[Klaus]

It looks quite nice - I give them that at least

http://info.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com/somnium_ii_presale

[Rover]

Thankfully I was never aware that there has been a version I, else I would've been practicing sarcasm on it (and the other similar releases) to no end. Seriously, doesn't that feel like an old soviet Helios from the days of yore in a shiny new housing (a nice looking housing, I have to concede, but that doesn't nearly justify the price in my opinion).

[JJ_SO]

Yaaaawwwnn. Another manual focus shard. Who knows, one day this kind of "bokeh" (to me a nervous disaster behind the model) will come in fashion...

 

Maybe for a mirrorless, for DSLr the focusing will be inaccurate most of the time.

[Klaus]

Yes, I'm wondering why they consider this to be a good bokeh. It'd certain fall through my criteria ... ;-)

[JJ_SO]

¨The flowers are nice, though, but the portraits... Okay, something an iPhone will not fake in the near future.

[Rover]

Hey - I can understand the urge to go all stoned and zoned out of their mind (image-wise; this boken makes me dizzy), but not to the tune of paying $2000 (or even the "preliminary" price of $1000).

[miro]

Construction 6 elements in 4 groups

Similar bokeh have been seen from old lenses without any asperical elements

 

@ Rover - can you still buy those Helios and Industar lenses from Russia. I'm asking this question because I have seen such bokeh from Russian porthret photographers. When I asked them the answer was Helios bla bla :mellow:

[miro]

Googe told me this 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MC-Helios-40-2-...3071487687

 

The question is are they optically the same

What I already know

1. Output results are similar to what I have been seen. This triggers me to search

and come to 

2. Helios 85mm/1.5  6 elements 4 groups

3. Many differences

   - exterior

   - made in label

   - ???

[davidmanze]

       The old Helios is still being made and can be bought from Amazon for $489 dollars new.....for Nikon.

 

 https://www.amazon.com/Russian-Soviet-He...B00B85WA2C

 

   there are only two left!

 

   6 elements in 4 groups....it has 10 bladed aperture...difficult to know if it has those strange scalloped blades of the original version...ironically they can be more expensive on ebay S/H....IMHO that is not expensive....if that's your cup of char? 

   

   How much the old Helios resembles the new Meyer optically, who knows?......a pound to a penny they are the same...your pound my penny.

 

 

  

   I prefer the castle style construction of the old model than the "plain tube type" to me it has lost any character.

 

 

                  ....they are both Mk II versions.

 

     I'll stick to my modified Helios 58mm F2 Nikon mount that I bought for 4 euros, for that bubble bokeh that I tired of pretty quickly.

[miro]

@ Klaus - I would not spent time to review this lens - there are already plenty reviews of Russian version. 

Google says - 

http://bobatkins.com/photography/reviews...eview.html

https://fstoppers.com/originals/funky-bo...f15-123348

@dave -  :mellow: I dont know which is beter Russian Lada or German Trabant. They both are similar - simple, reliable and easy maintainable :-) :mellow:

Some gossips said that Helios was copied from Zeiss, It seems now  Meyer Optik is coping Helios. Next logical step is Zeiss to re-label Mayer Optik <_<