Minolta SRT's -- Gotta Love 'Em.

[Nokton48]

Well I just picked up another Minolta SRT in the RFF classifieds (for $40!). It's the SRT-202, which was the last of the line, and had the most features of any SRT. Camera is in great condition, although I did re-do the foam seals, in the mirror return, and back door. Good as new, ready to use. It even came with an EPX625 battery in good shape

This got me thinking about how much I enjoy using my SRT's. Really great cameras, and not expensive, either. I started out using SRT's in the 70s for newspaper work, then moving to Canon F1s, Nikon F/F2s, Leica, etc. But I have returned to the SRT.
The Rokkor lenses also work just great with my two Nex3s.

On the left, is the SRT100 I bought new (at the local camera store) in 1973, now covered in Cameraleather Green Kangaroo. Attached is the 100mm f2.5 MC Rokkor (this lens is extraordinarily sharp). On the right is my new SRT202, with my 21mm F2.8 MC Rokkor.
Today I'm running some Efke 25 through the bodies, to shake 'em out.

What's not to like? Any other Minolta SRT users out there?

[redisburning]

they're a bit big IMO, but they are TANKS.

good lenses, too. here is my srT-101 + 58/1.2 combo (the only srt gear I own). If only this lens could be converted to OM though =/


Cameras by redisburning, on Flickr

[Roger Hicks]

Lovely cameras, beautifully built, but you have to hunt around for lenses. 'Mainstream' cameras (Nikons and, for a bargain, Nikkormats) are now silly-cheap and with a vastly bigger lens choice. I can see how you'd get hooked on the chase -- INCREDIBLE value for money -- but equally it's more hassle than I want to get into. Which means, of course, that there are all the more bargains for people like you who put in the 'sweat equity'. Good luck!

Cheers

R.

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Roger,

Minolta lenses are common and CHEAP in the USA.

[Roger Hicks]

Originally Posted by Chriscrawfordphoto

Roger,

Minolta lenses are common and CHEAP in the USA.

Dear Chris,

I'm sure you're right, and I don't think it's very different in the UK. But I think there's a difference in age here. When I was your age, I enjoyed the thrill of the chase too, the more so as it was in pre-eb*y times. But as I grew older, I preferred to spend more time taking pictures and less time chasing cameras; which I think reflects your experience too, even though you are 25 years or so younger than I.

Cheers,

R.

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Originally Posted by Roger Hicks

Dear Chris,

I'm sure you're right, and I don't think it's very different in the UK. But I think there's a difference in age here. When I was your age, I enjoyed the thrill of the chase too, the more so as it was in pre-eb*y times. But as I grew older, I preferred to spend more time taking pictures and less time chasing cameras; which I think reflects your experience too, even though you are 25 years or so younger than I.

Cheers,

R.

Yeah, I've stopped buying gear unless its something I'll use regularly for my work. I used to think it would be cool to have several classic camera systems like the SRT and Pentax Spotmatic stuff to play with, but it became an exercise in frustration finding old gear that ACTUALLY works. I have an SRT here that I bought on ebay for $30. Cheap, but its worthless because despite being in incredible cosmetic condition, it focuses inaccurately. Having that adjusted is expensive. Half the old lenses I bought used had fungus, or sticky aperture blades. I finally got to where I just wanted to get back to shooting photos with gear that "just works" so I went back to my OM SLRs, Leicas, and Hasselblad.

[David Murphy]

Originally Posted by Chriscrawfordphoto

Roger,

Minolta lenses are common and CHEAP in the USA.

Roger Chris is right, Minolta SLR gear is rather common here and a good deal these days. Conversely in the UK I see equipment being sold that is NOT so common here, in particular there is a preponderance of German-made camera equipment (east and west), as well as more FSU gear. Exakta, Praktica, Praktina, Schneider, Pentacon, Vintage Voigtlander, Zorki, Zenit etc. etc. This must clearly be a historical artifact of the original distribution channels, geographic factors, import duties, market positions, and buyer preferences at the time these items were originally sold.

