What is the cheapest used Helios-40 85mm f/1.5 in the UK?

The cheapest used Helios-40 85mm f/1.5 currently listed is £393.14 at eBay, based on 1 listings compared across 1 UK retailers.

How many used Helios-40 85mm f/1.5 are for sale in the UK?

There are currently 1 used Helios-40 85mm f/1.5 listings available across 1 UK retailers on UsedLens, updated daily.

Used Helios-40 85mm f/1.5 for Sale — From £393

£393.14 Low price

£393.14 High price

1 Listings

1 Retailers

Great for: portrait low light

Helios's fast 85mm f/1.5 portrait prime — Biotar-derived M42 lens famed for swirly bokeh.

The Helios-40 85mm f/1.5 is a fast short-telephoto portrait prime made in the Soviet Union, based on the Zeiss Biotar formula. Dating from the late 1950s it was among the fastest Soviet lenses of its day and was produced for M42 and other mounts. It became famous as a character portrait lens rather than a clinical performer.

This is a manual-focus M42 screw-mount lens with an 85mm focal length and a bright f/1.5 maximum aperture. Focus and aperture are set by hand on the barrel, and it is a large, heavy all-metal lens reflecting its fast double-Gauss-derived design. Exact element and weight figures are not asserted here beyond the verified focal length and aperture.

This lens is renowned for its swirly, rotating out-of-focus rendering wide open, a signature look that whirls background highlights around the subject and gives portraits a dreamy, three-dimensional feel. Wide open it is soft and glowing, firming up as it is stopped down. It is chosen specifically for this distinctive Biotar-style bokeh rather than technical sharpness.

Original Helios-40 copies are collectible and their strong character keeps demand high. Inspect the large elements for haze, fungus, scratches and separation, confirm the aperture blades are clean and the preset ring works, and check the heavy focus helicoid. Note the considerable weight when adapting. An M42 adapter makes it a popular character portrait lens on mirrorless.

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HELIOS-40-2 1.5/85mm F1.5 Canon EF-mount - CINEMA MODE eBay

£393.14

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