Sony A7 and Helios 44M - My Favourite Vintage Lens

[@jlore6344]

Love that photo of the bicycle in the sand. As a cyclist it made me sad but also its like an archeological dig/fossil which is also hopeful. Well done. Great all around stuff BTW and a fun vid.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Yeah I really liked that one. Was it just dumped over the railing? Was it carried here by the river? I’m sure future archaeologists will figure it out😁 Thanks for watching 🖖

[@Hannemanneke]

I like those Helios lenses because of the wonderful swirly bokeh they can produce 😍

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Yeah it’s gorgeous, I didn’t really have any opportunity to make that happen on this walk, but when it goes off, it looks great 🖖

[@alexSpunkt.]

Great video! 🖖🏻

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Thanks Alex🖖

[@janhenkins]

Brilliant video as usual David! I've been besotted with the Helios 44 range since I realised I could adapt M42 lenses to my M4/3 Lumix cameras. I tried a A7 camera, but for unknown reasons it didn't gel with me at the time, will try again at some point. In the meantime I use a speed booster with all my M42 lenses, which helps gathering some more light and claw back about 30% of the missing full-frame size. I still lose most of the bonkers outer "bokeh ring" using my Helios 44, but the really nice "inner 70%" is there with all the great Helios cream, colour and sharpness. What a weird but gorgeous lens.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Yeah, the A7 has a gorgeous sensor but it’s not a fun camera to use, I much prefer the Olympus EM1 mkii. I should really look into a speed booster at some point, especially since all of my video work is done on M4/3. Thanks for watching and have a great weekend 🖖

[@smkunder1]

I have that lens, going to try it on my Nikon ZF. Great video!

[@GrumpyTim]

Nice set of shots David - I had a Helios 44M-4 which I really liked, but the person who gave it to me got back into film photography and it seemed only fair to give them their lens back so now I don't have it any more. It's not like I don't have plenty of other lenses anyway.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

I have both the 44m and 44-2 but I prefer the 44m because it seems to handle flaring a bit better. Someone mentioned flipping the front element to get some cool effects so that might be the future of my 44-2😁

[@GrumpyTim]

Yeah, I think they developed it quite a bit over the years - the early ones are fun and interesting, but the later ones like your 44m seem to be more useful. I've seen shots taken with the front element flipped - it's a bit of fun for five minutes but probably not something you'll want to do long term. Be good for a video though.

[@jupiterman7]

I like your style dude!

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Thanks very much🖖

[@johnpark8297]

Nice one David, interesting to see more of your processes in creating photos along with the results. Thanks for taking the time to make this, 1st tree building shot is my preferred one too. 👍🖖

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

I think it’s the separation of the tree on the first shot that makes it for me. Thanks for watching 🖖

[@TheLoneRangefinder]

Lovely relaxing video Dave 👌

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Thanks a lot mate🖖

[@jackoneil3933]

Thanks David for your take and Helios 44, I also got a full frame Sony A7R for vintage lenses and like the Helios's colours and how naturally it renders details but I found background blur a bit chaotic on some shots. Have you tried the Minolta 45mm f/2 Rokkor-X? Very similar to the Helios but s with smoother blur. Samples - 'Minolta 45mm f/2 Rokkor-X manual focus candid - Sony A7R | Flickr'

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

No I’ve not used that one, I’ll give that a look👍

[@jackoneil3933]

@@DavidFlowerOfficial Super cheap, Worked well on my old M-8 with the CCD Sensor but better on the Sony.

