I’ve been experimenting with different generations of lenses lately, but I’ve noticed that there was one untested version of a well-known lens.
It’s the late version 44M series of Helios. Try the Helios 44M, which looks pretty sophisticated.

About lens

M42 KMZ Helios 44M 58mm F2.0

Zeiss Biotar The Russian lens Helios, which is famous as a lens that produces a round and round bokeh of the copy.
Among the many Helios versions, the 44M seems to be on the market with the 44-2.

There are many other similar and dissimilar lenses such as 44 and 44M-7.
Furthermore, even with the same version, it is an old lens that is difficult to understand for a famous lens, because the factories that make it are different and the appearance is different.

It was about half a year ago that I could understand the standing position of Helios 44-2, which is the standard for old lenses.
Since it is difficult to understand the generation, I will explain the generation a little roughly to unify the story in this article.

First generation Helios 44

It was manufactured in the 1950s with a silvery appearance, and strictly speaking, it is not the originator of the first generation, but it has the front, but it can be said that it is the first generation.

Second generation Helios 44-2

It looks rugged with a black housing, and I think this is the most popular Helios.
It’s been sold for a long time, and at the same time it’s a model made in another factory, so even with the same name, there are slight differences.
I think that is the reason why it is said that there is a hit or miss due to the housing, which is rumored on the web.

Third generation Helios 44M Series

It looks bigger than the above two, but it’s actually about one size larger.
It seems that there are multiple versions within 44M, such as “44M7, 44M3”, and you can see them in various auctions.

Today’s Agenda

・ Investigate the depiction of the third generation Helios 44M
・ The accelerating city walk finally arrives at Kichijoji

Bokeh, depiction around the frame, color

The soft bokeh is full of Helios-likeness, but what you immediately notice is that the color is better than the lenses of the previous generation.

At first glance, it seems that the blur has become beautiful, but I think that is probably because of the good color.

Colors usually appear in photos that are slightly blown off like this, but I feel that the goodness of Helios and other Russian lenses is that there is a light color paste.

Soft bokeh and ball bokeh came out beautifully. It looks like Helios.
However, because of the good color, it feels a little different from the Helios of the previous generation type.

In the last generation version of Mir-1B, which had the same origin and made the same minor changes in the previous article, it felt a little different, but this time Helios 44M has a quite different impression.

And I can clearly see from this photo that I have tried several times so far and thought that it would not work.
“Swirly Bokeh”, which is synonymous with Helios, is weak! ??

Perhaps this is a frame that I think is quite “blurred” in the first and second generation Helios. I don’t think it feels like it’s turning slightly.

I wonder if this is the frame with the most round and round bokeh this time.
Hmmm, when you search for images, the ones that appear are magnificent.

When the quality improved due to minor changes such as the shortest distance and lens coating, the aberration of the lens, which was originally called “astigmatism”, was improved and the point of “round and round blur” became narrower.

However, the balance between the focus surface and the blur is simpler and easier to shoot than the previous generation.
All generations are more pictorially blurred.

Resolution, sharpness when the aperture is closed, aberration

Shooting at F8.0

I don’t think the lens configuration has changed, so I think that the details such as the coating have changed, but I feel that the image looks sharper than the previous generation.

Or maybe the lines are emphasized and look sharp because the color is better and the contrast is higher.
It can be said that the image is good enough as a whole.

It is a perfect depiction in terms of balance.
However, the Helios 44M, which has become excellent, feels a little lonely because the taste was good in the part that does not appear properly if the previous generation Helios said.

I also want to try the Russian lens-like taste of the frame around here with the taste of the previous generation.
I wonder if it’s a picture that I want to break down in a more flying way.

This is a slightly open shot, but I wonder if the balance between the focus of the watering can and the blur in the back is good.
I wonder if it can be said that this is a sufficient lens from the price point of view.

This color glue and the expression of the lines are a new taste for Helios to me.
The back was quite dark, so in this situation the colors are coming out properly, and the plant in the foreground is quite a highlight, but it keeps the expression.
Unexpectedly, I don’t think there is a lens that looks like this.

It’s more important to follow what kind of expression you are following than to follow the previous generation.
I feel like I was too immersed in my memories.

It’s just like a manual lens with beautiful bokeh that looks good at a reasonable price with modern lenses.
The focus surface is relatively soft, but it seems that there is contrast and the lines come out properly.

When this happened, I wanted to shoot with another Helios 44M series without being aware of the previous generation.

for Purchase

M42 KMZ Helios 44M 58mm F2.0

The second generation has a minimum shooting distance of 50 cm and a filter diameter of 49 mm, so there is no doubt that this third generation Helios 44M has undergone some minor changes.

The 44M series seems to be reasonably priced on eBay as well.
The same is true for the lenses I bought, and obviously many of them are in better condition than other feeds.

Flares, ghosts, halation

The sun was behind and it was almost cloudy but halation.
I still can’t grasp these conditions. I think that light with strong directivity is coming from somewhere, but it doesn’t change even if I hold my hand in various ways.
What is it?

Comparison of aperture and shutter speed

F2.0、Shutter speed 1/1000、ISO800

F8.0、Shutter speed 1/640、ISO4000

I prefer to squeeze it unexpectedly.
However, the image of a Russian lens looks good enough when viewed as a normal lens without perfection.

Where I walked

“Kichijoji” city shooting recommendation ★★★★★=5

I finally arrived at Kichijoji, which I had been aiming for since walking around the city several times ago.

An unfamiliar line of trains with symmetry like the end point tells you that you are out of your range of action.

I don’t know the city at all because I think I’ve only been to parties several times, but I remember the hecticness of the bus passing through this narrow street in front of the station.

At first glance, it seems that all the shops are modern, but there are also shops that have a historical atmosphere, so it seems to be a good place to walk around the city.

And somehow, the relaxing air that you can feel from the whole city.

People don’t have to feel the fast speed of people passing by like a terminal station in the city center.

This is a terrific surreal UNIQLO mannequin.
All of this is spinning around all the time. Up to the 7th floor, everything goes around by the window.

People on the road seem to be accustomed to it and don’t think anything about it, but I looked up for a while without any prior knowledge.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take the picture in good condition due to the strong reflection, but when I search it, it seems that the night can be taken beautifully.

The image is not busy even in the basement of the department store.

Even so, it’s wide!
I walked for a couple of hours, but maybe it’s still about half the city.
I was so tired that I decided to divide Kichijoji into two parts.

Today’s city walk is over after eating a reasonable Oyakodon set for 590 yen.

I felt like I somehow understood the meaning of the top of the city where I wanted to live.

About Camera

Canon 5D markⅢ

Raw development

The development is Adobe Bridge CC 2017, and I want to capture the characteristics of the lens in the photograph, so the adjustment is limited to adjusting the brightness according to the exposure amount.

and more

Helios has some other previous generation articles and more.

First generation Helios
– Helios 44 58mm silver barrel. Boring blur and soft depiction are alive.

Second generation Helios
– Helios 44-2 58mm, Swirly blur, Wonderful white depiction of Russian old lens
– HELIOS 44-2 58mm F2.0 of a swirly bokeh, versatile and blurred black lens barrel of reliable Russian lens.

Carl zeiss’s Biotar 58mm, whose ancestor is the copy source.
– Biotar 58mm Silver lens barrel has a round and round focus and a sharp focusing surface. Verify Helios’ parents.