[Nokton48]

This is the "Pro" model SRT, the motor-driven SR-M. At least as good as anything I have ever used. This is the camera I lusted after, when I was in High School. Now, I have one. Actually, I am looking for the 250 exposure Back for it I know a photographer who worked his whole career for LIFE Magazine and ROAD & TRACK, who swore by the SRM. The attached 16mm F2.8 MC Rokkor Fisheye is also worth some coin. Some of Minolta's classic lenses have achieved an almost "cult status". Not to be sneezed at.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Minolta-SRM-...item35b3ccc60f

[KoNickon]

Haven't used mine in a while, but the cameras and lenses are great. The only thing I am not crazy about is the meter switch on the bottom of the camera -- very easy to forget to turn off.

[pschauss]

Originally Posted by KoNickon

Haven't used mine in a while, but the cameras and lenses are great. The only thing I am not crazy about is the meter switch on the bottom of the camera -- very easy to forget to turn off.

With the original mercury batteries it did not seem to matter whether you turned off the light meter. When I first got my SRT101 in 1967 I routinely left the switch on for weeks or even months at a time. I suspected that the meter probably did not draw any current as long as the lens cap was on. When I took the camera in for a CLA about 10 years ago the original battery was still good.

[JoeV]

My first "real" camera - after the Vivitar 110 in secondary school - was an SRT-101B, purchased in Singapore in about 1978. I replaced the body in the late 1980s due to a mechanical problem that the local repair shop couldn't sort out, with an X-370, which I still have.

We (a buddy and myself) wandered into this camera shop in Singapore in 1978, dressed in civilian clothes, intent on buying us some camera gear. We were from the American aircraft carrier that had just anchored off-shore a day prior.

While we were perusing the showcases, in walks a portly, middle-aged gentleman, dressed in smart clothes - a conservative, dark suit if I recall - who eyes us curiously, immediately sizes us up as Yank sailors and, pounding his chest in pride, announces in a loud voice "Me, Russian!" And proceeds to pull out a wad of cash. Of course, this was in the late 1970s, amidst the Cold War. Singapore was one of the few ports where Soviet and American naval ships could anchor together at the same time.

My buddy and myself always figured the gentleman was KGB or GRU or somesuch. So, that's my Minolta SRT story.

~Joe

[Pickett Wilson]

I think the Minolta SRT's were underrated back in the day. I had a newspaper photographer friend who wouldn't use anything else ("Just as good as a Nikon but much cheaper" he kept telling me.). My experiences with them have been pretty good. Sticky lens apertures are common these days with the Minolta lenses, I suspect because many of them got so little use. You could buy them at Kmart or Sears, so Minolta sold a ton of them that likely got little use.

Great cameras, though. I still have an SRT201 here, and even though I shot Nikons back then, I always wanted an XK but never got around to it. Enjoy your cameras!

[colyn]

I too have been using srT's since the late 60's and the 70's. These are some of the best SLR's ever made and the Rokkor glass is second to none.

This is my favorite user SLR.

[racoll]

Originally Posted by colyn

I too have been using srT's since the late 60's and the 70's. These are some of the best SLR's ever made and the Rokkor glass is second to none.

This is my favorite user SLR.

This is one of my favorite manual cameras and the one pictured here is identical to the rig I'm using at present. It's a beautiful camera, simple, straightforward, and most efficient, and this lens is one of my favorite 50/1.4 lenses from any manufacturer.

Andy

[Laviolette]

Originally Posted by racoll

This is one of my favorite manual cameras and the one pictured here is identical to the rig I'm using at present. It's a beautiful camera, simple, straightforward, and most efficient, and this lens is one of my favorite 50/1.4 lenses from any manufacturer.

Andy

Agree. I love the quality of this 50/1.4 wide open, and stopped down it is really sharp. The way it render colour is superb, too.

[Zathros]

Originally Posted by racoll

This is one of my favorite manual cameras and the one pictured here is identical to the rig I'm using at present. It's a beautiful camera, simple, straightforward, and most efficient, and this lens is one of my favorite 50/1.4 lenses from any manufacturer.

