I have the Helios 44M and 44M-4. I also own an SMC Takumar 55mm f2, which is spectacular as well. The aperture pin on the 44M-4 can be made to stay in by fitting a small piece (3mm) of inner ball point pen tube over the inside of the back cover. Simple, but effective.
You wondered whether the Helios' low contrast and coolness were designed in, I would guess, yes. I had a Jena Biotar (the one this one is a copy of) I bought new in the late fifties and I changed to a Super-Takumar 50 f:1.4 -- the eight-element one. The differences were just as you described them! I found I could print B&W one one contrast-grade lower paper with the Asahi lens. I still own several Pentax lenses from the seventies which I use frequently on my Pentax DSLR.
Got the Helios (year 89) with a Zenit 12 XP for $60 4 months ago both in pristine condition (a little fungus) and got the Super Takumar (serial 3809921, so the late) with a Spotmatic for $35 3 months ago. The SuperTakumar was very dirty with dust, fungus, yellow inside, with a dent in the front, a loose screw but was imposible to be opened normally so I drill trought the nameplate... Dismantled the two lens blocks clean fungus and dirt, put in the sun and a week later it was totally ok. :)
I have the Takamur. It is in like new condition. All I need is a K-mount adapter. I didn't think they used brass to manufacture anything these days. Thanks for the info.
IMHO, your takumar glass is yellow and that may produce warm pics. Expose to the UV or sunlight will make the glass more neutral and avoid the warmth of the photos. Some people like warmth pics though.
There are plenty of modern lenses to take natural whitebalanced shots. When we use vintage lenses it may as well be a vintage look. Of course the takumar presents plenty of other attributes to go with it.
@@CyberCatTechnologies my takumar produced pics not that warmth. I keep the lens free of yellow tint. Just a thought that the yellow tint is the culprit for warmth.
I have the 44m-4 and the super tak 55/1.8. They are both sharp and I like both of them, the tak especially for build quality, awesome lens to play and fiddle with your hands. But the helios is surgical. It's not just the swirly bokeh, but it is so sharp that i use it in product shoots. The method i use is to shoot small products is to shoot from afar at f8 to widen depth of field, then crop the picture. The end results are very sharp.
Great video man! Quick preference question for you. If both in excellent condition, would you rather have the Helios 44M or a Super Takumar 50mm 1.4 if you could only have one? Let's assume you have an adapter as well as a speed-booster to an APS-C camera. Thank you.
I have a metal m42 to Nikon f ring adapter I can't get infinity. I have a Pentax super Takumar 55mm 1.8 in m42 and a Helios 44-2 58mm f2. I use my old Nikon non ai Nikkor 50mm 1.4 s-c lens on my D300s and get the vintage look and infinity.
hermoso vídeo... tengo dos helios y un takumar y son una delicia de lentes. muchas gracias, y dile al cineasta profesional de tu familia que en la última película de batman usaron un helios... saludos desde lima - perú
Helios gives a more of true colours and contrast I own this as I used Zenith 35mm film camera And i was popular for the best photos with Helios now I use it on Canon 5d m2 amazing pictures
I also own helios is prefect condition was my dad he had over 30 years with tiar 300m photosniper zenit 12s camera,,, i guess wait for me for my reassertion back into film. its is amazing. without knowing anything about it i just got a 7 lens super i havent done any frame on it yet but look for to it. great video
Thank you for this engaging comparison. Quite interesting to me, as I own a 7-element Takumar 50 f/1.4 and a Helios 44M, although mine is the 44M6. My experience has closely paralleled yours, especially as regards warm vs. cool color balance and different character in bokeh. I'm guessing much of that warm tendency in the Tak is due to the Thorium content. Sometimes I like it for the nostalgic drawing it brings - other times I'll favor using it for B/W shooting. But one thing I'll say about both is, I really enjoy that solid build and the feel of the focusing. Not only does the whole manual focus operation make you slow down and shoot more deliberately - especially important when using film! - but the tactile experience reminds one of the pride in manufacture that I'm sure many of us just took for granted before plastics became so common in lens construction. I've subscribed to your channel and will look forward to more of your videos! P.S: Sorry you lost Caramel - he was a very sweet looking little guy and a good camera motif. P.S.S: Buy some lens caps for when you're stuffing these solid fellas in your pockets! They deserve it ;-)
Hey mate, thanks for the detailed comment. Its good to see that two fellow users of these equipment, after so many years of its manufacturer, still sparking such joy to its user. You are right, they took quality very seriously and hence the result. Even when compared to today's advanced manufacturing process. P.S. - It was sad about Caramel, but now we have Vanilla, we had him since he was a puppy. You can see him in many of my videos (endings mostly). He loves all of us, and everyone in general, just the way he is.. :)
Weird, this is the 2nd review today featuring my home town, the other being a website review of a Jupiter lens, and that’s not counting looking up a modern lens test on Opticallimits, which seems to be based around here these days, going by the sample images.
