leslie Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 On 1/24/2019 at 1:37 AM, mercer said: Yeah that’s actually what’s interesting about the SMC “K” versions... they’re the same lenses as the Takumars but in a K mount and they didn’t use Thorium glass, so the glass won’t yellow. The 28mm f/2 and your Takumar should match nicely. Two legendary lenses. If you pick up the Tak 85mm 1.8 or 1.9 or the 105mm... you’ll have a nice little set. The Fotodiox Pro M42 to EF adapters are really solid. So you can stack on your Viltrox. my logic might be flawed but wouldn't using a thorium element glass on sunsets be just like adding a filter except with the takumars its inbuilt, saving the cost of a filter ? of course you would probably need another lens for a colder look perhaps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 38 minutes ago, leslie said: my logic might be flawed but wouldn't using a thorium element glass on sunsets be just like adding a filter except with the takumars its inbuilt, saving the cost of a filter ? of course you would probably need another lens for a colder look perhaps I think a lot of people love the yellowed glass of Takumars for B&W because they don’t need the filter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leslie Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 Just now, mercer said: I think a lot of people love the yellowed glass of Takumars for B&W because they don’t need the filter. i'd happily own one, i just wouldn't sleep with it under my pillow . i already have a bunch of smc taks, i should have a closer look at them not really noticed any yellowing before. i may search one out after i get a 20 mm, tossing up between a fd or m42 leaning towards the fd as its a bit faster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 25, 2019 Share Posted January 25, 2019 29 minutes ago, leslie said: i'd happily own one, i just wouldn't sleep with it under my pillow . i already have a bunch of smc taks, i should have a closer look at them not really noticed any yellowing before. i may search one out after i get a 20 mm, tossing up between a fd or m42 leaning towards the fd as its a bit faster. Not all of the Takumars have Thorium glass. The 50mm 1.4 and 35mm f/2 both have it but the 55mm 1.8/f2 and the 35mm 3.5 don’t. I’ve used a few FD lenses with my favorite being the 50mm 1.4... I even sought out one that was modified so I could use it with an EF camera... it matches nicely with my EF 28mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.8 and I find it to be a better lens than the EF 50mm 1.4. If you can, it’s nice to have a small set of lenses from the same manufacturer... it saves some time in post and gives you a good starting point for delivering a look for your film. IMO... YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stab Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 Hey everyone, I'm in the market for a Helios 58mm f2. I'm using the Panasonic GH5-S with a Nikon -> MFT SpeedBooster. I would really like to use the lens on the Speedbooster so the question is, is that possible and will it degrade the image quality to use 2 adapters on stacked on each other? Because I would need an extra adapter first to change the mount into Nikon right? So which version of the lens do you recommend me to buy? And with which mount? Does anyone use this lens with a Speed Booster and is happy with the result? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thephoenix Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 only one mount for this lens, m42, use an adaptor and stack it. it works Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kye Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 43 minutes ago, Stab said: Hey everyone, I'm in the market for a Helios 58mm f2. I'm using the Panasonic GH5-S with a Nikon -> MFT SpeedBooster. I would really like to use the lens on the Speedbooster so the question is, is that possible and will it degrade the image quality to use 2 adapters on stacked on each other? Because I would need an extra adapter first to change the mount into Nikon right? So which version of the lens do you recommend me to buy? And with which mount? Does anyone use this lens with a Speed Booster and is happy with the result? Thanks! +1 for getting it. There are a few different versions and it's a little complicated. Here's what I remember as being important: The name of the lens is Helios 44. It's often described as Helios 44-2, or 44-4, etc. These are the same lens model with slightly different features. The number in the model number 44-X is supposed to relate to the lens' resolution, so higher numbers are optically better. However, due to poor QC in manufacturing, some higher number lenses aren't as sharp as lower numbered examples. Plus they're all old now, so might be scratched or whatever. The lenses have a pin that the camera uses to close the aperture, so for the aperture control on the 44-2 lens to work you need to cover the pin. This is relevant because my Fotga m42 to m43 adapter doesn't press the pin, but my cheap m42 to m43 focal reducer does. The solution is the 44-4 which has a switch to set manual mode where the pin doesn't matter. The lenses are built like tanks, so don't worry if there are scuffs or whatever, but beware any that have fungus or haze in them. Ebay auctions often have a shot through the lens onto a plain background so you can see any issues, these are safer (but not completely safe). They can be a little soft, so make sure you like the look before you buy. Have a look through the completed auctions to see what you should pay - there are heaps for sale so don't pay too much! Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stab Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 13 minutes ago, kye said: +1 for getting it. There are a few different versions and it's a little complicated. Here's what I remember as being important: The name of the lens is Helios 44. It's often described as Helios 44-2, or 44-4, etc. These are the same lens model with slightly different features. The number in the model number 44-X is supposed to relate to the lens' resolution, so higher numbers are optically better. However, due to poor QC in manufacturing, some higher number lenses aren't as sharp as lower numbered examples. Plus they're all old now, so might be scratched or whatever. The lenses have a pin that the camera uses to close the aperture, so for the aperture control on the 44-2 lens to work you need to cover the pin. This is relevant because my Fotga m42 to m43 adapter doesn't press the pin, but my cheap m42 to m43 focal reducer does. The solution is the 44-4 which has a switch to set manual mode where the pin doesn't matter. The lenses are built like tanks, so don't worry if there are scuffs or whatever, but beware any that have fungus or haze in them. Ebay auctions often have a shot through the lens onto a plain background so you can see any issues, these are safer (but not completely safe). They can be a little soft, so make sure you like the look before you buy. Have a look through the completed auctions to see what you should pay - there are heaps for sale so don't pay too much! Enjoy! Thanks for the extensive reply Kye! Ok so my best bet is to lookt at a higher number. The 44-4 for instance, or get an adapter which takes care of the aperture pin-problem. Are you using it with or without a speed booster or focal reducer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kye Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 22 minutes ago, Stab said: Thanks for the extensive reply Kye! Ok so my best bet is to lookt at a higher number. The 44-4 for instance, or get an adapter which takes care of the aperture pin-problem. Are you using it with or without a speed booster or focal reducer? The 44-4 doesn't need the adapter to push the pin, so get that one and get the cheapest adapter that looks sturdy. I've bought a number of cheap Chinese adapters and they're all solid and work fine for me. I've currently got my 44-4 on a Fotga non-SB adapter as a 116mm equivalent lens, and my 44-2 on a cheap Chinese SB (it's a SB and mount adapter in one) as a 80mm lens, but I've got more lenses in-transit so I'm not sure if they'll stay in my lineup. They are quite soft, and prone to flare from highlights within the frame, so I might end up liking a more generic lens instead. Now I've found the 5K mode on my GH5 that has much less sharpening I don't need the lenses to do as much softening for me. Vintage lenses are so cheap, plentiful and interesting that it's hard to fight the urge to try all of them Not to tempt you (ha ha ???) but there are some other nice lenses similar to the Helios. I've got a Mir 1B 37mm f2.8 on order that's meant to be the 35mm equivalent of the Helios, so that'll be interesting when it arrives. You can even buy them new! Stab 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thephoenix Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 are you sure about the pin for the 44-4, i have a 44-4 myself and there is the pin and no auto / manual thing. but most of the adapters do press the pin so no problem. i decliked it last week. quite easy even if it took me a while to understand how the aperture system worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kye Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 3 hours ago, thephoenix said: are you sure about the pin for the 44-4, i have a 44-4 myself and there is the pin and no auto / manual thing. but most of the adapters do press the pin so no problem. i decliked it last week. quite easy even if it took me a while to understand how the aperture system worked. Damn. You're right, I think I confused myself. My 44-2 doesn't have a pin and the aperture is fully manual. My other Helios, which I bought as a 44-4, but is only labelled 44M, has the pin and a Manual/Auto switch. According to camerapedia the M just means m42 mount. But there are heaps of people who have lenses that don't have switches and can't set the aperture manually. I also checked the Fotga adapter, and it definitely doesn't press the pin. Looks like the advice is to get a 44-2 or make sure you get the manual/auto switch. Sorry @Stab, hope you didn't hit ebay in the last couple of hours? ??? Stab 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thephoenix Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 44-4 are fine too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 