[hinman]

I don't really know if Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f/2.0 that I recently get is similar to the Russian lens Helios 44. I manage to get some test shots on small flowers today. The lens is quite decent and I use a cosina 1:1 matched 49mm close up filter on the test shots as the lens don't get close to subjects -- minimum focusing distance is about 1.65 feet

f/5.6


f/2.0 + 1Ev



f/2.0 + 0.7 Ev

I am pretty happy with the bokeh and color. At f/2.8 and f/2.0, I seem to see darker picture in Av mode, I dial in +Ev

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Last edited by hinman; 03-24-2009 at 10:25 PM.

[roentarre]

Wow, very dreamy and beautiful in deed! Great lens there!

I think my copy of the Helios 44-2 is a copy of the CZ Biotar design... yours has the pre-set feature where you can set the limit on F-stop? Nice shots with the macro filter

I would love to see some wide open shots without the macro adaptor when you get a chance. But your shots do look like some of my helios shots with the helios sony macro adaptor.

[stevebrot]

...I am pretty happy with the bokeh and color. At f/2.8 and f/2.0, I seem to see darker picture in Av mode, I dial in +Ev...

If nothing else, the lens itself is a gorgeous work of art. Soooooo purty!

Steve

[ryan s]

Indeed, the Helios is a Biotar copy.

Ahh, Hin, you got the non-T* 10 blade copy...very nice. I would love to take a 17-blade version for a test drive sometime Even though yours doesn't have the multi-coatings, I wouldn't be mad with those results at all

[hinman]

Thank you all for the kind comments. My copy of Bbiotar has 10 blades and I don't know too much about the coating and the difference with T* and more blades. I have not put on a lens hood when I test it on little flowers.

Czj Biotar 58mm f/2.0 (m42)




10 blades, diaphragm flower like
very unique



Aperture ring in front
with preset ring underneath -- tricky
thx to Georg for discovery
please excuse the blurry product shot

I will do that next time. I don't know if this is a preset lens as it is not like the Jupiter that you have two aperture rings. It only has one aperture ring in front and there is no f-stop clicking. I can turn the aperture ring continuously from one end to the other. The focusing ring is a bit tight. Overall, the lens is very pleasing to look at.

Here are few shots either wide open at f/2.0 or f/2.8 without the use of close-up filter

f/2.0 cropped


f/2.8


Czj Biotar 58mm f/2.0 M42 on Flowers

[georgweb]

The Hinman said:
I don't know if this is a preset lens as it is not like the Jupiter that you have two aperture rings. It only has one aperture ring in front and there is no f-stop clicking. I can turn the aperture ring continuously from one end to the other.

Hello Hin,
nice lens you have there, and I am sure you do have a two-ring-preset model.
Please try to move the lower ring in direction to the camera, and then while holding it down counter-turn it versus the upper ring onto your chosen 'preset' aperture value. There you have the clicks also (well it's more like notches).

Have fun with it,
Georg

[hinman]

Hello Hin,
nice lens you have there, and I am sure you do have a two-ring-preset model.
Please try to move the lower ring in direction to the camera, and then while holding it down counter-turn it versus the upper ring onto your chosen 'preset' aperture value. There you have the clicks also (well it's more like notches).

Have fun with it,
Georg

Georg,

It is really one single aperture ring. I have used preset lens before with Jupiter9 with distinct two aperture rings. This one is single aperture ring and there is no clicking f/stops -- my 1st one. And you see round circles throughout the f/stops. I like the color and dreamy and soft bokeh from this lens. It is solidly built. This lens is perhaps not meant for flowers as it is about 1.65 feet at minimum focusing distance, I will try it on portraits when time allows.

UDPATE: George is right about the hidden preset ring is beneath the aperture ring. Pull-and-turn old style preset ring.

[georgweb]

Hin,
I believe your word,
but please try to push/pull the lower part of that ring towards the cam.
This does not work like Jup9, that's why I ask you to try one more time.
Thanks,
Georg (the other)

[hinman]

Hin,
I believe your word,
but please try to push/pull the lower part of that ring towards the cam.
This does not work like Jup9, that's why I ask you to try one more time.
Thanks,
Georg (the other)

This is embarrassing, you are totally right. There is a preset ring separate from the aperture ring. Thank you George.

Hin

[georgweb]

[ryan s]

To the left of the B in Biotar, what is the symbol? If it's 1Q, you have a "top quality" product (possibly) for export purposes. There was a discussion on MFL recently, and there are more than one marking for German lenses. Kind of interesting, although I wouldn't pass on a non-1Q lens

[hinman]

To the left of the B in Biotar, what is the symbol? If it's 1Q, you have a "top quality" product (possibly) for export purposes. There was a discussion on MFL recently, and there are more than one marking for German lenses. Kind of interesting, although I wouldn't pass on a non-1Q lens

Yes, there is a letter 1 with an overlapping Q symbol on it.

[hinman]

I tried the lens for portraits and few are cropped to show the sharpness. I used mostly between f/3.2 and f/4.0.

I thought you said your boys would not sit still enough for MF lenses...

These are nice shots of the boys, they are becoming very good models.

This may be one of the best 'family' shots I have seen in a while... It captures so much personality and emotion...