| Author: | | New Member Registered: August, 2018 Posts: 2 | | Review Date: March 13, 2020 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Inexpensive, lovely rendition of colour | | Cons: | On APS-c limited to portraits and moderate telephoto work | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 7
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-01
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Happy with this lens. Mostly used for portraits because 58mm on APS-c (eq to 90mm on full frame) also works well as medium telephoto. The lens is a pleasure to use, to get the swirly bokeh one needs to experiment with the distance between the subject and the background.
| | | | | | | Pentaxian Registered: September, 2013 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,070 | | Review Date: March 29, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $40.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, excellent bokeh, good low light abilities | | Cons: | Lower contrast and less resistance to flare as modern lenses | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: K-3
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For the $40 total I paid including the shipping from Russia, I have to say this is a 10/10 lens. I mean, I can easily spend more than this eating at a decent restaurant! My lens arrived in ok shape but was shipped in only an envelope with only a layer of bubble wrap around it. Definitely proof how tough these things are built to make it through that trip! It did have some oil on the aperture blades but this is a known issue of this lens and I knew it would when I bought it. I wish it had a little faster aperture but f2 really is good enough these days with how good camera tech is.
This lens is very sharp wide open in the center even on my high resolving K-3, and stopped down a little is sharp corner to corner. It seems at a wide open aperture it struggles to focus to infinity a bit, so stopping down is a must for landscapes. My Takumar 50mm f1.4 also struggled here, I think it more has to do with my off brand m42 to K mount adapter than anything else.
The Helios has very little purple fringing even shooting chrome objects in bright light. And the swirly bokeh you can get wide open is neat and my main reason for purchase, but the bokeh is also amazingly smooth the way it transitions at all apertures. You can tell this is really a Zeiss copycat lens when using it.
The only downsides are lower contrast which is no issue to me since I can increase it when editing on my computer, and that it is manual focus only. My copy is buttery smooth and nice to focus, but near its minimum focus distance there is a little extra friction when turning the barrel. I'm not entirely sure how the preset aperture rings on these lenses work, but one of my two aperture rings seems stuck. I think it is the aperture limiting one, which doesn't really matter because I can control the whole aperture range from f2-f16 with the other working one so functionality it isn't affected. Plus I think I prefer it this way. It turns very smoothly without any clicks, which would be good for video too. I use this lens in aperture priority mode and adjust metering to my liking with the exposure comp. Works great!
Here is a few samples I have taken:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/joshhphotography/albums/72157704302188792 | | | | | New Member Registered: March, 2019 Location: Ontario Posts: 15 | | Review Date: March 28, 2019 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp in the centre, natural colour rendition, artistic bokeh, little to no axial CA, sturdy and durable, easy to repair, good value, lightweight and compact | | Cons: | very flare-prone, contra-light performance, corner softness, corner CA, soft at close distances, eight blades, two-ring preset aperture | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Sony a6300
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This lens is well built. It's lightweight and compact, making it highly portable. It's also quite sturdy. Should you ever have any problems with the lens' mechanics, it is easy to open up.
Optically speaking, this lens performs okay. Sharpness is good in the centre at all apertures, though it is somewhat soft wide-open when doing close-up photography (spherical aberrations at play). When stopped down, this lens becomes very sharp in the centre. The corners are not sharp at any aperture, though that is not a problem, so long as you don't use this as a landscape lens. My copy of this lens is probably one of the better ones, as at medium distances to infinity, it is quite sharp in the centre, on par with my Helios 77m-4.
Colour rendering is warm and natural, as is the norm for single-coated Soviet optics. Some may say it's boring, I personally quite like it.
The bokeh is really interesting. It can deliver soft and creamy bokeh if you use it right (or in the case of this lens, wrong). However, creamy bokeh is boring. This lens can deliver the (in)famous swirly bokeh, even on APS-C, and some soap-bubble bokeh to go with it. This is a lens that makes producing bokeh a fun artistic adventure.
Sweet.
One thing that is not so sweet about this lens is its contra-light performance. Not only does it flare quite a bit, which is to be expected, it also loses a lot of contrast when shot contra-light wide open. It loses a lot more contrast than my other Soviet lenses, so it's not a coating issue, but a blackening issue. On my copy, stopping the lens down to about f2.5 clears up the abnormal flaring. I've used a sharpie to better blacken the lens elements, which mostly solved the problem.
You don't buy this lens for its sharpness, you buy it for its character. This is first and foremost a lens for subject photography, and it does its job extremely well.
Photos, unedited (Shot wide open or stopped down to f2.8 unless stated otherwise. Shot in AdobeRGB, so please view with a properly colour-managed browser)
There is sharpness if you need it
f4
f2.8
Even stopped down to f5.6, corner sharpness is pretty bad...
In this photo, that's not a problem at all.
Artistic bokeh:
Love that swirl!
