Soviet lenses club

**Jacchini** · 11-01-2015, 03:33 AM

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Originally posted by rjm007

I don't know why but my credit card is calling out to me

Helios 44 2 Russian SLR Lens Zenit M42 Excellent Silver White | eBay

That looks like a black 44-2 that's been stripped to look like an early model. I'm no specialist, but I don't think LZOS made silver ones? Also I don't see a serial number anywere... It's pretty, though, and I like the Helios branded caps, but I'd never spend my hard earned €€ on it.

g026r · 11-01-2015, 05:56 AM

Originally posted by Jacchini

Also I don't see a serial number anywere.

One of the later pictures has the serial visible. It's in the 84xxxxxx range.

rjm007 · 11-01-2015, 08:54 AM

Originally posted by Jacchini

That looks like a black 44-2 that's been stripped to look like an early model. I'm no specialist, but I don't think LZOS made silver ones? Also I don't see a serial number anywere... It's pretty, though, and I like the Helios branded caps, but I'd never spend my hard earned €€ on it.

Boooo. I didn't realise fakery in old lenses was such a thing...

---------- Post added 11-01-15 at 09:57 AM ----------

Is there a resource anywhere that indicates which serials numbers should correspond with model number ? I'm suspicious I've got a "44-7" on it's way which is probably a fake front plate.

Na Horuk · 11-01-2015, 09:20 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by rjm007

Boooo. I didn't realise fakery in old lenses was such a thing...

Oh, there is plenty of that, even Frankenstein lenses (made from working parts of a bunch of broken lenses), "mistakes" in naming (for example where a lens is listed as Pentax 50mm f1.2, even though the actual lens is f2; or an m39 lens listed as m42), and modified lenses (paint removes to make them look like other variants or rare special editions, prototypes).

Originally posted by g026r

It's in the 84xxxxxx range.

I think that indicates the year in which it was made. Now if someone finds which years that series of lens was produced and if the two years fit together.. Maybe you can also compare it to this and this resource

I also don't remember a silver 44-2 being produced in m42 mount. In the listing you can see that even though it is silver, it has some black paint residues on the very front ring; the jagged parts seem to be softened (due to abrasion of removing paint); and the same colour scheme in the numbers as the regular black 44-2, not like the early silver versions; and also the listed one seems super shiny, like recently buffed metal, not like a 40 year old lens, with coatings and inevitable dirt and scratches. Also, I think the earlier 44 versions go to f22, but the 44-2 only goes to f16 (the one in listing only goes to f16. not f22)
But its hard to keep track because there are so many versions and I don't want to lay blame on an ebay listing wrongly

Last edited by Na Horuk; 11-01-2015 at 09:30 AM.

g026r · 11-01-2015, 12:14 PM

Originally posted by Na Horuk

I think that indicates the year in which it was made. Now if someone finds which years that series of lens was produced and if the two years fit together.. Maybe you can also compare it to this and this resource

Yeah, it does. And by 84 I'm pretty certain they were only black 44-2s.

(And I do believe you're correct in that I don't think any of the silver ones were made in m42 mount. Zenit m39 and Start only, IIRC.)

As for lens fakery: one of the common ones to watch out for are lenses sold as "old-style" 44M-7, which are really just a 44M with the front ring replaced with one from a 44M-7.

**bobbotron** · 11-03-2015, 10:09 AM

Posted a few other places, thought I should post it here. This is from a new 16mm zenitar lens.

fiveseven · 11-10-2015, 12:44 AM

Another MC Zenitar ME-1

Volna 9

**paulh** · 11-10-2015, 05:13 AM

Zenitar 16 (xposted)

Jean Poitiers · 11-10-2015, 10:16 AM - **2 Likes**

Bingo ! A great thrift store find at lunch time and for only 5€. A Tair 11A (135/2.8) with 20 blades. I was so excited that I left work a few minutes early to shoot some tests at the nearby botanical garden. Here they are and shot at f/4 ...

g026r · 11-10-2015, 10:31 AM - **1 Like**

One day we are going to find your thrift store, Jean, and when we do...

Jean Poitiers · 11-10-2015, 10:41 AM

Originally posted by g026r

One day we are going to find your thrift store, Jean, and when we do...

