Last Updated on 11/19/2012 by Chris Gampat
Update: We found the website, but it is right now only in Russian;Â commrade.
We’re not sure how this one slipped under our noses, but our Multimedia Producer Thursten Kent was snooping around Pentax Forums to find that Helios has allegedly reopened shop and is once again producing lenses. For those of you that are unaware, the company produced a couple of Zeiss and Leica knockoff lenses a very long time ago and went nearly defunct and unknown for a while until mirrorless interchangeable lens digital cameras came onto the scene. With their ability to adapt nearly any lens onto the mount, enthusiasts found themselves scouring eBay and Craigslist for some cool finds and rare treasures.
When the Panasonic GH1 came on board, so too did many cinematographers. The problem was finding good, small cinema lenses for the system. Luckily for many videographers, Helios had made them a long time ago and the results are really quite beautiful. I’ve played with the lenses as former co-workers of mine and friends all own them. They’re quirky, but they get the job done.
Today, the lenses can easily be found on eBay and purchased for anywhere from dirt cheap to nearly $1,000.
We’ve tried to find an official Helios website online, but couldn’t as of publishing this story.