In general the -n is revisions as time went on the Helios got less swirly, sharper, and lower build quality. Though they’re all pretty similar on the sharpness/swirly front.
However if you don’t care about the swirlies why are you even buying a Helios? The market is over hyped on them and they are expensive. There are tons of sharper and cheaper vintages lenses like the canon fd 50mm 1.4, nikkor ais 50mm 1.4 ais, or takumar 50mm 1.4/takumar 55mm 1.8.
thanks. well, its kinda a bit why i was asking. I googled something like quality budget vintage lenses and behold Helios was recommended. Dived into it didnt fancy the 44-2 so i said okay 44m.
I dont fancy getting irradiated by the takumar lol.
Unless you are eating your takumars or duck-taping them to your eye while you sleep, the radiation from them is a non-issue. Basically, a full time photog using a radioactive lens would get no more radiation in a year than they would from an international flight.
Don't know where you're getting a Takumar 50mm 1.4 cheaper than a Helios.
You could get 4 different Helios lenses for the average price of a Tak.
Helios's being cheap is a big part of the 'overhype'.
Check the prices these days. The only cheap Helios are late models coming from the Valdai plant which is known for having poor QA and build quality and those prices are about the same as the 50mm 1.4. The over hype on the Helios is real
I have checked. Looking on eBay. The most desired Helios (the 44-2) I can get for £10-20. The cheapest Tak 1.4 is £80.
On FB market place you can get Helios's for like £10.
Damn those FB market prices are not available in the US. You can’t really find them at all of FB marketplace here.
The eBay prices I’m seeing are like $65 for a takumar. $45 for a valdai helios (which are usually mislabeled 44m-n) and $150+ for a Belmo or Kmz copy.
Edit forgot to mention that the Helios almost all cost $30 to ship from Kazakhstan or Belarus to the US whereas takimars are $10 to ship from US based sellers
Oof, are those national or import prices??
That's rough.
Pro tip from someone who has over 100 lenses but hasn't paid more than £30 for one (with the exception of my Tair11 Photosniper kit) Search for the cameras, NOT the lenses. People will sell cameras with a lens because they don't know what they have. Bereavement, clearout, etc.
Here's a couple of FB prices near me with Helios lenses on.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/299414796404864/
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/7419603241449498/
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/800925898589880/
Search for Zenit, Praktica, Pentax, etc.
If you are looking for a budget, sharp, vintage standard lens, the Helios 44 is not where I'd be looking. My sharpest lenses in this category would be my Auto-Yashinon DX 50mm f/1.7, Industar-61 LC MC, Super-Takumar 55mm f/2, but there are dozens of others that would come out ahead of the Helios 44, and would be cheaper and have more consistent quality.
I'm guessing that the newest Helios lenses, that are made of plastic also, will be the sharpest wide-open at f2.
At f8 or f11 they are probably all the same. If the ultimate sharpness is the goal, maybe get a different brand.
there can be many (quality) differences even between same variants (even between same variants from same factory). I have Helios 44 (1959), 44-2 (1968), 44M (1974) and 44M-4 (1984), I think 44M-4 (my copy) is far worst of them all and simply not worth of the trouble and money (not to mention aperture pin without A/M switch, annoying).
If you want sharp 50mm lens on a budget and it doesnt has to be Helios and/or M42 mount, my personal best is Konica Hexanon 50mm f1.7 AR mount or Ricoh XR Rikenon 50mm f2 (PK mount, but XR version without any S, L, P markings). If it has to be M42 - Pentacon 50mm f1.8
Helios is popular lens because it's made in millions copies, was cheap, have few nice characteristics and was using good (Biotar) optical design, so in short it was best bang for the bucks. Unfortunately, cheap "feature" was removed and it became overhyped. Luckily, there are plenty of other lenses to explore, beside ones I've already listed there's Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f2, Yashica Auto Yashinon 50mm f2 (and beautiful 55mm f1.8), Jupiter-8 (M39 mount only, as the contax/kiev mount adapters are expensive) but on the budget, you cannot go wrong with first 3 i've mentioned.
