Soviet Lenses on the NEX platform

Helios 40-2

I don't even know if it is possible with current adapters, but has anyone tried out a Helios 40-2 or the similar Biotar lens on a NEX?

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Soviet lenses. I'm aware of the varying degree of quality control ones finds with these lenses, but if you find one in good condition they can be excellent lenses especially the Jupiter-3 and Jupiter-8 as well as your Industar-61. I still would like to pull the trigger on a Jupiter-8, but I just haven't done so yet. Like you, I only would consider buying from Fedka.

 

Just got my adapter for the Industar 50/3.5... this one is on
an M42 thread. Now all I need is my "7"..... ;-)

 

Nice lens Hodad66! I prefer the ones with Russian letters like your one.

I think I've got the vintage lens 'itch' too which is why I decided on the NEX in the first place... but I was thinking more Japanese vintage After purchasing the 5N, a whole new world opened right up in front of me. My curiosity started when I read about other photographers adapting the plastic toy lens 'Holga' but the 5N already has a superb 'Toy Camera' shooting mode... that's when I started reading reviews about the Russian lenses!

I won an auction for an old Zenit camera last week with a Helios 58mm 1:2.0 (44M6). I won't know what condition the lens is until it arrives. Can't wait!

 

I have both the 50 & the 50-2 and have seen some amazing shots
from them. My experience hasn't shone that much quality BUTT
we'll see what the "7" does with this lil gem.  

 

I'm looking forward to see some samples from your lenses guys. I'm quite impressed with the results from Alowisney's copy.

 

funny I never looked at the quality of the shots...... I just soak
up all the kitty love from them.....

 

I just can't get enough of the rugged handsome good looks of the NEX with vintage lenses!!

I can only imagine the tremendous amount of satisfaction you must be feeling when you use your camera, Alowisney.  

One of the reasons why I want to use very old lenses is because they are not perfect. I'm hoping to explore using flare itself as part of the image composition so that I can also hopefully end up with a 'vintage' looking photo.

Thank you for sharing!

.

 

My Russian lens has arrived... which came complete with body 3EHNT (Zenit) ET 5b. As it turns out, this type is not as "vintage" as I hoped it would be - as this model is one of the later ones (1991-92) before production stopped. I was hoping for an older lens with russian writing on it. On the plus side however, this Helios 58mm f2 lens (model 44M-6) is supposedly the most prominent and all-round best performer and is apparently based on the 6-element 2.0/58mm pre-war Zeiss Biotar design. I'm assuming it's the same vintage Zeiss design internally, but reincarnated in an 80s looking lens body?

I still have to figure out how to add something inside its adaptor to depress a mount 'pin' permanently so that it can be stopped-down by rotating the external aperture ring. The lens isn't very pretty to look at, but perhaps it's performance might endear me to it.

It should be the film-SLR equivalent of a near 90mm medium telephoto, when mounted on my NEX-5N.

 

Sounds interesting mate, keep us posted  

 

What's also interesting is the Zenit body... not that it's any good, but it's built like a WWII Tank. If you drop this thing, it won't ruin the camera - it'll ruin the floor!

 

Maybe it's good that the lens isn't as "vintage" as you thought it would be, I heard that older Russian lenses specially Industar ones contain radioactive diode coatings in their elements.

 

Too incredibly miniscule (if any) to cause any concerns, according to an article I've read. Cell-phones are what we should be concerned about... apparently...

 

That's good to hear.

 

Most older lenses contain radioactive coatings. As do older watches. When all is said and done though, there's nothing to worry about. People get all worked up about radiation. It's all around us all the time. I went to Japan during the crysis and people thought I was nuts because of the radiation. I got about 10 times more radiation on the flight over than I did in Japan.

 

That's true, just paranoia through bad experience I guess.

 

I have a radioactive nikon 35mm f1.4 (thorium glass). I once set off a radiation detector in airport security! Caused lots of interest, especially as they didn't speak a word of English (China)

 

Industar-61

At long last, my INDUSTAR-61 55mm f2.8 Russian lens has finally arrived all the way from the Ukraine!




I haven't had a chance to take photos with it yet, but it's just absolutely gorgeous in black mounted on my NEX-5N (slurp!  )
And yessss, it's the one with Russian writing on it!