Film looking for a place to buy decent Russian lenses

[Luke]

Hey all. I have a hankering for a swirly bokeh machine. After a bit of research, it seems a KMZ Helios 44-2 58mm f/2 lens is a good combination of inexpensive and swirly. There a bunch of them on the Bay...... of course they are all in Belarus or Latvia or the Ukraine. I was just wondering if anyone here knows of a good source in the US or if anyone has bought from any eBay vendors that specialize in old Russian glass that can be trusted. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[Yeats]

Luke, I bought mine from a local antiques/collectibles/junk shop for $25, attached to a Zenit camera.

 

[Yeats]

I have 2 Russian lenses, and I like them both very much. Perhaps I should start an importing business... anastasia-lens.com ?

 

[entropic remnants]

i have 2 russian lenses, and i like them both very much. Perhaps i should start an importing business... Anastasia-lens.com ?

bwah-hah-ha-ha!

 

[Luke]

I just found one in the classifieds at Pentax Forums. $15 + shipping so even if it's nothing special, I'm not worried.

 

[Yeats]

I haven't shot much with mine lately, but outside of the swirly bokeh attribute, the Helios is a sharp lens.

 

[Cassady]

I realize that this is an old thread, but I thought I'd say that Fedka Web Site is a good place to get FSU gear. I've gotten a Kiev camera and a 50mm LTM lens from Uri and have been impressed both times.