Minolta SRT101 - Any good?

davela · Mar 17, 2009

ted_smith said:
Hi

Been given a Minolta SRT101 body with an Minolta MC Rokkor-PF f1.7 lens from my Aunt who used to do photography back in the 60's.

She also gave me Minolta SR-3 with f1.4 lens.

Are either of them any good (in terms of camera quality) or should I sell it or even throw it out?

Ted

I own fancy Leica, Nikon (rangefinders and SLR's), but I seem keep reaching for my SRT-101 more and more lately when I really need to get a shot for work purposes in 35mm. This is a fine camera and system. The Minolta MD/MC system is a helluva bargain too - particularly the lenses - sharpness that can cut.

davela · Mar 17, 2009

2F/2F said:
They are great. For what they cost, they are one of the best bangs for the buck out there. Even if you don't use it much, keep it on hand just to have a Minolta body around in case some nice lenses fall your way for a bargain.

Yeah I agree totally. It's a great system to have fun with because you can buy all sorts of gear at reasonable cost. Of course the Minolta system does have a few pricey, special lenses, but that's all the more fun tracking them down and using them. One on my list is the Rokkor 58mm F1.2. I own the newer Rokkor-X 50/1.2 (a superbly sharp lens), but the 58/1.2 has build quality that one can only dream about being made today (with the possible exception of Leica at the usual extreme cost).

DarkroomExperimente · Mar 17, 2009

used mine today

one thing I love that I had forgotten about---the way you can toggle the stop-down preview between momentary & always on...I don't recall any other camera that I've had ever doing that...it's a good feature for me since I rarely preview DOF--and should

clayne · Mar 17, 2009

I mainly shoot with an F3 and M4, but SRT-101s are great cameras. Minolta's Rokkor lenses are also incredible optically. A *very* good optics company.

ted_smith · Jun 12, 2011

Minolta SRT-101 and SR-3 being sold

Hi all

If anyone is interested, I am selling both the Minolta SRT-101 and the SR-3 on eBay. I realise it's not appropriate to link, but if you do a search they should come up. I am tedsmith28. I'd prefer to sell them to someone from APUG seeing as you've all helped me in various ways over recent years. Just thought I'd let you all know, if you are interested. Unfortunately, I just don't have a sufficient use for them and they are just gathering dust in my cupboards. Would love someone to have them who would use them.

Ted

35mm forever! · Jun 12, 2011

Oh yes....you've just got to keep these....

Do you know when I first started to take photography seriously as a hobby the SRT101 was one of two cameras that I was thinkng of buying, it was a beautifuly made camera, lovely design and well specified. I ended up getting a Canon instead... but if it was me I would keep it and enjoy using it, as it is a lovely camera with an excelent lens, you'll get great photo's, be able to pick up good quality lens's quite cheaply and enjoy using a classic Jap camera

CGW · Jun 12, 2011

"enjoy using a classic Jap camera"

It's 2011. "Classic" racial epithets died awhile ago, thankfully.

photoncatcher · Jun 12, 2011

If you plan on throwing them out, concider me the trash can. Seriously though, the srt-101 was my first "real" camera, and I've had a love affair with the srt series since high school.I can't even begin to count the rolls of film (both color, and B&W) that went that camera. When I was in the USAF, I used it for my job as an AF photo spec. , and when it was stolen, I immediately replaced it with the same camera with the black body. That was 1973, and I contiued to use it well into the late nineties taking thousand of photos, both proffesionally, and photographing all of my Daughters growing up. Great camera, and amazingly sharp glass.

ted_smith · Jun 12, 2011

Hi guys....you've probably read the starting thread from the "Recent discussions" listed on the APUG homepage, but as per my update at the end of Page 3, I am selling this camera and my SR-3 on eBay currently.

I do appreciate everyones comments about them, and I do regret selling them, but I have two Nikon F5's that I use entirely and these are just gathering dust, so I am hoping to raise some money to take my 2 year old on holiday to Cornwall instead. I think my uncle, who's wife gave them to me when he died, would rather see me and my family having fun in St Ives than seeing his cameras sat in a cupboard. Seriosly, I'd love someone from APUG to buy one or both of them cos I know they'll be appreciated and not just sold on.

puptent · Jun 12, 2011

I didn't read this thread from the beginning, shame on me, but the Minolta brand lives on in Sony. In one of those corporate feeding frenzies, Minolta ended up digested by Sony, and the Current Sony Alpha digi cam could very well have been branded Minolta. Minolta is a proud and respected maker of camera gear. The things I like about the Olympus OM system, exist in some measure, in the Minolta SLR family. I'm just saying that any Minolta in functioning condition would be a keeper for me...

