Helios 44-2 58mm f2 - So much more than the swirly bokeh (2024)

Legendary Helios 44-2 58mm f2 - NEW review of the most produced lens on the planet with photo/video samples.
#helios #helios442 #vintagelens
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00:00 Introduction
00:40 About Helios
01:06 Performance
03:20 Video
04:13 Build
05:50 Price/Value for Money
06:22 Conclusion

[@SketchBenjamin]

beautiful 🔥 thanks for great info and great demo shots! Love the outtakes at the end as well

[@PavSZ]

Thanks so much!

[@1979lucius]

28 years ago my father gave me a Kalimar from 1980 with a Helios attached, was my first camera. Thanks for the video, you have taken such beautiful images with your lens.

[@PavSZ]

Nice! Thanks for watching!

[@Hulkee87]

Lot of photos from streets of Warsaw ❤️ love your work Pav !

[@PavSZ]

YES! Thank you 🙌

[@doogieham]

It’s nice to see your first video with pre-set labels added in a subtle but informative way, Pav. Now I get to watch your videos twice: The first time to focus on the images and the second time to connect them to the pre-set. Great job! And BTW, I love the Helios lens, especially with an m42 close-focusing helicoid added.

[@PavSZ]

Awesome, thank you!

[@fredabery3816]

I bought one for $50 in Saigon where I live, about 4 weeks ago- Haven't taken it off my Lumix S1 since. Mines the 44-M, so not so swirly, but still amazing. Love it! You have some great shots, there, Pav- keep up the great work- cheers from Vietnam.

[@PavSZ]

Nice one! I have that one too Thank you for watching

[@Ansonandco]

Pav is on my screen! I love it!!!

[@PavSZ]

I'm back!

[@smkunder1]

Really enjoyed this, I am going to try one of these

[@PavSZ]

Yes! Thanks for watching!

[@VinnieCamilleriMusic]

Nice bro, some lovely shots there, I got the 28, 35 and 58, one of my fav lenses.

[@PavSZ]

Thank you! there are Helios 28 and 35??? I didn't even know. Searching for them right now!

[@user-qb5km3zt3e]

between the 28 and 35mm, which lens do you find yourself going for more?

[@VinnieCamilleriMusic]

@@user-qb5km3zt3e To be honest I haven't used them in a while, they are more part of a collection on the shelf because I've been using a SLR Magic Microprime 21mm and 35mm recently.

[@sky_004]

Truly amazing lens. Just a correction - it is not exactly adaptable to all camera mounts. With Nikon F mount it cannot focus to infinity, and with full frame Canon DSLR cameras, some of them are in danger of striking their mirror on the Helios' protruding inner element, so just be careful with that.

[@PavSZ]

you are right. There is some adapters that fix that problem with both Nikon and Canon but I heard mixed reviews about them

[@clintjohnson5914]

I really enjoy how you deep-dive topics better than almost anyone,,and it goes without saying that you show more results based images as well. I have run across a few of these over the years,,,none of which were in good shape. If I ever do find THAT one,, I'll probably pick it up. I have a question about your posted images. Are these examples of your presets you have available?? If so,,, would be interesting to see the out of camera image and then compare. Thanks for all,,,

[@PavSZ]

Thank you very much! I have set out on my KZbin journey as I couldn't find lens reviews with enough variety samples shown in them. I go extra mile to shoot these every time. Thank you for noticing! I might in the future show before/after images. It just adds a lot of time to the production time which is already too long 🙁

[@Image1Nation]

I have very good copy of this lens. There is a video on KZbin where a young man has most of the different variants and goes through which ones from which time and factory are the best. Something I always wondered was if the adapter to E mount adds any extra reach in the lens’ focal length from 58mm cause it’s a rather long adapter. Thank you Pav, always a treat watching your videos.

[@PavSZ]

Interesting, I need to find this video. Thank you for watching!

[@juanenco]

I have the Helios 44-m6 and I love it for recording video

[@PavSZ]

Nice one! 44M-6 looks identical to my 44M-4

[@runnerone5358]

Great info and i have one

[@PavSZ]

thanks! Cool!

