Origin of the Helios-44

[PeterW]

Hi all, specially those interested in FSU (Former Soviet Union) cameras, and Zenits in particular.

You often find it stated on the internet - and I too have been guilty of it - that the Helios-44 lens for the Zenit was a clone copy of the Zeiss Biotar.

I've just been browsing the net and came across a German website about Zenits which goes into a lot of detail, and if I understood it correctly it seems that there was an intermediate stage between the Zeiss Biotar and the Helios-44.

In 1951-52 a pilot batch of Zenits were made with a new f/2 5.8cm lens. These lenses, it seems, were near-enough clones of the pre-war Zeiss Biotar and were known in the Krasnogorsk factory as BTK lenses, standing for BioTar Krasnogorsk. The website says there is a picture of one of this pilot batch in Princelle's book (which I haven't got), and the lens has the serial number 5100004.

Only the pilot batch of BTK lenses were made. The design was then slightly modified - possibly, but not certainly, to take into account new optical glasses (my comment) - and went into production as the Helios-44.

So yes, it would seem that the Helios-44 is a related copy of the pre-war Zeiss Biotar but 'once removed' via the pilot batch of BTK lenses, and possibly modified to use more modern optical glass.

Not earth-shaking information, and as far as I'm concerned unverified, but I found it interesting. Maybe someone else might.

peterW

[John Parry]

Peter

I have a Helios lens off a Zenit. Think it's a 58 although don't hold me to that. I'll check it out. Also got a Jupiter 11. It's the most functional, no frill lens that I've got. And it works beautifully. A lot of the Japanese lens makers could well have made notes!

Regards - John

[vintageslrs]

PeterW

Thanks for the history update on Helios.

I have a couple of Helios-44 lenses also.

JohnP--Their construction is good but optically I think Japanese glass like the Takumars and the Fujinons and the Canons and the Rokkors and the Mamiyas and the Hexanons and the Nikkors are much sharper and more pleasing to my eye.

Bob

[Randy]

I use my Helios-44s on my Prakticas. I have one of each, a chrome LTL and a black LTL and they both work great with those lenses.

[John Parry]

Bob

I was talking about the functionality. I love the simple lines of that lens. As far as the glass is concerned, I seem to remember a story that CZ Jena glass was commandeered for Jupiter lenses (perhaps Peter could shed some light on that). I've certainly no complaints about it.

The Japanese glass came into its own as they started experimenting later (remember Takumar putting heavy earths in to change the refractive index?). And of course with their coating technology. But I really wasn't thinking about the glass!

Regards - John

[vintageslrs]

Gotcha John!

Funny thing is as much as I like most of the Japanese optics......I am open minded...one of my favs is a (German made) Pentacon 50MM F1.8 lens.


;D
Bob

[julio1fer]

The Helios-44 was the lens in the Zenit 3m camera that put me into photography, several decades ago. A great lens for portraits. I didn't even know then that the lens was removable. Thanks for the piece of history!