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Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 74
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 03:14 pm: | 
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I have a Helios 44 and I was wondering if anyone has seen this version before. It is a plain Helios-44, all black gloss paint, all white lettering on the barrel, KMZ manufactured, serial No. N0359689. The other important fact is that it is an M42 mount. I have not been able to find much information on this lens, but it looks like most 44's of this variant were M39 mount. Has anyone seen this one before? |
Reborn7
Tinkerer
Username: Reborn7
Post Number: 48
Registered: 11-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 03:45 pm: |
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This is a very common lens in Europe, often comes with the Zenith 12xp reflexcamera, amongst other ... |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 75
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, July 05, 2011 - 07:19 pm: |
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I don't think we are talking about the same variant. The lens is a Helios-44, not 44-2, 44-3, 44M-4 or other. The only versions of the plain 44 that I have seen are silver m39 mounts. |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 109
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 11:24 am: |
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Wayne, this site http://www.commiecameras.com/sov/35mmsinglelensreflexcameras/lenses/index.htm
lists the Helios-44 under the M39 lenses, but then on the page here, it is given as M42 (but he uses a photo of a 44-2). Some of my other links are dead now, so it's kind of hard to confirm this, but I'll keep looking.
PF |
Br1078lum
Tinkerer
Username: Br1078lum
Post Number: 110
Registered: 11-2010
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 06, 2011 - 11:35 am: |
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Wayne, another, more comprehensive site on Russian lenses has it as either a bayonet for the Start camera, or M39x1. Here is a link to the translated page.
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zenitc amera.com%2Farchive%2Flenses%2Fhelios-44.html
If that doesn't work, try
http://www.zenitcamera.com/catalog/lenseslist.html
and run your own translator. Gotta go now, storm blowing in.
PF |
Msiegel
Tinkerer
Username: Msiegel
Post Number: 251
Registered: 03-2008
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 07, 2011 - 04:22 am: |
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The serial no. of the lens does not show usual pattern (first two digits being the production year) so it might be from a special run. IIRC Zenit changed from M39 to M42 with the Zenit B - there are early Bs with M39 mount but the majority is M42. Maybe the lens was made in the period when the mounts were changed.
But that's wild guessing to be honest.
Martin |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 937
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 07, 2011 - 05:36 am: |
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As you do not picture or describe the lens in detail, it is impossible to make any educated comments or give any constructive pointers. If one wants to believe any of the crap that is posted on the internet about this series of lenses, the single zero prefix to the serial number indicates a factory supervisors quality control optical standard.
Unfortunately nobody quotes the primary source for these sweeping statements, and the chaotic Soviet era production regime means that definitive answers are somewhat problematic.
When the USSR went arse over tit, the old optical industry seems to have gone through a period of DIY production using redundant/smuggled/stolen factory parts - this is fully understandable as workers struggled to make a living in the 'bright new world'! So we have all sorts of 'funny' optics on the open market, that were assembled by unknown persons during that period of tumult. |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 77
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 08, 2011 - 03:12 pm: |
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Here are a couple of photos for Glenn:
As you can see, the markings are all white, as opposed to the Helios 44-2 which has green DOF scale and yellow/orange distance scale. Also, the distance scale is in meters. I have a Helios 44-2 that is marked in feet (I don't know if that is significant). As Glenn mentions, there is a theory that the 0 serial numbers were meant for party officials or other important people, but I think this has been debunct. I have also heard the theory that the Helios-44 was obviously the earliest version of this lens and was produced in M39 mount. When it began to be produced in M42, it caused some confusion. This is where the 44-2 began. The 44-2 was for M42 mount and the 44 was for M39 mount. I don't know if this is true or not. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 939
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 09, 2011 - 09:30 am: |
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The link below would seem to suggest that your lens is the 44-2 version - given the general construction shape of the rear mount.
http://www.novacon.com.br/techhel.htm
Given the very varied Soviet production runs, I think this lens is just an early version of the 44 in M42 mount configuration and made for export to metric 'speaking' Europe. Your last two sentences seem sum up, in a very plausible way, why the - 2 suffix suddenly appeared as the M42 identifier. |
Hanskerensky
Tinkerer
Username: Hanskerensky
Post Number: 102
Registered: 05-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, July 10, 2011 - 03:04 pm: |
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Could it be that it is a M44-2 with a replaced front lens ring coming from a M44 ? |
Waynemel
Tinkerer
Username: Waynemel
Post Number: 78
Registered: 08-2009
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, July 15, 2011 - 06:20 pm: |
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That could be possible I suppose. Some other smaller differences (other than those already mentioned) are that it has some set screws that are smaller than on my 44-2, and the coatings are a different colour. The front rim is flat and black (it looks like the finish has been worn off). On the 44-2 it has a beveled front rim edge that is bright metal. |
Glenn
Tinkerer
Username: Glenn
Post Number: 941
Registered: 07-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 16, 2011 - 07:02 am: |
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Small set screws are certainly a feature of the original M39 mount version of this lens. You could say that over the production run, of this series of lenses, the construction and cosmetic design got somewhat 'courser' - hence the larger screwheads etc.
Still think this is just an early example of the M42 mount, preset version, for the European markets. |
