Minolta SRT 101 with 58mm lens was my first SLR that I purchased in 1971, very well made camera and I would certainly not call it “look rough around the edges”? as Helge Frisenette commenting your description of it.
Loved the video. I've been using my Dad's SrT-202 that he bought new in 1976. It has documented our family since then and is my go to camera today because of how accurate the meter is. Once in a while I switch it out for my XE-7 or SrT-MC II, but now I also have an XD11 to add to the mix...but the 202 will probably remain as my workhorse especially with the family ties.
I have the 101, 202 and an de that is been serviced at the moment. So far love my 101 and 202. I have a pretty good amount of lenses for them. I love them all. Can't wait to try my xe.
I look forward to your videos, especially camera reviews. It made my day seeing that you were reviewing a Minolta STR series camera. My first 35mm camera was a Minolta SRT 101 purchased new in the latter half of the 1960's. I still have it and it still works. I have a soft spot in my heart for the Minolta cameras especially the SRT's. I own ten. Many were purchased because of the lens that came with it. I hated to sell the body so I have them along with several XK's, XK Motor's, XG's, X700's, XD's and several early SR's. I continued my love of Minolta's with a number of there auto focus bodies along with their auto focus lenses. I use the Minolta auto focus lenses on two Sony A700 digital bodies. I love Minolta glass. I still have and use three Leica M's and a Hasselblad 500CM with several lense for each system. I still seem to go back to the manual focus Minolta's because of the sound and feel plus the fifty plus years of memories they bring back to me. The Minolta SRT 303b was the European version of the American SRT 202 and the Japanese SR 505. Both my SRT 303b and SR 505's are the rarer black versions. Thank you for posting these outstanding and informative videos. I have watched everyone, some more then once. At 77 years old, I hope I get to watch many more. Thanks again, Stan
Thanks for the review of the SRT 303. I have an extensive collection of old Minoltas and I concur that the SRT series are wonderful mechanical cameras. When the X series came along they didn’t stand the test of time that the SRT series has. Of course nothing or nobody lasts forever!
I love how robust these old Minoltas are. When you pick one up it just feels... good. I've shot the 101 and 201 SRT models, and my one annoyance with the design would be the thumb-turn meter switch on the bottom. Great job covering all the details btw. Very informative. 🙂
I have the X-700. Great light-weight film camera. Minolta has always been epically under-rated. The 50mm f/2 I use on it is almost as sharp as my modern digital lenses and it also has a ton of character.
Own the SRT Super and love the camera. Just love the way it feels in your hands when you take a shot and it inspires confidence with its "strong" feel. Also love the old Minolta lenses. Have a tidy little collection myself and I also use them on my other cameras, with the adapters for each camera/mount type. Once more, great video, Max. Hope to see some more Minolta reviews soon.
I have an SRT101 beaten to death but still working fine! As you said i found the lightmeter pretty accurate. Didn't know about the half exposure difference. Interesting! Thanks!
I bought one of those for next to nothing last year. Had a big dent in it and looks very rough. Needless to say it works extremely well and produces excellent results :-) Great camera!
Fujimichel I toted my SRT-100 all around the world for years. Rokkor 135, 55 mm lenses. Just a workhorse. And it’s all about the Rokkor lens. I didn’t mind the weight. I just wanted to take simple pics in the remote areas that I worked in. So a simple camera has its benefits: reliability.
Wonderful video, as always, Max. And your uber-calm delivery makes viewing very relaxing, even therapeutic! Many thanks for this and please never stop. I hope to visit Germany sometime.
Thanks for another great video Max, I have an SR-T 201, and I love that tank, my only problem has been shooting in the cold (-30) the shutter would open, but often wouldn’t close for a long time. I’m totally with you on the amazing shutter sound though!
Just bought a SRT-303 and I'm loving it. Thanks for the through run through, especially the details around the metering system was helpful. 👍 I do prefer the old all mechanical cameras.
I've never owned the 303 but I happened to realise today what a big fan of Minolta SLRs I am. Of all the brands I've used over the years, three of my top 5 favourite cameras are Minolta. Not only are they generally very robust but they're a joy to use; particularly when focusing. For whatever reason I find Minolta cameras easier to focus than on any other SLR system I've tried. I now only own an SRT 100x. My beloved XD7 took a fall off the table on the train and unfortunately it broke beyond repair. I'm so sad the brand no longer exists but that being said, it makes for much cheaper lenses than the Canon or Nikon equivalents.
You did it. You reviewed my dad's camera before me 😁 All do all other lenses i had for it got lost over time, I still got it with the 50/1,7. This camera still keeps on going. Despite the fact that it spent at least 10 yrs in the attic. No service, no CLE, nothing! Built like a tank, literally...
schön mal wieder ein gut gemachtes minolta-review von euch zu sehen. die farbbilder mit dem leider eingestellten ct100 sind traumhaft. der sw-film überzeugt mich nicht so; da würde ich wohl fp4+ und id11 vorziehen. danke und lg! :-)
robomix , der Silvermax lohnt sich wirklich. Ausgezeichnete Schärfe und sehr ausgeglichene Tonalität, auch bei Gegenlichtsituationen. Bin ja sonst auch der Ilford-Anhänger, aber bei dieser Film-Entwicklerkombination werde ich schwach😀
Having taken one of these apart to lubricate it recently I was amazed at how the light meter works on this thing. It's a thin coil of thread that moves as you turn the iso/aperture dial and moves the little needle inside. Really neat (if delicate and a nightmare to reassemble) solution to the problem.
