The world of M42

Having seen some beautiful examples of images taken with the M42 Helios lens (produced by and for the old Russian Zenit 35mm SLRS), I decided to purchase one. For the equivalent of 30 quid, I managed to buy the lens (it also came with an old zenit camera, that was a bonus!) and an M42 adapter.

Due to my lack of research, I purchased an adapter without a lip to press down the aperture pin on the lens. Refusing to buy a new adapter out of stubbornness, I opened the lens up and modded the pin with the help of some Q-tip tubing to keep it permanently depressed so that the aperture ring worked. It's truly beautiful glass. Here are a few images I took on my first time trying out:

I know they're nothing special... for a guy with bad eyesight, likely incorrect dioptre adjustment, and a first time [applied] manual focus user, they're also not pretty bad. That DoF is lovely. I'd really like to try this out in some night shooting or in an environment with lots of lights behind. I imagine that bokeh would be fantastic! Now. This experience is only the first part! I began to think - are there any other interesting M42 lenses out there? My lord, there is!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Lenses-/3323/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=M42&_sop=2
http://allegro.pl/obiektywy-50590?order=d&string=M42

Look at all those lenses! LOOK AT THOSE PRICES! I think I can even commit to purchasing one or two of those every (or every other) month. I may even become a lens junky. The fact that there are so many [high quality] lenses out there at such low prices opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Now, of course, I'm a realist - I know there are downsides to the world of M42. Very few (if any?) lenses will be "factory new"; all (with a few very rare exceptions, a la some Sigmas) will be manual focus (I need to work on that); and from what I've read, different adapters work to varying degrees with adapter pins on lenses without an A/M aperture switch, so I may have to do some more 'modifications'. After the last one, I'm slightly hesitant. Those lens screws are tiny and ridiculous tight, and the aperture pins are so damn fiddly.

Anyway, that was just a slight rant. I'll certainly keep this updated if (rather when) I decide to purchase more M42 lenses (or perhaps even old FD lenses? oh no, I've opened Pandora's box)