A Basic Overview of Minolta pre-AF 35mm SLR's

Christopher Walrath · Feb 11, 2010

Christopher Walrath submitted a new resource:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists) - A Basic Overview of Minolta pre-AF 35mm SLR's

Well, we've all heard of the Rokkor Files. I thought that APUG should have its own abbreviated version. And as I have suffered through innumerable GAS attacks in the past by taking Minolta for relief I thought I would take the initiative.

This article is an outline of the Minolta pre-AF 35mm SLR cameras, from the sr-2 through the X-570. This will not be nearly as in-depth as Miniman's offering but this should whet the appetite. So, without any further ado . . .

The Roster/...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Christopher Walrath · Feb 11, 2010

We should have others write about the comparable Nikons, Canons, Pentaxes and others. Hope you all enjoy it.

Steve Smith · Feb 11, 2010

I became a fan of Minolta about a year ago when I bought an XE-1 (XE-7 in the US). I liked the fact that the prime lenses cost a lot less than comparable Nikkors.

Steve.

Christopher Walrath · Feb 11, 2010

Even straight Rokkor glass won't set you back too awful much. Secondary manufacturer's glass is half that. Thanks for the reads, all.

Jerevan · Feb 12, 2010

Imagine a digital SLR being produced for twelve years (like the SR-1) in the same configuration... Good read, although I never really fancied Minoltas.

Christopher Walrath · Feb 12, 2010

Well, we can't all be perfect. ;p Thanks for the read.

mike c · May 6, 2010

The only 35mm I have know is a XG 9,fine camera but you have to make sure to turn it off when not using it ,the bat. will drain and camera will not function.

rhmimac · Aug 5, 2010

I just bought a perfect sr-T303b and 3 MF lenses ( Minolta50f1.7, Vivitar 28f2.8 and 135f2.8) or my 17yr old daughter who insisted on also becoming an analog photog after 2yrs of taking pictures with a 2nd hand Nikon D.. I got her to learn some basics.
Though the machine could do everyting manualy, she could not get herself further than the green button and shot as a soldier hoping for a couple keepers after that.
But surprise,surprise the girl was getting bored taking the d.g.t.l frames and she loved the look of my neutral color gold200 4"x6" prints I still kept shooting.
What I told her after she got the Minolta is simple: measure the scene take care of positioning the meter with the O on the right in line with the needle, focus the lens precisely and of you go.
Five minutes, no manual to read, no tutorial to search on the net, nadda. Just 5 minutes of explaining the basic meter and focus the ring.
Oh man I fell in love with this sr-T303b for sure. But it's hers. She takes it everywhere and shoots 2 yr expired Gold200 with a lot more keepers!
Then she came to me in a state and reported almost crying: dad I saw the camera back was open in my camerabag! All my pics ruined!
Close it and shoot it till the end I advised. Maybe the lomo effects will make it worth keeping... And it did. Nice foging from the sides and the top. She loved it and I enjoyed her joy.

rhmimac

PS. all her 17 and 18yr old friends are on MF 135 camera's now shooting wild negs and 4 by 6 prints; they dropped the d.g.t.l sh.t. for a moment, I sincerely hope they stay. I'm a proud father.
And I love her even more now.

rhmimac

inlarry · Jun 28, 2012

Must say that although I sold off my Minolta equipment a few years back in trade for Nikon gear, I do truly miss my Minolta. It (a SRT-100) was my first real camera, which I bought myself when I was 14 back in 1997. That thing went with me EVERYWHERE. Eventually I amassed a decent collection of Rokkor and Celtic (Minolta's answer to the Series-E) lenses, and eventually traded the 100 for a 101. Lugged it, as it's predicessor with me for several years, including my trip to Germany in 2002. But, sadly a few years later I began to step slightly into digital, and decided Nikon a better investment and thus traded all my Minolta in for a really nice FE.

Honestly, I want another one and I'm seriously thinking about checking out KEH to see what's up.

Christopher Walrath · Jun 28, 2012

Oughtta be easy enough to find. I will mention that I had three different Celtic 135's MD mount. And I must have been a junk Celtic magnet. But all three of them were crap. ebay buys so maybe I got stuck. But three in a row. Even my luck isn't that bad. I ended getting a Makinon 135 MD and that was one of the best lenses I ever had for the Minny's.

Pioneer · Jun 28, 2012

High School Yearbook

Thanks Chris, this is a great little review of these magnificent, manual, Minolta cameras.

The very first SLR I ever owned was a Minolta SRT 101 purchased when I was still in college. I enjoyed that camera for several years before it involuntarily left my possession, and even today I think they are one of the most beautiful looking cameras I have ever owned or used. I had an opportunity to pick up another SRT 101 about 3 years ago, and I am very glad I did. Whenever I feel myself getting discouraged with today's auto focus, auto exposure and digital world, I grab one of my Minoltas (you can't own just one), and take it out on a little road trip. It always reminds me how important those basic composition and exposure skills are, and it never fails to revive my love of creating images.