The Jupiter lens review in Sydney, you may be referring to Blunty. His cameras gear reviews are awesome. And captures sydney in ways that we dont see even when we walk past the place.. Sydney is a beautiful city for photography.
Have both of these lenses.. the Majority of differences are in the Quality between batches of lenses.. the Takumar is the better one.. and for a 50+ year old lens it’s very good. The Radio active material used to make the lens .. gives them that Yellow look. Easy to fix with a UV lamp in a few hours.. Best not to leave in the sun as it can FOG UP the lens.. vice review too 🤗
May I ask what kind of camera you are using, and also, is vintage lens what you want? If you buy a vintage lens the pictures will have a bit of that vintage look. We love that as an effect, but its a supplement to our modern lens collection.
XT20 has a APS-C sized sensor, both these lenses will work nicely. I have used it with APS-C sensor camera myself and was happy with both. If you have the budget for it, get both :) Else, you can start with the Takumar. But that does not mean that the Helios is any less, if you see a good deal for the Helios grab it. These are different lenses with their own properties. All the best.
According to a website I've used to check the serial number on my own takumars, Yours is a '71-'72 takumarguide.weebly.com/takumarology.html PS, I have a '69-70 Super Tak 50mm f1.4, a 13 blade Helios 44 (unknown year), '66 standard 8 blade 44, and '81 and '84 44-2s, love em all for for both stills and video 👍
Thank you. But, I wish that people not say "for obvious reasons". People are trying to learn things from you. If such things were "obvious" to everyone, then nobody would be seeking your advice.
I find misinformation such as these really annoying and frustrating, this is below stupidity. Few cm of air is enough to absorb the radiation produced. And my kids are real people, so mind your tongue before you refer to them with any careless notion.. RUclips should have a way to mark a troll...
Second channel:
ruclips.net/channel/UCVn1YLnDzGD0c2usoSssORg
I have the Helios 44M and 44M-4. I also own an SMC Takumar 55mm f2, which is spectacular as well. The aperture pin on the 44M-4 can be made to stay in by fitting a small piece (3mm) of inner ball point pen tube over the inside of the back cover. Simple, but effective.
Clever
I use Takumars in the fuel rods for my reactor.
Takumars are good to fuel rods, bet there is pretty nice explosion in the end too...Then the reactor cools down..
You wondered whether the Helios' low contrast and coolness were designed in, I would guess, yes. I had a Jena Biotar (the one this one is a copy of) I bought new in the late fifties and I changed to a Super-Takumar 50 f:1.4 -- the eight-element one. The differences were just as you described them! I found I could print B&W one one contrast-grade lower paper with the Asahi lens.
I still own several Pentax lenses from the seventies which I use frequently on my Pentax DSLR.
A post from someone who has used these lenses since the time they were released, its great to hear from you..
Takumar 50mm f1.4 has Thorium Oxide doped in the glass that is why it is warmer.
I see..
Takumar is radioactive lens because of Thorium Oxide
Not all Takumars are radioactive
DeusExAstra true 50/1.4 8 elements is not radioactive
Exactly
Got the Helios (year 89) with a Zenit 12 XP for $60 4 months ago both in pristine condition (a little fungus) and got the Super Takumar (serial 3809921, so the late) with a Spotmatic for $35 3 months ago. The SuperTakumar was very dirty with dust, fungus, yellow inside, with a dent in the front, a loose screw but was imposible to be opened normally so I drill trought the nameplate... Dismantled the two lens blocks clean fungus and dirt, put in the sun and a week later it was totally ok. :)
that why i have my dad camera set
wrote above
I like the background sound when start to show the takumar and helious video shooting.
