Minolta Manual Focus (MMF)

[B&Jdude]

Ah, John Irvine, thanks for being there . . . a fellow sufferer who hasn't a clue about how to get pix on here. I have half a dozen on Flickr, haven't a clue how I got them there, and don't know how to transfer copies of them over to this group's little gallery over on the right.

Anyhoo, it's nice to see all the activity on here the last couple of days. I was beginning to worry that this forum was going to wither away from the gitgo.

Yeah, I admit it . . . I have a room full of STR cameras and a myriad of minolta gadgets and attachments.

Smiff

 

[wayne naughton]

hi Jeff, lately,i've been immersed in getting a lot of new digital gear up and running..... alas my film output has been next to zero ( actually,it has been zero....g) but i've got hold of a x300 off brian and an 800si to tryout asap. i've got a new comp and i've managed to vaporise most of my old pics, so the next time i break both my legs and i'm laid up with nothing to do for a few months, i might get to rescan some old negs....

keep your head down brother....grin

wayne

 

[drazak]

Can one of you guys suggest a good minolta body I can pick up cheap? I have an x570 and a broken x700, but I'm looking to find one that's fairly cheap for use as a backup body with a different type of film in it when shooting sports or whatever. Also, my 58/1.4 is pretty good, I have one of the older versions, but it's very very sharp.

 

[unohuu]

drazak...I would look at the XD-7(11) and the SR series cameras. There is also a beauty XE-7 and the little siblings to both the X*-7s as XD-5 and XE-5. I have the D and XE-7; two X-700s; and two XG-1s. First preference is the XD-7 and then the X-700s.

Jeff, that photo of my mother is from about the time of the original ATW project; but I am not sure if she made that cut.

Luke

 

[Terry Again]

It seems to be 2 ways to go on the battery situation for the SRT cameras or any that used a mercury battery! The simple way is to use the 675 zinc air hearing aid battery and a O ring around the 675 to center it in the compartment and replace more often at a cheap price at a drug store? OR add a certain kind of diode to the ground wire to the battery and use an O ring around a silver oxide battery again to center the battery in the compartment and replace less often!! Though one has to be careful when looking for a silver oxide battery to use!! I saw the discharge rates of 2 different batteries of the same brand both silver oxide and it was like night and day difference in the rates! The energiser 303H I think it was is like a mercury battery and the other being a 357 or something like that has a much short life of use for us!! This info is in a link in a post, in a thread started by me in 35mm cameras and accessories called something like, converting a SRT to use Silver oxide Batteries? I'm trying to keep it alive by asking new questions that pop in my mind about battery in a SRT and what one can do about it? AS I will have to some time coming up? 24 members to the group now? And growing!
Have a good one,
Terry

 

[wayne naughton]

you can always compensate for the exposure variations.....i know using the wrong batteries is supposed to cause damage but recently i had 4 srts cleaned and the meters calibrated to match each other and the mechanic said that the cameras were in perfect working condition...there ya go....

wayne

 

[B&Jdude]

I have a bunch of SRT cameras (about 20) and have been using them for years with alkaline 625 batteries and have never had any meter damage or other problems. I just set the ASA speed a stop slower to compensate for the too high light meter readings and keep on shooting.

 

[wayne naughton]

20 srts? there was this guy on the minolta yahoo group who had 47 (out of 53) of the standard rokkor lenses.... maybe you two ought to get together for a beer someday....grin

wayne

 

[B&Jdude]

By the way, an 11% over voltage (1.5 vs 1.35) will not hurt the light meter circuitry. I wouldn't find any cause to worry about damage until the voltage rose by about 25%, or up to around 1.7 volts. Of course at that voltage the meter would read way too high and you would underexpose by 3 stops or so.

 

[Ralph Javins]

Thank you, Wayne. 47 lenses out of 53 available. That is impressive. Now I don't feel so guilty about my own obsession. Perhaps there is merit in attending these meetings of Cameras Anonymous after all.

Enjoy; Ralph Javins

 

[wayne naughton]

if you are really worried about batteries i guess you could use a hotshoe meter. anyone have any experience with one?

w

 

[minoltax570srt202]

can i just say something about my minolta cameras? first, ive been using an x570 for about a year now and have loved using it. recently i got an srt202 and have been "trying it out". the srt is an AMAZING camera! in the short time i have had it, i have taken some of my best photographs! it is different than my x570 in that it is heavier, slower, has a very long wind stroke, and has a much dimmer viewfinder. but somehow i am able to utilize it more efficiently. it does exactly what i want it to with no surprises or guesses.

also, i want to praise the "cheap" md 135mm f/2.8 (the latest one with the aperture lock). this cheap little lens blows me away every time i look at my b&w film scans taken with it. this lens is easy to focus and is absolutely RAZOR sharp at f/2.8. it is a better overall lens than my 85mm f/2 but costs about 1/3 as much. how has this lens flown under the radar for so long? i never hear anyone talking about it nor have i ever seen a review of it. i think it should be raised to cult status like some other minolta lenses!! if you like to shoot portraits, you need to get this lens, they are only about $85.

thanks for letting me share my enthusiasm, im just having a blast kicking @ss with this "old" and "cheap" equipment.

thanks,

andy

 

[Terry Again]

Hi All, Can anyone clue me in to what all flashes I can use with my cold shoe SRT 100? Minolta and otherwise? I know to watch for a cord with it but have seen that twice so far. My guess is grab them when I can? I'm looking to do indoor shots hopefully without red eye?
Thanks,
Terry

 

[wayne naughton]

ask in one of the forums and you should get a quick reply, terry. to avoid redeye you'll have to get a bracket or get a flash that tilts and swivels and bounce the light off the ceiling or wall. you could also get hold of something like a metz 45ct1 which is most probably as powerful as you'll ever need. i don't know what sync sockets your camera has....you might have to get hold of a manual

 

[ARPross]

Hi All,

I have a xd-5 that I have loved for quite a while. I don't use it as much as I could but love the feel of it in my hands. I'm so happy to find this group and will keep my eye on it. Who knows, I'll probably end up using this camera more!

