Soviet lenses club

Laurentiu Cristofor · 06-28-2012, 03:37 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Jean Poitiers

Maybe a stupid question here, but can one post photo samples of lenses from East Germany - and/or other "Soviet block" countries, i.e., Pentacon, etc.?

Here you go:

Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58/2 (the model for Helios-44):

1.

2.

3.

The Helios-44 performs very similarly. Very good sharpness and CA performance.

Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50/1.8 (the model for Pentacon 50/1.8):

4.

5.

6.

7.

The Oreston is one of the finer Meyer-Optik lenses I tried. The Domiplan 50/2.8 and a Pentacon electric 135/2.8 were both disappointing. They were vulnerable to CA at wide apertures and not particularly sharp either - the Oreston feels a bit sharper although it too can have some CA - but at least it offers a nice close focusing distance of 33cm (vs the regular 45cm). The special attribute of Meyer lenses is their bokeh, which feels quite different from other lenses - see above bokeh painting example #6.

vladimiroltean · 06-28-2012, 04:41 PM

Very nice colours in those shots. Does the Biotar also have the circular bokeh?

Serenase · 06-29-2012, 03:49 AM

A first one here. Had to join ´cos you made me buy Helios 44K-4 and wanting more...

Damn you all.

f2 with 7mm extension tube.

Serenase · 06-29-2012, 09:27 AM

One question... should that green button work with all manual lenses? Mine is working only with helios (without extension tubes). Never worked with Lensbaby etc.

Oh, K-r is body.

Laurentiu Cristofor · 06-29-2012, 11:55 AM

Originally posted by kcobain1992

Very nice colours in those shots. Does the Biotar also have the circular bokeh?

Thanks. So far, I have not seen that circular bokeh in either my Helios 44 or in the Biotar. I don't know how other people get it so easily that they say it's a lens characteristic.

weakhead · 07-02-2012, 07:51 AM - **1 Like**

MC Helios 44K-4, at F5.6, with Raynox DCR-150

vladimiroltean · 07-02-2012, 02:56 PM

Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor

Thanks. So far, I have not seen that circular bokeh in either my Helios 44 or in the Biotar. I don't know how other people get it so easily that they say it's a lens characteristic.

I'd say it truly is, however after owning 3 copies, I'm sure some do it more than others. I even isolated the element responsible for the circular bokeh to be the 2nd group from the front. Anyway, it shows in my 44M shots even when there's nothing to get swirly in the background. You can see it a little in the following cat picture.

tromboads · 07-02-2012, 09:53 PM

Quote:

One question... should that green button work with all manual lenses? Mine is working only with helios (without extension tubes). Never worked with Lensbaby etc.

It should work without any lens on your camera. Sure you left it in Manual mode when you changed lens?

fiveseven · 07-04-2012, 06:46 PM

Nice pic weakhead

vladimiroltean · 07-04-2012, 07:19 PM - **1 Like**

These are some of my better Helios 44 shots, that I don't think I have linked before here. First 3 are optically hybrid 44M and last is 44-2. All wide open, I'm almost sure. One can see, in the last picture, that the lens can have perfectly "normal" OOF, too. I wouldn't call that 44-2 a non-swirler, though. It's simply unpredictable, and it's part of the fun.

weakhead · 07-13-2012, 12:07 PM

kcobain1992 - nice! First and third are truly bokehlicious.

MC Helios 44K-4, wide open.
Against the light, so contrast is off on the left side.

vladimiroltean · 07-13-2012, 06:01 PM

Thanks, weakhead. Since the photos were kind of old, I decided to upload some more taken with the Helios. This lens is unbelievably good, I'm starting to really love it. It's as good as can be for a portrait lens. The shots of me are taken by my girlfriend, and vice versa.

vladimiroltean · 07-14-2012, 01:47 PM - **1 Like**

Some more, just couldn't resist

Helios 44M / 44-2:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Jupiter 37A:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcobain1992/7569038182/][img]

tromboads · 07-14-2012, 05:30 PM

Holy Crap!!!

Your girlfriend has a Zenit EM!

Tell her she's adorable, :P

As for the Helios. Yep, it's the only lens one may ever ever ever ever need.

vladimiroltean · 07-16-2012, 08:50 AM

Originally posted by tromboads

Your girlfriend has a Zenit EM!

Tell her she's adorable, :P

As for the Helios. Yep, it's the only lens one may ever ever ever ever need.

Thank you. One can't see really well in the picture, but it's actually an E, with the selenium meter

07-04-2012, 06:46 PM	#1614
fiveseven Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: NV/CA Posts: 370	Nice pic weakhead Last edited by fiveseven; 07-09-2012 at 08:57 AM.

