Helios 44-2 How to reverse the front element, with amazing bokeh results

[@michaelherskovitz4203]

Fascinating ! Thanks for showing how to remove the front element and to be patient with removing the nameplate.

[@GrumpyTim]

Fantastic - I'd never heard about reversing the front element until you mentioned it when talking about the Auto Takumar 35 f2.3 - guess I'll be trying it on a lens one of these days. Cheers for the video.

[@rickdeckard4434]

Great! i found it to be a 5minute job on my Helios44M-4 wonderfull results with the added bonus the helios now focusses to infinity on my Nikon!

[@Simonsutak]

Great news! Happy to hear it worked so well.

[@achaym]

Hello, Rick! I have a 44M-4 too and it has an additional ring to fix the front element. Is the same with yours lens?

[@rickdeckard4434]

@@achaym Just had a look at my lens , i can't remember if there are any additional rings to fix the front element, as far as i can see and remember there's only the front ring with the two tiny holes to put in the ring removal tool.

[@nickbjones]

Are you using an f mount adapter or do you have one modified by Roman at RFH?

[@rickdeckard4434]

@@nickbjones a simple M42 to F adapter die the job

[@toddmphillips]

Very kind and helpful of you to reveal this process so concisely. Nicely made video once again. Too bad I couldn't have seen this before I accidentally ran one of my two 44-2's through the washing machine last year (it tried to escape from atop my dresser via laundry basket). I then gave it away to someone willing to deal with it since I was thinking it too difficult to open up and clean out. You've made me realize I could have done it then later would have had opportunity to enjoy a reversed lens. Don't want to do this to my remaining copy at this point but again, appreciate knowing it can be done without too much hassle/risk.

[@Simonsutak]

Many thanks Todd....now you've owned up to machine washing your Helios 44-2...I know who you are... "t" !! So glad you liked the video, they take a while to produce, but they are also fun to do. I'm very grateful you watched it and commented on it. Shame you gave away your lens...it's so easy to hack into and repair...the simplest hack of all lenses I've tried.

[@kmcsmart]

Ok, ok, you win. I'll buy a Helios 44 :) Love your channel. Thanks for all the info.

[@Simonsutak]

Great. Enjoy the lens!

[@Ni5ei]

When reversing the front lens the lens touches the lens beneath it, even with the spacer between them. I've used an o ring underneath the spacer so the lenses don't touch. That way it also sits more secure when tightening the name ring.

[@jpcalamaro961]

An interesting video with great examples to support the mod.

[@bobceffo]

one year after, still in love, and I'm learning to use it everyday better. I found out that stepping it down will get you even more beautiful pictures, less freaky and more dreamy. I use it a lot. I also film with it, and there comes a catch: sometimes I wish I had something similar, but more in the 24-35 range, so that I can film with "just" with a firm hand. do aou have any experience with wider lenses that can come close to the helios?

[@trinityharbour7054]

Awesome! Can't wait to try this!

[@arthurmermelshtein1767]

Cool. I have a Mir for a long time, I did the same on it when I bought it, use it since like that. Love the effects wich I find different from what I see here. Maybe I'll do the same on one of my Helios 42 lenses. Btw I enjoy your channel and the radioactive series was very well done.

[@bobceffo]

you are right! I'm having a lot of fun with it. thank you!

[@raygeary1698]

Subbed. I'll try it on my 44 got a few nice affects

[@carlawood975]

I'm very interested in this, but it will be an entirely new skill for me. Is there a special size or type of lens spanner wrench I should buy? Thank you for your response.

[@iainmurray1747]

Very interesting. Will this lens reversal technique also work with the 44m?

[@nickykodak7536]

Reversed glass hits the element behind with some designs, so tightening up the front ring pressures - and can grind - the glass together?

[@Lethalogica]

Would this work with the helios 44m or is there something unique about the securing of the front element in the 44-2 that is unique to that lens.

[@Simonsutak]

I don't know, sorry - I've never tried it with the 44M. But the 44-2 is not unique in having a front element that can easily be reversed. Perhaps more importantly, once you've reversed the glass - will it take acceptable photos, or will they be unusable? Maybe someone else reading this will know...