Hello Max and Greg, thorough review as always. What struck me was the clarity and vividness of the slide film. I used to only shoot medium format exclusively but since I started shooting the Leica iiif and using super takumar pentaxes on fine grain film I find MF almost unnecessary for every day use. Still have yet to try slide. Respect
@@ianthomas465 Hello Greg how are you? I have to say lately I've hit a roadblock with film, almost like I've lost my enthusiasm. I'm not sure what is happening but I've been using the coarse film grain simulation in my Lumix along with vintage lenses and enjoying the results. We shall see if it's a phase. Greg I want to send you a message do you have an Instagram or Facebook?
Raychristofer I am sorry. I donˋt have Instagram nore use I facebook but I think itˋs time to create an Instagram acount. I will ask Max how to do this and send you the adress. Cheers and best regards, Greg
@@ianthomas465 hello Greg, I didn't want to create one either but lomography sent me some film to test and they said it's good for a photographer to have an Instagram. Maybe I will look up your email on your TH-cam profile when I get in. Stay safe
What a gem this camera, definitely in the pantheon of the best 35mm slrs along with om1, Nikon F, Pentax K series and alike. Who needs any electronic in a film camera seriously ? What a stupid idea that was not to build every film camera mechanically based. I’m saying this, I own a perfect Hasselblad 500cm and I’m looking for a 35mm on the side and the SRT303 might be the one..
Thank you for your review of the Minolta 303B. My first good camera that I bought was the Minolta SRT202 and Minolta f2 50mm lens in 1974. I sill use them and put some Provia film through it two days ago. Those Minolta cameras can take a beating and still work fine. The lenses are wonderful and I plan on buying some more. Like others I am not fond of the light meter switch.
@@thedondeluxe6941 No complaints from me. The camera is built like a tank but is aesthetically pleasing like a Ferrari. Call me bias, but I believe the Minolta's of the 60s/70 were some of the most gorgeous cameras ever made.
Thanks Max for this review. I've owned a SRT 303 for just over a year, and I love it! I have the 50mm f1.4, a Minolta 70-210, and a Vivitar Series 1 28-105 macro. It allows me to experience analog photography just as I did when I first entered it back in the mid-70's. The "CLC" metering is really pretty darn accurate (especially for center-weighted metering), with only the most challenging lighting situations presenting any real sort of problems (and in which case I bracket my shots). How about a review someday of another of my "fun" cameras the Agfa Ambi-Sillete, or perhaps a film review on the Ferrania P30? Keep up the great work, and I look forward to your insights as always.
Thanks for your kind and elaborate comment. Glad to hear you enjoy shooting the Minolta SRT 303 as well. Good suggestions. And yes, I am already working on a closer look at the Ferrania P30 at the moment. There's a video coming up on this one. :)
Wonderful video on a very important camera. I've many versions of the SR-T and the 101 is still my personal favorite. Would love to enjoy the X-700 as much, but my eyes can't pick up the LED in viewfinder as when I was younger.
Thank you for your review, I'm trying to buy one of these off a friend. I first owned an SRT 101b in 1977 when I did photography at school. Foolishly I sold my original SRT in 1981 to a school friend. I now have two earlier 101's without hot shoe. :-( (And a Dynax 7xi, and an XG2).
Very well made, professional video and wonderful shots. I've been shooting for less than a year and was lucky enough to get an SR-T 101 early on with some great MC Rokkor lenses. The 101 remains my favorite camera, simply because it's so easy to use and delivers such awesome photos. I'll have to now look for a 303b after watching your video. 😁
The 75-200/4.5 zoom lens is one which Minolta made for Leica and the R3, also available in SR mount for Minolta with some modifications. It's sorely underrated and can be had for a song.
Nice camera and nice photographs. Love those older all-mechanical 35 mm film SLR's. Just pure photographic machines. Adjustable shutter speeds, good accurate in-camera light meter, adjustable lens aperture on the lenses..what more do you need? I'm firmly entrenched into the Nikon system but if I run into a good working example of one of these for cheap..might be tempted to pick one up. The Minolta SRT series have long had a reputation for being excellent cameras.
Hi, great vidoes. Just got this Camera, and can't wait for the film to develope. For future videos maybe you can add the settings (aperture, exposure time, ISO) at the fotos you made. Would be interesting!
My second slr was the Minolta srt 100x. It have taken a lot of beating thru the years, but it still works fine. Great camera, just as the 303, but without the self timer. In the mid 1980s I got a X700, X500, X300 and a X300s - and lots of great lenses. I still have everything, exept the X700 and the X300s. The X300 was kicked into a wall once, but survived. If I remember correct Minolta also made the glass for the lenses?
thanx for the tip concerning portrait and landscape-orientation....very helpful!!! Another thing: is it just my bad luck or do the lightmeters tend to die? I have 4 different srt's with only one working lightmeter😢
Thanks for your question. We all have different scanning methods. Greg uses his Pentax K1 with an old Pentax Macro lens (used to scan the black and white film here) and I use my Epson F-3200 (used for the slide film here). Jules has a wonderful Heidelberg Nexscan f4100 which he sometimes uses to scan our films. Hope this helps. :)
Hello Yuriy, in adition to Maxˋs answer - I use the Pentax K1 with an old slide copy bellows (also Pentax) and a SMC-screw mount Takumar 4,0/50mm. It is pin sharp and has itˋs sweet spot already at f8. Cheers and best regards, Greg
Some Canon FD cameras are underrated like the Canon FTB, and the beautiful mechanical Canon F-1/ New F-1. They're bulletproof cameras and underappreciated.
I still own my original SR-T 202 from 1976. It looks very similar to the 303, wonder what difference is. I still works and looks as good as the day is was new.
Gabez82 The 100 102 201, the differences are insignificant. The important difference is the prismatic focus versus the split image focus. The split image is a bitch in low light. The 100 only had 1/500, and you couldn’t read the f or speed in view finder.
