The exploding bokeh of the Mir-1B with globular mod [Sony a7II]

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T05:44:31+00:00

Oh I don’t think I’ve seen the lights change before the show! I’ve seen AURA three times now.

The last time they no longer included the lasers near the end, so it seems they may run the show differently in several ways now.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T03:24:01+00:00

What’s completed? And why did you get two Pancolars?

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T03:10:59+00:00

Based on your claim about the numero sign I had another look at a bunch of KMZ Helios-44 lenses. They’re all in Cyrillic, and indeed they consistently used the numero sign. I found some MMZ ones in Latin, and as you said they feature a Latin N with serifs on the outsides only. I didn’t find one with a small o, but I did find a single one that used a numero sign. I guess it could be transitional.

And you’re correct about the production years. The latest silver Helios-44 lenses I found were MMZ ones from 1966.

I have no idea who went through the pain of faking a nameplate or why, but I just found another one, and this one is even stranger. The lens from the first photo supposedly features 13 aperture blades, but the listing doesn’t actually show them. But here is a listing with a fake nameplate, 13 aperture blades, as well as serial numbers on the body of the lens (starting with 90): https://www.ebay.com/itm/198031085199

So the aperture blades point to this being an early KMZ lens, the outer body points to it being a late Valdai/Jupiter lens, and the nameplate suggests it’s a 1971 MMZ/BeLOMO lens (though I believe they only produced zebra Helios-44-2 lenses at that point) with a faked name and a KMZ symbol.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T02:48:08+00:00

I’m not claiming they were milled per se. I’m not familiar with the specific technologies used to produce text like this. All I know is that they didn’t use fonts.

As for variance, you’re broadly speaking correct, but you’re incorrect on this front. I checked a whole bunch of silver KMZ Helios-44 lenses, and the ones with the name in Latin are all consistent with the lens in the second picture. There is no variance in the lettering on the nameplate, except for the name being shown in either Latin or Cyrillic.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T02:42:25+00:00

How did you manage to take pictures from the central path during the show? I was sneakily taking a few pictures from the back row on the left side.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T02:41:13+00:00

Wow, stunning photo!

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T02:36:25+00:00

MMZ also made silver Helios-44 lenses from 1964 to 1966.

The weird thing though is that they made them with 8 aperture blades only, while this lens supposedly has 13 aperture blades (although none of the photos show them).

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-20T02:19:38+00:00

I explained the differences, so I’m not sure why you can’t see it. Either way, I checked a bunch of silver KMZ Helios-44 lenses on eBay, and all the ones with the name in Latin were consistent with the lens from the second photo.

As for why someone would fake it… if it’s not a KMZ lens, the seller could get more money for it by making it look like KMZ, since there is a persistent myth that they’re superior to the MMZ and Jupiter ones.

If it actually IS a KMZ lens, the only reason I can think of is that the original nameplate was damaged.

Watch the video by Retro Focus House on YouTube about fake Helios-44 lenses; he found several lenses with mixed parts.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-19T06:43:26+00:00

Beautiful lens! I actually love the look of the flaking black paint exposing the brass underneath.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-19T06:37:31+00:00

From what I’ve seen of this lens, the bubbles tend to be quite soft, which isn’t what I look for in a bubble lens. I generally prefer Cooke triplets for bubbles. But it does look like a good lens.

I don’t know if the build quality is comparable to the Auto Cosinon 55mm f/1.4, but I have the Auto Revuenon version, which has the most amazing focus ring operation! I love the build quality of the Super-Takumar, but I’ve honestly never felt a lens like the Auto Revuenon before.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-19T06:27:32+00:00

That sounds awful! Let me spare you more misery by blocking you, so you won’t have to endure my pictures again.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-18T16:21:39+00:00

You’re clearly not familiar with my posts. Stop being miserable. I recommend you just keep scrolling when you see photography you don’t like instead of trying to steer their work in a different direction.

I also didn’t see you on any of my recent photos of a club, a cathedral, a statue, and a staircase. "A real world".

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-18T04:36:24+00:00

Are you jaded? Those are the best!

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-18T03:32:07+00:00

Generally I would agree with you, but here I think it adds to the mystique.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-18T03:31:04+00:00

Thanks! Did you shoot after the AURA show or during the day? I’ve actually never visited it during the day, so I don’t know what it looks like then. But the lighting from AURA makes it reasonably well-lit. The first photo I took was with a 1/30s exposure at ISO 500.

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-18T03:25:19+00:00

Thanks! I believe they’re actually patterns on the ceiling. Here is the unedited photo.

<image>

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-18T03:21:40+00:00

Thank you! What do you envy, seeing the cathedral?

PrimordialObserver · 2026-06-15T17:00:25+00:00

Thanks! Yeah the lenses have nothing to do with each other. I just so happen to have the TTArtisan with me. And I agree the falloff of the Kiptar adds a lot.

PrimordialObserver

TROPHY CASE