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Writer's pictureRaymond Bird

RETURN TO STRAIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY WITH THE HELIOS 44M


AS FAR AS I KNOW THE HELIOS 44M WAS A RUSSIAN MADE LENS FOR RUSSIAN BRAND OF ZENIT CAMERAS. THE HELIOS WAS A DIRECT COPY OF THE CARL ZEISS LENSES THAT WERE SOLD WITH THE OLYMPUS OM BRAND OF 35MM FILM CAMERAS.


THE HELIOS ALTHOUGH INFERIOR TO THE CARL ZEISS LENSES IS GREATLY LOVED BY FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHERS MAINLY BECAUSE OF ITS SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD RESULTING IN BLURRY SWIRLY BACKGROUNDS.


LOOKING AT THE LENS AND READING UP ON IT I WAS POSITIVE THAT USING THE CONVERTER AND ATTACHING IT TO MY CANON 5D MKII THAT I WOULD EXPERIENCE SOME VIGNETTING ON THE CORNERS. ESPECIALLY AS MY 5D IS A FULL FRAME PROCESSOR. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH ABOVE A STRAIGHT SHOT WITH NO POST PRODUCTION CROPPING THIS IS NOT THE CASE.


THE HELIOS IS A 56 MM LENS. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER IT IS THE EXTRA 6MM OVER THE CARL ZEISS OLYMPUS STANDARD 50MM LENS THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MUCH NARROWER VIEW. THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH WAS SHOT FROM 20 METERS. I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED A MUCH WIDER SHOT.


THE BACKGROUND IS DEFINITELY BROKEN (SWIRLY). I ALSO FOUND THE WIDER THE APERTURE F2 THE BLUER THE PHOTOGRAPH AND THE SMALLER THE APERTURE THE WARMER THE COLOURS. THE WIDER THE APERTURE THE MOR SWIRLS IN THE BACKGROUND.


THE HELIOS 44M WITH IT'S 56MM IS EXCELLENT FOR PORTRAITS. THE PHOTOGRAPH ABOVE IS A STRAIGHT SHOT OF TANYA WITH NO POST PRODUCTION WHATEVER. IT HAS NOT BEEN CROPPED IN POST PRODUCTION IT WAS SHOT JUST ONE METER IN FRONT OF THE SUBJECT COMPLETELY BLURRING AND SWIRLING THE BACKGROUND. IT WAS SHOT WITH AN APERTURE OF F8 MAKING THE COLOUR VERY NATURAL.


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