Did Minolta Ever Offer A Limited Edition SRT?

[DF]

If I'm not mistaken, several years ago, I came across an SRT in a thrift shop, that instead of the usual silver chrome trim, was of a yellowish/amber metal trim. Very nice looking as well. 'Haven't seen any anywhere on the web yet.

 

[BobD]

I've never seen or heard of a ltd edition SRT and I see no mention of one on the Rokkor Files site.

There were some 50th anniversary ltd edition Minolta XD models.

 

[DF]

I've never seen or heard of a ltd edition SRT and I see no mention of one on the Rokkor Files site.

There were some 50th anniversary ltd edition Minolta XD models.

Yeh- 'been awhile since i've gone to "Rokkor Files" -
Maybe I'll contact

 

[Kino]

Maybe they used a Caswell kit...

https://www.caswellplating.com/#

 

[Paul Howell]

Without an image hard to say, might be discoloration from a solvent cleaner.

 

[AgX]

Maybe they used a Caswell kit...

Such effect typically is achieved by dying aluminium during the anodizing process. This again restricts the process to Alumium caps. Metallized plastic caps instead would need a varnish.

(I have seen smokers' cameras that were tinted that way too...)

 

[darkroommike]

There was the SRT-MCII available only at K-mart but I think it was not really very special (the K1000-SE was at first in brown leatherette and had a diagonal prism spot but not really special either).

 

[Paul Howell]

I thought all the camers sold at Kmart were rebranded as Focus, I have a Petri that sold under Focus along with a 35mm 2.8 lens.

 

[BAC1967]

I thought all the camers sold at Kmart were rebranded as Focus, I have a Petri that sold under Focus along with a 35mm 2.8 lens.

The sr-T sc models were sold in Sears stores and the Sr-T mc models were sold in K-Mart and JC Penney stores. They were still branded as Minolta cameras. I have the sr-T sc ii, it’s the camera I used in my high school photography class in the early 1980’s.

 

[darkroommike]

I thought all the camers sold at Kmart were rebranded as Focus, I have a Petri that sold under Focus along with a 35mm 2.8 lens.

Close, the house brand was Focal not Focus, and having owned a Petri I can see why it was no big loss to lose the nameplate. The Pentax and Minolta K-Mart specials were introduced to compete with camera stores. We spent a great deal of time teaching basic photography to folks that saved a few bucks buying their camera from the K-mart in our mall, as soon as they needed help the K-mart sent them to us.

 

[Paul Howell]

Your right, Focal, comes back to me. Petri 35mm SLR are a mess, I have 3 or 4 that I picked up over the years, the lens are surprisingly good, I have a 300mm 5.6 that's really sharp, the cameras, very different story. Not any where made as their early range finders.

 

[Kino]

Your right, Focal, comes back to me. Petri 35mm SLR are a mess, I have 3 or 4 that I picked up over the years, the lens are surprisingly good, I have a 300mm 5.6 that's really sharp, the cameras, very different story. Not any where made as their early range finders.

Petriflex 7 is a decent SLR with some limits of lens compatibility. The Petriflex V (Penta) is a wonderful little SLR as long as the weird "drive-line" shutter shaft under the bottom plate is kept clean and periodically lubricated. Most V (Penta) bodies are frozen and need the drive-line serviced. Too bad, because it's really nicely made...

 

[Dennis-B]

Your right, Focal, comes back to me. Petri 35mm SLR are a mess, I have 3 or 4 that I picked up over the years, the lens are surprisingly good, I have a 300mm 5.6 that's really sharp, the cameras, very different story. Not any where made as their early range finders.

I owned a Petri FT as my first SLR. Got it used, and the only reason I gave it up was that the meter was a bit iffy, as far as reliability was concerned; it was very accurate for an averaging meter. Mechanically, it was great, and the breech lock lens system was better than the M42. The lenses were really great. I gave it up to convert to a Nikkormat FTn when I was taking photography in college.

Sometimes I think about buying another just for the nostalgia, but the ones I've looked at were ridden hard, put away wet.

 

[BAC1967]

I owned a Petri FT as my first SLR. Got it used, and the only reason I gave it up was that the meter was a bit iffy, as far as reliability was concerned; it was very accurate for an averaging meter. Mechanically, it was great, and the breech lock lens system was better than the M42. The lenses were really great. I gave it up to convert to a Nikkormat FTn when I was taking photography in college.

Sometimes I think about buying another just for the nostalgia, but the ones I've looked at were ridden hard, put away wet.

I picked up a really nice one at an estate sale several years ago, it works great. I also shot one of my favorite pictures of my dogs with it, I agree, the lenses are great.

Petri FT by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Vera & Rachael Lounging by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[Paul Howell]

Finding a working FT is really hit and miss. I have 2 that that are completely jammed, one that works and an EE that has an accurate meter. What little information I found online, it seems that Petri made telescopes and microscopes. Sales literature touted the flint the use of flint glass, not much I could find out about flint glass expect that it is special glass, high refractive index. Still not sure if flint glass was a marketing term or something that set their lens apart from other makers. CC stood for color correction Petri's version of multi coating. The lens line was limited, nothing wider than a 28, no 100, the long lens are quite good, the 300 and 400 are as good any any of my Minolta's.

 

[Kino]

I picked up a really nice one at an estate sale several years ago, it works great. I also shot one of my favorite pictures of my dogs with it, I agree, the lenses are great.
Vera & Rachael Lounging by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Great shot! That lens is really a nice performer!

 

[Paul Howell]

Here is scan from a print, Foma 400 developed in MCM 100, Foma 400 has 90 lines MM the lens is a Petri 300 5.6, shot on a Petri EE. This is straight work print, the grass needs to be burned in and the lion needs to doged, but overall the 300 is very sharp, it will reslove Tmax 100 at 200 Lines MM.

 

[Ray Morgenweck]

If I'm not mistaken, several years ago, I came across an SRT in a thrift shop, that instead of the usual silver chrome trim, was of a yellowish/amber metal trim. Very nice looking as well. 'Haven't seen any anywhere on the web yet.

. .......does the camera smell strongly of cigarettes? That would account for everything looking that color.