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Helios 44 Outer Limits
- by Luiz Paracampo
  
Helios 44 pre set or Auto variations - The Basis.
The Helios 44 lens is a very interesting lens in its
concept. Its quality is not limited to the excellent pictures it is able
to do, but its unique mechanical construction gives us great
possibilities of other uses.
Now we will show some of those possibilities, but
first let’s be familiar to those interesting device.
The schematics (Helios 44-4)
The optical formula
As you have seen, this lens is a six element, four
groups symmetrical formula of Gauss type.
The mechanical assembly
In the above drawing we see the assembly details of
the Helios 44/2, which is similar to all previous Helios 44 lenses. This
schematics is for illustration purposes. Now let’s go to the proposals.
1.
First proposal: Telephoto
conversion.
Removing back unit
When you remove the back unit, the front unit
remains in the lens body retaining its diaphragm and focusing abilities.
The front block has a focal distance of
116 mm;
an excellent choice for a short telephoto or a portrait lens.
The normal Helios 44
Telephoto condition
In order to replace the front unit of three elements
in a useful position to focus correctly, we need a corrector tube, whose
construction is shown in the following picture.
The tube (measures in mm)
Normal and telephoto with sunshades
The above drawings show us the Helios 44 with a
proper sunshade and used as normal or telephoto condition.
2.
Second proposal: Use telephoto
concept for macrophoto.
Reverser ring and filter ring
Telephoto, Macro and Macro
reversed in two magnifications
The introduction of a tube in the system immediately
extends the close focusing range of the normal lens so you have the
macro possibilities. But now we introduce two more rings a reverser and
a filter ring, putting the lens at a reverser way. With the reversed
lens, you have two macro ranges, with or without tube. In the normal
position with the tube one macro range, therefore, three macro
possibilities.
3.
Third proposal: Soft lens for
portrait.
Spot filter
Two soft portrait lenses
In order to transform the Helios lens in a soft
portrait we follow the famous Thambar solution. Build a filter with a
center darkened spot. An 11mm metal disc is glued in a UV or lens
protection filter in 49 or 52mm according with the lens. And you have
two portrait lenses. A 58 and a 116mm FLs
4.
Fourth proposal: Microscope.
The bell as a high quality loupe
We begin with a great quality hand observation
loupe.
An acrylic bell with a screw mount in the top puts
the Helios lens in the right focus position, the acrylic do the best in
homogenize the external light to the object to be seen or photographed.
But your eye can be replaced by the camera and that way you can obtain
various microscope magnifications, according to the used camera lens.
Magnifications with the various combinations
1) Helios 44 / Helios 44 - 1,00 - 1/1 also Industar
61LZ or Volna 9 / Helios 44
2) Jupiter 9 / Helios 44 - 1,46 - 1/0,68 - 1,46/1
3) Jupiter 37 / Helios 44 - 2,33 - 1/0,42 - 2,33/1
4) Jupiter 21 / Helios 44 - 3,45 - 1/0,29 - 3,45/1
How to
use the lens combination together the Helios and bell.
Enlarging combinations
The bell constuction details
Coupling rings
To do so, you will need a proper coupling ring with
two external threads.
5.
The system proposed.
The Primary set
Only with lens so built
But take care! Not all Helios 44 can be used in all
the described proposals. You can recognize those ones through the
existence of the rear block removing slots.
Those which have no slots have the rear block
irremovable and telephoto use is impossible. All other uses are although
completely feasible.
6.
Addendum
Description of tube construction
The length: This tube is a compromise, The original
Hélios 44 lens unit is considered a unit and so is treated.
When in assembly line the whole unit is made to fit
the focusing mount and in that way focused to infinity.
When one removes the rear lens block the unity is
broken. In the production run , as we know, the elements comes different
and the sets made to match, that way, when you use only the front set ,
never it will focus exactly in the same place each other. That way, our
extension tube is proposed after a series of trial and experiments and
we decide to make them slightly shorter than needed in order that the
front element will always reach the infinity, really it will slightly
over focus the infinity mark.
The construction: It is composed of three parts and
it is absolutely universal. Can be used with M39 lens in M39 cameras,
with M42 lens in M42 cameras, or M39 lens in M42 cameras, or even M42
lens in M39 cameras.
The internal step in the front of the tube is
intended to use automatic lenses in automatic or non automatic diaphragm
cameras.
Helios 44 lens without
removing back.
For those lenses we developed a clever teleconverter
with a single element negative meniscus made to match all the intended
proposed performances. Its construction follows the extension tube above
including only a threaded internal and two rings to secure the minus
lens. The front ring that holds the Helios 44 lens is glued by anaerobic
glue, as in the extension tube.
Here you have the detailed teleconverter
construction. The negative lens of 28mm in diameter is a minus 6.75
diopter glass lens. The shown position is the better one to minimize
aberrations.
Description of bell
construction
The bell is made of a single piece of acrylic, and
is intended to focus correctly the lens in the base and give an even
illumination to the inner object. In the upper part is glued a ring
intended to retain the threaded lens. This part is the same frontal ring
used the in extension tube and the teleconverter.
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