View Full Version : Helios 103 questions
ray*j*gun
03-19-2009, 10:50
Hello,
I tried the old search method to answer these questions but struck out. So, here goes.
First, recently I ordered from Fedka a new Helios 103 for my Contax IIIa and actually received a "Teanoc 103". Its labled in cyrillic so i don't know if I have the letters right. I seem to remeber reading that this is the same lens as the Helios but I thought somone would know the diff if any. Its a beautiful lens that works very well so far but I woul like to know more about it.
Second, I thought all the Helios lenses were coated but this lens really looks like its not coated. If its coated at all its very faint. How can I tell for sure if its coated and did the factory make any of these contax mount lenses uncoated.
Thanks again for your help!
I hope this image will help you.
http://www.photohistory.ru/Pictures/Lens-Helios-103.jpg
Quite ordinary H-103 made for domestic consumers. All Helioes-103 are coated and yes - many Soviet coatings are almost colorless.
Yes, that's the same as my two Helios lenses.
Very faint purple coating and surprisingly bright aperture blades.
Can be a very good lens, enjoy....
ray*j*gun
03-19-2009, 13:22
Wow...thank you both!!
I have run 2 rolls through the Contax using that lens and its sharp and renders nice color. Amazing how good a lens can be while being made so inexpensively!
Thanks again.
Brian Sweeney
03-19-2009, 13:59
The aperture blades can be "too Shiny". I used a Sharpie pen to blacken the ones that I use.
VERY good lens.
My russian classes are far-far away, but the last 5 letter read "elios". I could swear though, the first letter is "g"...That would give you "Gelios", but then again, maybe "Helios" is pronounced differently in Russian?
As long as it works for you...
dragunov
03-19-2009, 18:39
your "Teanoc" is "Gelios" if you translate the cyrillic lettering into the equivalent English... there is no "H" in russian.
so the "Юпитер" on the Jupiter-8 is "yoo-piter" kind of thing... and that's not the planet, it means "floodlight" in Russian. something like that.
they made them with english names for export...
The g in gelios is like the the G in Gollywood
ray*j*gun
03-20-2009, 03:51
Thanks all....very interesting stuff.....yes my aperture blades are quit shinny also.
Never too late to learn something new even if its in Russian.:)
your "Teanoc" is "Gelios" if you translate the cyrillic lettering into the equivalent English... there is no "H" in russian.
so the "Юпитер" on the Jupiter-8 is "yoo-piter" kind of thing... and that's not the planet, it means "floodlight" in Russian. something like that.
they made them with english names for export...
why not xelios? As in xaracho? (very good?)
man I wished I had continued learning russian...
your "Teanoc" is "Gelios" if you translate the cyrillic lettering into the equivalent English... there is no "H" in russian.
so the "Юпитер" on the Jupiter-8 is "yoo-piter" kind of thing... and that's not the planet, it means "floodlight" in Russian. something like that.
they made them with english names for export...
That's almost correct. But there is H in cyryllic. It looks like latin X (Х). But some letters are not always read as their transcription. E.g. "его" should be transcripted as "yegho" (or whatever as it would be in English) while it's read as "yevo". At least I was thought so. But I have learned Russian years ago in school, don't remember much. Someone from Russia would be better judge:-)
januaryman
03-20-2009, 07:20
Whatever the hell it is, Helios, Gelios, Xelios, it's an outstanding lens for mere pennies and I'm sorry I can only mount it on my Kiev. I'd love to try it out on my Canon P.
The Kiev, if I ignore the film advance system, works well, is squinty, but the rangefinder is amazingly precise.
ray*j*gun
03-20-2009, 07:51
I agree I wish it came in LTM for my Leicas but I guess you can't have everything.
Brian Sweeney
03-20-2009, 11:43
At least One is in LTM:
http://www.ziforums.com/showthread.php?t=158
I just got the Helios 103 in LTM that Brian did for me. I will go out and shoot some and add pictures when I get them developed.
Should be fun with the outstanding Helios 103 being able to use it on my LTM cameras.
Leo
Brian Sweeney
03-20-2009, 12:46
I shot close-up and wide-open with it, and the Focus was spot on with a Canon P.
If I ever do this again, the RF cam is going to be slightly different.
ray*j*gun
03-20-2009, 12:52
So.......your not taking orders for a second one?:D
At least One is in LTM:
http://www.ziforums.com/showthread.php?t=158
At least One is in LTM:
http://www.ziforums.com/showthread.php?t=158
The first thought that came to my mind,"Brian can do it".Very cool !!
januaryman
03-21-2009, 17:48
Funny, same thought came to my mind, followed VERY closely with "Will he sell it to me?" ;)
Jim,we shared the same thoughts.........Robin
Brian Sweeney
03-22-2009, 05:38
Leo sent the Helios-103 to me to figure out a way to make it into LTM. And it had to be "cost effective", meaning using a focus mount that could be found for fairly cheap. Buying a Summarit to convert a Helios-103 is "not cost effective". So- the Focussing helicoid for the Collapsible lenses was the way to go. They can be found for under $50. It was a lot of work, and a real "Hack". The Helios is too big to fit into a J-3, such as I used for Raid's Luxon. Now, I'm trying to figure out a good way to mount a CZO 50/1.5 into LTM... The same Helicoid will work for it as well, but I've got a Summarit to play with. J-3 mount works for the pre-war and wartime CZJ 5cm F1.5's, but not the Opton lens.
