Minolta SRT 101?

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While shopping around an old camera shop today I came across a black Minolta SRT 101. Strangely enough I have never owned or used a Minolta camera, and I thought it would be fun to give the system a try.

The camera I found was in good shape with minimal wear and tear, and the price was right (about $50). The shop through in a rather cruddy 58/1.4 lens to sweeten the deal.

I'll have to replace the seals as the originals are rotted, but it looks like an interesting camera, and I am looking forward to trying it out.

Are there any issues or problems common to these cameras which I should be aware of?
 
Not really. I love the black SRT-101's and I have five or six of them. Great cameras and the Rokkor lenses are fantastic. I also have the motorized SR-M :)
 
Aside from being bigger and heavier than most other camera of its age the metering is very good and that Rokkor has very pleasant bokeh :)
 
It takes mercury batteries. I converted mine myself by soldering in a diode and the meter was still very accurate! I compared it to the meter in my Olympus OM-4T and it was within 1/3 stop. Unfortunately, my SRT needs its focusing screen adjusted..the body backfocuses :( The minolta lenses were magnificent, with nicer bokeh on most of them than most other Japanese lenses.
 
W. Eugene Smith used black Minolta SRT-101's and the amazing Rokkor lenses to produce his famous photoessay and book "MINAMATA". Is that a good enough recommendation?

I have a bag of diodes and I need to solder them into my SRT101 bodies. The Wein cells do not last as long as I would like although they do work as they should, just very expensive.

I've never found the SRT's to be excessively heavy. They are tanks. The TomA Classic Softie on the SRT is about as good as it gets for me.

In the seventies my first really good bought new 35 SLR was a chrome SRT100 with 50mm F1.9. After all this time, I recently bought a mint one and covered it with Morgan's green kangaroo. So I have refound my old friend. Planning to use it later today at a rock concert.
 

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Sr-Ts have been my main 35 mm cameras until my back problems required something lighter recently. Really dependable, trusty lightmeter (I used mine for slide without any problem) and Rokkor lenses are gems. I also enjoy having at least the speed indication in the viewfinder and this one is more readable thant the one of my Pentax MX or of the one of a Nikkormat.

Other points I enjoy:
- The lockable DOF button
- The 1:1 viewfinder with standard lens.
- The good balance in hand.

Should I add that a good black scratchy Sr-T just look cool?
 
Here's A Quick Inventory of What I'm Using Today.

Here's A Quick Inventory of What I'm Using Today.

(My old friend) the SRT-100 with 35mm F1.8 MC, SR-M Motor Body with 21mm F2.8 MC, 16mm F2.8 MC Fisheye, 100mm F2.5 MC, and 200 F3.5 MC. My wife is using the 58mm F1.2 MC on her Digital Rebel. Everything fits nicely in my old Domke F2 bag.

Plus alot of Eastman XX film, and an Autometer II. I'm set.
 

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I used the SRT-101 forever. Great camera until I dropped it off the back of a pickup truck going 80 MPH... It had taken many drops in its life without an issue, but this time it met its match.
 
Tough as nails camera, still going strong. Good thing is that Minolta X glass is relatively inexpensive, so you can expand on the inventory. Not long ago I saw a fellow in a street festival shooting away with one, decked out with a 50mm f1.7 lens.

BTW, that was a good deal! :)
 
Thanks for the replies, it sounds like a great camera. I'll put some seals in it when I get back home tomorrow. I have a couple battery adapters which I use in my old Canons, so there are no issues there.

The lens which the camera shop gave me was full of fungus, both inside and out. For the fun of it I tried removing the fungus with toothpaste and Q-tips, and to my surprise it worked incredibly well, without damaging the coating. In fact, the glass looks like new now, I wish I had tried this sooner.
 
I have a SRT 102 that I picked up at a garage sale...it came with the 50mm 1.7
I have the mercury batteries for it but it doesn't see much action...

Make sure you turn "Off" the meter when you're done metering as it will stay "On" and drain the battery...at least that's the way mine works...

I saw a Minolta 58mm 1.4 at Samy's Camera...they wanted $20 for it...it had a little dust in it but other than that it looked good...I guess it's still there...
 
I bought my SRT101 new in 1967 and, since I had to remove the camera from its case to turn of the meter, I frequently left it on for extended periods. I don't recall ever changing the original battery and when I took the camera in for a cleaning about 10 years ago, the battery was still working. The only explanation I can have for this is that the circuit does not draw a any current when the lens cap is on.

FWIW, I use a 625 alkaline battery now and the meter is accurate enough, at least for print film.

Good luck with your SRT 101.
 
Nokton48 said:
(My old friend) the SRT-100 with 35mm F1.8 MC, SR-M Motor Body with 21mm F2.8 MC, 16mm F2.8 MC Fisheye, 100mm F2.5 MC, and 200 F3.5 MC. My wife is using the 58mm F1.2 MC on her Digital Rebel. Everything fits nicely in my old Domke F2 bag.

Plus alot of Eastman XX film, and an Autometer II. I'm set.
Click to expand...

Racked off six rolls of Eastman XX today at our rock gig today. Used every item in the camera bag, and had an absolute hoot of a time. This is great gear, capable of truly amazing results. And not too expensive to get into, either.

Turn the meter off when storing it. With the lens uncapped in bright light, it will quickly deplete the battery cell. I have the same problem with my Leica M5. Also, do not leave it in the "BC" battery check setting, because overnight it will drain the battery. Fortunately my SR-M does not have a meter, since it was the pro model :)
 
I have several SRT's along with Rokkor-X lens . They are fine cameras that can be had rather cheap on eBay.
 
Minolta SRT 101 was my first serious camera, bought around 1972/4 Still remember that at that time it was a little more expensive than one month of my salary! I read in the book of Annie Leibovitz the srt 101 was her first camera as well!
rob
 
It's a fine camera as are most of its SRT cousins. The Rokkor lenses are close to Nikon in optical quality and less expensive. One can put together a decent kit of pure Rokkor glass for small money (compared to the rangefinder world at least!). There are also vast numbers of 3rd party lenses.
 
I learned photography with a then modern Canon EOS film camera. I became a photographer with a Minolta SRT 200.
 
Frontman said:
While shopping around an old camera shop today I came across a black Minolta SRT 101. Strangely enough I have never owned or used a Minolta camera, and I thought it would be fun to give the system a try.

The camera I found was in good shape with minimal wear and tear, and the price was right (about $50). The shop through in a rather cruddy 58/1.4 lens to sweeten the deal.

I'll have to replace the seals as the originals are rotted, but it looks like an interesting camera, and I am looking forward to trying it out.

Are there any issues or problems common to these cameras which I should be aware of?
Click to expand...

i never replaced the seal on my srts, they don't need seals in fact :D
i is a very good and tough camera
 
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