Helios 40-2 85/1,5 and Fuji X-T5: a sample

Shooting with the Helios 40-2 is always a slightly unpredictable experience, and that’s part of the charm. Mounted on the Fuji X-T5, the combination produces a character you simply don’t get from clinically perfect modern glass — here, the swirly background bokeh and slightly dreamlike rendering are as much a statement as the subject itself.

This fishing boat  sat in just the right light to make the most of the lens’ quirks. The midday sun was still high, harsh enough to create deep shadows but angled enough to give the hull and rigging a degree of texture. The exposure leaned toward protecting highlights on the water and white paint, which meant letting some shadow areas fall off into deeper contrast — a trade-off I was comfortable with to preserve detail in the brighter elements.

Compositionally, I framed tight enough to make the boat’s cluttered deck the main story. Nets, ropes, buoys — all of it gives context to the vessel’s working life. The Helios’ shallow depth of field at f/1.5, however, is unforgiving: only a thin plane is truly sharp, and here that lands just forward of the cabin, leaving the background and some foreground elements drifting into softness. For some, that might be a flaw; for me, it’s precisely what the Helios offers — a gentle separation that turns functional objects into something almost painterly.

This is not a technically perfect lens. The edges smear, chromatic aberrations creep in under certain light, and the focus throw is long enough to make tracking anything moving a challenge. But with patience, it rewards you with images like this — full of imperfections that somehow feel more honest than optical perfection could ever deliver.