Difference between revisions of "Minolta SR-T 101"
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== Assigning an age to an SR-T101 == | == Assigning an age to an SR-T101 == | ||
| − | + | During the ten-year manufacturing period of the Minolta SR-T101, many small changes were made to the camera body. Several of these changes are easily detected and they can help determine time of manufacture within a few years. It should be noted that any part of a camera may be replaced due to repair, but normally these features may be considered original. Top cover and base plate are the ones usually replaced due to impact damages. The top cover replacement has not the original serial number. Smaller parts are all easily swapped. The first series have the single slot screws, while later ones the Phillips head. | |
| − | 1966-late 1969 | + | '''1966-late 1969''': the first generation 101’s has a black shutter speed barrel. From 1966 into 1967, the two screws at the back of the top cover were the same distance from the eyepiece, while on all later SR-T‘s the right-hand screw is farther away from the eyepiece. From 1968 on, the black plastic shoulder pieces between the front cover and the top cover are held in place by visible screws. |
| − | 1970-1973 | + | '''1970-1973''': the second generation and later 101’s has a coarse ridged chromed shutter speed barrel. From 1972 on, as seen on the inside of the top cover, is the film counter clear plastic window glued in place, while on earlier versions it is held in place by an internal bracket. |
| − | From 1972 on, the film counter | ||
| − | 1973-1975 | + | '''1973-1975''': on the third generation 101’s, does the black plastic piece under the accessory shoe protrude up front forming a ridge, while earlier ones has single metal peg in stead. |
| − | The lack of [[mirror lockup]] (MLU) | + | The lack of [[mirror lockup]] (MLU) on an SR-T101 is not an exact indicator of its age. MLU first began to be discontinued early in the transition to the second generation, but did continue at least until the third generation SR-T. |
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== Metering: CLC and full aperture TTL == | == Metering: CLC and full aperture TTL == | ||
Revision as of 19:55, 14 June 2009
Contents
Introduction
The Minolta SR-T 101 is a 35mm SLR camera made by Minolta. It was launched in 1966 and stayed, only with minor changes, in production for ten years, proving the thorough development effort being put into the camera before introduced. The body is a direct continuation of the Minolta SR-7 model V of 1962, itself an innovative camera. However, the SR-T has many significant features apart from the TTL meter. Perhaps the most significant one being the full aperture metering facility, which automatically compensates for the speed of the lens fitted on the camera at any time, a feature it took Nikon twelve more years to figure out how to accomplish. Full aperture metering in 35mm SLR cameras was pioneered by the brilliant Tokyo Kogaku Topcon RE-Super, a feature lacking in every screw mount camera until Olympus Kogaku introduced the Olympus FTL, their first full frame 35mm SLR in 1971, which was abandoned one year later in favour of the OM system.
When introduced, the shutter speed dial barrel on the SR-T was black, the film take-up spool black, and the focusing ring on the lens was not scalloped, just plain with shallow segmented grooves. The camera serial numbers supposedly started at 1 million, and the splendid MC Rokkor 1:1.4 f=58mm lens at 5 million. A very well crafted brown leather ever-ready-case was available to protect the camera with normal lens.
The SR-T has an extremely bright finder with a central micro prism focusing aid which proves to be very accurate in most cases, even when no apparent lines is present in the motive, since all out of focus objects is shimmering. The exposure meter needles and the selected shutter speed are visible in the viewfinder. A small rectangle to the right indicates the acceptable needle deflection for a healthy battery when a switch on the camera base is set to BC. Battery power is saved by placing the switch in the OFF position whenever the camera is not used. The metering circuit is dependent on a banned mercury battery. It may be replaced using the hearing aid variety of 1.4 volt, it comes in a six-pack and is not very expensive.
There are many internal mechanisms that may fail on a forty years old camera, and the SR-T 101 is no exception. The only serious trouble is related to the exposure meter movement itself, in which the tiny coil tends to break, this situation requires a replacement. The back door rubber sealing foam will usually need replacement, and so will a small strip of same cushioning the mirror when it goes up. A strip of this may be cut from a similar sealing material from a hardware store. All other problems are easily put right with a minimum of effort and tools, unless the camera is worn out, which rarely happens. In fact, anybody who figures out how to remove the top cover without causing any damage may repair it oneself.