Here are some pictures that I took with the Helios 103 that Brian made from a Kiev Mount to a LTM mount for me.
These were taken with the Helios 103 lens on a G! Digital camera. these were at F5.6.
Some more pictures taken by the Helios lens. The toy truck is at 1.8 in my garage. All of the pictures came out quite nice.
Leo
Opps, how do I change the direction of the pictures?
Got the directions figures out.
All told, I think getting a Kiev with a Helios is a really good idea. I'll worry about any conversion later. :rolleyes:
Trius,
You are so right. Get a Kiev and a Helios. I have a 1952 Kiev that has been to Eddie Smolov for loving CLA and works perfectly. I put Grip Tac cover on it from Camera Leather and use a Helios 103 lens for the main lens. A really good shooting camera..
But being what we are I had to have a Helios for my LTM cameras, so therefore the creation by Brian Sweeney of the LTM Helios.
Leo
januaryman
03-23-2009, 17:53
Jim,we shared the same thoughts.........Robin
Yeah, you probably got on his waiting list first. I just need to dust off the Kiev that already has a sparkling Helios 103 mounted, and just do it.
Murray Kelly
03-24-2009, 00:41
Brian, the lens is nominallly 58mm. Did you in fact have to alter the internals of the lens (eg move the front/rear groups closer) or did you accept the difference to the Fed and Leica (different) standard focal length in some way?
I have long wanted a H-103 in LTM as I've said elsewhere and even have some FSU lenses I would sacrifice for the project.
Thanks
Murray
Leo sent the Helios-103 to me to figure out a way to make it into LTM. And it had to be "cost effective", meaning using a focus mount that could be found for fairly cheap. Buying a Summarit to convert a Helios-103 is "not cost effective". So- the Focussing helicoid for the Collapsible lenses was the way to go. They can be found for under $50. It was a lot of work, and a real "Hack". The Helios is too big to fit into a J-3, such as I used for Raid's Luxon. Now, I'm trying to figure out a good way to mount a CZO 50/1.5 into LTM... The same Helicoid will work for it as well, but I've got a Summarit to play with. J-3 mount works for the pre-war and wartime CZJ 5cm F1.5's, but not the Opton lens.
Brian Sweeney
03-24-2009, 01:27
The Helios-103 is ~52.5mm and marked 53mm, same as J-8's and J-3's. For Leo's lens, I set it for a sweet spot of ~10ft, and then tested at 3ft and 30ft. The DOF covers the residual error well enough to use close-up and wide-open.
I did modify one Helios-103 for my Nikon by moving the rear element and then shimming. The earlier Helios' have a second shim for the rear module. Not sure about the later ones, after 1983.
Murray Kelly
03-24-2009, 02:27
Ah-ha! How curious. :-) My two are of the latter series then.
I thank you for the info.
Murray
The Helios-103 is ~52.5mm and marked 53mm, same as J-8's and J-3's. For Leo's lens, I set it for a sweet spot of ~10ft, and then tested at 3ft and 30ft. The DOF covers the residual error well enough to use close-up and wide-open.
I did modify one Helios-103 for my Nikon by moving the rear element and then shimming. The earlier Helios' have a second shim for the rear module. Not sure about the later ones, after 1983.
Murray, you might be confusing it with Helios-44 SLR lens, which is indeed 58mm.
Murray Kelly
03-24-2009, 04:45
Good thinking - I have a couple of those, too. I was sure I'd seen it somewhere round here.
Murray
Murray, you might be confusing it with Helios-44 SLR lens, which is indeed 58mm.
Spider67
03-24-2009, 05:11
There is also a Helios 81m f2/53 in Nikon Ai mount for the Kiev 19.
Peter_Jones
03-24-2009, 05:12
I now feel the need for a Helios 103 :)
Murray Kelly
03-24-2009, 05:31
No, those are definitely for the Zenith SLR. Prime. But I 'do' have an H-103 spare here that calls out to be mounted in some sort of LTM. :-)
I have a retired tool maker friend with not much to keep him busy. Maybe I could stretch a freindship with that one? Have to seriously consider that.
Murray
There is also a Helios 81m f2/53 in Nikon Ai mount for the Kiev 19.
januaryman
03-24-2009, 06:17
I now feel the need for a Helios 103 :)
Best cheap way to try one out is to get it from ebay with a Kiev 4AM as a rear lens cap. Not a terrible camera, a bit rough, but such a wide base you can't really NOT focus correctly. I think alex-photo-goods sold me mine. Which I still need to blow the dust off of, in order to start shooting.
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