MC HELIOS 44M-4 REFURBISHING

[@jamesadams8572]

Can you let us know where to get the lense ring rubber tool and the lense spanner tool? Great video. Just wished u covered a slipping/backlash focus ring problem that mine has after it was damaged during shipping... Thanks for the great work..

[@CaiporaRecords]

Thanks for the vídeo, it was super informative and objective way tô explaine that. :)

[@memuller]

Thanks for sharing this video!!! Super clear info!!! I managed to repair my Helios 44m-4. :)

[@cdavey061]

hi can you assist me [e-mail]

[@ОлегФедянин-т9к]

Thank you very much! It's a professional job!

[@cdavey061]

hi can you assist me [e-mail]

[@rodsmith2031]

A very informative video. Thank you very much.

[@wreford07]

Any advice on disassembling the helicoids? That would be helpful as mine (and lots of others) is gummed up as the grease dries out.

[@jasonlee6938]

Thank you I looked for so long and your video had what I needed thank you

[@cdavey061]

hi can you assist me [e-mail]

[@Albanez39]

Big question: Can I swap the entire optical block (14:26) from one Helios 44M-4 lens into the housing (helicoid) of another Helios 44M-4 lens? I have two 44M-4. One of them has a smooth helicoid, but its aperture mechanism and blades are rusted. The other one has a great optical block, but the helicoid is stuck really bad. I'll put both lenses into infinity and mark the positions on both lenses before swapping the optical block. Will I have problems with focusing distance and so on? Hope you respond :) PS: The lenses are different versions of the 44M-4. One has Zenit and filter thread size written on the front (name) ring, the other does not. But they are identical inside...

[@Albanez39]

@@ALXBMGINC I did it! I marked positions, I disassembled both lenses...I suffered a little with those small screws holding the optical block in place, but i succeeded (used WD) in the end. After cleaning and swapping the optical blocks, I realized I wasted time marking their positions. Since the beginning, the optical blocks seemed a bit off, in slightly different positions from each other. At this point the aperture mechanism wasn't working, because the aperture pin was too far (I even bent the slim "hand" of the aperture mechanism. I bent it back in place and continued) In the end, the optical block didn't matter at all. What decided the correct position were the SCREW HOLES of the aperture mechanism. I made a small scratch to mark the maximum distance the slim "hand" could reach, and then I rotated the entire optical block a little, so the scratch I made and the aperture pin aligned together. And voila! Focusing, aperture and everything else worked correctly. I'm a bit worried about those 3 screw holding the optical block; I removed and screwed them back multiple times, and now there's no loctite holding them in place. Anyway, I tried the lens around the house and it was no different from other Helios lenses. I'm not sure if it can focus to infinity, but with my cheap adapter, I doubt any lens can :P Thanks for your fast response. Hope mine is helpful :)

[@Albanez39]

@@ALXBMGINC I'll have to buy the thread lock online because I have never found it in my country (I needed it in the past for my bicycle). I'm a film student, and I really love the swirly bokeh of these lenses. I'm switching to a GH5 soon, and I'm worried the unique effects of this lens won't be much visible on its small sensor... I'll mainly shoot video with these lenses, but I've also taken an interest in photography lately, all because of vintage lenses and their unique "personalities". Anamorfake mods are pretty nice, unfortunately they don't squeeze the image to achieve a wide angle aspect ratio. Maybe I can find one of those Isco projection lenses that can be converted to real anamorphic converters, but they are pretty rare and expensive. I have one small issue though. I removed the small aperture sphere to make it clickless for video. But the aperture ring is too loose now and except for the play it has, I touch it continuously when going for the focus ring. Every time before taking the shot, I have to check the aperture and correct it. It's basically useless for video because I'll change it by accident while racking focus :/

[@Phil23aiston]

Hey, thank you for this, super informative! I recently got a copy of the lens, but I think one of the lenses may have traces of fungus at the edges. Is t any additional cleaning solution I should use to deal with this, or will lighter fluid work?

[@wilhelmbranke1371]

Thank you for the detailed video. Please, which cloth, name and source of purchase (amazon, ebay, etc.) do you use with lighter fluid to clean the glasses? Nice music selection!

[@monlegaspi]

Thank you Sir! just bought the same exact lens and will soon do the same method

[@cdavey061]

hi can you assist me [e-mail]

[@CaiporaRecords]

Hey, can you make a vídeo fixing a Focus ring of the Helios 44-4?

[@Roby0593]

But just to clean lenses on that model is not mandatory remove also part of the body right ?

[@theb00st3r9]

At 18:00 You have upper glass and the bigger one on the bottom, but I have the same model and when I opened it, it has only the bigger one on the bottom. Is that the problem why my lens won't focus even in 10cm from the front ?

[@ALXBMGINC]

Absolutely its a problem.

[@jakasampuna30]

Thank you for your tutorial

[@Иван-ъ2ы4б]

Do you have a detailed disassembly video for the 44-2?

[@Ni5ei]

There is a second lens in the lower part of the lens but you didn't take that out. It's exactly the lens I need to clean. So how do you take that out?

[@Иван-ъ2ы4б]

32:40 He Same isopropanol (изопропанол) 😀 but what kind of liquid is in the yellow bottle? Hello from Russia !

[@QuicknStraight]

I have a 44M-7. Is the disassembly pretty much the same?

[@suchitgangurde3514]

Hi, very informative video. I have found a very good looking copy on a used Zenit xp-12, but the aperture blades don't move at all whether I rotate the aperture ring or the push the pin at the back. It is wide open at all times. My question is if I should get it and try to open and repair it by myself. It is going to cost me less than 10$ if I did. What would you say?

[@cdavey061]

hi can you assist me [e-mail]

[@suchitgangurde3514]

Hi @David Clapham , I haven't done anything on it yet, if you're asking about the camera viewfinder cleaning. But I plan to someday based on the time I can get. Also I had a roll in it for testing which I have now given to a lab for processing. Its going to take lot of patient work to open it up carefully so as not to disturb anything and even more patience to put it back right it seems. There is a teardown video for opening the top on KZbin the link to which is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mpfbipKAgcl8lZY I was planning on referring this one. As for the cleaning I'm not sure yet on how to. But I'm sure any resources for any other camera model will work.

[@nickbjones]

is there enough thread to reverse the front element on the 44M-4?

[@TheSuphan]

Thank You

[@RachsutheewaiP]

Thanks.

[@alethom_]

My lens have no holes on the front presentation cover, how to I take it off??

[@ALXBMGINC]

In this case you have to do it with the rubber tools

[@by-romancing]

WD40 is not a penetrating oil and is probably not ideal for this

[@lennetornqvist]

This was NOT attended to be a music video. The music only disturb your own speech and is utterly annoying on a "how to" video! Furthermore you do not need to show every little move on the video it makes it long and boooooring.