Minolta SR-T 101

The Minolta SR- T 101 is a small mechanical SLR, which was produced by the Japanese company Minolta in various versions from 1966 to 1981.

Equipment

The Minolta SR- T 101 uses the already used in the previous models, SR- bayonet, but extends it by being able to make the exposure at full aperture through the lens ( MC - meter coupled ).

The closure is a horizontal cloth focal- plane shutter, which allows you to adjust shutter speeds mechanically formed from one to 1/1000 second and B. The fastest flash sync speed is for the X- Contact 1 /60 second. An additional FP- contact also enables faster shutter speeds with the rarely used FP flash bulbs. The accessory shoe of the original model has no X-contact.

The viewfinder of the " 101 " is a fixed mount, for that time comparatively brighter pentaprism viewfinder. The non- replaceable focusing screen has a focusing aid on a microprism spot in the center of the viewfinder and shows about 92 percent of the recording format. On the right of the viewfinder to find the needle of the meter and the Nachführzeiger in the form of a trowel. Below the viewfinder image the set at shutter exposure time is displayed.

The film is transported by a quick lever, a connection for a winder or motor does not exist. Other features include a mechanical self-timer, cable release connection, and as a special depth- the ability to fold the oscillating mirror manually. This function was necessary for some older designs of wide-angle lenses whose rear lenses too far projected into the mirror box. However, it can also be used to prevent when shooting from a tripod with long exposure camera shake through the mirror shock.

Metering

A specialty of the SR- T series is the CLC metering (Contrast Light Compensation), which is also found in the later time point of the XE - series. Basically, however, the CdS exposure meter works integrally with emphasis on middle, unlike many other cameras with two measurement cells whose ranges overlap in the center of the viewfinder. The lower half of the screen is in landscape mode while more valued than the upper, resulting in average intake conditions, in particular landscapes to highly reliable exposures. This construction can be seen as early forerunners of modern matrix methods of measurement - with very similar advantages and disadvantages: Unusual lighting situations sometimes lead to unexpected results.

The Minolta SRT 101 was one of the first cameras with full aperture TTL exposure meter. This was made possible by Minolta placed the aperture ring on his Rokkor MC lenses closer to the camera. This allows the aperture ring mechanically communicating with the meter inside the camera.

With older lenses without aperture simulator mounted in reverse position lenses for close-ups or adapted foreign lenses (adapter there for Pentax K and M42 ) is also TTL metering possible, but then only with working aperture and correspondingly darkened, depending on the aperture setting viewfinder. Working aperture with MC lenses is not provided, the pressure on the Abblendknopf the exposure meter of all SR- T models is turned off.

Further development

The Minolta SR- T 101 was the basis for many other models in the SR- T series up to the Minolta SR- T 303 and found himself also in the production period several changes. Due to the serial numbers of the housing may be assumed that more than 2 million copies were produced.

Professional use

Among the best known professional photographers who used a camera from this series include Annie Leibovitz, David Hamilton and W. Eugene Smith.