Minolta srt101 Light Meter

[carson_nope]

I recently received a Minolta srt101 as a gift. I have a little bit

of experience with cameras and photography as I had a class in high

school. The light meter on this camera is different than what I

have used, though. It has two needles...one with an open circle on

the end. I just wanted a little clarification on how to use the

meter so that I don't waste a bunch of pictures by not knowing what

I'm doing.

[douglas_green1]

Carson,

 

The Meter needle responds to changes in lighting, as the CDS meter cell changes it's voltage output, that needle moves. The needle with the Circle moves as the mechanical settings of the camera are moved. Correctly metered exposure is achieved when the meter needle is lined up inside the circle, essentially meaning that the mechanical settings on the camera are correctly set for the light level coming through the lens. In practice, it's very easy to use. Good luck, the SRT-101 is a wonderful classic camera that can be a great foundation for you. With a good lens, and careful proper use, it is capable of results equalling the finest currently made 35mm cameras.

 

To check if the metering system is working properly, first check the battery and be sure the meter is turned on (circular switch on the bottom of the camera - the Battery Check setting will move the needle to the small notch in the finder, then set it to ON), and then, point the camera to a light source and see if the needle without the circle moves as the lighting conditions in the viewfinder change. The easiest way is to point the camera at a lightbulb, and then point it away. The needle should move noticeably. Then, check that the needle with the circle moves when the f-stop or the shutter speed is changed. When the two needles are on top of each other, with the meter needle inside the circular needle, exposure is correct.

[maury_cohen]

There are several websites dedicated to the older Minolta's;

 

http://www.35mm.freeserve.co.uk/mug/mf-faq.html

http://www.pcisys.net/~rlsnpjs/minolta/minolta.html

http://huizen.dds.nl/~paulfvs/minolta.html

 

The SRT-101 used a mercury battery that's no longer available. I understand there a replacement that operates at a different voltage, and the meter can be calibrated accordingly, there's also an insert that allows use of a smaller size battery. I'm not sure of the voltage on that system.

[douglas_green1]

There are also Zinc-air batteries that provide the correct voltage, but they have short life-spans. I e-mail me, I can send you an app-note that I wrote on battery replacement for Minolta SRTs and other classic cameras that use the EPX-625 Mercury battery.

[yogi_logy]

Also don't forget to set the film speed by lifting up the outer ring around the "shutter and ASA speed" dial and turning.

[sknowles]

The entry explaining the circle-needle matching method with the SRT-series camera is correct. I'll add one note. You can adjust the exposure in full-stop or shutter speed increments by aligning the needle in the upper or lower half of the circle. When I started in photography (late 60's) the advice was to expose slide film in the upper half (1/4-1/2 f-stop under exposure) and negative film in the lower half (1/4-1/2 over exposure). It's a straight-forward system.

 

As to batteries, they are available from companies or individuals in other counties, including Canada, and there are several alternatives to modifying the SRT to accept newer silver oxide 1.5v batteries, including inserts, zinc-air batteries, and modifying the power supply (what I had done to both my SRT-series bodies).

 

As stated, it's a great basic camera to learn and do a lot of photography (I still use mine occasionally). And it still works when you don't have a battery or the light meter quits (also happens on these cameras as they age or wear). In addition, all of Minolta's manual focus lenses from the 1950's SR-series to the latest MD lens still work on it (they never changed the bayonet lens mount or the aperture linkage).

 

Good luck.

 

--Scott--