Helios-M 58/2 – a Helios 44-2 for Leica M
A lot of lens enthusiasts are familiar with this gorgeous vintage Russian lens — the Helios 44-2, a copy of the original Carl Zeiss Biotar 58 mm f/2. This lens is particularly well-known for its swirly bokeh and distinctive rendering.
Unfortunately, the most popular version of the Helios family — the 44-2 — was produced only with an M42 mount, making it impossible to use directly on a standard Leica M camera.
At the beginning of the year, we set out to see whether we could create a limited-edition lens conversion that would work with the rangefinder coupling of Leica M cameras.
We sourced a good number of lenses and began experimenting to see if this was possible.
As you can see in the image above, we first created a prototype to correct the flange focal distance and add basic rangefinder coupling. This worked perfectly, which led us to produce a small batch of 10 lenses.
We designed a new barrel extension in CAD that matches the aesthetics of the original lens and had these parts manufactured. We also produced several internal components to enable interaction between the rangefinder and the existing helicoid. This allowed us to retain the close-focus capability of the lens. A small click-stop was added so you can feel when the lens is no longer rangefinder-coupled.
Each lens was completely disassembled, cleaned, and inspected for damage, with any worn parts replaced. We sandblasted the original barrels and, along with the new barrel extensions, had them chrome-plated in a beautiful satin finish — the same finish Leica uses on its chrome M cameras.
After that, we reassembled and calibrated each lens, coated the internal surfaces with Black 3.0 paint to minimize internal reflections, and modified the aperture mechanism to include click stops instead of the original pre-selector system.
The result is a beautifully engineered, calibrated lens compatible with both film and digital Leica M cameras.
Availability & Ordering
We’re now in the final stages of cleaning and packaging before these go on sale.
Once available, only 10 lenses will be offered, each individually numbered and accompanied by a certificate showing its edition number and original Helios 44-2 serial number.
Once available, the price will be €950,-. Availability will be announced on Instagram with story & post, and it will be available here on the website.