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07-10-2017, 01:31 AM   #1
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Is it really just a Helios 44M or something else?

While not even looking for a Helios-44 lens of any pedigree I stumbled on this strange creature at MoscowPhoto.net. It seems to me that this is just some kind of re-dressed Helios 44M, but a few things don't make sense.

It's a 58mm f/2 Biotar copy. It has the same A/M switch as the 44M. It's got the 8 blades of earlier 44s. What's odd is that they claim it's multi-coated, and that's easy to say but not easy to prove. I know MC versions of the 44M are out there but are rare. I'm not sure one can simply look at the reflections (or lack thereof?) and know, but some of you have a very keen eye and plenty of knowledge. There isn't an MC listed on the vanity ring here. Helios 44M-7s get faked all the time with repainted vanity rings, but I can't imagine one would bother to create new packaging as seen in this case. There's also that red T, as if there's an effort to liken the lens to the CZJ Biotar 58mm. Plus - no serial numbers, so there isn't even a hint as to when these were manufactured.

Is this simply a matter of rebadging the lens for export? I can't find any reference to anyone using this lens with these markings. I'm thoroughly confused.

07-10-2017, 02:58 AM   #2
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Looks identical to my 44m except for the name ring. Serial is on the side opposite the focussing mark. so at the bottom when the lens sits on the camera. At 50 ln/mm it should be an 44m-7



But those all seem to have the Valdai logo and not the Krasnogorsk logo that is on this one. ACP - Logos
Also notice the 44m-7 has coarser ridgy parts with fewer ridges.
07-10-2017, 05:07 AM   #3
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It's almost certainly a re-dressed 44M, and the packaging is likely fake too. There are, unfortunately, some unscrupulous sellers in the former Soviet Union who do this kind of thing on a regular basis. Typically, the subterfuge consists of a poorly printed front trim ring, but increasingly the sellers are adding packaging too, to make the item look like a new item.

Look out for ME1 and 44M-7 fakes in particular - many (most?) eBay auctions for these models are selling (whether knowingly or otherwise) fake lenses.
07-10-2017, 05:51 AM   #4
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From the 44-m4 on they have coarser focussing rings. But all heliosses are good. Why pay more for a more scarce variant.

07-10-2017, 07:13 AM   #5
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I think its just a fake name plate?
The Helios 44 is a Soviet clone of the Zeiss Biotar. Zeiss has T* multicoating, and Zeiss lenses are generally better put together and thus more expensive. The simplest explanation is someone just wanted to sell their Helios 44M for a higher price, so they added a nameplate to make it more fancy. Lets just list whats wrong:
a) T* multicoating is on Zeiss lenses, I don't think any Russian lenses have T* MC
b) The name Biotar-Krasnogorsk is weird. Krasnogorsk is where a Zenit factory is, while Biotar is a specific type of Zeiss lens. When Soviets made Biotar clones, they did not call them Biotar. The Soviets didn't use the same name. So why would the type of lens be hyphenated with the location where the lens was made?
c) The name plate looks brand new, clean, while the lens body looks like.. well, like a Soviet lens that is a couple decades old. The name plate has black that has not faded, it has perfectly white lettering. And the font seems to be similar to the Zeiss font, not the old Soviet font that you usually find on Helios lenses

Fakes are not something new or surprising. Especially when it comes to Soviet lenses, Zeiss clones (also Leica clones, but that is rangefinder territory), and shady dealers from Eastern Europe (you can find fakes in the west, but in the east its a real business selling fakes to the west)

Last edited by Na Horuk; 07-10-2017 at 07:23 AM.
07-10-2017, 07:42 AM - 1 Like   #6
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This is a fake Helios 44M. Some clever guys are buying old 44M lenses and "rebadging" them into 44M-7, with freshly printed boxes and manuals with grammar errors.
It's discussed here (or translated with Google).
07-10-2017, 08:49 AM   #7
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It is a Helios 44M with a fake beauty ring attached. The true "BTK" lens was silver finish with a preset aperture and dates to near the end of WWII. They are a fairly rare collector's item.

Memo to self: Don't do business with moscowphoto.net...fraudulent dealer...


Steve


Last edited by stevebrot; 07-10-2017 at 08:55 AM.
07-10-2017, 08:57 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by dcshooter Quote
There are other chuckleheads in Eastern Europe rebadging Zenits with counterfeit Zeiss marks, so I suspect that's what happened here.
Oooo...love the chrome!!!


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07-12-2017, 12:32 AM   #9
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Thank you all for the kind insight.

Almost immediately after posting this did I find a forum post on another site about this very racket (which is odd because literally nothing came up before using the same Google keywords). Somebody posted an image of the packaging and pointed out a misspelling of "thred" (rather than "thread") which I totally missed. Forehead slap. Not that a misspelling is completely implausible on an otherwise perfectly fine item, but in my experience that's usually the case with generic photo accessories sourced out of China.

I also found what appeared to be a YouTube video (in Russian, no less) that appears to comment on the less than likely validity of the so-called "Biotar-Krasnogorsk". Real-time, machine translated captioning can be entertaining, confusing, and enlightening all at the same time.

I've read plenty about how people like playing with the Helios-44 of any variety. I'm left wondering if anyone has an opinion on just which variation has the right sum of its parts. That is mount, handling, and design. In general, the M42 mount is clearly readily available and people seem to have high praise for the 44-3 and 44M models. The 3, however, seems to be let down by the bad design of its focus ring hitting the camera body before it can be properly mounted (requires machining or filing down to size). On the other hand, the 3 is multi-coated whereas the 44M is not except in rare instances. Both have 8 blades.

Then there's the 44K-4; convenience of the K-mount, multi-coated, but only 6 blades. Perhaps it's not a big deal, I know most people like to use these things wide open anyway. However, while I know an octagon isn't round, it's rounder than a hexagon, and I really find the six-sided bokeh balls of my Pentax 55mm 1.8 distracting. And by the way, I can't seem to find this anywhere: Do any of the 44s have half-click aperture settings or do they all employ full stops?

Sigh. You buy a Soviet car and it comes in 2 colors. You buy a Soviet lens and it comes in 1100 varieties.
07-12-2017, 02:46 AM   #10
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My 44m has half clicks, my 44-2 is a preset lens so it is clickless
07-12-2017, 05:29 PM - 2 Likes   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by LowVoltage Quote
I've read plenty about how people like playing with the Helios-44 of any variety. I'm left wondering if anyone has an opinion on just which variation has the right sum of its parts.
All share the characteristics of their design heritage* (Zeiss Biotar 58/2):
  • Very good to excellent center sharpness decreasing towards edges and corners (less obvious on APS-C than on 24x36mm format)
  • Equally sharp at all apertures
  • Relatively fast maximum aperture
  • Generally excellent bokeh
Some might add swirly bokeh to the list, but I prefer not to. When present, it is evidence of poor assembly more than design intent.

I own the 44M:
  • Has A/M switch (doesn't require conversion surgery to provide manual aperture)
  • 8-blade aperture

I am looking for a MC 44-3:
  • Multi-coated
  • Preset aperture is more flexible than M and K Helios 44 variants
  • 8-blade aperture
  • Somewhat sharper than my 44M
Caution -- There is a common issue with some 44-3 production where the focus ring is incompatible with most non-Zenit cameras. The near edge of the focus ring is inboard of the mount face and may bind on non-Zenit cameras. This may be remedied by sanding/milling down the back of the focus ring until it is flush.

I am also looking for a MC 44K-4:
  • Multi-coated
  • Standard K-mount with full-automatic aperture (no adapters, no A/M switch, lens stays wide open except when metering or during the exposure)
  • Somewhat sharper than my 44M
  • Striking rendering on example photos on this site
FWIW, I have little interest in swirly bokeh. My interest is in pixie dust.


Pentax K10D, KMZ Helios 44M


Steve

* There are claims that the different variants represent different optical formula. This is not true. All are straight Biotar and the optical components are generally interchangeable between variants. The variants differ in regards to aperture type (preset vs. automatic), incremental performance tweeks (mostly in regards to tightening up production standards), and mechanic/cosmetic details.

Last edited by stevebrot; 07-12-2017 at 05:48 PM.
07-22-2017, 10:43 AM   #12
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As a big fan of Helios lenses (and owner of 8 of them) I can tell you that itīs a great fake.
Counterfeited Helioses are found by millions on Ebay, once I even found a Helios 44M-8 !!!

QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
Caution -- There is a common issue with some 44-3 production where the focus ring is incompatible with most non-Zenit cameras. The near edge of the focus ring is inboard of the mount face and may bind on non-Zenit cameras. This may be remedied by sanding/milling down the back of the focus ring until it is flush.
The fix is very easy, 3 screws out and some minutes with sand paper.
The problem is also present in the final 44-2 version, which is almost physically identical to the 44-3 and I also have.
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