Andy

I also have the 50mm Rokkor-X PG ƒ1.4 lens. I remember being amazed at just how good that lens is when I saw my first pictures taken with it. The guy that developed and printed the film actually asked me what kind of camera and lens had I used. He also noted that the exposures were very consistent and dead on the money throughout the roll. Not only did they have great glass, but Minolta's CLC metering was quite good as well. Definitely better than the meter in the Nikon F2A I had in the Navy. If I had realized just how good Minolta was back then, I would have bought a 101 or an XE-7 and Rokkor glass instead of the Nikon.

[nikon_sam]

We had a couple of them in high school that you could check out...probably one of the first real cameras I shot with back then...
I found one (SRT 102 w/50mm 1.7) at a garage sale years ago, never really put it to good use...ended up giving it away to a RFF member through one of the Give-away threads...
A great camera to learn on...

[le vrai rdu]

Originally Posted by Nokton48

Well I just picked up another Minolta SRT in the RFF classifieds (for $40!). It's the SRT-202, which was the last SRT, and had the most features of any SRT. Camera is in great condition, although I did re-do the foam seals, in the mirror return, and back door. Good as new, ready to use. It even came with an EPX625 battery in good shape

This got me thinking about how much I enjoy using my SRT's. Really great cameras, and not expensive, either. I started out using SRT's in the 70s for newspaper work, then moving to Canon F1s, Nikon F/F2s, Leica, etc. But I have returned to the SRT.
The Rokkor lenses also work just great on my two Nex3s.

On the left, is the SRT100 I bought new (at the local camera store) in 1973, now covered in Cameraleather Green Kangaroo. Attached is the 100mm f3.5 MC Rokkor. On the right is my new SRT202, with my 21mm F2.8 MC Rokkor.
Today I'm running some Efke 25 through the bodies, to shake 'em out.

What's not to like? Any other Minolta SRT users out there?

I loved the SRT's, I went with them in a shupyard and in a trawler

Concerning the foam, the mirror foam are useless if yu don't care about the noise and the back doors are light sealed even without foam, I never had problem with that

I loved the SRT's but since I have it's father, the SR7, well I prefer the SR7

[jbielikowski]

I loved mine, but it was a short affair. It just did not fit into my hands (same with Leica M3 so maybe I'm weird). Beauty she was indeed.

[ItsReallyDarren]

Anybody have any experience with the 24mm 2.8 VFC? I picked one up in a yard sale a while ago and have used it as a 24. Haven't really figured out how the variable field focus system works.

[Nokton48]

A long time ago, when I sold Minolta cameras, we had the 24mm VFC. It's straightforward to use, as I recall. The dial adjusts the degree of field curvature, to use it as a straight 24, you use the straight field setting. You can actually see the field curvature change, through the viewfinder, as you dial-in the different settings. The settings are also listed on the depth-of-field scale, so you can scale-focus (at the different settings) with this lens. Very nice lens, quite unique, very rare and of course very expensive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Minolta-MD-V...item2561c9e38d

Originally Posted by ItsReallyDarren

Anybody have any experience with the 24mm 2.8 VFC? I picked one up in a yard sale a while ago and have used it as a 24. Haven't really figured out how the variable field focus system works.

[skibeerr]

Originally Posted by ItsReallyDarren

Anybody have any experience with the 24mm 2.8 VFC? I picked one up in a yard sale a while ago and have used it as a 24. Haven't really figured out how the variable field focus system works.

It has Floating elements, they eliminate front or back focussing when stopping down. Nothing you have to do yourself.
Variable field focus sounds great but that's just focussing. Not?

[Mattco26]

Originally Posted by skibeerr

It has Floating elements, they eliminate front or back focussing when stopping down. Nothing you have to do yourself.
Variable field focus sounds great but that's just focussing. Not?

No, by turning a ring on the lens you can actually curve the focus plane of the lens from concave to convex, increasing the depth of field available when shooting a curved object or scene without stopping the lens down. Very cool, very rare. I've never actually seen one in person.

[skibeerr]

Originally Posted by Mattco26

No, by turning a ring on the lens you can actually curve the focus plane of the lens from concave to convex, increasing the depth of field available when shooting a curved object or scene without stopping the lens down. Very cool, very rare. I've never actually seen one in person.

I stand corrected, Have the normal 24mm, had never heard of the variable field focussing one.

[rover]

I still go back to my 101 quite often. I learned photography with this camera and really appreciate it every time I pick it up.