I have the Takamur. It is in like new condition. All I need is a K-mount adapter. I didn't think they used brass to manufacture anything these days. Thanks for the info.
IMHO, your takumar glass is yellow and that may produce warm pics. Expose to the UV or sunlight will make the glass more neutral and avoid the warmth of the photos. Some people like warmth pics though.
There are plenty of modern lenses to take natural whitebalanced shots. When we use vintage lenses it may as well be a vintage look. Of course the takumar presents plenty of other attributes to go with it.
@@CyberCatTechnologies my takumar produced pics not that warmth. I keep the lens free of yellow tint. Just a thought that the yellow tint is the culprit for warmth.
You should point out to your professional film maker family that parts of The Batman was shot using the Helios 44!
Is it me or the Helios looks much sharper than the Takumar? Anyways, great lenses and nice video. Keep up.
I have the 44m-4 and the super tak 55/1.8. They are both sharp and I like both of them, the tak especially for build quality, awesome lens to play and fiddle with your hands. But the helios is surgical. It's not just the swirly bokeh, but it is so sharp that i use it in product shoots. The method i use is to shoot small products is to shoot from afar at f8 to widen depth of field, then crop the picture. The end results are very sharp.
I literally just came out of a thrift store with a super takumar 135mm lens, and this video appeared in my recommend vids.
me too 50mm 1.4 super and camera to match and 200m takumar
Great video man! Quick preference question for you. If both in excellent condition, would you rather have the Helios 44M or a Super Takumar 50mm 1.4 if you could only have one? Let's assume you have an adapter as well as a speed-booster to an APS-C camera. Thank you.
Takumar.
I have a metal m42 to Nikon f ring adapter I can't get infinity.
I have a Pentax super Takumar 55mm 1.8 in m42 and a Helios 44-2 58mm f2.
I use my old Nikon non ai Nikkor 50mm 1.4 s-c lens on my D300s and get the vintage look and infinity.
You answered my doubts about takumar. Thank you
hermoso vídeo... tengo dos helios y un takumar y son una delicia de lentes. muchas gracias, y dile al cineasta profesional de tu familia que en la última película de batman usaron un helios... saludos desde lima - perú
Helios gives a more of true colours and contrast
I own this as I used Zenith 35mm film camera
And i was popular for the best photos with Helios now I use it on Canon 5d m2 amazing pictures
What camera were you using before and how far back?
Can you make a tribute to the legendary Canon FD 35mm F2 Concave Thorium lens?
I also own helios is prefect condition was my dad he had over 30 years with tiar 300m photosniper zenit 12s camera,,, i guess wait for me for my reassertion back into film. its is amazing. without knowing anything about it i just got a 7 lens super i havent done any frame on it yet but look for to it. great video
Thank you for this engaging comparison. Quite interesting to me, as I own a 7-element Takumar 50 f/1.4 and a Helios 44M, although mine is the 44M6. My experience has closely paralleled yours, especially as regards warm vs. cool color balance and different character in bokeh. I'm guessing much of that warm tendency in the Tak is due to the Thorium content. Sometimes I like it for the nostalgic drawing it brings - other times I'll favor using it for B/W shooting. But one thing I'll say about both is, I really enjoy that solid build and the feel of the focusing. Not only does the whole manual focus operation make you slow down and shoot more deliberately - especially important when using film! - but the tactile experience reminds one of the pride in manufacture that I'm sure many of us just took for granted before plastics became so common in lens construction. I've subscribed to your channel and will look forward to more of your videos!
P.S: Sorry you lost Caramel - he was a very sweet looking little guy and a good camera motif.
P.S.S: Buy some lens caps for when you're stuffing these solid fellas in your pockets! They deserve it ;-)
Hey mate, thanks for the detailed comment. Its good to see that two fellow users of these equipment, after so many years of its manufacturer, still sparking such joy to its user. You are right, they took quality very seriously and hence the result. Even when compared to today's advanced manufacturing process.
