Helios-97M 50mm f/2

Excellent value, widely available. A no-brainer! All lenses in the Helios 44M series are known to be spectacular value for the money, giving images a great deal of character due in large part from the highly sought-after swirly bokeh. In the case of the 44M-4, the lens is better known for its more desirable contrast and sharpness, while the 44M-2 is better known for the quality of the "swirl" in the bokeh. Still, though, you can never go wrong with either of these lenses, whether you're shooting on APS-C or FF, though the evidence of swirl will be less prominent on the former. Build quality is second-to-none; if you get the right copy, the focus ring is smooth as silk, the aperture ring clicks nicely at each stop, and the compact size of the lens makes it all the better. You'll see some softness wide open from both members of the series as expected, and considering the issues of quality control during the many years of manufacturing, each lens tends to offer different results. Nonetheless, as iterated previously, the character provided by these lenses is truly astonishing. Simply put: both models are must buys!Read full review

Fantastic piece of equipment Awesome image quality. The way the lens handles light can get you some really sick shots. The microcontrast is fantastic.Can be a bit hard to figure out exposure with the aperture not being electronic at all, you'll have to figure out your lens' native aperture, and the manual focusing can be hard with larger apertures so you'll want to make sure to get an adapter with focus confirmation but once you get used to it it's not too bad and totally worth it. Definitely a great buy for $50.

Top tier soviet design with beautiful image characteristics. Rigid build quality on this all metal lens. Center sharpness at max. aperture is incredible considering the age, corners fall off quickly, but the out of focus qualities of this lens are what make it so special. Beautiful colour rendition. Great for creative use/shooting in a more painterly style.