... yeah, I'm a lucky b______ ... and it pays to go often and early.

rjm007 · 11-10-2015, 12:30 PM

Being brought up in the UK I saw any number of camera shops and their oversupply of old camera and lenses from the 70's and 80's. Oh how I wish I had spent some time buying stuff then. I grew up with Zenits, Zorki Four, Miranda ? Practika and other Dixon's specials using k-mount and M42. Here in the US where I live now - the chances of seeing FSR stuff is about zip... Boo-Hoo

**BigMackCam** · 11-10-2015, 04:52 PM - **1 Like**

Never posted in this club before, so here goes

No photos from my Russian lenses to show yet (I'll have to trawl back through my catalogue), but I just put this on my K5 ready for some playing around tomorrow. I can never get over how cute this setup looks

The K5 is my backup body, but also the one I use for experimenting with lens adapters and old lenses. I have a few M42 adapters, but my favourite is the Kipon which I've used here to mount the Industar 50-2. It's a 1980 lens bought as "New" and sure looks it (who knows? probably not

). Either way, it was cheap! Renders nicely - not the sharpest lens I own for sure, though pleasing from wide open and controls CA very well... OK at f/3.5, better at f/5.6, great at f/8. But hey, who cares about that? Just look - it's so pretty

**Billy Joe** · 11-10-2015, 05:01 PM

Originally posted by Jean Poitiers

Bingo ! A great thrift store find at lunch time and for only 5€. A Tair 11A (135/2.8) with 20 blades. I was so excited that I left work a few minutes early to shoot some tests at the nearby botanical garden. Here they are and shot at f/4 ...

One of my fave lenses... A tank though

Na Horuk · 11-10-2015, 06:41 PM

Originally posted by BigMackCam

Either way, it was cheap! Renders nicely - not the sharpest lens I own for sure, though pleasing from wide open and controls CA very well... OK at f/3.5, better at f/5.6, great at f/8.

Good description. My copy has no CA, not super sharp wide open, but by f8 the centre is pretty good. The lack of CA and the way it renders colours, with soft contrasts, is pretty great. Enjoy the lens

11-10-2015, 04:52 PM - 1 Like	#2878
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,670	Never posted in this club before, so here goes No photos from my Russian lenses to show yet (I'll have to trawl back through my catalogue), but I just put this on my K5 ready for some playing around tomorrow. I can never get over how cute this setup looks The K5 is my backup body, but also the one I use for experimenting with lens adapters and old lenses. I have a few M42 adapters, but my favourite is the Kipon which I've used here to mount the Industar 50-2. It's a 1980 lens bought as "New" and sure looks it (who knows? probably not ). Either way, it was cheap! Renders nicely - not the sharpest lens I own for sure, though pleasing from wide open and controls CA very well... OK at f/3.5, better at f/5.6, great at f/8. But hey, who cares about that? Just look - it's so pretty Attached Images

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11-01-2015, 03:33 AM	#2866
Jacchini Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Paris region, France Posts: 141	Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. Originally posted by rjm007 I don't know why but my credit card is calling out to me Helios 44 2 Russian SLR Lens Zenit M42 Excellent Silver White \| eBay That looks like a black 44-2 that's been stripped to look like an early model. I'm no specialist, but I don't think LZOS made silver ones? Also I don't see a serial number anywere... It's pretty, though, and I like the Helios branded caps, but I'd never spend my hard earned €€ on it.

11-01-2015, 05:56 AM	#2867
g026r Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,074	Originally posted by Jacchini Also I don't see a serial number anywere. One of the later pictures has the serial visible. It's in the 84xxxxxx range.

11-01-2015, 08:54 AM	#2868
rjm007 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Uxbridge UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 218	Originally posted by Jacchini That looks like a black 44-2 that's been stripped to look like an early model. I'm no specialist, but I don't think LZOS made silver ones? Also I don't see a serial number anywere... It's pretty, though, and I like the Helios branded caps, but I'd never spend my hard earned €€ on it. Boooo. I didn't realise fakery in old lenses was such a thing... ---------- Post added 11-01-15 at 09:57 AM ---------- Is there a resource anywhere that indicates which serials numbers should correspond with model number ? I'm suspicious I've got a "44-7" on it's way which is probably a fake front plate.