Hi Max and Greg. I very much enjoyed your video & many other videos you have produced. I really like the look of Adox B&W. One question - this is subjective, and I am interested in your opinion. When shooting black and white, do you find using correcting filters (yellow/orange/red) necessary? Or these days some digital contrast correction is a good substitute? I personally shoot b&w without filters (I don't find necessary) but many others say you should always have a contrast enhancing filter. Thank you. Matteo
Hello Matteo. I have a big number of filters (yellow, orange, red) for increasing contrast in the sky and I use skylight filters when taking fotos in the mountains. For Landscape photography I prefer more and more a graduated ND filter in combination with a polarizer, also for b&w. Best regards, Greg
Thanks for your comment. I get all my music for these videos from Epidemicsound.com, a platform for creators looking for licence-free music. This particular piece is called "True Grit" by Cristoffer Moe Ditlevsen. Hope this helps.
Hi! Thanks for the video. I didn't get exact the battery part. How would that be possible to fit an adapter together with the battery? Plus: could you please explain again the vertical pics technique to get the correct light measurement?
Great review, as always. Nice to see another Minolta-fanboy in Munich. Fantastic fotos ! I'm using Minolta X-700 (my parent's) and XD-7 (and Sony A7II) with my beautiful Minolta lenses. Recently I got by chance a SRT-101(built 1968 or 1969) which I liked at first use. It exposes quite nice with a 1,5 V battery without any modification. Unfortunately it needs some fixing (mirror gets stuck at slow speeds, self timer not working, cable release not working). Do you know a good repair shop for it in Munich ? I only know Mr. Wieners (messy) shop in Landwehrstraße, but he's very old now. Is there an alternative in Munich ?
John Titterington in Kansas is THE top guy for all things SRT models. I suspect that shipping would be quite cost prohibitive to repair if you’re in Germany. He even swapped a Split Prism of an SRT202 into a SRT101 for me. My black SRT101 is just pristine. It’s awesome.
@@Gabez82 Hi, yes shipping a SRT to Kansas (if even possible these days) is a little bit cost prohibitive 😉. But it's interesting that you swapped to split prism, because for me the lack of split prism is a big pro of the SRT101. The split prism of my Minolta X700 and XD-7 do more disturb me than help.
Hallo Matthias, es gibt die Werkstatt Ostendorp in Schonungen bei Schweinfurt. Da schicke ich meine Sachen hin - ist nicht weit von Würzburg. Der Mann ist etwas grummelig in der Kommunikation, macht aber gute Arbeit. Hat eine Webseite - einfach schaue unter Fotoservice Ostendorp. Beste Grüße, Greg
Today I received an NOS Novoflex slide/film dublicator. It is missing the lille box unit where you stick your slides in but the box also contained an attached black SR-T 303 in pristine condition + a NOS MD 28mm 2,8 lens and the Novofle 105mm dublicator lens. I wonder what the difference between the 303 and the 303b is. If you kindly had the time to shed a light on this I'd entirely appreciate. THX bunches.
Sure, here you go: "The SRT 303b is a minor improvement over the SRT 303, which is itself a minor improvement over the SRT 101. The first 303 body did not include the early SRT 101’s mirror-lock-up functionality. Minolta also added exposure settings to the viewfinder, a split-image focusing aid, a hot shoe, and a film release button that allowed for multiple exposures on a single frame. For the later 303b, Minolta added a safe-load indicator on the back of the camera under the film advance lever and a film memo holder." (Source: casualphotophile.com/2020/01/29/minolta-303b-kodak-ektar/)
@@AnalogInsights Thank you so much. I just took off the Camera from the dublicator flange. Although the camera looks almost NOS, the mirror is in a bad condition. I guess I'll have to find me a replacement. THX for sharing. Great channel.
I had a 101 jam the shutter on me at the viewing point of Ayres Rock. I paniced in frustration and broke a tooth of the winder. The way to unjam is apparently to rotate the toothed film roller backwards. Of course you need a dark(ened)room to do this. I had a MD 50mm f1.4 and didn't get as good sharpness until I got a Sony A850.
great review :) can you guide me with where can I find the manual of this camera in English or Spanish? I could only find it in German and it is really difficult to understand 😅 thanks a lot
One grain of sand in the wrong place is enough, and it can be deep in some cog or contact, so very hard to fix. Never ever put a camera into sand, and be careful when near blowing sand.
Exactly where and how does it “look rough around the edges”? It’s one of the cleanest, no nonsense designs ever. It easily stands next to a Nikon F from a purely cosmetic fit and finish standpoint.
Helge Frisenette Thanks for your comment. I agree, it is indeed a very clean and no nonsense design. Yet, ergonomically it feels a bit rougher than later cameras as explained in the “personal impressions” section of the video. This, of course, is merely a personal assessment. :)
Analog Insights I don’t see how “personal assessment” fits with “literally”. I’m just curious. There’s precious little difference to say a X-700 or XD-7 of a few years later. Yet I never heard those described with that term.
Steve G that’s just your copy. The stop down button is incredibly responsive and a tactile joy to use on my Sr-Ts. I’d say it’s one of the best features of the camera.
A quick question - when setting up your shot with the light metre, do you align the light metre together before pressing the stop-down button or after pressing it? (i.e., setting up the shot with completely wide aperture or your final desired aperture)
Hi Richard, I haven't used mine for a while but if I remember correctly the metering is done wide open... only when you press the shutter does the camera stop down the aperture to what you had set. The pin that sticks out at the end of the lens engages the mechanism inside the camera that allows this to happen. The depth of field preview allows you to preview the actual image depth for your aperture. Hope that helps.
