If Helios 44 lenses had a small brother that would probably be the Mir 1 37 mm (Russian: "Мир"). The lens some of the optical characteristics of Helios lenses (Swirly Bokeh or Petzval Effect) but its focal length is wider. It can be used as a lens for travels, street photography and general shooting. Its also big enough for portraits but still wide for architecture shooting and even landscapes. Mir 1b was a great success and in 1958 won the Grand Prix in Brussels at the world exhibition. In 1959 the lens was also awarded with the second degree diploma of the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy of the Soviet Union. The lens was designed by D. Volosof and it was based on the 35mm Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon lens. Lets now review this Soviet lens and see its specifications.
Mir 1 (V, Russian b) 37 mm specs - V for Vologda
- Mount: M42 and M39 (earlier versions)
- Focal Length: 37 mm
- Minimum Focusing Distance: 0,7 meters - Some users with a simple modification change the minimum focusing distance to 0,4 meters.
- Number of Aperture Blades: 10
- Aperture Range: 2.8 - 16
- Depth of Field Scale: 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16
- Filter thread: 49mm
- Optical design: 6 elements in 5 groups
Operation - Handling
Mir 1v has three rings. The first one is the preset ring at the front. You can use it to select one of the fixed values for aperture. Its not that user friendly so better use both hands otherwise you may unscrew the lens from the camera. The second one is next to the preset ring and allows you to choose the aperture based on the fixed values of the first ring. For example, if you set the preset ring to 4 then you can choose 2.8 or 4. Its click-less so its nice for video. My copy has a really loose aperture ring so with a slight touch the aperture value can accidentally change. The third one is at the rear of the barrel and it is the focusing ring, just like Helios 44-2. Anyway handling is not the strong point of this lens and it takes some time to learn how to use it correctly. For a newbie to vintage lenses it can be really confusing so make sure that Mir 1v 37mm is not your first vintage Russian lens.
Character - Shooting scenarios
Mir 1b is similar to Helios 44-2 although the swirly bokeh is quite a rarity and more difficult to achieve it especially if you use a crop sensor. It is sharp enough but it images can be soft. The contrast is also low especially at F/2.8. Images become slightly better at F/5.6 and much better at F/8 and F/11.
It is also prone to lens flares and sensitive to back and side light. The first flaw can give you some really interesting flares (in most cases) so you can use them to your advantage. On the other hand if you do not like flares and soft images the use of a lens hood is advised at least outdoors.
Mir 1b doesn't produce vivid images (mainly neutral) and its colors are on the cool side. Purple fringing or chromatic aberration (CA) can be noticed although it is low and vignetting is minimal. But this is a vintage lens and those matters can be easily fixed in post processing. According to some people earlier versions perform better.
Cinematography - Video
Mir 1v - Bottom line
Mir 1 is another interesting lens from the Soviet era. It has that vintage filmic look and it can be a great companion for Helios 44-2. Its low price and its focal length make Mir 1 a good option for all kind of stills and cinematography.
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Buy Mir 1 from eBay: https://ebay.us/iJ6TWm
Mir 1 anamorphic and other vintage lenses: https://ebay.us/TgbE3l
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