Helios-44M 4 review

One of the first lenses was simply called Helios 44 50/2.8 and had a good quality.

They say that the last digit was added when the lens had  already  been checked the lens after production. The higher the number, the better the quality.

When you work with the lens, as usual I found the following important points:

1. The maximum aperture of the lens in the F2.0 – standard fast lens, but its 58mm (almost 60 mm) focal length. However, with the crop factor of the camera in 1.5 I got 90mm of EFL (equivalent focal length) on Nikon D90, which is ideal for portrait photography.
2. The possibility of installation on a full-frame camera. On Internet it is hard to find examples of photos from FF cameras.
3. Manual setting of the diaphragm, all you have to do by hand, no automation. Just open, take aim, close, remove and open again, etc.
4. When focusing all lens unit works. Maximum aperture reduces when focusing at close range and pulls a little «trunk» of the lens. The effect of vacuum here is not present.
5. Heavy iron and glass corpus .
6. Compact – like all standard lenses has a relatively large size.
7. The diaphragm movement is from 2.0 to 16.0. It’s enough for any type of photography.
8. MC (enlightenment)
9. The average quality of picture. Certainly, everything is dependent on the instance, as the Helios-44-m has a large variation in the quality depending on the instance.
10. Number of diaphragm blades only 6 pieces. This is quite enough for portraits.

On apertures F2.0, F2.2, F2.5  this lens does not give sharpness. If the sharpness is very » soap»,  you may do a copy . Bokeh is quite beautiful, for an amateur, a little spin of style all lenses Helios. Also the lens is afraid of backlight and side light. The sharpness of the obtained images is low, the color saturation is also low,  but easily recovering in the graphical editor. Distortion is almost none. The color reproduction is really nice, but a bit dull.

Working with  manual lens  is quite interesting and exciting, because the most settings you  have to do manually. This can help you to catch  live view, but it is not on all cameras. Also, at the Amateur cameras (except Nikon D7000) will not work the light meter. That is, for metering you will have to dose the amount of light manually, adjusting shutter speed and aperture, it is requires skill.

The lens is quite interesting, well assembled, but the variation in quality make  you think over  whether  buy or not to buy  the lens.  Sometimes,  people simply make the monocle from Helios-44м 4.

Comments:

Haberdasher: I tested  to take portraits  with Helios 44m . It  reminded me  the  film camera.

Eugene: Quite nice lenses, but because of the shallow depth of aperture at f / 4 it seems to «soap». I have 44-4 and the 44-2. I recommend it!

Matvey: Hi, everybody! .I’ve  recently bought a Helios 44м4. Its condition is   amazing . The rings are not bad, the photo is also nice.

Vlad: Hello!  I b ought one for myself. It is a bit «soapy» at f / 2.0

Maks: I have this Helios. Can you see the petals when you turn the aperture ring?