Just inherited one of these cameras, with 28, 50, 135 lens. Sadly, I'm not able to use it so I'm selling it, and... yes I know it's a shame. The worst thing is this: camera and lenses are like new, they even still have the "passed" gold patch from Quality Control before leaving the factory (in 1976). Such a camera used only a few times, for family pictures at birthdays...
Can anyone tell me how cameras that use the LR44 cope with alkaline's voltage drop over time? Do they have compensating circuits so that the meter stays accurate? Or is there a silver-based LR44 available?
Sorry for being late...just saw this video now (btw - nice). I have a Minolta SRT-303 (s/n 3126580) among others old mechanical camera bodies of different brands, but I tend not to use the built in exposure meter of such cameras. If you use a 1.5V battery as the LR44, the reading of the exposure meter is not accurate (and combine that with possible inaccuracies of the shutter speeds...it's a lottery). The original battery was a Mallory PX625. As a replacement, you can try WeinCell mercury free 1.35V battery (one of the most famous online shopping sites offers it). If you do not want to buy the correct batteries and you are afraid about following the recommendations of the instruction sheets provided with most color and B&W films (they still work as of today and I heard that they will probably continue to work for another few hundreds of thousand years...), take a good exposure meter with you
very, very solid camera with great options. Great to teach yourselfes to play with light. Older lenses wil ive great result. recentely restored a srt 101 with succes gives me great pleasure!!
Shot only one roll of silvermax and then read that is not being produced anymore... Got very good results though. i would shoot it a lot more otherwise
Minolta SLR's are underrated. Minolta was very innovative, but not capable of designing attractive looking camera's, like the always very slick Olympus camera's, or the popular Leica's and Nikons. Minolta SLR's always are a bit clunky looking bricks with a bit odd details. But from a functional point of view, very good imaging instruments. The real "sleeper" Minolta is their very latest manual focus SLR from 1990(!); the X300s. Look it up. Great viewfinder, great haptics. Can be had for "a song". (Which is interesting in this time of very expensive and hyped old film camera's)
Hello. I notice that all three of you routinely advance the film immediately after taking a photograph. Why? Doing this leaves the mechanism in tension which I was always told led to mechanical fatigue and it also, of course, allows accidental exposures, whereas if you only advance the film after having decided you want to make an exposure, it only takes a second to wind on...
@@Zetaphotography No confusion. You can wind on in the same time it takes to reframe a shot, and the point is as much to do with avoiding an accidental exposure as anything. Plus, how do you know which exposure is your last shot before you put the camera away?
@@AnalogInsights I do not think you make it sound complicated Max. Mind maybe that could be because when I first started to take photographs digital cameras did not exhist ! Your videos have made me get out my old film cameras and shoot film again when I get the chance :D Teddy
Ishijah1 If it appears so complicated for you, TH-cam allows you to play at 0.75 or even 0.5x speed to slow it down for you. Get back to us on the results!
Minolta SRT 101 with 58mm lens was my first SLR that I purchased in 1971, very well made camera and I would certainly not call it “look rough around the edges”? as Helge Frisenette commenting your description of it.
That part about the meter favoring the lower half of the frame is so important. I had never heard that. Brilliant idea, before matrix metering.
Loved the video. I've been using my Dad's SrT-202 that he bought new in 1976. It has documented our family since then and is my go to camera today because of how accurate the meter is. Once in a while I switch it out for my XE-7 or SrT-MC II, but now I also have an XD11 to add to the mix...but the 202 will probably remain as my workhorse especially with the family ties.
I have the 101, 202 and an de that is been serviced at the moment. So far love my 101 and 202. I have a pretty good amount of lenses for them. I love them all. Can't wait to try my xe.
I caught the Minolta bug from watching your videos and now I own a 58mm F1.2 :-)
Very happy with that one!
I look forward to your videos, especially camera reviews. It made my day seeing that you were reviewing a Minolta STR series camera. My first 35mm camera was a Minolta SRT 101 purchased new in the latter half of the 1960's. I still have it and it still works.
I have a soft spot in my heart for the Minolta cameras especially the SRT's. I own ten. Many were purchased because of the lens that came with it. I hated to sell the body so I have them along with several XK's, XK Motor's, XG's, X700's, XD's and several early SR's. I continued my love of Minolta's with a number of there auto focus bodies along with their auto focus lenses. I use the Minolta auto focus lenses on two Sony A700 digital bodies. I love Minolta glass.
I still have and use three Leica M's and a Hasselblad 500CM with several lense for each system. I still seem to go back to the manual focus Minolta's because of the sound and feel plus the fifty plus years of memories they bring back to me.
The Minolta SRT 303b was the European version of the American SRT 202 and the Japanese SR 505. Both my SRT 303b and SR 505's are the rarer black versions.
Thank you for posting these outstanding and informative videos. I have watched everyone, some more then once. At 77 years old, I hope I get to watch many more. Thanks again, Stan
Thank you Max and Greg for another superb video.
Thanks for the review of the SRT 303. I have an extensive collection of old Minoltas and I concur that the SRT series are wonderful mechanical cameras. When the X series came along they didn’t stand the test of time that the SRT series has. Of course nothing or nobody lasts forever!
Two reviews back to back.
Awesome
Thank you for your video. I really enjoy your explanation and narration about the camera.
Thank you for your kind words. I really appreciate it.
I love how robust these old Minoltas are. When you pick one up it just feels... good. I've shot the 101 and 201 SRT models, and my one annoyance with the design would be the thumb-turn meter switch on the bottom. Great job covering all the details btw. Very informative. 🙂
I shoot on a 201 and I must agree that the meter switch could have been better. Otherwise fantastic camera.
it's coin-turn switch ;)
Always enjoy your appreciation for Minolta.