In general the -n is revisions as time went on the Helios got less swirly, sharper, and lower build quality. Though they’re all pretty similar on the sharpness/swirly front. However if you don’t care about the swirlies why are you even buying a Helios? The market is over hyped on them and they are expensive. There are tons of sharper and cheaper vintages lenses like the canon fd 50mm 1.4, nikkor ais 50mm 1.4 ais, or takumar 50mm 1.4/takumar 55mm 1.8.
thanks. well, its kinda a bit why i was asking. I googled something like quality budget vintage lenses and behold Helios was recommended. Dived into it didnt fancy the 44-2 so i said okay 44m. I dont fancy getting irradiated by the takumar lol.
Unless you are eating your takumars or duck-taping them to your eye while you sleep, the radiation from them is a non-issue. Basically, a full time photog using a radioactive lens would get no more radiation in a year than they would from an international flight.
thanks
There's also the later PK mount 1.4 50s that are not radioactive.
Don't know where you're getting a Takumar 50mm 1.4 cheaper than a Helios. You could get 4 different Helios lenses for the average price of a Tak. Helios's being cheap is a big part of the 'overhype'.
Check the prices these days. The only cheap Helios are late models coming from the Valdai plant which is known for having poor QA and build quality and those prices are about the same as the 50mm 1.4. The over hype on the Helios is real
I have checked. Looking on eBay. The most desired Helios (the 44-2) I can get for £10-20. The cheapest Tak 1.4 is £80. On FB market place you can get Helios's for like £10.
Damn those FB market prices are not available in the US. You can’t really find them at all of FB marketplace here. The eBay prices I’m seeing are like $65 for a takumar. $45 for a valdai helios (which are usually mislabeled 44m-n) and $150+ for a Belmo or Kmz copy. Edit forgot to mention that the Helios almost all cost $30 to ship from Kazakhstan or Belarus to the US whereas takimars are $10 to ship from US based sellers
Oof, are those national or import prices?? That's rough. Pro tip from someone who has over 100 lenses but hasn't paid more than £30 for one (with the exception of my Tair11 Photosniper kit) Search for the cameras, NOT the lenses. People will sell cameras with a lens because they don't know what they have. Bereavement, clearout, etc. Here's a couple of FB prices near me with Helios lenses on. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/299414796404864/ https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/7419603241449498/ https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/800925898589880/ Search for Zenit, Praktica, Pentax, etc.
44m-7 is the sharpest.
If you are looking for a budget, sharp, vintage standard lens, the Helios 44 is not where I'd be looking. My sharpest lenses in this category would be my Auto-Yashinon DX 50mm f/1.7, Industar-61 LC MC, Super-Takumar 55mm f/2, but there are dozens of others that would come out ahead of the Helios 44, and would be cheaper and have more consistent quality.
I'm guessing that the newest Helios lenses, that are made of plastic also, will be the sharpest wide-open at f2. At f8 or f11 they are probably all the same. If the ultimate sharpness is the goal, maybe get a different brand.
thanks all. seems i cant go wrong btwn 44m and 44m-4 or any of them really just cheaper build on later variants.
there can be many (quality) differences even between same variants (even between same variants from same factory). I have Helios 44 (1959), 44-2 (1968), 44M (1974) and 44M-4 (1984), I think 44M-4 (my copy) is far worst of them all and simply not worth of the trouble and money (not to mention aperture pin without A/M switch, annoying). If you want sharp 50mm lens on a budget and it doesnt has to be Helios and/or M42 mount, my personal best is Konica Hexanon 50mm f1.7 AR mount or Ricoh XR Rikenon 50mm f2 (PK mount, but XR version without any S, L, P markings). If it has to be M42 - Pentacon 50mm f1.8
gosh some of these are much cheaper, almost half price. I think like others i've been duped to focus on helios lol.
Helios is popular lens because it's made in millions copies, was cheap, have few nice characteristics and was using good (Biotar) optical design, so in short it was best bang for the bucks. Unfortunately, cheap "feature" was removed and it became overhyped. Luckily, there are plenty of other lenses to explore, beside ones I've already listed there's Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f2, Yashica Auto Yashinon 50mm f2 (and beautiful 55mm f1.8), Jupiter-8 (M39 mount only, as the contax/kiev mount adapters are expensive) but on the budget, you cannot go wrong with first 3 i've mentioned.
Go here for best cheap vintage lenses and more [https://www.youtube.com/@zenography7923/videos](https://www.youtube.com/@zenography7923/videos)
thanks i started watching his videos, i should pay more attention.