11-01-2015, 09:20 AM - 1 Like	#2869
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Originally posted by rjm007 Boooo. I didn't realise fakery in old lenses was such a thing... Oh, there is plenty of that, even Frankenstein lenses (made from working parts of a bunch of broken lenses), "mistakes" in naming (for example where a lens is listed as Pentax 50mm f1.2, even though the actual lens is f2; or an m39 lens listed as m42), and modified lenses (paint removes to make them look like other variants or rare special editions, prototypes). Originally posted by g026r It's in the 84xxxxxx range. I think that indicates the year in which it was made. Now if someone finds which years that series of lens was produced and if the two years fit together.. Maybe you can also compare it to this and this resource I also don't remember a silver 44-2 being produced in m42 mount. In the listing you can see that even though it is silver, it has some black paint residues on the very front ring; the jagged parts seem to be softened (due to abrasion of removing paint); and the same colour scheme in the numbers as the regular black 44-2, not like the early silver versions; and also the listed one seems super shiny, like recently buffed metal, not like a 40 year old lens, with coatings and inevitable dirt and scratches. Also, I think the earlier 44 versions go to f22, but the 44-2 only goes to f16 (the one in listing only goes to f16. not f22) But its hard to keep track because there are so many versions and I don't want to lay blame on an ebay listing wrongly Last edited by Na Horuk; 11-01-2015 at 09:30 AM.

11-01-2015, 12:14 PM	#2870
g026r Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,074	Originally posted by Na Horuk I think that indicates the year in which it was made. Now if someone finds which years that series of lens was produced and if the two years fit together.. Maybe you can also compare it to this and this resource Yeah, it does. And by 84 I'm pretty certain they were only black 44-2s. (And I do believe you're correct in that I don't think any of the silver ones were made in m42 mount. Zenit m39 and Start only, IIRC.) As for lens fakery: one of the common ones to watch out for are lenses sold as "old-style" 44M-7, which are really just a 44M with the front ring replaced with one from a 44M-7.

11-03-2015, 10:09 AM	#2871
bobbotron Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Ottawa, ON Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,349	Posted a few other places, thought I should post it here. This is from a new 16mm zenitar lens.

11-10-2015, 12:44 AM	#2872
fiveseven Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: NV/CA Posts: 370	Another MC Zenitar ME-1 Volna 9

11-10-2015, 05:13 AM	#2873
paulh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: DFW Texas/Ventura County, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 33,262	Zenitar 16 (xposted)

11-10-2015, 10:31 AM - 1 Like	#2875
g026r Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,074	One day we are going to find your thrift store, Jean, and when we do...

11-10-2015, 10:41 AM	#2876
Jean Poitiers Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Lost in translation ... Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 18,076	Originally posted by g026r One day we are going to find your thrift store, Jean, and when we do... ... yeah, I'm a lucky b______ ... and it pays to go often and early.

11-10-2015, 12:30 PM	#2877
rjm007 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Uxbridge UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 218	Being brought up in the UK I saw any number of camera shops and their oversupply of old camera and lenses from the 70's and 80's. Oh how I wish I had spent some time buying stuff then. I grew up with Zenits, Zorki Four, Miranda ? Practika and other Dixon's specials using k-mount and M42. Here in the US where I live now - the chances of seeing FSR stuff is about zip... Boo-Hoo

11-10-2015, 05:01 PM	#2879
Billy Joe Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 374	Originally posted by Jean Poitiers Bingo ! A great thrift store find at lunch time and for only 5€. A Tair 11A (135/2.8) with 20 blades. I was so excited that I left work a few minutes early to shoot some tests at the nearby botanical garden. Here they are and shot at f/4 ... One of my fave lenses... A tank though

11-10-2015, 06:41 PM	#2880
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Originally posted by BigMackCam Either way, it was cheap! Renders nicely - not the sharpest lens I own for sure, though pleasing from wide open and controls CA very well... OK at f/3.5, better at f/5.6, great at f/8. Good description. My copy has no CA, not super sharp wide open, but by f8 the centre is pretty good. The lack of CA and the way it renders colours, with soft contrasts, is pretty great. Enjoy the lens