Helios44 6

Introduction
I have a number of samples of the Helios 44M; from 44M to 44M-6 – and two of them has been reviewed
(so far only in danish). It is, in other words, the third time I review the same lens – or almost the same lens.
Because it is not the same lens; major changes have been made during the development of the lens.
Fokusring = Focus ring

Blædering = Aperture ring
Helios 44M-6 is a very nice lens with M42 screw. That means you need an adaptor ring before you can
mount the lens on your DSRL. It is possible to get adaptor rings with focus assistance. That´s a contrast
sensor letting the camera give the characteristic beep sound when focus is found. That is a great help, if
you haven’t got superman skills in the art of focus. And it is a very useful help since your cameras viewer
darkens when you step down the aperture.
As the name implies, the 44M-6 is developed on the base of Helios 44. The row of 44-lenses stops at 44M-
7; but there are variations within several of the numbers and several producers have been working with the
lens during the period of manufacturing. In spite the name, the lens is 58mm and the aperture is f/2 at the
most.
It is a very handy lens – and most other primes around the 50mm mark. The filter diameter is 52mm and it
will stick out between 4 or 5 cm from you camera. The weight is about 300 gr. and it is very well balanced.
The feel of the lens is good. It matches my hand very well. In fact: The 44M& is a little smaller than 44M-4;
the front element is not laying as deep in the lens anymore. It is very convenient to save some place, but on
the other hand: It does raise the need for a lens hood significantly.
The front element does not turn when you turn the focussing ring.
The focus ring has about 240 degrees turn. The first 180 degrees takes care of the focussing between 50 cm
and 1.7 meters. That provides you with a very good movement to each focuss distance. The focus ring has
fine cuttings giving you a good grip.
The aperture ring has an okay thickness. It moves easily between the stops.
The lens has six blades.
Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Page 1 ©John Nyberg
Data
Helios 44 was constructed and build as a copy of the Carl Zeiss Biotar 58mm f/2.
Focal min (mm) Focal max (mm) Focus min(cm)

58 58 50
Aperture max Aperture min Blades
2 16 6
Elements Body mount Weight (g)
6 in 4 groups M42 300
Angular field
40°
The lens is constructed like this:
Det er værd at nævne, at jeg er stødt på en lang række web-steder, hvor 44’ere generelt får rigtig flotte ord
med på vejen. Det er især deres skarphed, der roses. Men samtidig skal det nævnes, at mange mener, at
skarpheden stiger stødt fra 44 til 44M-7.
Price
You can find many Helios 44’s on eBay and garage sales. The productions numbers must have been very
very high. A lot of the lenses will set you back about £20; but speaking of 44M-5, 44M-6 and 44M-7 the
price tag will run higher. The price for a Helios 44M-6 is often about £40 and the 44M-7 will cost even more
(if you can find it at all).
Pictures
All pictures have been taken using Olympus E-520.

Aperture f/5.6 og the
distance to the
antenna is about 100
meters.
Again f/5.6.

F/5.6 and the distance
to the chimney is
about 200 meters.
Below: The same

picture but a 1000 x
750 pixels crop.
Nothing else is done
to the picture. In my
view a very nice result
from a 58mm lens.
Good sharpness and
fine colorrendering.

Both the fungus
and the small
bridgehead with
the seagulls
have been shot
using f/4.
Both pictures
show a good
level of details
and a nicely
controlled light.

The Spanish margurittes above have been shot sing f/4. Here I find very good sharpness, very nice colors
and a smooth bokeh. Only remark could be that the color rendering might be a little generous.

Sharpness
It is worth mentioning that I have found notes on the net claiming that the 44’s in general gets more sharp
as long as the development goes on. This implies that the 44M-6 should be more sharp than e.g. the 44M-
2.
My setup for the test can be seen above. Distance is about 2 meters. The red square illustrates how much
of the total picture is used: That is a crop of 1000 x 200 pixels. My cropping will secure that both sharpness
and bokeh can be seen. The pictures are shot in A (aperture priority) not using flash but continuous light.
The 1000 x 200 pixels crops have not been edited besides the cropping.
The conclusion, in my point of view, is that the lens is razor sharp from f/2.8 to f/11. And I really think it is
razor razor sharp.
I have seen other review on the net stating that the lens is razor sharp even wide open at f/2. Maybe soo,
but not my sample of the lens. At f/2 my sample is sharp; not razor sharp.
Note that focus is in the right hand (see the arrow) and and judge for yourself:

I think that the lens
produces very pleasing
images.
Nice colors, smooth

bokeh and an
excellent sharpness.

And the above confirms the positive notes from this lens. At left my balcony (with the flowers) and at right
a bench in a local park. Nicely controlled colours and fine separation of the different levels af green.
No barrow effect.

Conclusion
I think that Helios 44M.-6 is yet another of the many M42 lenses that are really worth getting your hands
on. The lens prodices razor sharp images from f/2.8 and delivers a very nice bokeh –smooth and gentle. The
colours might be a little generous or the warm side, but they are very nice.
I can’t confirm the rumors about the lens getting better and better with each numeric step; but I can
confirm that the 44M-6 is better than 44M-4, 44M-3, 44M-2 and 44M – I have them all.
In short: The sharpness is excellent, the bokeh is very smooth, the colours are nicely reproduced, but a little
on the warm side and the lens is very nice to operate. Considering the price tag, this lens is a real bargain.
Next to a real steal.
On a scale from 0 to 5, 0 being the worst and 5 begin the best, this lens makes a solid: 4.25


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Introduction

Fokusring = Focus ring

The lens has six blades.

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Focal min (mm) Focal max (mm) Focus min(cm)

The lens is constructed like this:

All pictures have been taken using Olympus E-520.

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Below: The same

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Nice colors, smooth

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

Helios 44M-6 (58mm f/2) www.hdrfoto.dk

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