The second Helios-44 served as a standard lens for Zenit-3 SLR cameras in 1960-62. The workmanship was of a very high standard. The aperture control ring was placed on the back of the lens and switched in steps. The lens had a unique bayonet mount optics, 'jumping' diaphragm and 13 aperture blades. The first Helios-44 was equipped with a Start reflex camera, starting in 1958. This optical phenomenon gives images rendered by these vintage lenses a distinct character, which has created a cult following among fine art photographers. The bokeh 'circles' become more elliptical in shape as you move away from the center of the photo. As all lenses based on the Biotar formula, the Helios-44 and Helios-40 produce an unusual 'swirly' bokeh effect to the out-of-focus background. The Helios-44 and Helios-40 are derivatives of the Carl Zeiss Biotar optical formula. Some later Helios models were built also for the Pentax K mount. They were usually supplied with Zenit cameras and thus usable with other M42 lens mount cameras such as the Pentax Spotmatic. Helios ( Russian: Ге́лиос) was a brand of camera lenses, made in the USSR. It seems that you need some decent distance from your subject, and you need some background that can fall into swirly bokeh in the distance.Brand of camera lenses Helios 44-2 lens mounted on a Praktica MTL 5B Helios 44M-4 lens, 58mm f/2, in M42 screw mount Helios 40-2 Helios 81M 53mm f/2 lens mounted on Kiev 19 I took another shot with a subject at mid range, perhaps 4-5 feet away while still shooting wide open at f/2.Ĭan you start to see the swirl shape in the background? This photo showed me I’m getting closer. It isn’t swirly bokeh yet, but it definitely has more shape to it. I aimed up at a leaf that was a little further away, still shooting wide open at f/2. This image was shot up close which caused the background to blur too much for the swirl I was looking for. When you shoot wide open at f/,2 close up to the subject, the background is a beautiful, buttery, soft bokeh. I took the lens into my in-laws yard to find out how best to find the swirly spot. It arrived the day before we left so it was ready to go right away. After a quick test shoot I decided I was going to shoot this Helios 58mm 44-2 exclusively for the entire trip. I bought the lens right before a two-week trip to St. This unfocused image shows the popular swirly bokeh effect Well, this “defect” looked really cool to me and I wanted to incorporate it into my lens collection. I did some quick digging and found out this was called “swirly bokeh” and certain vintage lenses created this effect through a manufacturing defect.

It was awesome and unlike anything I had ever seen! I was looking through photos on Flickr and noticed a few images in which the bokeh appeared to be swirling in a circular pattern. I really enjoy having big apertures available for low light so I started looking for another prime lens. It’s a great lens but after taking it out a few times, I concluded it wasn’t for me. The 24-70mm and adapter are super heavy and ridiculously front-heavy. The 55mm shoots like a dream and is insanely light-weight. I started off with a Sony 55mm f/1.8 and a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens that requires a Sony adapter. You can see how I used it in my last article: when to trick your camera for the perfect exposure. A friend convinced me that having small-form, full frame camera would be an entire different way of shooting. I recently bought a Sony A7 to compliment my Canon 6D DSLR.

Helios lens for sale