Zenit B with Helios 44-2

<p>Hi all,<br>

I have a Zenit B with Helios 44-2 and I am a little confused as to the aperture rating. There is a red dot on the lens which I thought was indicating the aperture selected. Though, moving the red dot over F11 the aperture becomes wider. Moving it over F2, the aperture gets narrower. Am I missing something here?</p>

<p>Also, when rewinding the film, is it necessary to keep the lens cap on? I'm new to film so forgive me if this is a stupid question. </p>

<p>I have never known a shutter to leak, such that I needed to keep the lens cap on, but I always keep it on, anyway, unless I don't have one. Just in case, and also it is the best place to keep the lens cap!</p>

<p>Well, early after I bought my Nikon FM, the mechanism locked up. I took it to a nearby authorized repair center, and they fixed it. Then they suggested that, at the end of the roll, always complete the final wind and shutter cock. That is, hold in the rewind button while winding. Since I could accidentally hit the shutter release, I felt an extra incentive to keep the lens cap on, or put the lens against my clothes, such that it was covered. </p>

<p>The Helios 44-2 is a preset diaphragm lens. The front ring sets the diagphragm - line up the opening you want with the red dot. The ring behind stops down the diaphragm to your preset setting. Turn it clockwise (as you hold the camera). Remember to reopen the diaphragm after you take a shot.<br>

Film can be rewound without the lens cap on.</p>

<p>Hi John, So the diaphragm isn't quite like an aperture?</p>

<p>The red dot aligns with the numbers but they seem to be the opposite for what a regular aperture would be. 11 is shallow and 2 is narrow on this one. The ring behind the diaphragm focuses, it doesn't seem to stop down.</p>

<p>Thank you for your answer Glen. So I am assuming the cloth behind the shutter will stop any light from getting through.</p>

<p>Aperture and iris/diaphragm are the same. F/2 and F/11 are the same for all lenses.</p>

<p>There are two rings near the front of the lens - not the focus ring at the rear. Turn the ring nearest the front to pre-set the aperture diaphragm to the value you need, say F/11, against the red dot. Then use the second ring, which should move quite freely, to flip between the full F/2 aperture for viewing and focusing, and the taking aperture F/11 to actually take the picture. You can also stop down to the taking aperture to preview the depth of field, but the view gets much darker when you do this.</p>

<p>The presetting ring can get very stiff to turn through lack of use. I wonder if you are actually turning it, or just turning the second ring?</p>

<p>The shutter blind will certainly prevent light from falling on the film when rewinding, but some photographers prefer a belt and braces policy, and keep the cap on the lens too.</p>

<p><img src="http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o246/johnf_04/Camera%20Collector/IMG_1978s.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" /><br /> The front ring, with the engraved numbers, rotates to set the aperture. The ring behind, with the red bar engraved, is the one which is rotated to stop the lens down to that aperture.</p>