[@Lethalogica]

@@Simonsutak Thanks all the same, love your videos btw

[@pawel6034]

​@@Simonsutak I couldn''t wait - I paused this video a few minutes ago to "hack" my 44m. Then I watched the remaining 2 minutes, I took a few pictures (with my Nikon D750) and then I started reading the comments. :) Your method works - thank you!! But my initial results are far less spectacular than yours. The difference with 44m is that you first remove the flat nameplate (easy, it has 2 holes for the lens wrench) and then you unscrew the solid tube beneath it (with the other side of the wrench) to get to the front glass element.

[@grajoazul]

Qué lente de la serie Helios es recomendado para la modificación del cristal?

[@StevenBrener]

So interesting...love the effect.

[@fandyus4125]

What happens when you stop down and focus on infinity? What happens when you reverse the back element or both of the elements? You should do more videos on this :)

[@Simonsutak]

Stopping down and focusing to infinity results in a washed-out, distorted image without the wide-open bat-like artefacts (if I remember correctly). Reversing the real element is not so interesting as reversing the front element - the effects are less coherent. I haven't tried reversing both. But maybe I'll do that video showing all the results as you suggested.

[@fandyus4125]

@@Simonsutak Thanks a lot! Love your videos.

[@Vadinaka]

Hi Sir, May I ask the brand or a link to your wrench? Would like to try, but will appreciate your help. Thanks

[@Simonsutak]

Hi! I bought the cheapest spanner wrench I could find on-line and it works just find, but it's hard to keep the spanners 'locked' into their correct width/position....as reviewers comment on the wrench I got. This type of spanner seems better, but its important to read the reviews beforehand! "Neewer Professional Curved Tips DSLR Camera Lens Spanner Wrench Repairing Opening Tool Stainless Steel for Most DSLR Cameras"

[@messylaura]

@@Simonsutak yeah those cheap ones are a bit crap but do the job, i retapped the holes in the arms and used different screws that fitted better. toothpicks work well once its loose so you reduce the scratching risk

[@kennuff2]

Simon thank you for this and all your videos. I have an early Helios 44 2 with the 39mm screw mount. I reversed the front lens as you did and found that even with the spacer in the two lenses touch each other. I was worried about this so put the lens back the normal way. Have you ever come across this problem please

[@Simonsutak]

Yes on one of my Helios 44-2 lenses the two lenses do touch each other, but not enough to damage or scratch the glass if I'm careful.

[@kennuff2]

@@Simonsutak Thank you for your quick reply, I may have another try then. Regards Ken

[@MarcelReimer]

No luck here. I've tried reversing the front element, but I couldn't get the nameplate to screw back on. Both lenses are touching one another. All I got were damaged lenses (and yes, I've mounted the extra ring the right way round).

[@O4KAST]

You probably have a variant of the lens which doesn't have enough thread to screw in with the front element reversed

[@messylaura]

i tried it with a jupiter 11, that one had the lenses too close.

[@kenmonahan9924]

Is it a type “8” with the serial number in green on the side not on the ring? If so you cannot do it with that one not enough thread. Would like to know which version you have?

[@messylaura]

i flipped the front element of my 35mm c.z,j ddr flektogon , very nice results

[@shoegazing_pineapple_6956]

thats a waste of a 200 dollar lens tho, dont waste the flek just get a mir or helios

[@messylaura]

@@shoegazing_pineapple_6956 £20 on ebay, also its not damaged it at all, can flip it back easily

[@shoegazing_pineapple_6956]

@@messylaura thats quite a score then, keep it around :)

[@messylaura]

@@shoegazing_pineapple_6956 i bought it with the intention of flipping the lens, at ƒ3.5 its not a fast prime so it falls into the artistic / characterful side of my vintage lens collection, i have the takumar 55mm 1.8 and that is a beautifully sharp prime. the other i have is a 135/4 jupiter 11, very nice image and a beautiful display lens. i'd like to get an 85mm takumar and an 85mm jupiter as well

[@shoegazing_pineapple_6956]

@@messylaura 3.5?i thought it was the 2.4

[@matthewdejager9887]

I really really really like tour channel

[@LeendertCordemans]

Not all the Helios 44's types lenses can do this reversing, because the thread mount on the front lens is to short to reverse.

