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The legendary Helios 40-2 85mm f/1.5 is joining IronGlass’ MKII rehousing lineup. While its little brother, the Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 get all the fame, the 40-2 is actually the true king of swirly bokeh, which makes it a perfect addition to the IronGlass’s Soviet MKII series.
The Helios 40-2 has an interesting history, being based on one of the most famous Carl Zeiss lenses of all time – the Zeiss Biotar 75mm F/1.5, first released in 1939. The original Helios 40 began production for use with rangefinder cameras as early as the 1950s, before eventually being made in M42 mount for SLR usage. This swirly bokeh monster is a fast telephoto built like a tank but with an artful image, especially shooting from wide open at f/1.5 to f/2. Now, thanks to the fine people at IronGlass, it will be ready for use on set and in production!
The prototype has now been fully tested and is ready for production! We have some exclusive pictures of how it will look in black, and a sneak peek at the colourful internal components, which will undoubtedly make lens technicians worldwide happy, both visually and for technical reasons.
Thankfully the new rehousing is compatible with all versions of Helios 40 / 40-2, from the early silver Helios 40 to the modern built 40-2 MC version, with the single-coated Helios 40-2 being the most popular choice. The Cyclop 85mm, designed for use with military night vision devices, is still undergoing checks for compatibility, so best to avoid that one at this time if you are serious on getting the rehousing.
It’s now possible to pre-order it here.
Existing MKII customers who want to add it to their set or upgrade it from the standard MKII Jupiter-9, are advised to email hello@ironglassadapters.com for more details.
Both new orders and upgrades will require the customer to send in their own donor optics, so if you are one of them, it might be a good idea to lock in your lens soon!
Written by Peter Cooper
Helios 40 for rangefinder cameras is never been produced. Just for your info.