Contra-light torture test after sharpie fix:
 | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2016 Posts: 15 | | Review Date: March 1, 2017 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | bokeh, sharp, very light | | Cons: | needs an adapter, flares on analog cameras | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
Camera Used: Pentax Super Me, Pentax K-50
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I do not own a lot of lenses, but when I compare the images I take with my Helios 44-2 with the ones I take with my SMC 55/1.8 or 50/1.7 or my kit lens (DA 18-55 WR) or even Sigma 17-70 2.8-4.0, the results are better and absolutely amazing. This lens provides an incredible image quality for both digital and analog. The swirly bokeh is easily achieved both in Full Frame and APC sensors when taking portraits at f/2 in parks, with trees serving as background. At f/8 this lens proves to be almost perfect.
What I like the most in this lens is the fact that the focus and aperture ring are a joy to use, vey smooth. I can also say that focusing with the Helios 44-2 feels MUCH easier than with the normal SMC Pentaxes I have had so far.
There are a few negativ points about this gem: I feel that 58mm is quite long on a crop sensor. Also, the lens flares like hell, even with lens hood attached. Better be really careful. On analog cameras the flaring is very strong, but this sometimes helps to give the picture a bit of character.
 | | | | | | | New Member Registered: August, 2013 Posts: 11 | | Review Date: April 14, 2014 | Recommended | Price: $30.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharpness, bokeh, colors, vintage lens, aperture ring | | Cons: | IQ wide open | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 9
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
Camera Used: Kr
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I may have told everything with the "pros"!
In fact this lens is a very good suprise, at f5.6 it is incredibly sharp, as good as my best primes, perfect for portait. The colors are great and the bokeh too.
The bad point is that when wide open, my pictures are really soft and blurred, especially when I focus infinity, Maybe it is my copy or the M42 ring...
In conclusion : if you can get one, don't hesitate !  | | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2013 Location: Rio de Janeiro Posts: 7 | | Review Date: August 27, 2013 | Not Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, excellent DOF, price. | | Cons: | Focus ring too loose (in my lens) | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 8
Value: 10
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Light lens, very sharp, provides a very interesting bokeh. My came from Latvia, widely used without protective covers and the diaphragm ring inverted (the widest aperture is f16 and the smallest aperture is f2). But I was surprised by the image quality. I'm loving the experience of using this tank war in my T3i. : Lol:
| | | | | New Member Registered: February, 2013 Posts: 8 | | Review Date: March 11, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $23.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Very smooth focus and aperture ring, stepless. IQ is very good. It is small and handy. Convenient focal length for crop sensors | | Cons: | Aperture is so smooth it is easy to change it by accident, 8 blades are nice, but not jawdropping for vintage lenses | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 9
Value: 10
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This lens has enough reputation to be hyped, but it really lives up to the reputation. I havent had a chance to produce swirly bokeh, but the normal bokeh is indeed very smooth. My aperture ring is put on opposite , reading F16 wide opena nd F2 closed. I don't know if this is typical, but it can happen. It doesnt matter in practice, it is easy to reverse in the head. The IQ is very good - see the dust on the buddha, haha. This is a 23 dollar lens, what's not to like!
Examples:
   | | | | | Veteran Member Registered: December, 2010 Location: Bucharest, Romania Posts: 1,465
9 users found this helpful
| | Review Date: November 15, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $15.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | IQ, built like a tank, sharpness, swirly bokeh | | Cons: | corner sharpness, stiff focus rings, QC | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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THIS LENS IS PHENOMENAL.
When used properly (hood is a must), this lens has incredible sharpness. Corner sharpness wide open stinks, though. Absolutely unbelievable performance for a $15 lens, given that some pay up to 100 times more for a portrait lens. "It's all that one may ever, ever need", as a forum colleague said. The focal length is noticeably different from a standard 50mm.
I will let some of my pictures tell the story of the lens. The one which is not wide open, is at f/11.
IMGP6511.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP5997.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP5330.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
_1A_0038.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP8921.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP8939.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP4847.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP4843.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP4819.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP4770.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
25A_0028-2.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP3948.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP3779.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP3771.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP3204.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP3085.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
IMGP6374.jpg by kcobain1992, on Flickr
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: February, 2012 Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick Posts: 632 | | Review Date: April 19, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $4.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp, Legendary Bokeh, Fast, Interesting Focal Length on APS-C, Cheap, Well Built | | Cons: | Not being produced anymore. | | Sharpness: 9
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 10
Value: 10
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Picked this up at a local thrift shop, has a minor scuff on the rear and front elements, but nothing that affects IQ as far as I can tell. Bokeh is AMAZING!(Looks like the background was an oil painting that was blasted with water before it dried) If you have to choose between this and a Pentax-M 50 1:2.0 - Pick this one, no coatings, but has better results.
