The Helios 44-2 lens, a timeless classic, has been a remarkable presence in the photography world and continues to be a popular choice among enthusiasts on the secondhand market. Being a 58mm f2, it’s likely one of the best vintage lenses you can still buy today.
Originating from Soviet-era craftsmanship, these lenses were initially modeled after the Zeiss Biotar designs and were made in the M42 screw mount for old film cameras. Presently, Iron Glass offers modernized cine versions of these lenses, now available in the PL mount and equipped with MOD gearing, enhancing their build quality significantly.
In a testament to its enduring legacy, Greig Fraser, the cinematographer for notable films such as ‘Dune’ and ‘The Batman,’ has incorporated a modified Helios 44-2 lens for certain scenes in these movies. Crazy to think these Hollywood movies are being shot on a lens I picked up on eBay a few years ago for around $100.
For this article, the Helios I’m shooting with is an old M42 mount I think maybe from the early 80s, that I’ve adapted to the Nikon Z8.
For a comprehensive review and more intricate details about the Helios 44-2 lens Review. But here I wanted to only focus on using this lens while shooting Street Photography, at night, In Fukuoka Japan with a Diffusion filter.
These Helios lenses have a way of coming back into style. They were all the rage in 2015 and 2016, which is when I picked up several types, like the 44M, 44M-7, and 44-2. The 44-2 isn’t my favorite, but it’s best for that swirly background effect.
It’s not just Greig Fraser who loves old-school lenses; Zack Snyder does too. He’s used vintage Japanese lenses for ‘Rebel Moon’ to get a cool, swirly look. He also used an old Canon 50mm f0.95 lens for ‘Army of The Dead’ and for the Joker scene in ‘Justice League.’
It shows how much these guys like the unique touch these lenses add to their movies and it’s cool to see serious professionals paying attention to the optical qualities a lens can offer besides just perfect sharpness.
Speaking of optical qualities besides just sharpness, or in my case, being-in-focus, I wanted to see how the Helios 44-2 lens would work for taking pictures on the streets of Japan. To get a more analog look, I used a Kenko Black Mist filter, which is like the Hoya filter, but Kenko is the brand Hoya sells in Japan.
I picked the No. 0.5 filter because it’s not too strong and works well with the soft glow of the Helios lens. It’s less intense than the Tiffen Black Pro-Mist at 1/4, but stronger than the Tiffen Glimmerglass at 1/4, hitting a nice middle ground.
Combining the Helios 44-2 with the Kenko Black Mist No. 0.5 Diffusion Filter, attached to the 58mm f2 Helios 44-2 lens, produced some impressively nostalgic photographs.
How I’ve Colored This Set
I took all the photos with a Nikon Z8 and a Helios 44-2 58mm f2 lens, keeping the aperture at f2. I also used a Kenko/Hoya Black Mist No. 0.5 filter for a softer look.
I set my camera to Daylight White Balance and manual exposure for consistent shots.
For the colors, I shot in RAW but used the Nikon Portrait Profile in Lightroom, which already has a subtle vintage feel to it. I applied my Sepia Colors from the Core Color Presets, mainly Cine Night – Sepia VI, at about 50% strength. This way, I kept some of the Nikon colors without overpowering the look with the presets, which can be very strong.
I usually adjusted the contrast, sometimes the tones, and white balance to control the orange tint from the daylight white balance. Sometimes, I added Color Elements like Aged I, III, or IV for more effects. I kept it simple without any detailed editing brushing or gradients. Super basic.
For black and white photos, I mostly used the 1c – Film – B&W III + preset from my Ono B&W Presets. I only changed the grain, noise reduction, and increased clarity and texture to add some grit, since the lens has a lot of glow and low contrast – the photos needed more grunge.
How I Focus A Helios 44-2
Since I locked this lens at f2, the focus was a little challenging. If it’s a scene like the above image of the people in the restaurant, I had the time to punch in and focus properly.
Otherwise, I would zone focus. Pick an area maybe five to ten feet away from me, focus on that spot, and then position myself to get the focus as best as I can. I would burst at about 5fps so I could get someone moving through the focus plane hopefully.
It’s way easier than it sounds but not ideal if you’re the type of person who wants everything perfectly sharp all the time. I’m going for vintage here and vibe so the perfect focus wasn’t necessary and, the Helios 44-2 has such beautiful out-of-focus rendering, that being a little out of focus is kind of the point.
The Location of this set of photos is from Nakasu and Tenjin Japan which is in the City of Fukuoka. Easily the best city in Japan. Beautiful people, super chill.
