Helios lenses in longer focal lengths?

[momus]

I ended up on Wikipedia a while ago, and discovered that this is an optical formula, not just a reference to FSU 44 type lenses. Has anyone used a Helios in the 80 to 135 lengths? The 44 type lenses make beautiful portraits, but I'd like a longer focal length for compression, especially the noses.

 

[Ian Grant]

Only the 58mm f2 Helios-44 and 85mm f1.5 Helios-40 lenses were based on the CZJ Biotar lenses.

Ian

 

[momus]

Thanks Ian. I did a little research and looked at eBay. Found the 85 1.5 starting at around $500 with shipping. That's too pricey, and I don't need 1.5. A 1.8 to 2.8 lens is fine. The Biotar is probably even more money.

On eBay, they sell the J-9 as a Helios copy. The sample I had would only mount upside down, and the infamous grease made focusing a chore. No more of those.

It's IQ wasn't much like my FSU 44 series lenses either. Wide open and inside a house, those 58mm didn't give swirley bokeh at head and shoulders length. Their bokeh was simply ok, you weren't going to blur the background like a Summicron R 90 might........ but the IQ of the sitter was really, really good.

 

[momus]

So much for this idea. The 100 2.5's are $900 and up and and not for portraits. Their edgy bokeh is off the charts. That leaves the 135 2.8, which is cheap but has only 6 aperture blades. The samples I looked at had distracting octagonal things in the background.

Back to Plan B (which should have been Plan A from the start). Get a Canon FD 135 beer can and find a body for it.

 

[Ian Grant]

The J-9 is a copy of the SZJ Sonnar. My first SLR was a Zenit E with the 58mm f2 Helios-44, I wore the camera put quite quickly.

I picked up a later version a 44 M for £5 at a camera fair just before Covid, it's not as good as my 58mm f2 CZJ Biotar. but I rarely shoot 35mm these days.

Ian

 

[baachitraka]

There is Jupiter (85mm) but that also a bit pricey.

 

[Romanko]

Have a look at 135 mm Jupiter-11 (f4.0) and Tair-11 (f2.8). Tair might be more difficult to find, Jupiter-11 is abundant in both M39 an M42 mounts. There are tons of decent 135 mm lenses. Did you try Pentacon?

Helios-40 is still produced by KMZ:

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They are not cheap, around $600. $500 is probably a bit too much for a used copy. Jupyter-9 is Sonar, Helios-40 is Biotar design. They are different. I would not spend money on Jupyter-9. I have a copy in like-new condition and I rarely use it.

 

[Romanko]

.. but the IQ of the sitter was really, really good.

You are talking about image quality, right? It took me a while to figure it out but my IQ is not that good.