If you’re interested in vintage lenses, you must already be familiar with the Helios brand. The most popular of these Soviet lenses are the iconic Helios 44, 44-2 and Helios 40. But, do you feel like adding a rare member of the family to your vintage lens collection? Paris-based weird lens enthusiast Mathieu Stern has an interesting recommendation: the Helios-33.
As he mentioned in the video above, the Helios-33 is a rare and mysterious 35mm movie camera lens made by KMZ. Konvas cine cameras used this lens during the 1950s. Later on, military aerial cameras also had this glass. There’s hardly any information about it online, so it’s great that he was still able to tell us about these interesting details.
However, Stern noted that it’s not easy to adapt this lens to modern cameras because it lacks a focusing helicoid. A solution he suggested it to convert it into a “Franken-lens” by attaching it with broken lens. An example is the Helios-33 and Industar lens combination he received from a Russian lens expert. Interested in this contraption? Pay attention to Stern’s tips on adapting it to your digital camera. Crop-sensor cameras are the best for this lens since it produces a strong vignette when paired with Full Frame cameras.
Ever encountered or used a Franken-lens like this? Share your experience with us in the comments below, or in our group discussions if you’re already part of the Photofocus Community!
