Minolta SRT 202 at Greenwood Cemetery

<p>A couple of months ago, I was given a Minolta SRT 202 by Andy L in a gear giveaway. I have since acquired a Rokkor PF 55mm f/1.7 to pair with the camera. So this past week, I took it on it's first outing, to Greenwood Cemetery. This cemetery lies on the outskirts of town near the airport and is fairly old (by American standards) and seems to be rather run down. In addition to that, it was also affected by the storms that came through Birmingham about a month ago; there were several downed trees, some of which uprooted headstones.</p>

<p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lVoZpG59534/TeuNICo2KqI/AAAAAAAAF9Y/swGtawsb0Mc/35%2525200068_12_edited-1pn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="433" /></p>

<p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R572G9qzoSk/TeuNFlJza-I/AAAAAAAAF9Q/GrBNaQeZWfo/s512/35%2525200068_16_edited-1pn.jpg" alt="" width="342" height="512" /></p>

<p><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Dds0tAthdcg/TeuNDFSamSI/AAAAAAAAF9I/KTyvR72bHYs/35%2525200068_19_edited-1pn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="494" /></p>

<p>Others have been overtaken by more natural and progressive elements of the environment.</p>

<p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WoFTwU3mFos/TeuNBThgW1I/AAAAAAAAF9A/8MG_6FyUXY8/35%2525200068_22_edited-2pn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="438" /></p>

<p><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FXrX-OZyM64/TeuM_fCDpCI/AAAAAAAAF84/sIZzDSefINY/35%2525200068_23_edited-1pn.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="431" /></p>

<p>There are some other photos on a roll of film which I haven't finished yet. But I was very pleased with the performance of both the camera and lens. Some of these scenes (and others which didn't make cut) were difficult to meter, but the camera performed well.</p>

<p>My only point of concern is that there were a number of missing frames. I don't know if perhaps somehow the shutter didn't fire, when the shutter button was depressed; I was able to advance the film and wind the shutter again, so this is a bit bewildering. The film I used was Kodak Gold 200.</p>

Nice series of images. Between rolls you might try releasing the shutter a few times at different speeds to make sure it is

opening every time.

<p>The SRTs are nice cameras, though I'm sure we could open a debate (cough) over whether they belong in "modern" or "classic", being fully manual, mechanical cameras that use their battery only for metering. Congrats on your acquisition. I picked up an SRT-201 not long ago, which I had CLA'd (and modified to use 1.5V batteries) at <a href="http://www.ictcamera.com/">International Camera Technicians</a> in Mountain View, California. I've only shot one roll with it (which hasn't yet been scanned to digital) but it did a very good job.</p>

<p>One interesting distinction of the early Minolta cameras is their unique "CLC" (Contrast Light Compensation) metering, basically a simple two-segment form of what Nikon, 20 years later, called "matrix metering". I think CLC was present on all Minolta SLRs (those that had meters, that is) starting with the first SRT cameras and ending in the mid to late '70s. If your SRT-202 has it, the letters "CLC" should appear on the front of the camera below the Minolta name on the front.</p>

<p>Mike, thanks for the suggestion.</p>

<p>Craig, I meant to enter this thread into the "Classic" category, and didn't realize my mistake until now.</p>

<p>Also my 202 does have the "CLC" designation. Additionally, I meant to mention how much I enjoy the layout in the viewfinder. I am particularly fond of the clever method of using the very small mirror to reflect the aperture from the lens into the viewfinder.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I am particularly fond of the clever method of using the very small mirror to reflect the aperture from the lens into the viewfinder.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, that's a nice feature. I first encountered that on Nikon cameras, but I'm not sure who came up with it first. The only problem with that approach is that you can't see it very well if camera isn't receiving a fair amount of light from above. It was a real problem for me a few months ago when I shot my daughter's high school band concert from the audience in a dark auditorium using a Nikon F2 (using Neopan 1600, the world's best low-light B&W film, now sadly discontinued).</p>

<p>A "Judas Window", they call that little reflective device, and thereon hangs a tale...My beloved Praktica "B"s use it to good effect. Somewhat less prone to failure than LED's! The CLC feature spilled over into the later Hi-Matic Rangefinders, and was equally successful there. I love the heft of the SRT's.<br>

Nice shooting, <strong>Jeremy</strong>. We all feel some sort of emotional reaction in cemeteries, and this, combined with the strong graphic quality of old stone falling into disarray, makes them a source of strong images. And it does sound as if your shutter is missing a beat...Thanks for a fine post.</p>

<p>The CLC endured up until the very last SRT's (last 200's and 201's, and SCII's). The very last ones had only a single CDS cell which took a center weighted average reading. There were some SRT's, though, that lacked the CLC label that still had it though.<br>

Be warned, Jeremy, once you have one Minolta you will want more. I like to say, Minolta cameras are like potato chips because it's hard to stop with just one.</p>

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<p>once you have one Minolta you will want more</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Yes, indeed. Learn from my sorry fate! Only a few months ago I had no Minolta cameras. Then I came across an amazingly good deal on an XK with AE finder and a MC Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.4 lens, all clean and in full working order, protected inside a vintage leather Minolta ever-ready case. How could I pass that up? But it was the beginning of my downfall. Now I have an SRT-201, the XK, an XE-7, an XD-11, and an X-370, all fully functional, and an almost-usable SRT-MC II (it just needs a loose shim in the viewfinder removed, exactly as <a href="http://www.richterphotoblog.com/2011/04/dissecting-minolta-srt-mc-ii.html">Jeremy Richter describes</a>). I also bought some more lenses, a set of Minolta extension tubes, and a couple of Minolta flash units. I have spent much less on this than on my Nikon collection, which is part of why it accumulated so quickly. Now I feel the lure of the SR-7 and the X-570, but surely that way lies madness, if it is not already too late...</p>

<p>That was my first SLR camera 25 years ago. It came with a Rokkor 50mm f1.7 lens. The film load/advance was not as smooth as the Nikon FM, FE types which it was competing with at the time, but overall it was a great camera, built like a tank. The Rokkor lenses were not bad either. </p>

<p>Love the first shot, Jeremey. Which Greenwood Cemetery would this be, exactly? </p>

<p>In Birmingham, Alabama, out by the airport. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=706&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=greenwood+cemetery+birmingham+alabama&fb=1&gl=us&hq=greenwood+cemetery&hnear=0x888911df5885bfd3:0x25507409eaba54ce,Birmingham,+AL&cid=0,0,7769986347269565675&ei=_sPsTcDRGoi3tge1ypyOAQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCYQnwIwAA">Here</a> is its exact location.</p>