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Minolta SRT-101
35mm SLR (1966-1970s)
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Minolta SRT-101 in professional black with Minolta MC ROKKOR‑X 50mm f/1.4. (35 oz./990 g, about $50 used). I'd get it at this link directly to them at eBay (see How to Win at eBay).
This free website's biggest source of support is when you use any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live — but I receive nothing for my efforts if you take a chance and buy elsewhere. I get no government hand-outs and run no pledge drives to support my research, so please always use any of these links to approved sources for the best prices, service and selection whenever you get anything. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
Top, Black Minolta SRT-101.
December 2013 Better Pictures Minolta Nikon Canon LEICA All Reviews
Ryan shoots the Minolta SRT-101 with MC ROKKOR‑X 50mm f/1.4, 26 December 2013. bigger.
Introduction top
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Adorama pays top dollar for your used gear.
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The Minolta SRT-101 is ont of the most popular cameras of all time. Minolta made millions of them.
The good news is that they are so solid and well built that most of them still work perfectly, which is better than even LEICA cameras of this era. You probably can buy a used SRT-101, pop in a new battery, and you'll be good to go.
Even without a battery, everything except the meter works perfectly. The SRT� is a completely mechanical camera.
The SRT-101 has a full-aperture through-the-lens coupled light meter.
It's also called the SR-T-101, since SR is Minolta's original series of SLR cameras, and Minolta added the "T" for the new TTL meter of the SRT cameras. That's why the T is so big on the front of the camera.
Good
Solid, durable, simple and dependable camera.
Big, sharp viewfinder that's better for focusing fast lenses than any DSLR today.
Contrast-Light Compensating (CLC) meter optimizes exposure readings under contrasty light.
Bad
Nothing, just shoot.
Extra Features
ASA/DIN converter on back.
FP and X flash sync sockets.
Missing
No aperture displayed in finder; you need the Minolta SRT-102 for that.
FP and X sync PC sockets but no hot shoe; you need the Minolta SRT-102 for a hot shoe or use a PC sync cord.
No shutter-cocked indicator, which few cameras have.
Specifications top
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Horizontal cloth focal plane shutter, 1 ~ 1/1,000 and Bulb.
1/60 X-sync.
FP and X sync PC terminals.
TTL dual-CdS cell full-aperture CLC meter.
See the Minolta SRT-101 Users Manual.
Performance top
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Finder
The finder is big, bright and sharp— bigger and sharper than today's DSLRs!
The conventional matte screen and fresnel lens allow perfect focus with fast (f/1.4) lenses, as well as let you see the real depth of field from fast lenses, something you can't see with the newer screens of newer cameras. With the SRT-101, it's easy to get pinpoint focus anywhere in the frame just by looking at it.
The finder has a microprism spot in the middle, two meter needles on the right, and the shutter speed along the bottom.
The microprism is AOK at f/4, it works but is a little darker at f/4.7, and is partly blacked-out at f/5.6.
Shutter
The shutter release is completely smooth, it's one smooth push into the cup.
Loading and Winding
There is a modern plastic multi-fingered aid on the take-up spool.
The frame counter is marked at the 5s, with 20 in orange. There is no mark for 24; in its' day, short rolls were 20, not 24, exposures.
Battery and Power
It usually runs about 20 years on one EPX625 mercury cell.
Today, a 675 Zinc-Air hearing-aid cell with a Paul BG adapter should run at least 6 months — and you can buy the Zinc-Air cells in bulk for less than the mercury cells.
You also can use the Wein EPX-625 cells.
Current drain is 128 µA at BC (Battery Check), and about 28 µA at 1/3 scale reading light.
Compared top
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The SRT-102 was the luxury model, adding in-finder aperture indication, a split-image rangefinder spot and a hot shoe.
The SRT-100 was the base model.
Usage top
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The big chrome button on the bottom of the lens mount is the depth of field preview. It only works when the shutter is cocked (when the film is wound). Press it once to stop down, and again to reopen the diaphragm.
Hint: The meter turns off when you have the depth-of field preview engaged.
See the Minolta SRT-101 Users Manual for the rest.
Recommendations top
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Want to shoot film? Millions of photographers can't be wrong. Get one and be happy.
If you've found all the time, effort and expense I put into researching and sharing all this, this free website's biggest source of support is when you use these links, especially this link directly to them at eBay (see How to Win at eBay), when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks! Ken.
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Mr. & Mrs. Ken Rockwell, Ryan and Katie.
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