Carl Zeiss Jena Biotar 58mm f/2 (picture heavy!)

[John Geerts]

If your lenses are M39 thread and made for Russian SLR like my version they can only be used for close distance on a F-mount body. But using a M39 to M42 ring (it is a ring without any flange) and then a M42 adapter for Z-mount it can focus to about 10m or so.

There is a direct M39-Z adapter   https://www.kentfaith.com/KF06.389_m39-lenses-to-nikon-z-mount-camera-adapter

[MEPER]

There is a direct M39-Z adapter   https://www.kentfaith.com/KF06.389_m39-lenses-to-nikon-z-mount-camera-adapter

I have one of those adapters. It is for LTM (like Leica rangefinder lenses) and it works perfect using a e.g. Jupiter-8 50/2 lens which is a rangefinder lens. But the M39 Helios 44 I have is not a rangefinder lens but a SLR lens so register distance does not fit using the adapter above. Some additional distance is needed.

[MEPER]

I found out with some google search the different lens registrations:

M42 adapter: 45.46 mm
M39 Soviet SLR lenses: 45.2 mm
LTM (39 mm): 28.8 mm
T2 adapter: 55 mm

The above confirms using a M39 Helios-44 using M42 adapter via a M39-M42 ring that it is 0.26 mm from reaching infinity focus. 

[Petr sheepeck Jůza]

Should I go or not..... Small boy pondering following his older brother.  :-)

[Petr sheepeck Jůza]

Swirly character.

[CS]

Is that a glass background, or am I looking at lens bokeh?

[golunvolo]

Those are beautiful portraits. Marks the character and emotions.

[Petr sheepeck Jůza]

Bokeh. There is a tree on the right side. The bark looks interesting, doesn’t it?

[CS]

Bokeh. There is a tree on the right side. The bark looks interesting, doesn’t it?

Yes.

[Mimsie]

Taken with a manual 17 blades model on D700 at the longest end of the focus which was around 2 meters

[Fons Baerken]

Helios-44-2 on Zf

[ColinM]

Should I go or not..... Small boy pondering following his older brother.  :-)

I really like ypur two portraits Petr

Taken with a manual 17 blades model on D700 at the longest end of the focus which was around 2 meters

Welcome aboard Mimsie

[Airy]

Another Helios 44-2 on Zf. Wide open and at minimum focussing distance, central sharpness is pretty high, which is uncommon. Also, the vignetting is reasonable. On the downside, LoCA is conspicuous (see the green fringing) and off-center sharpness is low.
I'd be curious to see how the revised Biotar (58/1.5) by Meyer Görlitz behaves in comparison.

[pluton]

Taken with a manual 17 blades model on D700 at the longest end of the focus which was around 2 meters

The "old style" of the sculpture and lens rendering work together!

[F2F3F6]

Nice rendering for the Carl Zeiss Biotar (first model).

The Helios 44 2,0/58 is a nice lens, a nice copy of the Biotar, but you can find many "wobbling" Helioses, the first ones being aluminium bodies. I prefer the 44 K the last model for construction but it is the one with mulicoating and more bulky, and alas, with less swirly bokeh...(and 8 straight aperture blades only, the oldest have more (10 ? 12 ? I don't remember...)

You can't always win ! A nice copy of Helios 44M black or 44K can be found for 50-80 € here in France ! it works good with Nikon Z : Zfc or Z50 give you a "85mm equivalent" portrait lens or Z fullframe for a nice 58mm, the poor man's Noct or neonoct !

Enjoy !