I have the X-700. Great light-weight film camera. Minolta has always been epically under-rated. The 50mm f/2 I use on it is almost as sharp as my modern digital lenses and it also has a ton of character.
Own the SRT Super and love the camera. Just love the way it feels in your hands when you take a shot and it inspires confidence with its "strong" feel. Also love the old Minolta lenses. Have a tidy little collection myself and I also use them on my other cameras, with the adapters for each camera/mount type. Once more, great video, Max. Hope to see some more Minolta reviews soon.
love these videos so much, thanks
Socrates Thanks! And I love this film community so much. 🙏🏻
I have an SRT101 beaten to death but still working fine! As you said i found the lightmeter pretty accurate. Didn't know about the half exposure difference. Interesting! Thanks!
I bought one of those for next to nothing last year. Had a big dent in it and looks very rough. Needless to say it works extremely well and produces excellent results :-) Great camera!
Fujimichel
I toted my SRT-100 all around the world for years. Rokkor 135, 55 mm lenses. Just a workhorse. And it’s all about the Rokkor lens.
I didn’t mind the weight. I just wanted to take simple pics in the remote areas that I worked in. So a simple camera has its benefits: reliability.
Wonderful video, as always, Max. And your uber-calm delivery makes viewing very relaxing, even therapeutic! Many thanks for this and please never stop. I hope to visit Germany sometime.
Awesome in-depth review. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for another great video Max, I have an SR-T 201, and I love that tank, my only problem has been shooting in the cold (-30) the shutter would open, but often wouldn’t close for a long time. I’m totally with you on the amazing shutter sound though!
Just bought a SRT-303 and I'm loving it. Thanks for the through run through, especially the details around the metering system was helpful. 👍 I do prefer the old all mechanical cameras.
I've never owned the 303 but I happened to realise today what a big fan of Minolta SLRs I am. Of all the brands I've used over the years, three of my top 5 favourite cameras are Minolta. Not only are they generally very robust but they're a joy to use; particularly when focusing. For whatever reason I find Minolta cameras easier to focus than on any other SLR system I've tried. I now only own an SRT 100x. My beloved XD7 took a fall off the table on the train and unfortunately it broke beyond repair. I'm so sad the brand no longer exists but that being said, it makes for much cheaper lenses than the Canon or Nikon equivalents.
You did it. You reviewed my dad's camera before me 😁
All do all other lenses i had for it got lost over time, I still got it with the 50/1,7. This camera still keeps on going. Despite the fact that it spent at least 10 yrs in the attic. No service, no CLE, nothing! Built like a tank, literally...
Just got one for 34€ on eBay. My first "proper" camera, can't wait to try it out. Greetings from Mittelfranken!
schön mal wieder ein gut gemachtes minolta-review von euch zu sehen. die farbbilder mit dem leider eingestellten ct100 sind traumhaft. der sw-film überzeugt mich nicht so; da würde ich wohl fp4+ und id11 vorziehen. danke und lg! :-)
robomix , der Silvermax lohnt sich wirklich. Ausgezeichnete Schärfe und sehr ausgeglichene Tonalität, auch bei Gegenlichtsituationen. Bin ja sonst auch der Ilford-Anhänger, aber bei dieser Film-Entwicklerkombination werde ich schwach😀
Having taken one of these apart to lubricate it recently I was amazed at how the light meter works on this thing. It's a thin coil of thread that moves as you turn the iso/aperture dial and moves the little needle inside. Really neat (if delicate and a nightmare to reassemble) solution to the problem.
Hello Max and Greg, thorough review as always. What struck me was the clarity and vividness of the slide film. I used to only shoot medium format exclusively but since I started shooting the Leica iiif and using super takumar pentaxes on fine grain film I find MF almost unnecessary for every day use. Still have yet to try slide. Respect
Raychristofer , the exact metering of the Minolta helped a lot to get these great results on slide film. Cheers and best refards, Greg
@@ianthomas465 Hello Greg how are you? I have to say lately I've hit a roadblock with film, almost like I've lost my enthusiasm. I'm not sure what is happening but I've been using the coarse film grain simulation in my Lumix along with vintage lenses and enjoying the results. We shall see if it's a phase. Greg I want to send you a message do you have an Instagram or Facebook?
Raychristofer I am sorry. I donˋt have Instagram nore use I facebook but I think itˋs time to create an Instagram acount. I will ask Max how to do this and send you the adress. Cheers and best regards, Greg
@@ianthomas465 hello Greg, I didn't want to create one either but lomography sent me some film to test and they said it's good for a photographer to have an Instagram. Maybe I will look up your email on your TH-cam profile when I get in. Stay safe
What a gem this camera, definitely in the pantheon of the best 35mm slrs along with om1, Nikon F, Pentax K series and alike.
Who needs any electronic in a film camera seriously ? What a stupid idea that was not to build every film camera mechanically based.
I’m saying this, I own a perfect Hasselblad 500cm and I’m looking for a 35mm on the side and the SRT303 might be the one..
Thank you for your review of the Minolta 303B. My first good camera that I bought was the Minolta SRT202 and Minolta f2 50mm lens in 1974. I sill use them and put some Provia film through it two days ago. Those Minolta cameras can take a beating and still work fine. The lenses are wonderful and I plan on buying some more. Like others I am not fond of the light meter switch.
Watching from the Philippines. 🤧❤️🇵🇭
Very good camera, I became a subscriber to your channel, I like it.
GREAT video! Thanks so much.
Slide film remains magical
Fantastic camera
I enjoy using my XD11 with the 50mm f/1.4 more than my a7Rii.
