Minolta SRT problem with aperture. Please help!

[trt]

Hey all, just joined here and I'm hoping someone can help me... Just picked up a Minolta SRT101 (w/ 50mm 1.7) in Macedonia. Checked everything out before I bought and all seemed to work fine. Removed the lens, checked for fungi, checked aperture blades all worked fine.

Anyway, I only realised today, while running my first roll through, that once the lens is mounted, the camera is forcing it wide open. I can turn the aperture ring and it says it's changing, even through the viewfinder, but the blades are stuck wide at f/1.7. I checked again, and the little blade on the rear of the lens (that moves in sync with the blades as the ring is moved) moves super easy (basically no force) and the lever looking thing inside the camera, which I assume comes in contact with that blade, requires a lot of force to more.

I don't know if anyone knows the issue, or has any idea what I'm saying, because I don't know the technical hooha, but if someone can give me any ideas what the problem is and how to fix it, that would be tops.

Also, I can't take photos because I don't own a digital camera anymore, and I'm backpacking, so sending it away for servicing is probably out of the question. Thanks in advance..

 

[wruzin]

If I understand your question correctly, then, not to worry, this is normal. The aperture stops down to the selected F stop at the press of the shutter, and then returns to wide open again. This "automatic" feature opens the lens to its widest opening to assist with focus and composition.

 

[CGW]

Not sure what's up but the aperture ring doesn't close the lens down to the set aperture until the shutter is pushed. Otherwise, your view finder would darken at smaller apertures to the point of utter blackness at, say, f16. It's called "auto diaphragm." With the shutter cocked, push your DOF button on the right side of the lens mount. It will stop down to the set aperture, then return to wide open after another push. Don't force anything, OK? I don't think your Minolta is busted--yet.

It's a sweet old manual camera that's tough and dependable.

 

[trt]

Ah, well I feel foolish. In that case, something else was up earlier, when I was turning the aperture ring and it was getting darker as i hit f/8 and so on. But that only happened for a couple minutes then stopped... auto diaphragm seems pretty smart after all. Didn't force anything with it, was just concerned.

Cheers!

 

[John Koehrer]

There is a stop down lever next to the lens mount. It looks like a chrome plated cylinder sticking out parallel to the body.
If this is pushed in, your lens will stop down to the aperture you have selected, but will allow you to watch as the blades work. From the viewfinder, this lets you see the effect of different apertures on depth of field. From the front it allows you to check that the blades are working correctly.