[@ognicole7274]

hi! what adapter have you been using in the stills you’re displaying throughout the video ? the shots are amazing 😍😍😍

[@PavSZ]

I use K&F Concept and Urth adapters (depends on which camera)

[@chgotbanned]

I have a Helios 44m but haven't been able to replicate the swirly bokeh on my gh5 because of the crop but haven't had a bunch of time to use it as I've wanted to yet. Hoping to use it more this season

[@PavSZ]

I have a 44M as well (reviewed on my channel previously) Yes, it will be harder to replicate the swirly bokeh on MFT but not impossible. Great little lens

[@NorCal-yeti]

I love the 8 blade version 58mm and weirdly I love the TTartisan 100mm f2.8

[@NorCal-yeti]

BTW thanks for doing this video

[@PavSZ]

yes! great lenses! thank you very much!

[@popartmediaPL]

nice! Just found out your from Poland - pozdrowienia! :-)

[@PavSZ]

Thanks!

[@robertbirnbach2312]

I love the 58mm but the 85mm helios 40 is my workhouse

[@PavSZ]

I'd love to try that one. I need to find it asap

[@javi.pereyra]

This is awesome! Would you prefer the Helios 44-2 F2 or the 7 Artisan 50mm F/0.95? Great video! Thank you Pav!

[@PavSZ]

Thank you! They are two completely different lenses, not really comparable side by side

[@SelimKrdy]

I have the f1.2 version of the same lens and its great. Mine has some major scratches on the glass though. I need a better maintained one definitely.

[@PavSZ]

there is a f1.2 version? are you sure?

[@SelimKrdy]

@@PavSZ sorry it's the 44M-5 58mm 1:2

[@johncyrildvngrc]

What camera did you use bro? Nice color

[@PavSZ]

samples in this video were shot with Lumix S5II, FujiFilm X-S20 and Sony a7IV. All edited with my own Lightroom presets

[@Vispoltv]

Dobre

[@MotionBlurPL]

Just moved to Poland 2 weeks ago, now I am on a hunt for a set of old Russian lenses 👌 I have the Helios 44-2, MIR 1B and Jupiter 9 on my list. Are you based in Poland? Maybe you could recommend some good second hand camera shops…

[@PavSZ]

there is a lot of them around. Good luck finding a gem. Sorry, no. I am based in UK. Alegro would be probably the best place to start looking

[@FDFchannel1]

nice. any advice how to use with lumix s5?

[@PavSZ]

magnifying and focus peaking. S5 (and S5II) are probably the easiest cameras to shoot with manual lens like this

[@FDFchannel1]

thx. what i meant was more about the adaptor u need to buy. just got the lens now i have to find a good adaptator@@PavSZ

[@PavSZ]

@@FDFchannel1 I use Urth one but also K&F Concept stuff is very good

[@chrisbergin7955]

Does anyone know which adapter I need for a Canon 5DS ?

[@PavSZ]

M42 lens to EF camera mount

[@onchky]

Owned a ton of them, from 44-1 to 44-7, and all of them share the same faults (albeit 44-7 to a lesser degree than the others): It's a lens of one (central) composition due to it's none existent performance wide open anywhere near off center; The details are very blurry wide open which makes it incredibly difficult to work with if you are into more than basic color correction; There is a high chance you will get a bad copy with some bad quality glass, which leads to flares not only being flares, but a complete smudge all over the frame with unpredictable shifts and variations of hues which are extremely ugly once you start working with color. Closed down it's decent, but naturally loses 90% of it's character while retaining possible weird flare behavior. So overall it's a lottery, and if you win, IMO you get very meh generic lens character which screams Helios. I personally find M42 Takumar far superior in all aspects, including even more crazy character, which at the same time is not screaming its name at the viewer.

[@PavSZ]

Thank you for sharing this! Interesting. I'm looking for a good copies of Takumar lenses

[@Hulkee87]

Lot of photos from streets of Warsaw ❤️ love your work Pav !

[@PavSZ]

Thank you 🙌