07-14-2012, 01:47 PM - 1 Like	#1618
vladimiroltean Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,465	Some more, just couldn't resist Helios 44M / 44-2: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Jupiter 37A: [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcobain1992/7569038182/][img] Last edited by vladimiroltean; 07-15-2012 at 06:49 AM.

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06-28-2012, 03:37 PM - 1 Like	#1606
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Originally posted by Jean Poitiers Maybe a stupid question here, but can one post photo samples of lenses from East Germany - and/or other "Soviet block" countries, i.e., Pentacon, etc.? Here you go: Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58/2 (the model for Helios-44): 1. 2. 3. The Helios-44 performs very similarly. Very good sharpness and CA performance. Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50/1.8 (the model for Pentacon 50/1.8): 4. 5. 6. 7. The Oreston is one of the finer Meyer-Optik lenses I tried. The Domiplan 50/2.8 and a Pentacon electric 135/2.8 were both disappointing. They were vulnerable to CA at wide apertures and not particularly sharp either - the Oreston feels a bit sharper although it too can have some CA - but at least it offers a nice close focusing distance of 33cm (vs the regular 45cm). The special attribute of Meyer lenses is their bokeh, which feels quite different from other lenses - see above bokeh painting example #6.

06-28-2012, 04:41 PM	#1607
vladimiroltean Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,465	Very nice colours in those shots. Does the Biotar also have the circular bokeh?

06-29-2012, 03:49 AM	#1608
Serenase New Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Middle of Nowhere Posts: 11	A first one here. Had to join ´cos you made me buy Helios 44K-4 and wanting more... Damn you all. f2 with 7mm extension tube.

06-29-2012, 09:27 AM	#1609
Serenase New Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Middle of Nowhere Posts: 11	One question... should that green button work with all manual lenses? Mine is working only with helios (without extension tubes). Never worked with Lensbaby etc. Oh, K-r is body.

06-29-2012, 11:55 AM	#1610
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Originally posted by kcobain1992 Very nice colours in those shots. Does the Biotar also have the circular bokeh? Thanks. So far, I have not seen that circular bokeh in either my Helios 44 or in the Biotar. I don't know how other people get it so easily that they say it's a lens characteristic.

07-02-2012, 07:51 AM - 1 Like	#1611
weakhead Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 73	MC Helios 44K-4, at F5.6, with Raynox DCR-150

07-02-2012, 02:56 PM	#1612
vladimiroltean Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,465	Originally posted by Laurentiu Cristofor Thanks. So far, I have not seen that circular bokeh in either my Helios 44 or in the Biotar. I don't know how other people get it so easily that they say it's a lens characteristic. I'd say it truly is, however after owning 3 copies, I'm sure some do it more than others. I even isolated the element responsible for the circular bokeh to be the 2nd group from the front. Anyway, it shows in my 44M shots even when there's nothing to get swirly in the background. You can see it a little in the following cat picture.

07-02-2012, 09:53 PM	#1613
tromboads Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Melbs Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,240	Quote: One question... should that green button work with all manual lenses? Mine is working only with helios (without extension tubes). Never worked with Lensbaby etc. It should work without any lens on your camera. Sure you left it in Manual mode when you changed lens?

07-04-2012, 07:19 PM - 1 Like	#1615
vladimiroltean Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,465	These are some of my better Helios 44 shots, that I don't think I have linked before here. First 3 are optically hybrid 44M and last is 44-2. All wide open, I'm almost sure. One can see, in the last picture, that the lens can have perfectly "normal" OOF, too. I wouldn't call that 44-2 a non-swirler, though. It's simply unpredictable, and it's part of the fun.

07-13-2012, 12:07 PM	#1616
weakhead Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Photos: Albums Posts: 73	kcobain1992 - nice! First and third are truly bokehlicious. MC Helios 44K-4, wide open. Against the light, so contrast is off on the left side.

07-13-2012, 06:01 PM	#1617
vladimiroltean Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,465	Thanks, weakhead. Since the photos were kind of old, I decided to upload some more taken with the Helios. This lens is unbelievably good, I'm starting to really love it. It's as good as can be for a portrait lens. The shots of me are taken by my girlfriend, and vice versa.

07-14-2012, 05:30 PM	#1619
tromboads Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Melbs Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,240	Holy Crap!!! Your girlfriend has a Zenit EM! Tell her she's adorable, :P As for the Helios. Yep, it's the only lens one may ever ever ever ever need.

07-16-2012, 08:50 AM	#1620
vladimiroltean Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,465	Originally posted by tromboads Your girlfriend has a Zenit EM! Tell her she's adorable, :P As for the Helios. Yep, it's the only lens one may ever ever ever ever need. Thank you. One can't see really well in the picture, but it's actually an E, with the selenium meter