Same here. The XD is a wonderful camera. That shutter sound is so nice :-)
@@thedondeluxe6941 No complaints from me. The camera is built like a tank but is aesthetically pleasing like a Ferrari. Call me bias, but I believe the Minolta's of the 60s/70 were some of the most gorgeous cameras ever made.
@@willypupo89 Completely agree!
me too
Thanks Max for this review. I've owned a SRT 303 for just over a year, and I love it! I have the 50mm f1.4, a Minolta 70-210, and a Vivitar Series 1 28-105 macro. It allows me to experience analog photography just as I did when I first entered it back in the mid-70's. The "CLC" metering is really pretty darn accurate (especially for center-weighted metering), with only the most challenging lighting situations presenting any real sort of problems (and in which case I bracket my shots). How about a review someday of another of my "fun" cameras the Agfa Ambi-Sillete, or perhaps a film review on the Ferrania P30? Keep up the great work, and I look forward to your insights as always.
Thanks for your kind and elaborate comment. Glad to hear you enjoy shooting the Minolta SRT 303 as well.
Good suggestions. And yes, I am already working on a closer look at the Ferrania P30 at the moment. There's a video coming up on this one. :)
Wonderful video on a very important camera. I've many versions of the SR-T and the 101 is still my personal favorite. Would love to enjoy the X-700 as much, but my eyes can't pick up the LED in viewfinder as when I was younger.
Thx for your nice presentation of this model.
Thank you for your review, I'm trying to buy one of these off a friend. I first owned an SRT 101b in 1977 when I did photography at school. Foolishly I sold my original SRT in 1981 to a school friend. I now have two earlier 101's without hot shoe. :-( (And a Dynax 7xi, and an XG2).
Very well made, professional video and wonderful shots. I've been shooting for less than a year and was lucky enough to get an SR-T 101 early on with some great MC Rokkor lenses. The 101 remains my favorite camera, simply because it's so easy to use and delivers such awesome photos. I'll have to now look for a 303b after watching your video. 😁
Thank you so much for your kind comment. Really appreciate it. Glad to hear you enjoyed the video and it even made you consider the 303b. :)
thanks, I'll buy one
i just got a 303b with a 58 mm 1.2 cool video cheers from miami
A wonderful combination. Enjoy shooting it! :)
Can't wait to watch this one. 🤩
I also have an XE-7 and X-570 but my favorite is the SRT.
I have the SRT101, both cameras are very much alike except the window indicating FILM
I have 100 102 and 201. Just not much difference.
I’d be very interested in a data back for these.
Fantastic, thank you ....
The 75-200/4.5 zoom lens is one which Minolta made for Leica and the R3, also available in SR mount for Minolta with some modifications. It's sorely underrated and can be had for a song.
The prismatic focus is worth some discussion.
It's a beauty!
Great job
Thanks so much. :)
Interesting new background music...
Nice camera and nice photographs. Love those older all-mechanical 35 mm film SLR's. Just pure photographic machines. Adjustable shutter speeds, good accurate in-camera light meter, adjustable lens aperture on the lenses..what more do you need? I'm firmly entrenched into the Nikon system but if I run into a good working example of one of these for cheap..might be tempted to pick one up. The Minolta SRT series have long had a reputation for being excellent cameras.
Hi, great vidoes. Just got this Camera, and can't wait for the film to develope. For future videos maybe you can add the settings (aperture, exposure time, ISO) at the fotos you made. Would be interesting!
I have the Minolta SRT-201, I like the camera for its simplicity. Like a tank feeling. It takes good photos.
They just feel good to hold. The weight is very nice in my mind.
And they’re gorgeous.
My second slr was the Minolta srt 100x. It have taken a lot of beating thru the years, but it still works fine. Great camera, just as the 303, but without the self timer.
In the mid 1980s I got a X700, X500, X300 and a X300s - and lots of great lenses. I still have everything, exept the X700 and the X300s. The X300 was kicked into a wall once, but survived.
If I remember correct Minolta also made the glass for the lenses?
thanx for the tip concerning portrait and landscape-orientation....very helpful!!!
Another thing: is it just my bad luck or do the lightmeters tend to die? I have 4 different srt's with only one working lightmeter😢
Thanks for the review.
I have a question - how do you scan your film? On what type of a scanner?
Thanks for your question. We all have different scanning methods. Greg uses his Pentax K1 with an old Pentax Macro lens (used to scan the black and white film here) and I use my Epson F-3200 (used for the slide film here). Jules has a wonderful Heidelberg Nexscan f4100 which he sometimes uses to scan our films. Hope this helps. :)
@@AnalogInsights wow, interesting. Thank you!
Hello Yuriy, in adition to Maxˋs answer - I use the Pentax K1 with an old slide copy bellows (also Pentax) and a SMC-screw mount Takumar 4,0/50mm. It is pin sharp and has itˋs sweet spot already at f8. Cheers and best regards, Greg
@@ianthomas465 Thanks! I'm a newbie to the film photography and would like to know all the aspects of analogue. Really love this channel!!!
Some Canon FD cameras are underrated like the Canon FTB, and the beautiful mechanical Canon F-1/ New F-1. They're bulletproof cameras and underappreciated.
Yes I agree, they're built like tanks. I owned and used one for many years after returning home from Viet Nam in the late 60's.
I still own my original SR-T 202 from 1976. It looks very similar to the 303, wonder what difference is. I still works and looks as good as the day is was new.
303b is the very same as your SRT202. Minolta just name it differently in different markets. The 303b is the European market version.
Gabez82
The 100 102 201, the differences are insignificant.
The important difference is the prismatic focus versus the split image focus. The split image is a bitch in low light.
The 100 only had 1/500, and you couldn’t read the f or speed in view finder.
Hi Max and Greg.
I very much enjoyed your video & many other videos you have produced.
