Minolta SRT-101b 35mm SLR with Minolta MD3 50mm f1.7 Lens

£175.00

Minolta SRT-101b 35mm SLR with Minolta MD3 50mm f1.7 Lens

  • Excellent Condition
  • Fully Serviced
  • Minolta MD 50mm f1.7 Lens
  • Clean Throughout

1 in stock

SKU: 4322274 Categories: , , ,

Description

Minolta SRT-101b 35mm SLR with Minolta MD3 50mm f1.7 Lens

GeneralAboutRestorationAge RelatedAbout Us

General

Minolta SRT-101b 35mm SLR – Lovely refurbished Minolta SRT-101b. Extensively serviced and restored (serial 4322274) paired with a fully serviced and clean Minolta MD3 50mm f1.7 lens (serial 9591497). Camera dates from May 1977 and would have been amongst the last of the SRT-101bs fitted with the dual meter cells.

This camera has had extensive servicing work with many new parts to return it to excellent condition. The base plate does show some wear and there are some areas of minor paint loss.

Lens is clear and bright, fully cleaned with a smooth focus and reactive aperture after rebuilding. The camera and lens have been extensively serviced and tested and calibrated on our professional equipment.

There are a few very small marks in the viewfinder even after our extensive work but these will have no effect on any pictures taken with the camera.

The camera meter cells are fine for normal daylight but we noticed their response falls off below around EV7. That’s equivalent to twilight conditions and no 50 year old camera meter should ever be relied on for very low light situations as the cells age they become less responsive. The meter will be fine for most people.

Minolta constantly changed specifications for the 101b and there is much online misinformation about the model. Some versions had a split image viewfinder but this one has the standard microprism spot

Supplied with an original Minolta lens cap.

 

Please Note: The SRT series were originally designed to use a 1.3v Mercury Battery. These are no longer available due to environmental restrictions on the use of Mercury. We recommend using a 675 Zinc-Air battery as a replacement which are cheap and plentiful – you will require an adaptor for these. Read our guide here on powering vintage cameras for full information.

 

Fully manual SLR manufactured between 1975 and 1977.  This one is a late model and was manufactured in June 1979. The SRT101b was the last iteration of the classic Minolta SRT101 and this would be the last ever version of it. Production ended in 1981.  Principle changes between the 101 and the 101b changes were the removal of the Mirror Lock up feature, the addition of a split image focus screen on some versions and the addition of a hot shoe and film memo holder.

The SRT-10-1b was drastically modified late in 1977 to remove the twin meter cells and replace them with a more based metering system.

The only electronics are for the light meter. Users should remember to turn the camera off after use as otherwise it will drain the battery. The Minolta SRT series comes from an age when people were expected to use their noodle rather than rely on electronics. For details on an adaptor check out the guide on power for these classics.

The major specifications of the SRT101b are;

  • Single lens reflex camera with through-the-lens CLC (Contrast Light Compensator) meter coupled to shutter and film speed.
  • Meter sensitivity EV 3 to EV 17 at ASA 100.
  • Film speeds supported ASA 6-6400
  • Fully mechanical cloth focal plane shutter with speeds from 1-1/1000 sec plus B
  • Shutter speeds 1-1/60 sec with electronic flash
  • Oversized quick return mirror for no image cut-off even with supertelephoto lenses
  • Exposure control needle and selected shutter speed visible in viewfinder
  • X Flash synchronisation
  • Automatic reset film counter
  • Film memo holder
  • Accessory hotshoe
  • Self timer
  • Depth of field preview button

 

Restoration

Camera body work was in poor overall condition so the top plate and apron plate have been replaced with factory spares stock. On arrival its shutter speeds were very poor which is typical for an un-serviced SRT model with a meter that tended to jitter due to aged soldering.

Camera fully serviced which has included all new interior seals, deep cleaning and lubrication of the shutter mechanism. The camera is a little ‘tight’ on its advance throw but well inside Minolta specifications and it has a beautifully crisp shutter. As ever we have tuned the camera back to Minolta original specification. The meter is a little weak at very low light levels which is very common with old SRTs. For normal daylight shoote the meter will be fine.

Servicing has included;

 

  • All internal foams and seals replaced
  • All solder joints replaced to resolve meter jitter
  • New light seals and mirror bumpers
  • New top plate, apron plate, new speed dial and many internal springs replaced with fresh units.
  • Shutter cleaning and lubrication
  • Deep clean throughout
  • Shutter and meter calibrated to factory specification
  • Supplied lens has also been fully serviced with fresh lubricants, cleaned and collimated with our professional collimator.

See pictures of this camera and lens during complete servicing.

Please be aware that the cameras and lenses for sale can be up to 50 years old.  They have been serviced and/or checked and are always as good as they can be made, but please don’t expect them to be flawless as if they were made yesterday.

All lenses of this age exhibit some small particles of dust and coatings are not up to modern standards. Cameras will exhibit some wear signs and likewise may have small dust specks in their viewfinders or focus screens.  These do not affect the picture in any way.

ANY problems or issues will be described in the main text which you are advised to read carefully.If you are unfamiliar with film cameras we suggest you do some online research and read the manuals which are freely available from online resources.

We are enthusiastic film fans and spend our time hunting cameras and lenses that have been or are being unloved. We then spend hours to bring them back to fully working and clean condition, ready for a new lease of life with you  We always change the film seals, give the camera a clean/service and make sure its fully working before we sell it on to you.

Most lenses are cleaned, re-lubricated and all of their functions checked prior to sale so you know they will work, full details will always be in the text. All items are packed safely for transit using proper packing material NOT something the cat was sick in. Having been stung both on eBay and by dealers alike who often know very little about film cameras we decided to offer people a chance to experience film using a camera that will last for many years and which we can say for sure works reliably

Mel & Claire

Additional information

Brand

Minolta

Camera Type

Fully Mechanical

Colour

Silver

Exposure Mode

Manual

Focus Type

Manual Focus

Mount Type

Minolta SR/MC/MD

Product Type

Camera

Stop Down Mode

Automatic

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