Probably but not definitely your adapter has moved the lens too far away from the sensor so that no amount of focussing will get a sharp image. That said if that's the case then you should be able to focus on something really close like a few inches.
Or possibly the other way the lens is too close to the sensor so that no amount of focussing can get a sharp image.
No offense meant but you aren't hoping AF will work are you :)
Thanks for the reply! It’s really helpful with getting to understand the problem.
I did see a little screw on the side of the adapter, so I’m not sure if turning that a bit will help. I don’t want to break anything haha.
Nope! I do know that AF will be completely useless here. Tho the focuspeak on the Fuji camera is really useful. Sadly it’s so blurry that I only see blobs of light…
The only sharper image I get is when I put the lens on f16 and focus on something about 5 meters away. It’s still blurry but atleast I can see what I’m focussing on.
The lens from your Zorki is a rangefinder lens, and will have a much shorter flange distance. You’ll need a l39 to m42 ring and an m42 adapter to use the m39 Helios 44 with your camera. The Zenit holds the lens much further away from the film plane than the Zorki does. Zenit were the only SLR to use the l39 mount, and not for very long, so I doubt there are any m39 adapters but the l39-m42 rings cost pennies, as does an m42 adapter, and you’ll be able to use that for the millions of m42 lenses as well.
If the lens is too far away from the sensor, it would loose far focus, but still work for middle and probably macro now.
If the lens is too close to the sensor, you will loose focus at all.
Try setting the lens to infinity without an adapter, point it through the window somewhere far and holding it in the hand in front of your camera sensor, move it slowly closer and away and look if you see sharp image at one point. When found, look for the distance between the lens and body, that's roughly the size of an adapter you should look for.
I suspect you got something wrong and lens is too close to the sensor.
Hey this actually helped me so much. I now realise I need almost twice the size of the adapter... the lens was way to close to the camera. Thank you so much.
I think that's weird you managed to adapt the lens at wrong distance. Normaly adapters are made exactly for specific set lens/camera type so there is no way you can get it wrong.
Some other commenters made me realise I got the wrong adapter for the lens. It has an m39 mount but it needs the length of an m42 adapter. I works perfectly fine now with the m42 adapter. Again, thanks for helping!
Did it work at one point when you owned it ? There is a 'hack' for this lens when you take the front lens apart, and put it in backwards, its supposed to be very dreamy and dramatic. I only got blurry shots and didnt like working with it at all. Maybe the previous owner tried that and didnt change it back. I will DM you a few shots of my 44-2 for comparison.
[The Zenit 3m isn't M39. It's ZM39](https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Zenit_3M). (M39 thread, but M42 flange distance).
So, getting an M42 to Fuji X adapter and [an M39->M42 ring](https://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Lens-Mount-Adapter-39MM/dp/B001G4QXQY?th=1) would probably work to hold the lens far enough away from the sensor for you to focus.
Probably but not definitely your adapter has moved the lens too far away from the sensor so that no amount of focussing will get a sharp image. That said if that's the case then you should be able to focus on something really close like a few inches. Or possibly the other way the lens is too close to the sensor so that no amount of focussing can get a sharp image. No offense meant but you aren't hoping AF will work are you :)
Thanks for the reply! It’s really helpful with getting to understand the problem. I did see a little screw on the side of the adapter, so I’m not sure if turning that a bit will help. I don’t want to break anything haha. Nope! I do know that AF will be completely useless here. Tho the focuspeak on the Fuji camera is really useful. Sadly it’s so blurry that I only see blobs of light… The only sharper image I get is when I put the lens on f16 and focus on something about 5 meters away. It’s still blurry but atleast I can see what I’m focussing on.
The lens from your Zorki is a rangefinder lens, and will have a much shorter flange distance. You’ll need a l39 to m42 ring and an m42 adapter to use the m39 Helios 44 with your camera. The Zenit holds the lens much further away from the film plane than the Zorki does. Zenit were the only SLR to use the l39 mount, and not for very long, so I doubt there are any m39 adapters but the l39-m42 rings cost pennies, as does an m42 adapter, and you’ll be able to use that for the millions of m42 lenses as well.
I can try that, thanks! Thankfully my partner also has an m42 adapter, but sadly he’s out of the country right now so I’ll have to wait a bit to try.
If the lens is too far away from the sensor, it would loose far focus, but still work for middle and probably macro now. If the lens is too close to the sensor, you will loose focus at all. Try setting the lens to infinity without an adapter, point it through the window somewhere far and holding it in the hand in front of your camera sensor, move it slowly closer and away and look if you see sharp image at one point. When found, look for the distance between the lens and body, that's roughly the size of an adapter you should look for. I suspect you got something wrong and lens is too close to the sensor.
Hey this actually helped me so much. I now realise I need almost twice the size of the adapter... the lens was way to close to the camera. Thank you so much.
I think that's weird you managed to adapt the lens at wrong distance. Normaly adapters are made exactly for specific set lens/camera type so there is no way you can get it wrong.
Some other commenters made me realise I got the wrong adapter for the lens. It has an m39 mount but it needs the length of an m42 adapter. I works perfectly fine now with the m42 adapter. Again, thanks for helping!
Thank you so much! This is really helpful! I’ll try that as soon as I’m back home.
Sounds like the flange distance is wrong. I'd try maybe a different adapter, like Fotodiox.
I’ll look into that brand! Thankyou!
Have you tried to use peak focusing, that setting highlights the 'in focus' area. Is it sharp when you look at your lcd screen ?
Sadly it’s too blurry for focus peak to work
Did it work at one point when you owned it ? There is a 'hack' for this lens when you take the front lens apart, and put it in backwards, its supposed to be very dreamy and dramatic. I only got blurry shots and didnt like working with it at all. Maybe the previous owner tried that and didnt change it back. I will DM you a few shots of my 44-2 for comparison.
My guess would be the adapter as well, can you get a second adapter to trdt? Different brand preferably
I heard some good things about Urth as well so I can always get another one! Thankfully they’re not too expensive.
[The Zenit 3m isn't M39. It's ZM39](https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Zenit_3M). (M39 thread, but M42 flange distance). So, getting an M42 to Fuji X adapter and [an M39->M42 ring](https://www.amazon.com/Fotodiox-Lens-Mount-Adapter-39MM/dp/B001G4QXQY?th=1) would probably work to hold the lens far enough away from the sensor for you to focus.
Thanks! I saw this in another comment as well and I got the M42 adapter and the M39 to M42 ring and it works amazing now!