{"id":50881,"date":"2024-03-07T08:14:20","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T07:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=50881"},"modified":"2026-01-14T08:27:44","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T07:27:44","slug":"review-kmz-helios-40-85mm-f-1-5-can-the-legend-live-up-to-its-reputation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/review-kmz-helios-40-85mm-f-1-5-can-the-legend-live-up-to-its-reputation\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: KMZ Helios 40, 85mm f\/1.5 – Can the Legend Live up to Its Reputation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/span><\/p>\n

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Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 on a Nikon Z 7II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Impact-Site-Verification: a2860072-f116-4f45-9cf9-c8b7959dd6e4<\/p>\n

This time we take a look at another famed vintage lens, namely the legendary Helios 40. It’s an 85mm f\/1.5 lens, known for, let\u00b4s see if we get it from its many titles: The King of Bokeh, The Bokeh King, the Russian Bokeh King, The Funky Bokeh King, The King of Russian Weird Bokeh, The Vintage Lenses\u2019 King of Bokeh, etc. etc. etc. Dear child has many names. You get it, it has a reputation for its bokeh. It is also very popular among videographers seeking a dreamy vintage look with beautiful bokeh in their footage. While this lens was quite popular even back in the day, it has grown in popularity during the digital era to new heights and created kind of a cult around itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was made by KMZ in the former Soviet Union for the Zenit range of SLR cameras. Like the previously reviewed \u201c<\/span>Helios 44<\/span><\/a>\u201d, there is a belief that when Russians got their hands on Zeiss Jena factory by the end of WWII, they took back the technology and drawings of many lenses to the Soviet Union, copied, and manufactured them. This one is believed to be a \u201ccopy\u201d of Carl Zeiss Biotar 75mm f\/1.5 from 1938. While the optical formula is very similar, it is a widespread Double Gauss Planar design. Besides, it is an 85mm lens. Therefore, some claim it was designed by Russian engineers themselves \u201cbased on\u201d the Biotar 75\/1.5 in 1950. Anyway, let\u2019s have a closer look at it!<\/span><\/p>\n

Sample Images<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Review
Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Review
Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Review
Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Review
Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Nikon Z 7II | Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 | f\/1.5<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most of the sample images in this review and many more can be found in higher resolution here<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Specifications<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Focal Length<\/td>\n85mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Angle of View<\/td>\n28\u00b0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
# of Aperture Blades<\/td>\n10<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Max Aperture<\/td>\nf\/1.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Aperture<\/td>\nf\/22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Min Focus Distance<\/td>\n0.8 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filter Size<\/td>\n66 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lens Mount<\/td>\nM39<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight *<\/td>\n942 g (without front cap)
\n975 g (with front cap)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size (D x L) *<\/td>\n82 x\u00a0 94 mm (incl. mount screw, focus at \u221e)
\n82 x 106 mm (incl. mount screw, focus at 0.8 m)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Elements\/Group<\/td>\n6\/4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* Weight and Size measured on my sample.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Helios
Helios 40 | lens construction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Disclosure<\/span><\/h2>\n

Our reader <\/span>Alexander Standfest kindly loaned this lens for this review<\/span>. Big thank you to Alexander, without his help this review would not have been<\/span> done. (You can see his photos on Instagram @standfest)<\/em><\/p>\n