 

[Chaplain Jeff]

Hey Wayne,

Regarding experience w/ mounted meters:

I have a Voightlander I light meter I bought from Dave S. about three years ago. It is VERY accurate. I usually use Velvia in my M3 and have yet to have an improperly exposed shot. Worth what I paid - definately.

That said, my Mary Elizabeth has a cheap, no name selenium meter in the cold shoe on her Minolta A2 (wanted an RF "like dad's") and a cheap selenium hand-held and her images - although with basic Kodak films which give you some leeway - are nearly always spot-on as well.

Jeff M

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning, Terry Again;

Since you asked here, I will answer here.

You can use any electronic strobe flash unit that has a "PC" connecting cable with your Minolta SR-T 100. You plug the "PC" cord into the "X Sync" socket on the SR-T 100 and set the shutter speed dial to the red 1/60th of a second setting. While not truly required with the electro-mechanical flash contacts of the SR-T 100, the Wien "SafeSync" will prolong the life of the contacts if the flash that you choose is one of the high voltage sync system types. As mentioned, the Wien "SafeSync" is not truly required in your case.

For selection of an electronic strobe flash unit, a nice convenience is one of the "automatic" models with "thyristor control." This electronic system built into the flash allows the flash itself to look at the subject being photographed and measure the light illuminating the subject. When it has determined that enough light for your film has been achieved, it shuts off the light circuit of the flash unit. Usually you will see a small round port on the front of the flash unit below the flash tube window. The light sensor will be inside that small round port and should be pointed at the subject. You do not need to use a Minolta flash unit. You can also use one by Vivitar, Sunpak, Braun, Metz, and many others; even Nikon and Canon.

If you choose a unit without automatic control, you will need to use the "Guide Number" and flash-to-subject distance to calculate what lens opening you should set on the lens for that subject distance.

A flash unit that has a head that tilts and swivels is really helpful with bouncing the light off a ceiling or wall.

Regarding "red eye," Wayne Naughton has written of the need to get the flash off the camera, usually with a flash bracket. Just a foot or so will be enough. Yes, it does make the package bigger and probably heavier. For my work, I like the Custom Brackets rotating flash brackets that allow me to change easily from "landscape" to "portrait" while keeping the flash above the lens at all times.

For further discussion of multiple flash setups and off-camera flash, perhaps those questions could go to the Lighting Forum.

Enjoy; Ralph Javins

 

[wayne naughton]

hi Jeff, i just bought a fuji GSW690II (6x9)....that's the reason i had been asking around about light meters and the voigtlander seems to be getting the votes. the fuji's pretty light for such a big neg and i reckon you could easily use it h/h...

wayne

 

[B&Jdude]

Man, was I surprised to see this Forum rearranged with the reply box at the bottom of the page & the most recent posts at the top. Also when I clicked the GROUPS button up in the banner, it used to show the groups that I'm in at the top. Now I have to do a search for them.

Is APUG in the middle of a software update or reorganization?

 

[wayne naughton]

more like a software klutz than anything....i'm confused

 

[B&Jdude]

Oh, well, it looks like the software klutz now rearranged the posts so that the most recent ones are at the bottom near the Reply box.

Now if they would just do like they used to and show the groups that we are members of when we first get into the Groups section.

Smiff

 

[Chaplain Jeff]

Terry,

A good flash that will avoid redeye with your SRT is the Metz 45CT-1 (or 45CL-1). Great flash that can be had used for $100 or less - at least that was the case the last time I priced one (few years back).

It's what I shot with in college and grad school when working for FLASH Photography in Dallas - shooting formal society events. It's a basic flash with tons of power. You don't want to hook it up to your more "modern" bodies though - the voltage it shoots through the camera through the PC jack is apparently 4 to 10 times what it takes to melt the circuitboards in the newer cameras.

(As a point of information - does anyone know why we're still posting in the original "WELCOME" post instead of creating new ones for each of these discussions? It's terribly confusing to us West Texas types!)

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning, Chaplain Jeff;

On the opening page for this group, right under the link to this discussion series, is a place with a title something like; "Post New Discussion." I think we can start new topics there.

The goal may have been to make the social groups more like the other forums. However, a few things did not seem to make the transition. For example, we need to open the discussion thread, then scroll all the way down to the bottom of the first page of messages to find the little row with the page list just above the Reply Box to then go to the the latest messages in the series. In the Forums, you have the choice of a page list at both the top and the bottom of the page. In the Forums, you do not need to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to then go the most recent message posted.

There does seem to be a few quirks. Not all of the unhappiness is just from lack of familiarity. The new format does have a few shortcomings.

Ralph Javins

 

[Ralph Javins]

Furthermore, we are also limited to a maximum of 1000 characters (letters, numbers, punctuation marks, spaces, et cetera) per message. I was ordered to readjust my last message from 1006 to 1000 characters. I did. I dropped my customary closing.

Enjoy; Ralph Javins

 

[drazak]

Hey guys;

I haven't posted in the MMF group for a bit, but regardless, I was wondering if anyone knew of a place to find cheap rokkor lenses without using paypal (which puts ebay out of the question)? I might be acquiring an XK from someone on apug, and I was wondering if anyone knew where I could find some of the other prisms/focusing screens for it? I'm looking for a 28/2.8 or faster, and anything 135 or over in focal length that's f/3.5 or faster (for shooting sports this summer).

Ben