[@nickbjones]

Can it be done with the 44m-4?

[@jnobles96]

Do use a microfiber cloth when attempting an element flip, myself and every other AC had a minor heart attack when you said you were flipping it out onto a t-shirt. The shirt probably isn't going to introduce any noticeable damage on the first flip but its course fibers will damage the element over time. Otherwise the images are gorgeous and I want this lens for impressionist photography.

[@einzeller85]

when i try this on my Helios 44-2, the front element touches the element beneath it so i will rather not screw it in like that knowing i might scratch the lens.

[@Simonsutak]

Yes, this can happen, but if you're careful it shouldn't scratch the glass (but no guarantees). The way I look at it - I have two Helios 44-2, and I reverse the glass on the copy that cost me US$15 equivalent, so it's not like I'm using an extremely valuable lens.

[@manuelsirotti4940]

Hey man, please help, I need to now if I can do the same process on the helios 44m ?

[@Simonsutak]

I'm afraid I've never tried this, but it shouldn't be too hard to unscrew the front and see.

[@ianharper6015]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@EagerSnake]

Hello there. I have an helios 44m-5 58mm f2, can I actually do it on it? I was reading and in theory, you need to have some space to flipply it.

[@Simonsutak]

I'm not sure. I've never tried it, but space may be an issue - so the glass elements don't hit each other. You could try reversing the rear element, but when I tried that on the 44-2, the results weren't so interesting.

[@skyartsproduction29600]

how you call this tools that you used to open the front screw please ?

[@Simonsutak]

It's called a lens spanner wrench, or sometimes a "Spanner Wrench Lens Repair Tool"

[@skyartsproduction29600]

@@Simonsutak merci beaucoup :)

[@moises_zy]

Amazing!

[@runnerone5358]

Nice info

[@vittalams5138]

Thank you for the video. Is the swirly effect same on APS-C as well? I heard the effect is more prominent on Full frame..

[@Simonsutak]

Yes, it more prominent on FF, but on prop, the effect is still there. As long as you have the right conditions to swirl. The way to see the impact of a crop is to take my swirly photos (or other people's), and image there's a 1.5 (or whatever) crop of the image. My first image in this video for example, you can see there are swirls within the boundaries of what would be a 1.5 crop. Hope this helps.

[@vittalams5138]

@@Simonsutak Thank you very much for the explanation. I'll try this.

[@pihaklain371]

Is it work on all series of helios 44-2?? I have 8 version.

[@Simonsutak]

I'm afraid I don't know. But all the Helios 44s are quite easy to open at the front to try this!

[@be-veo]

Can u send me link how get/buy this awesome lens sir, thanks 🙏🏻

[@Simonsutak]

Depending on where you live it should be easy to find one on ebay. As long as it's in good working condition and no fungus it should be OK. Good luck!

[@Just-a-bystander]

I've down a lot of 3D programming. One area that is quite interesting is parametric shapes and forms. Those bat like shapes look a lot like a shape called a Roman or a Sine Sphere. If you think of a bokeh bubble as a sphere projected in 3D space from the lens surface, in programming, a sphere can be described as a relatively simple sine formula.In math it is actually quite elegant. By reversing the lens you may be creating inverse sine curves and the shape that is displayed looks quite similar to the two shapes I have suggested above. mathworld.wolfram.com/RomanSurface.html

[@ikaros4203]

damn that's interesting

[@creepyoldhouseexplorersclub]

Piece of Cake! Curved face of element faces inward

[@st.michaelthearchangel7774]

That's wild.

[@leonidparkhamovich7415]

Гелиосы сейчас идут как более творческие объективы.

[@kalleshkallesh9882]

CRP

[@petrpolasek5931]

"How to put fingerprints all over your front element and make unusable lens out of otherwise quite useable lens."

[@Simonsutak]

LOL. I was holding the glass around the edge. Hardly unusable. If you watched the video, I did explain in the video that thanks to COVID-19 my fingers were as clean as they've ever been! But, yes, gloves might be better in a clinical operation such as this.