I really like the look of Adox B&W.
One question - this is subjective, and I am interested in your opinion. When shooting black and white, do you find using correcting filters (yellow/orange/red) necessary? Or these days some digital contrast correction is a good substitute? I personally shoot b&w without filters (I don't find necessary) but many others say you should always have a contrast enhancing filter.
Thank you. Matteo
Hello Matteo. I have a big number of filters (yellow, orange, red) for increasing contrast in the sky and I use skylight filters when taking fotos in the mountains. For Landscape photography I prefer more and more a graduated ND filter in combination with a polarizer, also for b&w.
Best regards, Greg
@@ianthomas465 Hi Greg. Thank you very much for your advice. I really like your work, cheers, Matteo
Great review, as always! Thank you.
And can you tell, what is the music in the end of the video? Something familiar, but can't remember.
Thanks for your comment. I get all my music for these videos from Epidemicsound.com, a platform for creators looking for licence-free music. This particular piece is called "True Grit" by Cristoffer Moe Ditlevsen. Hope this helps.
@@AnalogInsights found it. Thank you so much.
th-cam.com/video/a3n_5QroSrg/w-d-xo.html
At 2:15 you can see very well what is so good about Olympus shutter speed control-ring design...
No, I'm afaid I can't.
Hi! Thanks for the video. I didn't get exact the battery part. How would that be possible to fit an adapter together with the battery? Plus: could you please explain again the vertical pics technique to get the correct light measurement?
Nice!
Great review, as always. Nice to see another Minolta-fanboy in Munich. Fantastic fotos !
I'm using Minolta X-700 (my parent's) and XD-7 (and Sony A7II) with my beautiful Minolta lenses.
Recently I got by chance a SRT-101(built 1968 or 1969) which I liked at first use. It exposes quite nice with a 1,5 V battery without any modification. Unfortunately it needs some fixing (mirror gets stuck at slow speeds, self timer not working, cable release not working). Do you know a good repair shop for it in Munich ? I only know Mr. Wieners (messy) shop in Landwehrstraße, but he's very old now. Is there an alternative in Munich ?
John Titterington in Kansas is THE top guy for all things SRT models. I suspect that shipping would be quite cost prohibitive to repair if you’re in Germany. He even swapped a Split Prism of an SRT202 into a SRT101 for me. My black SRT101 is just pristine. It’s awesome.
@@Gabez82 Hi, yes shipping a SRT to Kansas (if even possible these days) is a little bit cost prohibitive 😉. But it's interesting that you swapped to split prism, because for me the lack of split prism is a big pro of the SRT101. The split prism of my Minolta X700 and XD-7 do more disturb me than help.
Hallo Matthias, es gibt die Werkstatt Ostendorp in Schonungen bei Schweinfurt. Da schicke ich meine Sachen hin - ist nicht weit von Würzburg. Der Mann ist etwas grummelig in der Kommunikation, macht aber gute Arbeit. Hat eine Webseite - einfach schaue unter Fotoservice Ostendorp. Beste Grüße, Greg
@@ianthomas465 Vielen Dank, schau ich mir an.
Gruß Matthias
Today I received an NOS Novoflex slide/film dublicator. It is missing the lille box unit where you stick your slides in but the box also contained an attached black SR-T 303 in pristine condition + a NOS MD 28mm 2,8 lens and the Novofle 105mm dublicator lens. I wonder what the difference between the 303 and the 303b is. If you kindly had the time to shed a light on this I'd entirely appreciate. THX bunches.
Sure, here you go: "The SRT 303b is a minor improvement over the SRT 303, which is itself a minor improvement over the SRT 101. The first 303 body did not include the early SRT 101’s mirror-lock-up functionality. Minolta also added exposure settings to the viewfinder, a split-image focusing aid, a hot shoe, and a film release button that allowed for multiple exposures on a single frame. For the later 303b, Minolta added a safe-load indicator on the back of the camera under the film advance lever and a film memo holder." (Source: casualphotophile.com/2020/01/29/minolta-303b-kodak-ektar/)
@@AnalogInsights Thank you so much. I just took off the Camera from the dublicator flange. Although the camera looks almost NOS, the mirror is in a bad condition. I guess I'll have to find me a replacement. THX for sharing. Great channel.
I had a 101 jam the shutter on me at the viewing point of Ayres Rock. I paniced in frustration and broke a tooth of the winder. The way to unjam is apparently to rotate the toothed film roller backwards. Of course you need a dark(ened)room to do this. I had a MD 50mm f1.4 and didn't get as good sharpness until I got a Sony A850.
great review :) can you guide me with where can I find the manual of this camera in English or Spanish? I could only find it in German and it is really difficult to understand 😅 thanks a lot
Is it me, or he could be Henry Cavill little brother? Other than that, great voice, great content.
Hi. What would I be missing from a 303 and not a.303B. THnaks!
Just came across an 101 I had in my camera collection guess I need to put some film through it.
I hope you can do a review for the Minolta XE-5
Hi, is this camera same model with SRT Super?
What do you think about the Minolta dynax 7?
This model does not have a mirror lock up switch?
I have an SRT 101 which fell very softly into the sand. It stopped working. I cleaned it thoroughly not to avail. I now use it as a door stopper.
One grain of sand in the wrong place is enough, and it can be deep in some cog or contact, so very hard to fix.
Never ever put a camera into sand, and be careful when near blowing sand.
Gravity; works every time. Weather sealed they are not, as you learned that the hard way.
Exactly where and how does it “look rough around the edges”?
It’s one of the cleanest, no nonsense designs ever.
It easily stands next to a Nikon F from a purely cosmetic fit and finish standpoint.
