So I got my Helios 44M a couple of years a go at Pasar Baru for Rp 200.000,- (around USD18). As you can see, it’s in a very bad shape, the lenses are covered with fungus, and the focus ring barely works. But, since I’ve been hearing a lot about the 44Ms, and I really want to see the so called “swirly bokeh”, I decided to took it home with me. By the way, it’s an M42 lens, and luckily I happen to have a M42-K Mount adapter lying around at home.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Helios 44M series are famous for producing “swirly” bokeh. My copy of course suffers from the negative effects of fungi infestation, with lack of sharpness, absurd color rendering (which I actually like), and focusing difficulty. Below are some sample from my copy
Out Here In The Field : New Frontier! 