P.S. - It was sad about Caramel, but now we have Vanilla, we had him since he was a puppy. You can see him in many of my videos (endings mostly). He loves all of us, and everyone in general, just the way he is.. :)
Weird, this is the 2nd review today featuring my home town, the other being a website review of a Jupiter lens, and that’s not counting looking up a modern lens test on Opticallimits, which seems to be based around here these days, going by the sample images.
The Jupiter lens review in Sydney, you may be referring to Blunty. His cameras gear reviews are awesome. And captures sydney in ways that we dont see even when we walk past the place..
Sydney is a beautiful city for photography.
Useful video. But music too loud and repetitive fyi.
Helios, this is when it is already very tight with money.
Great video! I have plans on getting vintage lenses for my canon.
Give it a go, which one are you planning on..
If u have to chose, which one would u chose. Sorry for my bad english. Plss help me chose
Takumar 50mm. Your English is fine mate...
Ok tks bro
Very nice, thanks for sharing
Isn't the 50mm 1.4 Takumar radioactive?
Yes the later version dubbed 7 element is.
The earlier version called 8 element is rarer and well coveted, these are not.
I owned both.
Have both of these lenses.. the Majority of differences are in the Quality between batches of lenses.. the Takumar is the better one.. and for a 50+ year old lens it’s very good. The Radio active material used to make the lens .. gives them that Yellow look. Easy to fix with a UV lamp in a few hours.. Best not to leave in the sun as it can FOG UP the lens.. vice review too 🤗
Thanks for the info. Cheers
thanks a lot!
man you make my day, I have both lents....
Cheers mate.
Me too!
Great video !!
Thanks
I'm really confusing about super takumar 50mm f1.4 and helios 44-2 58mm f2 for portrait :') do you think what I need to take ?
Depends on what kind of picture and effect you are aiming for. They are both good options.
@@CyberCatTechnologies I would prefer more sharpen and right color on pictures.
May I ask what kind of camera you are using, and also, is vintage lens what you want? If you buy a vintage lens the pictures will have a bit of that vintage look. We love that as an effect, but its a supplement to our modern lens collection.
@@CyberCatTechnologies I'm using Fujifilm XT20, and yeah, I want a vintage lens in my lens collection.
XT20 has a APS-C sized sensor, both these lenses will work nicely. I have used it with APS-C sensor camera myself and was happy with both. If you have the budget for it, get both :) Else, you can start with the Takumar. But that does not mean that the Helios is any less, if you see a good deal for the Helios grab it. These are different lenses with their own properties. All the best.
I'm so sorry about caramel, he's beautiful
Ya.. sad isn't it.. but now we have Vanilla, a puppy, and he is always happy to see me... 😀
According to a website I've used to check the serial number on my own takumars, Yours is a '71-'72
takumarguide.weebly.com/takumarology.html
PS, I have a '69-70 Super Tak 50mm f1.4, a 13 blade Helios 44 (unknown year), '66 standard 8 blade 44, and '81 and '84 44-2s, love em all for for both stills and video 👍
Professionals don’t use vintage lenses? Really?
A new Batman movie was shot using Helios 44-2 in some scenes…
it was a comment directed towards that particular family member.
Vintage glass is very frequently used by artists, this is not changing any time soon.
Liked. Subbed. Turn bell on.
Nice video
Poor Caramel😢😢😢
:( .... Ya man.. I wanted to see it just once, all I wanted to know was he is happy where ever he was...
Thank you. But, I wish that people not say "for obvious reasons". People are trying to learn things from you. If such things were "obvious" to everyone, then nobody would be seeking your advice.
Thread on plastic is not the most secure thing. They were cheap to buy but best left alone.
Just don't travel in a car for long distances with a lense made with thorium oxide and you'll be OK, except for all the kids you'll still produce!
I find misinformation such as these really annoying and frustrating, this is below stupidity. Few cm of air is enough to absorb the radiation produced. And my kids are real people, so mind your tongue before you refer to them with any careless notion..
RUclips should have a way to mark a troll...
Misleading information. Just do not stick your eyes for a long period on the posterior element.
The front element is less radioactive.
@@rock3times give it a try with your nads!!!
@@stevenbryant4718 you can try it with your head...
@@rock3times It takes balls to do that!