How Would You Compare Minolta SRT-101 To The Minolta SR-2/1?

[DF]

'Have enjoyed my SRT-101 for several years now, but recently learned of another old Minolta that has a ROUND viewfinder!!
Wow I think - 'gotta have this one!
Has anyone had experience with both cameras, and if so, how'd you size up the two back-to back?

 

[Kino]

The SR cameras are heavier, have less integrated features (i.e. clip on light meters), but are very inexpensive now days.

The history of the SR series is not as linear as the numbers suggest.

Here's a great resource on Minolta Film Cameras:

The Rokkor Files

Specifically this: https://rokkorfiles.com/SR Series.htm

 

[blee1996]

In my small sample size of two each: SRT series seems to be mechanically smoother than the SR series; SRT has brighter screens. Overall I think SRT is a worthy upgrade to the SR and I prefer the "newer" SRT series.

 

[dynachrome]

I think you are confusing the eyepiece with the viewfinder. The early Minolta SR cameras may have round eyepieces but they have plain rectangular viewfinders. The SRT cameras have slightly rounded corners in their viewfinder but the image on film is a plain rectangle. The SRT cameras were never made to have 100% of what appeared on film also show up in the viewfinder. A common explanation for this is that many advanced amateurs used slide film. When the slides were mounted, a small percentage of the image are would be covered by the edges of the mount. There have been cameras with what appeared to be circular viewfinders. These were primarily for scientific or medical use. An endoscope transmits an image through a fiber optic, which projects a circular image onto the focusing screen. If I need a camera which guarantees that 100% of what appears on film will also appear in the finder, I can use a Nikon F, F2 or F3.
I have a roll of film in a Minolta SRT 200 which was recently overhauled by John Titterington. It's a late production model with the split image focusing screen. It joins my large collection of SRT cameras.

 

[xkaes]

The pre-SRT Minolta SLR cameras are well made, but lack many features of the later SRT cameras -- see below.

And while the ROKKOR FILES is often suggested as a resource, it is limited in what it offers. For more complete information, check out the much older MINMAN website. In fact, much of the information on the ROKKOR FILES -- especially about pre-SLR cameras -- is simply copied from MINMAN. (In addition, MINMAN covers all of Minolta's non-AF, still film cameras from submini, disc & 110 to medium format -- not just 35mm.)

https://www.subclub.org/minman/minslr.htm


And here's a summary table of all the features of each of Minolta's SLR cameras. It's rather large, but there are check boxes on the left that allow you to check the camera models that you want to compare. Then, at the bottom, click COMPARE SELECTED MODELS, and a smaller table appears. Keep in mind that most Minolta SLR models appeared in different configurations. For example, there are THREE different versions of the SRT101, and SEVEN versions of the SR-1:

https://www.subclub.org/minman/slrtable.php