| Helios-44 58mm F/2.0 |
| This overview covers three Helios-44 lenses. Many variations of the Helios-44 exist, and while the optical formula remains largely identical, subtle differences are present due to the glass and coating used for each model. The Helios-44-2, Helios-44M-4, and Helios-44M-7 MC are discussed. |
| Specifications (All Versions) | |||
| Helios-44-2 | Helios-44M-4 | Helios-44M-7 MC | |
| Manufacturer: | Zenit Vilejka | Zenit Valdai | Zenit Valdai |
| Date Manufactured: | 1975 | 1990 | 1993 |
| Angle of View: | 40° | 40° | 40° |
| Lens Construction: | Six Elements | Six Elements | Six Elements |
| Minimum Focus Distance: | 0.5m | 0.5m | 0.5m |
| Minimum Aperture: | F 16 | F 16 | F 16 |
| No. of Diaphragm Blades: | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Diaphragm Operation: | Manual, Preset. | Fully Automatic. | Fully Automatic. |
| Model No.: | 44-2 | 44M-4 | MC 44M-7 |
| Serial No.: | 7540304 | 90391592 | 932194 |
| Filter Diameter: | 49mm | 52mm | 52mm |
| Weight: | 220g | 245g | 230g |
| Lens Coating: | Single Coated | Single Coated | Multi Coated |
| Optical Characteristics | ||
| Helios-44-2 & Helios-44M-4 | ||
|
Sharpness Sharpness is only fair at 2.0, but is greatly improved at 5.6 and 8.0. The lens resolution of the 44-2 and 44M-4 is nearly identical. Flare These are single-coated lenses, so flare and veiling are not very well controlled. Chromatic Aberration Some very slight green fringing was observed at 2.0 and 2.8, but this was mostly gone by 4.0. Bokeh I bought these lenses for their attractive, neutral bokeh. While there is slight doubling, highlights are good - not distracting, and quite even:
No obvious colour cast from this lens, very neutral and true. Contrast is fair. |
| Summary |
| The Russian Helios-44 is a clone of the Carl Zeiss 58mm f/2 Biotar. The Biotar employs a classic 6 elements in 4 groups lens configuration. The Helios-44-2 is an early manual, pre-set lens, and I find the aperture ring to be quite stubborn when moving between stops. The Helios-44M-4 on the other hand, has a smoother automatic diaphragm, but requires a EOS-M42 adapter which will push the aperture pin, as the lens has no Auto-Man switch. |
| Optical Characteristics |
| Helios-44M-7 MC |
|
Sharpness Sharper than it's earlier variants, the 44M-7 displays very good sharpness at 2.0, and excellent sharpness at 5.6 and 8.0. Flare The superior multi-coating on this lens means that flare and veiling are very well controlled. Chromatic Aberration Some very slight green fringing was observed at 2.0, but this was gone by 4.0. Bokeh No different to the older Helios lenses, excepting the fact that starting with the Helios-44M-4 all Helios lenses were made with six diaphragm blades instead of eight - so highlights are subtly different. However, I don't find the hexagon-shaped highlights to be a problem, and overall bokeh is pleasing. Colour & Contrast Neutral and true colours. Very good contrast. |
| Summary |
| Before I received this lens, I had read that the build of later Helios-44 lenses was quite poor, and that a lot of plastic was used. This is not the case. You can see in the table above that my later versions are actually slightly heavier than the early pre-set lens. While the 44M-4 and 44M-7 look almost indentical, they have the following small differences: The 44M-7 is slightly shorter, due to a slimmer focus ring and smaller recess for the front element, and it weighs slightly less. Overall these are very neat little lenses, and I often slip a Helios 44 into my pocket when I'm out and about with my 20D, as it's 92mm equivalent length is very useful. |