[@Rnder72]

nice photo walk, I like the pigeon w. delivery triplet shot, the bird high center works well. Would you recommend the A7(I) as a tool to adapt vintage lenses? I am on a slow search to get a FF camera primarily to adapt vintage lenses (I primarily shoot with mFT), a pricier option I am considering is the Z5

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Yeah I’d absolutely recommend the A7. Of course you’re not getting all the refinements of the newer models, but the sensor is fantastic and for full frame it’s a very small camera. I bought mine primarily for use with vintage glass and for around £300 on average it’s a bargain in my opinion🖖

[@derrenleepoole]

Only three things are certain in this world: death, taxes and Helios lenses still being around when the Sun eventually swallows the Earth :) Seriously though, some nice shots there. Have you tried reversing the front lens element on the Helios? Easy to do, and it gets some crazy results. I think certain models work better in this regard though. You can also mod the Helios to make it a faux anamorphic lens with some kits off eBay etc.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

I have seen some fun stuff with reversed elements and I also have a 44-2 that I’d considered messing with so that might be a project for this year. Thanks for watching 🖖

[@sbcwinn]

David, thanks for the video. I am going to purchase that Helios lens on eBay. Its bokeh is amazing. Why did you not use it on your Micro Four Thirs camera?? Why did you shoose the Sony? I like your videos. Keep doing them please.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

I mentioned the reason for the FF camera in an older video, but in short, sensors smaller than 35mm/full frame diminish the swirl effect of lenses like the Helios that were designed for 35mm film and on m4/3 it’s a much more restrictive lens being a 116mm equivalent. I have used it on m4/3 in the past but you get greater flexibility with full frame. Thanks for watching 🖖

[@sbcwinn]

@@DavidFlowerOfficial Thanks for your reply.

[@digitalrex5]

Any tips on holding the aperture pin down on this lens? also.... i put a pentax Takumar on a Zenit 11 and.... embarrassingly.... I can't get it off! sigh.... if anyone has any ideas i would appreciate it lol

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

The adapters I have are all designed to hold in the pin so you can use the auto/manual switch. As for the stuck lens, I’m not sure, I’d be tempted to disassemble the camera to get the lens free and then pray to the camera gods that I remembered where all the screws went😂 Thanks for watching 🖖

[@digitalrex5]

@@DavidFlowerOfficial thank you so much! What adaptor do you use?

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

@digitalrex5 The one I used here is made by Urth, but I also have K&F and Neewer ones that work the same way for Sony, Canon EF and m4/3🖖

[@digitalrex5]

@@DavidFlowerOfficial thanks 🖖

[@luzr6613]

Ah... very good. Can't believe you walked straight past that freezer without having a look inside - pro-level impulse control, i guess. An original A7 just to shoot vintage glass - i know nothing about them, but i'm thinking: is it a good plan? They're quite small, aren't they? Any particular downsides? Cheers.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

Ok firstly, given the area I didn’t check the fridge because I didn’t want to be dragged into the inevitable investigation that would follow the potential discovery 😂 The original A7 is a great option for those who want a great ff sensor with very few frills in a mirrorless body. It doesn’t have ibis or particularly good af if you use native lenses, but for vintage glass it gives the full advantages and quirks of 35mm lenses that get partly cropped out by smaller sensors. The A7 has 24mpx on a ff sensor and more dynamic range than anyone reasonably needs and that’s why I bought it for vintage glass. If I want a good all round camera that it actually fun to use, I’ll take the Olympus all day long, but for this particular job, the A7 works 🖖

[@luzr6613]

@@DavidFlowerOfficial The inevitable investigation... i wonder if they'd have let you take a selfie for your mug shot. As to the rest... appreciate your thoughts. The camera seems cheap and cheerful for a manual oriented walkaround. Nice to know the DR is good too... especially for my f/8.5 550mm Soviet mirror🤣. Cheers for the vid and have a great week.

[@mathieucaron4957]

You should try others, it's the worst crap.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

I have others. The Helios 44 is good enough for Batman, so it’s good enough for me 🖖

[@mathieucaron4957]

@@DavidFlowerOfficial How many copies were needed to make the modified version used to film some parts of the film?

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

@mathieucaron4957 Art is subjective, no one said you had to like it. I like what I like and you like what you like. Everyone going into the Helios knows it’s weird and flawed and that’s the point. Enjoy the rest of your day 🖖

[@mathieucaron4957]

@@DavidFlowerOfficial The quality control was very bad, they copied the plans, the whole story behind this lens is negative.

[@DavidFlowerOfficial]

@mathieucaron4957 Yeah I know all about it, but it still produces an image that many people like and if you don’t, that’s also fine🖖