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Cons: >[1] Difficult to focus at wide apertures with manual focus (common difficulty with wide-aperture manual lenses). >[2] Slight magenta cast: While looking frames from camera LCD screen, it is not detectable. While post-processing with Lr or PS, it is noticeable from WB and tint settings. But not a great problem. :) >[3] Difficult to find. >[4] No weather sealing. >[5] ADVICE: Do not buy Canon or Nikon-mount. But M42-mount and then use an adapter with AF-confirmation chip. Otherwise you will be in real trouble while focusing manually. :)

Pros: >[1] It has f/1.5 wide aperture. >[2] Dual aperture ring; one for aperture control and second one for max. aperture limit setting. >[3] I used it with M42 - EOS adaptor having AF-confirmation chip. It works well while focusing at wide apertures (f/1.5 - f/2.8). >[4] It has nice and solid build quality. >[5] It has 67mm filter thread size (easy-to-find and convenient filters). >[6] Satisfactorily sharp even at widest f/1.5 aperture. >[7] SWIRLING BOKEH! >[8] Considering modern 85mm lenses with AF and aperture wider than f/1.8, it has very reasonable price. I bought it for almost 300 USD, newly manufactured version with M42 mount.

Summary: Well, it is a solidly built old Russian lens. Although it has a very old optical formula, it is recently reproduced by Zenit. So you can find fresh new ones in the Russian market. Outside Russia, this lens is very hard to find. Its optical performance is really nice, considering performance of new AF lenses and the old optical formula of Helios 40-2. It has a unique swirling bokeh effect. It occurs on widest and wider apertures at a certain distance from the subject. Its swirling bokeh is really charming and beautiful. I recommend this vintage lens in its newly reproduced form by Zenit, if you like wide-aperture manual lenses. Really a pleasure! :)