Variations<\/span><\/h2>\n

Photographic Lenses<\/h3>\n

There are two main versions of this lens. The original Helios 40 developed in 1950 (tested in this review) and a newer Helios 40-2, \u00a0from around 1969 to 1990. The newer version (40-2) was revived in Russia after more than 2 decades in October 2012 due to the Helios 40-2\u2019s popularity and high demand. So, there are both pre-1992 40-2 lenses and post 2012 40-2 lenses. While the optical formula is the same there are several differences between Helios 40 and 40-2.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nHelios 40<\/th>\nHELIOS 40-2<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Color<\/td>\nSilver<\/td>\nBlack<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mount<\/td>\nM-39<\/td>\nM-42, Canon EF*, Nikon F*<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flange Distance<\/td>\n45.2 mm<\/td>\nDifferent depending on mount<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Filter Size<\/td>\n66 mm<\/td>\n67 mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tripod Mount<\/td>\nYes, fixed (later on collar)<\/td>\nYes on earlier copies, on a collar\/ No on post 2012 series<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\n\u2248<\/b>\u00a0940 g<\/td>\n\u2248 830 g<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lens Coating<\/td>\nBluish, single coated<\/td>\nYellowish\/neutral color, single-coated on pre-1990, double-layer coated on post 2012 versions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* Canon and Nikon mounts only on post 2013 revived series<\/em><\/p>\n

Note that the Helios 40-2, produced after the revival in August 2012, has had a couple of sub-variations:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Helios 40-2, from August 2012, with M42 screw mount<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Helios-40-2-C – from May 2013 – with Canon EF bayonet mount<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Helios-40-2-N – from May 2013 -with Nikon F bayonet mount<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Besides the obvious mount difference, there are also some minor cosmetic differences between them.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Other variants<\/h3>\n

    There has also been a version (a side product) for television cameras: Helios-40-T, which does not have a preset ring and usually comes with TV88 mount.<\/p>\n

    In addition to that we have the “Cyclop”, which is a version of Helios-40-2 made for military use on night vision scope. This version has no aperture at all, in other words, the aperture is fixed to f\/1.5 \u2013 always wide open. The casing is different too.<\/p>\n

    Handling<\/span><\/h2>\n

    General<\/h3>\n

    Helios 40 is a fully manual lens and is completely made of metal and glass. Well, by the time it was designed, nobody used any plastic (or electronics for that matter) in any precision instruments. The lens is well-built (they are still working after 60-70 years), relatively big, and very heavy at about 1 kg. Although it is not heavier than Zeiss Otus 85\/1.4, Sigma 85\/1.4 DG HSM Art, Pentax-D FA 85\/1.4, or Canon EF 85\/1.4L IS USM, considering its full metal construction, I\u2019m not sure what I should be worried about if I drop the lens on the floor, the lens, or the floor. Let’s hope I don’t have to find out. When using on mirrorless cameras the size will grow due to the mount adapter. If you put on a lens hood, which you should (more on that later in the review), then we are talking a real bazooka on the camera.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 with lens hood and adapter on a Nikon Z 7II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    As lens hoods are normally not included with this lens, you need to find a screw in lens hood for it. Due to the odd filter size (66mm) you need a step-up ring to use a 67mm or other larger standard sizes like in the images above. The early Helioses (like the one in this review) have an M39 mount rather than M42. You need an adapter ring (M39 -> M42) to use it with M42 adapters.
    \nNote: This is the Zenit M39 SLR mount not to be mistaken with the Leica M39\/LTM mount.<\/p>\n

    \"Review
    Helios 40 + Step-up ring + M42-NZ adapter + Nikon Z 7II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Aperture<\/h3>\n

    The Helios 40 has an aperture preset mechanism with two rings; one, the upper one, with variable distant aperture markings on it, which clicks rather stiffly at each f-stop to set \u201cthe smallest aperture you want to work with. The lower aperture ring is clickless and turns extremely smooth and can set the aperture from wide open to the value you have set on the upper ring. (Example: say you set the upper ring to f\/5.6, with the lower ring you can set\/change the aperture without any clicks from f\/1.5 down to as far as f\/5.6 but not beyond it). This is a nice feature for video makers as it means they can precisely control the light levels as they shoot and change the aperture without any shaking during the filming and without \u201cjumps\u201d in the scene light level when going from one aperture setting to another.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    Helios 40 85mm f\/1.5 aperture preset rings<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    This lens has 10 aperture blades. The interesting thing about it\u00a0 is that it has double layers of aperture blades, 10 aperture blades in each layer, which feels lavish on such an “odd” lens. I made a video to show that.<\/span><\/p>\n