29, 2019 Share Posted January 29, 2019 6 hours ago, Stab said: Hey everyone, I'm in the market for a Helios 58mm f2. I'm using the Panasonic GH5-S with a Nikon -> MFT SpeedBooster. I would really like to use the lens on the Speedbooster so the question is, is that possible and will it degrade the image quality to use 2 adapters on stacked on each other? Because I would need an extra adapter first to change the mount into Nikon right? So which version of the lens do you recommend me to buy? And with which mount? Does anyone use this lens with a Speed Booster and is happy with the result? Thanks! If you search on eBay, you can find good prices on Helios lenses that were already modified to the Nikon mount. I would look for one of those if you intend to use it with your speedbooster. Using adapters to Nikon F mount can be tricky, a lot of them need glass adapters or won’t hit infinity focus. So I would search for someone that already modified the lens mount and guarantees infinity focus and obviously check the sellers feedback. Good luck. Stab 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thephoenix Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 got this adapter for my fuji xt3, this brand makes good quality adapters. i prefer to spend a little more money to get well finished adapters as i don't want to take any chances and ruin my camera mount or anything else. and this is not too expensive so i think it is worth the money https://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B00L7EHLOQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stab Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I'm looking into anamorphic shooting as well now. I'm thinking about the Helios 58mm with an Anamorphot 1.33x. That would work wouldn't it? Seems like an interesting combination. What would the horizontal FOV then become if I use it with a GH5-s on a Speedbooster XL? Is math correct: 58 mm / 1.33 = 43.61 mm 43.64 mm *0.64 = 28 mm So it would be pretty wide with the lens 'effects' of an 58 swirly bokeh master. That sounds awesome. Has anyone tried this? Or will there be vignetting or even a black tunnel visible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heart0less Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 Your math looks correct, but you didn't include 2x crop in it (M43, right?). I couldn't find any first hand experience about the exact setup you posted, even on Facebook group (Anamorphic Shooters). But I did find some example: It was shot using Sigma 30/1.4 with a speedbooster and SLR Magic 1.33x on a GH4 https://vimeo.com/100453053 If this worked, then Helios would work without any vignetting, as well. Another one, GH5 + Helios + SLR Magic 1.33x, no speedbooster, though. https://vimeo.com/225223703 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 2 hours ago, heart0less said: It was shot using Sigma 30/1.4 with a speedbooster and SLR Magic 1.33x on a GH4 https://vimeo.com/100453053 I just spent the past hour looking at this guy’s work... wow. From the comments section of his videos, it seems he mostly directs now but if you go back through his work, he has about a half dozen videos he shot. It seems he started with the 7D and then eventually moved onto the GH4. To keep it lens related, he usually shot with one lens... the Sigma 30mm 1.4. No fancy grading techniques either... just sliders and color wheels. I think I have way too many lenses and am overthinking filmmaking way too much.... Of course, I wish I realized this last night before I ordered that lens... jase and thephoenix 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heart0less Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I didn't bother looking at his videos, seems like I missed a lot. Thanks, mercer! Do you remember Kendy? https://vimeo.com/kendyty I still admire his old work and it was done using only T2i and Sigma 30/1.4 Truth be told, since he got himself Sony a6300, I noticed that the newer videos started to lack something organic, something gripping. Take a look at this: https://vimeo.com/297169447 Versus this: https://vimeo.com/74573072 mercer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 @heart0less yeah you have to scroll down a ways to see the stuff he shot. Most of his work is done with crews that he directs but he has about a half dozen videos in there that are great. And I could not agree more about Kendy Ty. At least once a year I watch his stuff and get inspired. I consider selling off almost every lens I own... I gotta keep a couple... and just shooting with a medium wide handheld and only worrying about the story and the composition. And yes... his a6300 work looks great but it’s amazing how quickly it changed. If I was him, I’d buy a 5D4... or M50... or whatever and get back to his basics. Don’t get me wrong, his newer stuff is better than anything I’ve ever done. heart0less 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heart0less Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 1 minute ago, mercer said: Don’t get me wrong, his newer stuff is better than anything I’ve ever done. Yeah, same here, same here.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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