Minolta Manual Focus

[compur]

Is a silk shutter really as bad as it sounds?

Sounds pretty cool to me.

 

[a_spaceman]

i have two minolta manual focus - an SRT101b (european name for the SRT201) and an XG-m.
both great cameras, the xg-m being much more practical thanks to its auto mode (only shutter speed is automatic).
the original rokkor lenses are great and there are loads of them out there.
mind that if you look for a lens you want a minolta md or mc, not just an md or mc mount, as praktika had mounts of either name, too.
i still have a zeiss jena 28mm md (or is it mc?) mount i bought for the minoltas but turned out to be for praktica cameras. and this thread gives credit to the theory i had in the back of my mind that i should get a praktica as i already have a lens...

 

[Dwig]

I think this is what confused me. All of the manual focus lenses are forward & backward compatible. (But the auto focus mount is different.)

All of the manual focus models share the same lens mount, but the meter coupling and auto-diaphram mechinisms differ. The auto diaphram mechinism in the earliest of the bunch, the SR, is not compatible with most of the newer model cameras. The MC lenses have basic meter coupling, all that any manual body (SRT series) or simple manual & aperture priority body (XE series) needs. the newer MD lenses are necessary if you want to use the shutter priority and program modes on the newer auto exposure models.

Your best bet for a fully mechanical body would be the SRT-202, with the SRT-201 coming in a close second (small feature differences only). The SRT-101 and 102 are also good but slightly older, though much more commonly available. The SRT-100 and 200 were simplified variants. All of these will were designed for the now extinct mercury batteries. Modern substitutes generally require some meter adjustment, either shop service or chronically lying to the camera when you set the ISO.

Compared to the other good classics of the day (Pentax K1000 & Spotmatic, Nikkormat FTn FT2 FT3, Canon FTb TLb, etc) the Minolta SRT's compare well. I'd prefer one to a Pentax Spotmatic and about even with a K1000, though would prefer a Canon FTb over and SRT and a good Nikkormat over them all.