Assigning an age to an SR-T101
During the ten-year manufacturing period of the Minolta SR-T101, many small changes were made to the camera body. Several of these changes are easily detected and they can help determine time of manufacture within a few years. It should be noted that any part of a camera may be replaced due to repair, but normally these features may be considered original. Top cover and base plate are the ones usually replaced due to impact damages. The top cover replacement has not the original serial number. Smaller parts are all easily swapped. The first series have the single slot screws, while later ones the Phillips head.
1966-late 1969: the first generation 101’s has a black shutter speed barrel. From 1966 into 1967, the two screws at the back of the top cover were the same distance from the eyepiece, while on all later SR-T‘s the right-hand screw is farther away from the eyepiece. From 1968 on, the black plastic shoulder pieces between the front cover and the top cover are held in place by visible screws.
1970-1973: the second generation and later 101’s has a coarse ridged chromed shutter speed barrel. From 1972 on, as seen on the inside of the top cover, is the film counter clear plastic window glued in place, while on earlier versions it is held in place by an internal bracket.
1973-1975: on the third generation 101’s, does the black plastic piece under the accessory shoe protrude up front forming a ridge, while earlier ones has single metal peg in stead.
The lack of mirror lockup (MLU) on an SR-T101 is not an exact indicator of its age. MLU first began to be discontinued early in the transition to the second generation, but did continue at least until the third generation SR-T.
Metering: CLC and full aperture TTL
Camera ads from the 1970s boast of its CLC (Contrast Light Metering), calling it "the brain". CLC is a form of TTL metering with two CdS cells. It compensates for over-exposure by assuming that the upper side of the picture is the sky (overcast) and that the lower part is the subject you want to photograph. ISO values can be set from 6 to 6400.
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The SR-T 101's viewfinder shows the exposure meter's needle at the right side of the finder image. The circle on the second visible needle shows the light value needed for the actual shutter-speed/aperture selection. When these pre-selections are corrected manually this 2nd needle moves towards the meter's needle.  The second image shows the meter in battery control mode: needle over the little rectangle means correct voltage. |
Correct exposure is achieved by matching a needle in the viewfinder to a circle moving with the exposure settings. Strangely though, the needle moves down when light increases.
The Minolta SR-T 101 was one of the first cameras to have full aperture TTL metering. This was possible thanks to the fact that Minolta had placed the aperture ring on its Rokkor MC lenses close to the camera body. This way, the position of the aperture ring could be communicated mechanically to the metering system inside the camera. What is actually transmitted is not the aperture itself, but the offset between the selected aperture and the lens' maximal aperture.
Other specifications
- The SR-T 101 has a cloth focal plane shutter with speeds from 1 sec to 1/1000. The film advance lever automatically cocks the shutter, preventing double exposures. Shutter speeds are shown at the bottom of the viewfinder.
- It has some interesting features which set it apart from many other SLRs of that time, like mirror lockup, a mechanical self-timer and a depth-of-field preview button.
- The manual-focus Rokkor lenses have a very good reputation and some are very fast: the fastest standard lens is 50mm f/1.2.
- The SR-T 101 uses a PX625 cell for the metering system only. With a dead battery, all functions but the meter will continue to work.
Links
- Minolta SR-T series; an overview of features.
- Review at Classic Cameras
- Rokkor files
- SR-T 101 Manual (JPEG Scans)
- SR-T 101 versions and comparison with contemporary SLRs
- SRT-101, SRT-101 noir, SRT-101b on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
- French User manual, Service manual on www.collection-appareils.fr by Sylvain Halgand
Photobloggers Using the SR-T 101
| Minolta Classic Cameras |
|---|
| Vest (or Best) | V2 | SR-2 | SRT 101 | XE | XD | CLE | 7000 | 9000 | 800 si |