| | | | | Junior Member Registered: July, 2011 Location: guernsey Posts: 40 | | Review Date: April 3, 2012 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Cheap!!!!, wonderful bokeh, superb sharpness, f2, minimal aberrations, colour rendition, | | Cons: | build, focus ring, m42 mount | | Sharpness: 10
Aberrations: 10
Bokeh: 10
Handling: 7
Value: 10
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Where do I start... the price! It's an absolute bargain, for $20 nothing comes close for value- it out-dose my $600 da* 55mm in terms of Bokeh and colour rendition! The Bokeh is smooth and quite busy- which personally I like. The sharpness is very good even wide open at f2. One may think that f2 isn't that wide but believe me that extra 8mm over a normal 50mm 1.8 makes a considerable difference. I have noticed absolutely no fringing or aberrations of any shape or form when shooting with this lens. It works well on both film and APS-C but with film tends to portray slightly cooler colour when inside under artificial light but this is of no major hindrance to the final image at all. Now for the bad. The build quality in terms of "what would happen if i where to drop it on to concrete out of a five story window" is rather good, bearing in mind it Russian so it's going to be made out of tank-grade iron! It's more the functionality of the build, like the fact that the focus ring gets stuck/slips if you move it too quickly. Also it has a aperture pin which isn't pushed down when used on a K-mount camera so you have to super glue it down! Also the Aperture Ring is quite flimsy. Finally being m42 mount isn't ideal, meaning you have to put the adapter on the camera, screw in the lens, then figure out that the aperture pin has come out so then you have to unscrew it...........!!!!!
But all the negatives are outweighed by the sheer stupid value of this thing! I have no hesitation in giving this 10/10!!
( N.B: I have the 44M-4 version)
Sample Photo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bertie54/7035879591/ | | | | | New Member Registered: December, 2010 Location: Skopje Posts: 18 | | Review Date: March 9, 2011 | Recommended | Price: None indicated
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | sharp wide open, cheap, great portrait on aps-c | | Cons: | awkward aperture preset, flare | |
I found the Helios 44-2 attached on my father’s Zenit 12. When I saw it for the first time it smelled like a rifle. I checked how can I attach it on my DSLR and this has opened a new M42 world for me and a serious lens buying addiction .
Like everybody I can also say that this little lens is very sharp even wide open. It flares like a cheap movie effect . I would suggest a cheap rubber ebay 49mm hood. The focus is hard at first, but this is the easiest lens to dismantle, clean and re-lube if you have little knowledge. The aperture preset is reversed but you can get used to this and it’s not a big deal. A little oil on the aperture blades is normal but as I mentioned earlier if it bothers you can clean it.It has interesting color reproduction at least when I compared it with the DAL18-55. The 58mm gives you a perfect lens for portraits on the pentax aps-c DSLRs.
It’s a perfect prime lens to begin with. It’s very cheap, easy to find and it gives a wonderful bokeh and image quality.
| | | | | New Member Registered: July, 2010 Location: Jakarta Posts: 13 | | Review Date: October 1, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $50.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Sharp wide open, sturdy build, cheap | | Cons: | Focusing a bit stiff, no auto aperture | |
My Helios is the MC 44K-4, with Pentax mount. The filter size is 52mm, not 49mm.
I got it from eBay, with a bit of fungus and very stiff focusing, so I had it cleaned and taken apart to remove the old grease and replace it with a fresh one.
The front lens has some micro scratches, but I don't think its affecting the photo quality. It is sharp wide open at f/2, and becomes very sharp at f/2.8 here is the sample:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14837298@N02/5042180696/
I cropped the image and here is the result:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14837298@N02/5042181268/#/
So I am very happy with this lens and I hope to produce great photos with it!
| | | | | New Member Registered: June, 2010 Location: PA Posts: 5 | | Review Date: June 27, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $28.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Bokeh! Sharp | | Cons: | My lens is a little funky | |
Awesome bokeh. I love the weirdness of it. Quite sharp, not the sharpest lens I own but it can definitely hold it's own.
See some sample images below.
 | | | | | | | | Review Date: May 17, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $5.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Fantastic lens | | Cons: | none yet | |
I own a Helios 44M4, wide open it is razor sharp . dear god what a fantastic lens. Concerning my version it is a non MC one so the flare can be a problem, but a hood solves it very well. Sometimes ironically i find it too sharp for portrait. I own a 50mm sonnar f2 , a Meyer Gorlitz 50 1.8 and a revuenon 55 1.7 and in my opinion it is the sharpest of all.
| | | | | Veteran Member Registered: September, 2007 Location: Santa Fe, NM Posts: 7,451 | | Review Date: April 6, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 10 |
| Pros: | Brilliant oddball bokeh, very good sharpness when stopped down a bit, that certain "x" factor that can't be replicated | | Cons: | none for the price | |
I've owned the 44M, 44K-4, and 44K-4 MC variants of this lens, and all are wonderful performers. All three of these are M-style lenses, meaning that they have a proper aperture ring rather than the pre-set double-ring setup.
The 44 series have the oddest bokeh I've ever seen from a lens, creating a strange sort of background vortex if you shoot wide open and close to the MFD. This effect is most visible when shooting with well-lit foliage in the background.
Sharpness is ok wide open and very good stopped down, though in stopping down you lose some of the oddball bokeh. As a portrait lens it's definitely special-use, but what it does it does extremely well.
This is a lens I'd never sell.
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