Christopher Walrath · Jun 28, 2012

After all of these years and all the gadgets, there's just something about the feel of a Minolta sr- or X- series camera in your clutches. RB67, M645, 4x5, it's always nice to come home. Only from the minds of Minolta.

inlarry · Jul 2, 2012

The 135 Celtic I had, the only Celtic I had mind you, seemed to be a very nice lens. From what I've researched on the Celtic line the optical formula's were identical to the Rokkor's, they just built them a little "cheaper" a-la the Series E line. There's some argument about the coatings being the same, but I believe when Minolta began computer designing they figured the coatings into the total design, so it'd seem an expensive prospect to do a total re-design just to cut a little cost in coating, especially on what was intended to be a "value priced" lens. Who knows, because nobody I've seen so far seems to.

Christopher Walrath said:
Oughtta be easy enough to find. I will mention that I had three different Celtic 135's MD mount. And I must have been a junk Celtic magnet. But all three of them were crap. ebay buys so maybe I got stuck. But three in a row. Even my luck isn't that bad. I ended getting a Makinon 135 MD and that was one of the best lenses I ever had for the Minny's.

Diapositivo · Apr 4, 2016

I would like to stress the great quality of X-700, which, for a relatively little price, had a lot of quality built-in.

The MPS system of the X-700 read the exposure, in A or P mode, after the diaphragm is close, one instant before the shutter is released. That is brilliant because it takes into account diaphragm imprecision and vignetting in a much more precise way than what diaphragm simulators do.
The only cameras which had the possibility to account for "real" aperture at the time were the Olympus Om-2 and the Pentax Lx. They used a "real time" exposure mode with the reading of the exposure on the shutter itself and/or the film during exposure itself. The system that Minolta realized had the same effectiveness in using "real" aperture, but without the cost and the issues with possible different reflectivity coefficients of various films.

The X-700 has a wonderfully bright viewfinder. I also own a Nikon FE-2, which is contemporary and at a much higher price tag, and the viewfinder of the X-700 is way superior for brightness and general confort of vision, accuracy of focusing. A good viewfinder is important for good photography (as some people discovered in this time of APS-C SLR digital cameras).

The shutter of the X-700 is quartz controlled; the light meter is activated by simply touching the shutter release.

The usefulness of TTL flash is not really not having to calculate the f/number manually (thrystor controlled flash did that long before TTL-flash) but to have a proper exposure in macrophotography, where flash is basically mandatory, and where bellows factor and very short flash distances complicate the calculated exposure a lot. TTL-flash makes macrophotography "easy". At the time, TTL-flash was available only with more expensive cameras: Olympus Om-2 and Pentax LX, or Contax 139, Contax RTS, or Nikon F3. They were all cameras more expensive than the X-700.

There is a lot of good thinking that went into this camera for a very affordable price, it gave you the good things that matter.

Theo Sulphate · Apr 4, 2016

My all time favorite camera is the SRT-101 with 58/1.2 MC Rokkor.

Finally bought a nice one after wanting one for 44 years. Then I bought a second one with a nice 35/1.8 lens.

For AF, the Maxxum 7 is one of the best 35mm cameras ever.

Sirius Glass · Apr 4, 2016

Great cameras. My favorite lenses were the f/1.2 58mm and the f/2.8 21mm.

Dennis S · Apr 4, 2016

Recently (6-8 months ago) I purchased an XD-11 just because the price was ok and I never had a Minolta before. Now after a little time I declare myself a big fan of them. Purchased a power winder (lazy) and a few lenses to go with it: Rokkor 58 f1.4 & 55 f2, Rokkor-X 50 f1.7 . I can say I am very pleased with the outcome of every roll I have done. Used it so much as I was planning on selling it @ a swap meet in Burnaby but now it will be with me until it dies or I do which ever comes first. Now I will be a big Minolta fan and with seeing some of the photos I will be looking to purchase more and it is hard to beat the Rokkor lenses as well.

jimjm · Apr 5, 2016

Am I missing something? No XE-7 or XE-5 in this list? I notice the Rokkor Files don't cover them either....

I'm normally a Nikon F/F2/F3 user, but my XE-7 is a joy to shoot with.

craigclu · Apr 5, 2016

I was very immersed in another system at the time but had an XK go through my hands. There was something about that (I only had a 50mm [ƒ1.4, I think] to use on it) but it just felt right, was very stable in the hand and was very tempting.... I had accumulated some substantial favorite glass in my main system and it didn't make sense to make a system switch for me at the time but I recall feeling instantly comfortable with the XK. An acquaintance had a Minolta system and his results always left me lukewarm and I mistakenly painted the brand as mediocre rather than him. Some time after that, I spent some time shooting with him and he was a rolling disaster with little regard for stability and camera control.

A Basic Overview of Minolta pre-AF 35mm SLR's

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