice words. Kind regards!
I brought a 44-3 few months ago. And I'm loving it more and more.
Hi RANJAN! The 44-3 is a wonderful lens, have fun with it. Kind regards!
As usual, informative and charming. Especially about the best manufacturing.
Hi! I really appreciate your support! Best regards!
Thank you for this helpfull video ! It helps a lot to understand the lens before buying it. Your images are great. Have a nice day 🍀
Hi Coeur Vision! Thank you very much and best of luck to you with buying a Helios!
Catching up! Covid finally got me...on my 7th day...funny, I had three vintage lenses show up at my door while stuck inside. They sit there staring at me, with their adapters already ordered and arrived. One of them, is the Sears (Ricoh) 55mm 1.4. I had to get it with a Ricoh body, which is fine..but together what a tank of metal! Still, getting it this way I saved about a hundred bucks. If you don't know about this lens, it has quite a fan base....anyway, great to be back, relaxing with your latest.
Hi sclogse1! Sorry to hear you were sick. The lens you are talking about sounds really interesting. Are you considering making a video on it? That'd be great. Cheers!
Thank you for the review. I have a Helios 44-2 that came with my first SLR I got when I was 12 - a Zenit TTL. I’ve now ordered an adapter so I can use it on my new Fujifilm x-S10. Looking forward to seeing the results with my 40 year old lens :-)
Hi Adrian! This is a great plan. I bet you'll love the results. The 44-2 certainly has got same character. Kind regards!
Image from Helios looks absolutely awesome 🔥
Hi! Thank you very much, indeed. Kind regards!
Great video, I am going to try one of these
Hi! Thanks so much. Best of luck to you with Helios!
I trust your word so much that I’ve gotten a lot of the Ttartisan and now this is in my sights haha thanks for the review
Hi Its Beaker! Thank you very much for watching. This is a fun lens, indeed. Kind regards!
Great video! Many thanks!
Hi NicK K! Thank you so much for watching. Kind regards!
Nice video; love my Helios!
Hi Craig! Thank you so much for watching. Kind regards!
Set the clicked ring to the f16 and forget it, use the other ring to manage your depth of field.
Hi Michael! Thank you very much for this tip. I've also made a video specifically on how the Helios 44-2 aperture rings work: ua-cam.com/video/XOTZjjZfAn4/v-deo.html . Kind regards!
Dear Tom finally I’ve got the lens! The lens look amazing but there is a big issue with it or its x mount adapter that the seller sent to me (I hope)…
It is soft, terrible soft.
So soft that my two Fujifilm cameras (X-H2 and X-T3) can’t highlight anything setting the focus peaking assist..Quite frustrating, you know.
It happens because nothing is really in focus also stopping down the aperture blades.
Now you probably will say to me that this softness is an Helios 44-2 characteristic, its own character, I know but looking at your video my copy delivers a very bad result compared to yours. I never seen such a softness.
So please help me to understand what is wrong. Actually I’m not satisfied at all. In these conditions shooting is not more having fun but terribly tiring.
The sellers declared to have fully serviced the lens…could be here the problem? Or the adapter place the lens too far or too close to my Fuji camera sensors??
I need help 🙏
PS I forget to mention that my copy is from 1973 produced by KMZ factory. In Theory one better than other more recent…
Hi! Thank you for asking. I'll do my best to help you trouble-shoot this issue. Let's start from the beginning. Have you switched your camera to "shoot without lens" and manual focusing. I'm quite sure you have, but I'm just making sure. Next, could you please give me all the settings that you used for one of those very soft photos (including light metering settings)? Did things improve when you stopped down the lens (perhaps to F11 or so)? What lens adapter are you using and is it securely locked when you're taking photos? Is it possible for me (and also for the other viewers who might be able to help you) to see some of those photos you are talking about (perhaps upload them someplace and send the link)? At this point it is difficult to say if you are having technical issues or something is indeed wrong with the lens; but we'll figure it out together. Kind regards!
Dear Tom thank you very much for your replay, very appreciated.
About what you have asked me:
- yes I set my cameras to shoot without lens and in manual focusing as well. Just set the right focal length in the adapter section.
- I shoot primarily in manual mode, setting the right white balance for the scenario I am, including a -2 for highlight and colour, -3 for sharpening in camera. (It could sound weird but with these settings using a vintage 35mm f2.8 Nikkor lens I obtain nice shoot having ability to use focus peaking) Light metering set on multi mode (for your knowledge I don’t try to modify this parameter, should I?)
Sharpness not so great neither at higher f stop. Maybe a bit better, just a bit, but nothing close to what I see in your video..
About the adapter it is a dumb cheap one that the seller has sent to me. Is the type in black alluminium with three little exagonal screws to block the m42 silver mount, nothing fancy at the moment.
At time of writing no one nd or cp filter mounted.
I will try to send you a link to show some pics as soon as possible.
Hope this info will help to figure what could be wrong at the moment.
PS I’ve sent an email to the seller to explain the current situation. Waiting for a response..