Helge Frisenette Thanks for your comment. I agree, it is indeed a very clean and no nonsense design. Yet, ergonomically it feels a bit rougher than later cameras as explained in the “personal impressions” section of the video. This, of course, is merely a personal assessment. :)
Analog Insights I don’t see how “personal assessment” fits with “literally”.
I’m just curious. There’s precious little difference to say a X-700 or XD-7 of a few years later. Yet I never heard those described with that term.
Helge Frisenette - isn’t there a hedge (like)? I guess it means that it isn’t that comfortable to grip.
The bottom DOF button quite wonky.Might wind up on the pavement without the strap around your neck.
Steve G that’s just your copy.
The stop down button is incredibly responsive and a tactile joy to use on my Sr-Ts.
I’d say it’s one of the best features of the camera.
A quick question - when setting up your shot with the light metre, do you align the light metre together before pressing the stop-down button or after pressing it? (i.e., setting up the shot with completely wide aperture or your final desired aperture)
Hi Richard, I haven't used mine for a while but if I remember correctly the metering is done wide open... only when you press the shutter does the camera stop down the aperture to what you had set. The pin that sticks out at the end of the lens engages the mechanism inside the camera that allows this to happen. The depth of field preview allows you to preview the actual image depth for your aperture. Hope that helps.
My dude always looking fashionable. I follow for the cameras but man you dress to impress.
Thanks so much for your kind comment. Really appreciate it. :)
Just inherited one of these cameras, with 28, 50, 135 lens. Sadly, I'm not able to use it so I'm selling it, and... yes I know it's a shame. The worst thing is this: camera and lenses are like new, they even still have the "passed" gold patch from Quality Control before leaving the factory (in 1976). Such a camera used only a few times, for family pictures at birthdays...
Can anyone tell me how cameras that use the LR44 cope with alkaline's voltage drop over time? Do they have compensating circuits so that the meter stays accurate? Or is there a silver-based LR44 available?
Sorry for being late...just saw this video now (btw - nice).
I have a Minolta SRT-303 (s/n 3126580) among others old mechanical camera bodies of different brands, but I tend not to use the built in exposure meter of such cameras.
If you use a 1.5V battery as the LR44, the reading of the exposure meter is not accurate (and combine that with possible inaccuracies of the shutter speeds...it's a lottery).
The original battery was a Mallory PX625.
As a replacement, you can try WeinCell mercury free 1.35V battery (one of the most famous online shopping sites offers it).
If you do not want to buy the correct batteries and you are afraid about following the recommendations of the instruction sheets provided with most color and B&W films (they still work as of today and I heard that they will probably continue to work for another few hundreds of thousand years...), take a good exposure meter with you
very, very solid camera with great options. Great to teach yourselfes to play with light. Older lenses wil ive great result. recentely restored a srt 101 with succes gives me great pleasure!!
Wonderful images in the video. I guess I'm a heretic, but while I love Minolta lenses, these cameras rub me the wrong way.
Shot only one roll of silvermax and then read that is not being produced anymore... Got very good results though. i would shoot it a lot more otherwise
Minolta SLR's are underrated. Minolta was very innovative, but not capable of designing attractive looking camera's, like the always very slick Olympus camera's, or the popular Leica's and Nikons. Minolta SLR's always are a bit clunky looking bricks with a bit odd details. But from a functional point of view, very good imaging instruments.
The real "sleeper" Minolta is their very latest manual focus SLR from 1990(!); the X300s. Look it up. Great viewfinder, great haptics. Can be had for "a song". (Which is interesting in this time of very expensive and hyped old film camera's)
Hello. I notice that all three of you routinely advance the film immediately after taking a photograph. Why? Doing this leaves the mechanism in tension which I was always told led to mechanical fatigue and it also, of course, allows accidental exposures, whereas if you only advance the film after having decided you want to make an exposure, it only takes a second to wind on...
So you don’t miss the next shot. You confused being ready and storage.
Don’t store a camera that has been cocked or advanced
@@Zetaphotography No confusion. You can wind on in the same time it takes to reframe a shot, and the point is as much to do with avoiding an accidental exposure as anything. Plus, how do you know which exposure is your last shot before you put the camera away?
I had an srt 101 and a srt 201, unfortunately I didn’t have a good time with them
ShotbyTobey why not?
7:06 time graph
I miss silver max.
Haha. Just watch the newer videos. Getting a bit more grey everyday. 😂
is this the same as srt202 but just a different name???
I read somewhere that they are the same, 303 is the European version, while 202 is the North American name.
Отличная камера,а у меня Minolta SRТ- 102
Wenn der Precisa aus ist, einfach Provia nehmen. Ist der selbe Film ;)
Love the video and your channel, thanks so much for your help ! (My wallet wants you to stop though haha)
they make a 1.35 volt battery....wein cell
@Analog Insights, Is Greg your dad?
No. Just a very good and inspiring friend. :)
Hat der da ein Rokkor 85mm f1.7 drauf... Ich brech zusammen....*sabber*
I’ve just noticed, you’re left-eyed? The thing for which manufacturers never designed cameras..😂
Man you make photography sounds like it is so complicated
Could you elaborate on this? It is certainly not my intention. On the contrary, our videos shall encourage everyone to got out and shoot some film. :)
@@AnalogInsights I do not think you make it sound complicated Max. Mind maybe that could be because when I first started to take photographs digital cameras did not exhist ! Your videos have made me get out my old film cameras and shoot film again when I get the chance :D Teddy
Nothing in this video is complicated.
Ishijah1 If it appears so complicated for you, TH-cam allows you to play at 0.75 or even 0.5x speed to slow it down for you. Get back to us on the results!
Your hair looks better cut short. Your curls are a bit distracting.
why
Why what?
Why not
o o Why ask why?