Helios-40-1: Climbing the curve Part 3

I heard comments about this lens being too hefty to operate and that it was hard to get the focus exactly perfect in Part 1 and Part 2 of our blog series. It is so hard to love this lens. I’ve learned a few tricks throughout the years that I’ve been shooting glass. These hacks are generally so easy to use that you’ll probably think “DOH” when you hear them, but in my experience, they truly help when using a Helios 40.

Getting Started

Keep in mind that the Helios 40 is an 85mm lens, and since we are photographing it at ƒ/1.5, the depth of focus is as tiny as a human hair. Generally speaking, the standard rule of thumb is to make the shutter speed equal to your focal length when hand-holding your camera. For example, if you are shooting with an 85mm lens, you want to keep your shutter speed at a minimum of 1/85 or faster to avoid any blur occurring from the camera shake.

1/500: When I am all the light in the world and want to take photos of faster-moving people, e.g. kids playing around at a fast pace.
1/250: At times when the light isn’t sufficient and I’ll be pushing the envelope, I allow myself this slower shutter speed even if individuals are jumping, dancing, or moving at a slower pace.
1/125: And we are at my go-to setting for taking portraits to prevent blurry photos.
1/100: And I start to see more blurry and shaky footage, and I am already thinking of where I placed my tripod.

Using SteadyShot/IBIS

The SteadyShoot function is useless if the camera is unable to get focal length data from the lens. To get the best performance out of the SteadyShot function, you must set the proper length before shooting.

Now, when you are using a tripod, make sure to deactivate the SteadyShot function because there is a potential for malfunction of the SteadyShot function.

Use a Hood

To avoid washed-out images and flairs, apply a hood. And yes, I am aware that 66mm filters are hard to come by. I’ve seen all kinds of naive fixes where people cut out filters to form hoods, or all kinds of subpar fixes using cardboard hoods.

The really easy solution to the problem is a 66-67 mm brass filter adapter ring. Applying this step-up ring makes your Helios compatible with 67mm hoods.

Backlit, avoid it

Backlighting is not particularly popular with this lens, especially if you haven’t used the Hood technique previously. Generally speaking, I try to avoid taking pictures directly into the light because the focus gets harder and the image washes out faster. It is much preferable to have a partial backlight; look for or conceal light in certain branches before attempting to illuminate your subject with ambient light. If you are unable to locate ambient light, I highly suggest utilizing a golden reflector.