Thank you so much
@@giulianodipilla1243 Hi! Thank you for the details. I think asking the seller this question was a good decision. It is possible that someone took the lens apart for cleaning and did not put it back together properly. These things happen. Based on what you wrote it seems to me that you have lots of experience with retro lenses. So I'm currently leaning toward "a faulty lens" as the best explanation, but I cannot be certain. Could yo do the following: Put on your other retro lens, go to some intermediate F-stop like 6 or 7 and take a photo of something (preferably use a tripod) using a fully manual mode. Now replace the other retro lens with the Helios 44-2 and take the very same photo (without altering any of the settings at all) using the very same F-stop. What are you seeing? And a related question: When you do manual focusing and look through the viewfinder, can you conform that you are able to focus manually using your eyes (not the focus peaking function of your camera). Thanks!
@@tom_photoDear Tom here I am. This is the actual story.
Contacted the seller explaining the issues I’m actually experiencing.
He has sent me a reimbursement of the total amount of my purchase without having to send back the lens.. Really a great thing I think. Pointing on what you have asked. I’ve made several experiments. Changed the light metering, the noise reduction, the sharpness and so on. Try to compare the Helios with my vintage. A different story. The nikkor is sharper using the same aperture and the camera shows perfectly the highlight focus piking set in red high.
The Helios is always soft and sometimes stop down the aperture ring produces a softer, darker and desaturated images. So weird. Bokeh chapter. It is strange. All the bokeh ball have a black dot/spot right in the middle. Difficult to me think it is caused by a dust particles on the rear lens or on the sensor. I try to use the focus zoom assist. I see on the screen a very busy noisy preview but border of the subject are always not in focus, blurred. They seem doubled…Again, very weird. The same happen using the viewpoint. I don’t see the focus peaking as well. I try to focus and obtain always the approximate focus. Better result if I use high time of exposure but sharpness is another thing..
I was so frustrated. I’m evaluating to bring the lens to a service laboratory but in the meantime I’ve bought here in my town and bring with me at home an Helios 44-M4 that is another planet compared to my first one. BUT I really would like to fix it you know! Thank you for your time and your patience!!
@@giulianodipilla1243 Hi! Thank you for the update. Based in what you are saying I'm quite certain that you had a broken lens. Someone did not put it back together properly after taking it apart. The black spot in the middle is most likely not dust but a result of improperly positioned component in the lens. My Helios 44-2 is very fine. I invite you to not give up on the 44-2. It's a wonderful lens when it works properly. Best of luck to you!
Hi Tom, I am wondering if you have used your Helios lenses with your Nikon cameras and what your experience has been compared with your Fuji cameras. Did you prefer to use your Fuji cameras to reduce the weight you are carrying around, or other specific reason?
Hi Alberto! Great to hear from you. I have used Helios lenses only a few times with Nikon D3400. I have a much better adapter for Fuji which is one of the reasons I prefer Fuji. However, the main reason is that my Fuji cameras have focus peaking. This makes manual focusing very convenient and so Helios lenses are more convenient to use. I also find that Fujis generally work really well with Helios; I can get good sharpness and contrast out of them. Kind regards!
Thank you Tom.
@@albertobelfast Always a pleasure, Alberto!
I have a nikon D7100 and recently bought the Helios 44-2 and the inly settings I changed were to out my camera in manual mode when I take pictures it looks a bit different than my other lenses there is little to no bokeh I would like to know what I should do
I just found out the my camera is not full frame so bokeh is not an option. I will probably be selling the lens and the adapter.
@@Itay_Gever Hi! Full frame/crop sensor has little to do with this problem. You can get beautiful bokeh with both types of cameras. Don't sell the lens yet, it is wonderful. Play with it some more. I suspect the reason you are seeing no bokeh is because the lens has the F-stop numbers on the dial reversed (relative to what the F-stop really is). F-stop 16 actually means F-stop 2 and vice versa. Try taking photographs with both extreme F-stop settings. What do you see? Then there is another ring just under the aperture ring that sets the smallest aperture limit. Have you experimented with this? I talk about it briefly in this video as well. I'm using my Helios 44-2 with a crop sensor camera and I get beautiful bokeh: ua-cam.com/video/oxDt-ggtgnE/v-deo.html . Cheers!
@@davidgfisher Hi David! Thank you for your feedback. You are exactly right. This system confuses people but once they learn to use it, it can have advantages. It's actually on my list of future videos to talk about the advantages/disadvanatges of this and compare it with other solutions. Kind regards!
Was soll diese ständige minutenlange dreherei des Objektives und die dreherei an den Einstellringen.Blende auf,Blende zu,Blende auf,Blende zu,und das ganze gefühlte 50 mal.Es ist für einen möglichen Käufer so eines Objektives absolut unnütz.Aber Hauptsache die Verbung bringt es
bei diesem Unsinn.
Lieber Peter Heinke! Vielen Dank für Ihre Antwort und Ihr Feedback. Mit freundlichen Grüßen!
Thank you for the very nice video on our dear Helios 44-2. According to my informations, the KMZ version is older than the MMZ. Indeed, it seems that the first factory was KMZ, then MMZ and finally Valdai. Besides, my Helios 44-2 KMZ is 75 .;-) .. But I think they continued even after delegating to other factories. Sources in French: pierretizien-photos.blogspot.com/p/helios-44.html
Hi! Thank you very much for watching. Indeed, this is a nice lens. Kind regards!
@@tom_photohey.
The most desired factory according to RetroFotoHouse is KMZ, then MMZ and the least desired is Valdai.
@@razbiton173 Hi Raz! Yes, that's how people generally see it. Thank you for your feedback. Kind regards!