Pumalite · Jun 12, 2011

The glass of that era was as good as Nikon and Canon. Especially X-Rokkor-PF 55mm f /1.4

Excalibur2 · Jun 16, 2011

CGW said:
"enjoy using a classic Jap camera"

It's 2011. "Classic" racial epithets died awhile ago, thankfully.

LOL.......I'm sure useful info about photography is more interesting than a crusade about PC correctness.

Diapositivo · Jun 16, 2011

Isn't "Jap" an abbreviation for "Japanese"? What's racial in that? It's the normal English language horror for any word with more than two syllables. Or is "Oz" racial epithet for "Australian"?

Sirius Glass · Jun 16, 2011

"Jap" in the US is a racial slur. It always has been.

Steve

Richard S. (rich815) · Jun 16, 2011

Sirius Glass said:
"Jap" in the US is a racial slur. It alway has been.

Steve

Agree.

2F/2F · Jun 16, 2011

Sirius Glass said:
"Jap" in the US is a racial slur. It always has been.

Steve

Absolutely, it is. I've never heard it used any other way.

Zathras · Jun 17, 2011

2F/2F said:
Absolutely, it is. I've never heard it used any other way.

Same here. When I was about 14 or 15, my much loved Yashica-Mat's film advance jammed up. I looked camera repair places in my local Yellow pages and found a place in the next town over called Camera Hospital. Gave them a call and told the tech I had a jammed camera. When he asked what kind of camera, I told him it was a Yashica-Mat EM. He rather obnoxiously said "Oh, a Jap job eh?"

Thinking of the immigrant Japanese mother of a good mine, who was also my Cub Scout Den Mother at one time, I yelled "Yes idiot!!! it is a Japanese Made camera" as loud as I could into the phone before slamming the phone back into its cradle. Those old 1970's vintage AT&T phones could take a beating, and probably could be used to administer one without sustaining any major damage as well.

He didn't get my business

BTW, to answer the OP's question, the SRT -101 and its Rokkor lenses are most excellent.

2F/2F · Jun 17, 2011

Even a phrase like "the Japanese" gets under my skin. "The Japanese people" or "Japanese people" just sounds about one percent as ignorantly hickish, as stereotyping, and as racist to me.

Sounds just like when people say "the gays," "the blacks," or "the Jews."

Sirius Glass · Jun 17, 2011

fstop · Jun 18, 2011

puptent said:
I didn't read this thread from the beginning, shame on me, but the Minolta brand lives on in Sony. In one of those corporate feeding frenzies, Minolta ended up digested by Sony, and the Current Sony Alpha digi cam could very well have been branded Minolta. Minolta is a proud and respected maker of camera gear. The things I like about the Olympus OM system, exist in some measure, in the Minolta SLR family. I'm just saying that any Minolta in functioning condition would be a keeper for me...

Digested only after being raped by Konica.

Its funny how people get upset about the term jap, but don't say anything when Americans are called yankees? :confused:

Zathras · Jun 18, 2011

fstop said:
Digested only after being raped by Konica.

Its funny how people get upset about the term jap, but don't say anything when Americans are called yankees? :confused:

I'm American and I'm not bothered by being called a Yankee. On the other hand, I've never heard of a baseball team called the Japs.

Diapositivo · Jun 18, 2011

Yankee is actually originally a term to describe the Dutch of New Amsterdam (now renamed New York) which, as the common place wants, were supposed to be avid cheese eaters, more or less "Jan Kees", Johnny Cheese, or so I read somewhere. So it's actually a term to describe collectively a foreign community, and the term can have, or not have, a disparaging overtone depending on place, epoch, context, mood and personality. It's probably more the result of an "us and them" attitude that, I think, it's not necessarily disparaging, or does not necessarily originate from a need to be disparaging, although it can easily be used in such a way if both speakers feel the urge of being disparaging.

Sirius Glass · Jun 18, 2011

Around the American Revolution the British used "Yankee" and "Yankee Doodle" as a derogatory term. The Americans adopted it as an honor to annoy the British. So no it is not a derogatory term.

fstop · Jun 18, 2011

I consider it derogatory and if someone calls me a yankee I am offended and I expect an apology.

Excalibur2 · Jun 19, 2011

fstop said:
I consider it derogatory and if someone calls me a yankee I am offended and I expect an apology.

Oh dear more PC nonsense ...well I object to Americans calling the people of the UK..."Brits" and "limeys"

Minolta SRT101 - Any good?

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