[jt_cph_dk]

Hello everyone, I just got this Helios 44M-4 with a M42 mount. I have a Pentax M42 to K adapter to mount it on my K7 and LX. This version of the 44M-4 is the one with automatic aperture only, there is no manual setting. But the aperture-pin doesn´t seem to fit either cameras? It will mount on the K7 and won´t mount at all on the LX. Is there a way to fit/adjust/tweek it? Or is this version not usable on a Pentax?
Here are some photos of the lens front, back and with PK 1.8/55 (to compare the mounts). The aperture-pin is displaced and of a different design and it looks like it won´t focus to infinity because the glass protrudes the mount? Regards Jakob (Copenhagen)

[jt_cph_dk]

..Another issue is that the adapter does not fit completely, the red dot is not aligned with the red line on the lens. However, that does not hinder using other lenses that I have, like the Super-Takumar 1.4/50 or the Tele-Takumar 6.3/300.

[jt_cph_dk]

..There is this thread with a similar lens and a self made pin (..I´ll try one of those suggestions):
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/pentax-slr-lens-discussion/57058-helios-4...onversion.html

[RKKS08]

If it does not mount with the Adapter fixed on the lens, try to mount the Adapter on the camera first. If this also does not work (or if you are sure the problem is caused by the pin ), forget about my following suggestions.

If it works this way, DON'T try do screw the lens on with force at the last turn possible, you may have difficulties to seperate it. Instead, place a shim between lens and adapter, because the adapter may not move far enough into the camera mount to turn the bajonet. You have to try and compromise with the thickness of the shim to make the lens fit without loosing infinity. I do have one m42 lens with the same problem.

If you are not using an original Asahi Pentax adapter, another one (even of the same brand) may not show this problem, but the cause is most likely bad tolerances of the m42 lens mount.

[jt_cph_dk]

..I did — three of the screws were really tight and I settled on pushing the pin in with a tooth pick for now. And it is working! Thanks to the forum.

..Well, the tooth-pick trick is very short lived..got the screws loose after some careful work and put a piece of plastic tube from a ball pen on the pin. Now it works very well. It is still a tight mount and it does not align with the camera — screws in to about 1/12 turn from the top and no further — the 2/55 Super-Tak I have goes all the way and aligns perfectly.

[jt_cph_dk]

If it does not mount with the Adapter fixed on the lens, try to mount the Adapter on the camera first. If this also does not work (or if you are sure the problem is caused by the pin ), forget about my following suggestions.

If it works this way, DON'T try do screw the lens on with force at the last turn possible, you may have difficulties to seperate it. Instead, place a shim between lens and adapter, because the adapter may not move far enough into the camera mount to turn the bajonet. You have to try and compromise with the thickness of the shim to make the lens fit without loosing infinity. I do have one m42 lens with the same problem.

If you are not using an original Asahi Pentax adapter, another one (even of the same brand) may not show this problem, but the cause is most likely bad tolerances of the m42 lens mount.

Hi RK.. I settled on the solution described above (from the other thread). This version of the lens does not have a ‘lever‘ and with the pin away it works like a manual and I will open it up to focus and then stop down to shoot.
Good idea to place a shim (..if I can produce one of the right thickness?). Will it affect the infinity focus if I don´t add one? My adapter is an original Pentax one, but not all my M42 lenses (even takumars) screw in to align with the camera. I don´t know if it makes a difference in practice?
Thanks for your advice anyway, regards Jakob

[Lloydy]

Modification H44M-4

It's French, but the pictures speak volumes.

[RKKS08]

@jt_cph_dk

There may be a misunderstanding. I do own a m42 lens which will not fit in any of my Pentax bodies if I fix the adapter on the lens first. With this lens, I found out the reason is that the adapter is screwing to far onto the lens; when I try to put the lens/adapter combination onto the body, the adapter is not moving far enough into the body (it is just a fraction of a millimeter), so the bayonet will not turn. This happens with every adapter, also with original Asahi Pentax ones.

With this lens, a shim of about 0.3mm between lens and adapter fixed the problem, and I can still focus to infinity. As you were not sure about the reason for your problem, I just thought it would be worth a try. If you face the same problem with a lens, and a shim is curing it, this will certainly not fix an existing infinity problem, as you are widening the register distance, not shorting it.

Added:
About the "not aligning": I sold all my m42 lenses but one, however, I remember none of them did align perfectly. I don't feel this was a disandvantage (specially when the misalignment was -10 to -15 deg.), because of the overhang of the built-in flash of modern DSLRs, which hides the scales of the lens, if it is at 0 deg.