Minolta SR - 1 Questions

I took delivery today of a Minolta SR - 1 with a 55/1.8 Auto Rokkor and a 135/4 Rokkor TC pre-set. This is my second or third 135/4 TC and I find it to be decent performer. It may have its origins in the older Minolta interchangeable lens rangefinder system. The 55/1.8 is a known quantity for me. It isn't as well coated as the later 50/1.7 Minolta lenses but is good if used carefully. This SR - 1 has a top shutter speed of 1/500, a self-timer and the bar with the two holes to attach an external meter. The Serial Number is 2158253. From what I can see, the camera us supposed to have mirror foam and there is some left. The back looks like it never had any foam seal. It's perfectly clean. Is it supposed to be that way? One nice thing is that the film advance lever is all metal and in one piece. There is no piece of black plastic to fall off. Also, the film chamber is pristine. Very little film must have gone through if.

Pulled out my SR-1 and had a look. I don't believe there were foam light seals around the film door. Unless you are getting light leaks, I wouldn't add the seals; might spring the back.

I don't have a foam bumper for the mirror, but it has been a shelf queen ever since I got it. Nothing wrong with it, just slotted it into my SRT collection and forgot about it! (I have a Minolta problem...) It is a nice, solid and simple camera.

One interesting note: Mine appears to gently "ring" when I cock and fire the shutter. A higher pitched "ding" when cocked and a lower pitched "dong" when the shutter fires. Must be a spring in the shutter mechanism that resonates. Kind of funny to hear...

There were SEVEN versions of the Minolta SR-1. Since you have one with a meter holder without a plastic tip on the film advance lever you have either the fourth or fifth iteration. If there is a mark next to the shutter speed dial -- "LV" -- you have a Model D. Otherwise, it's a Model E. Also on the Model D the film counter window is round and on the left-hand end of the camera, while on the Model E, it is rectangular and on the right. The other way to tell is that the Model D has the motor drive connections on the bottom, the Model E does not.

The Rokkor-TC 135mm f4 actually came in two versions. You have one, but Minolta also used it for its first Bellows lens simply by removing the focusing tube -- and adding a Leica screwmount instead of the SR bayonet.

That would make mine a model "E". Thanks!

My example does not have the LV mark or the motor drive connection. I like the ping of the shutter firing too. Now that I think of it, I have three of the 135/4 pre-set lenses. Two are in SR mount and one is the bellows model. At one time I had an example of the 35/4 pre-set lens. It was too tight when mounting and I traded it for something. At some point I will add a 35/2.8 Minolta lens and try using the outfit. For now I will shoot a b&w test strip to test the camera for light tightness, frame spacing and shutter curtain integrity.