Just bought this Helios-44-2 2/58 on eBay for around 42.00 dollars, plus an adaptor (M42 Lens to F Mount DSLR) for another 10.00 dollars. With this adaptor you will not get infinity focus. Your range will be around 6 to 8 feet. I’ve ordered another adaptor with corrective glass that allows infinity focus. Seems the best way to shoot these old lenses is with a full frame mirrorless camera, which I do not own.
The photos of the camera, lens and adaptor were taken with an iPhone SE 1st generation.
If you look at the image of the lens below, you will see some oil on the aperture blades. Doesn’t seem to be a big deal and the seller disclosed the information on eBay.
These photos below were taken on my first day of ever using the lens and gives an idea of what one can expect.
From my limited experience with the Helios-44-2 2/58 lens, a nice sunny day is required for the best bokeh. Shoot wide open, which is an aperture of 16 on the Helios-44-2 2/58. I really enjoyed shooting with this lens and look forward to more experimentation in the future.
Some good links on the lens: