It might surprise you to learn that this was made on the smaller Micro Four Thirds digital sensor of my Olympus OMD EM5. Normally you can’t see that amount of swirly bokeh due to the fact that the smaller sensor only records light from the sharper centre area of the Helios lens. My modification has amplified the effect among other qualities.
You all know I love old film cameras and lenses, right? Well, this is a classic from the former Soviet Union. It’s the Helios 44 58mm f2; an oft talked about piece of glass in gear circles, and one of the most mass produced lenses in the world.
I really enjoy my old Soviet cameras, and tend to post about them an awful lot here. I think it’s the chunky industrial design and finger straining ergonomics that I find interesting (though, to be fair, a camera like the Zarya is exquisitely smooth).
I’m not an especially technical person, so I’ll not be going into great detail about optical properties, lens distortion or aberrations. Besides, there are plenty of other places on the web to find out information like that, especially on this rather popular chap! Before I go any further though, here’s a photo: