All the way from Missouri...

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>It's always a gamble, buying a camera from someone who is unfailingly helpful and pleasant but who obviously doesn't know much about cameras. I took a punt and bought this from an antique dealer in Missouri, and I've been slightly on tenterhooks, awaiting it's arrival. It showed up this morning and, much to my relief, it's just as she described it; "Seems perfect". It's a Minolta SR-3, complete with dedicated accessory meter.</p><div></div>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>This is a rare camera downunder, especially with a working meter. It's hard to believe that it's ever been out of it's black leather case. I suspect a woman must have owned it; there's a faint lingering perfume about the camera and traces of what look suspiciously like lipstick on the meter's diffuser. Perhaps she really loved this camera...Built around 1960 by Chyoda Kogaku in Japan, it comes from an era when the company was out to prove that it could foot it in the market with the best that Japan or Europe could offer. The construction and finish is nothing short of superb, while the lens is the magnificent 58mm Auto Rokkor-PF f/1:1.4; while later versions of this lens received better coatings which improved the performance slightly, this chrome-nosed beauty weighs in at a staggering 12 ounces (340g), and must be one of the heaviest lenses in it's class. It's a work of art in it's own right. Anyway, I'll run a film soon, but I'd like to hear from anyone who has experience of the SR-3.</p>

[riffeym]

<p>Rick, that is BEAUTIFUL...</p>

<p>Mike :D</p>

[starvy]

<p>Lovely camera indeed and love that quirky lightmeter! That 58mm lens is wonderful. I have one converted to Sony Alpha mount thanks to a very helpful Photo.net member. Really looking forward to seeing some images.</p>

[ridinhome]

<p>I don't know squat about Minoltas but I can't WAIT to see what you do with that thing! Wowee...</p>

[Mike Howard]

<p>I had to look up tenterhook...and the phrase "on tenterhooks.<br /><br />You are indeed a Renaissance man. As always, thanks for your wonderful posts!<br /><br /></p>

[User_5050610]

<p>And--not only is it a TOTALLY beautiful camera--the word 'minolta" on the front is in a really neat script..<br>

Thanks, Rick! You seem to get the neatest "stuff"...<br>

Paul</p>

[craigd]

<p>Very nice! I have an SR-1 with a somewhat newer MC Rokkor-PF 58mm f/1.4, but I've never seen an SR-3 in the flesh. More pictures please!</p>

<p>Paul: The Minolta label on the front of the prism was written in that same typeface on all Minolta SLRs up until about 1981. I think either the X-700 or the XG-A was the first to use the all-capitals Minolta logo.</p>

[User_1172872]

<p>I purchased a used SR-3 something like 35 years ago, when I didn't have the funds for a new camera. Served me well for many years. If you take a good look at the back, I believe you'll find that it has a 'double-channel' around the lip, so there's no need for foam. Aperture only opens when you wind the film. (It's not broken.) The shutter release in the center of the wind lever was obviously 'borrowed' from a certain well-known German camera manufacturer. As you said, a fine piece of equipment.</p>

[jeff_livacich]

<p>Rick does it again! It will be great to see the pictures from that lovely lens.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I hear that there is a movement in Missouri to ask for this camera to be repatriated as a "national" (i.e., Missourian) treasure. ;)<br>

Nice catch.<br>

The basic camera is another of those beautiful, clean early SLR designs, but of course the meter attachment is pure funky.</p>

 

[rod_larson]

<p>A really nice looking camera and in very good shape. Hope it works as well as it looks.</p>

[ralf_j.]

<p>Hi Rick I have one of them that came with one of the early rokkors; indeed it was a semi automatic rokkor, which required cocking to open the aperture prior to taking the shot. The camera is real nice and has a lot of heft to it, however I would not call it smooth a la XE-7 or Topcon RE-Super. Here is a shot I took 2.5 years ago with an SR-3 mounted with an early Rokkor-PF 135mm 2.8 which had a stop down lever built on its barrel. Photo is unedited, exactly what Frontier scanned at time of the processing (except for light cropping)</p><div></div>

[John Seaman]

<p>Beautiful camera and lens. I did a post on my SR1 and 55mm f1.8 (sans exposure meter) a while back:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00Xvba</p>

<p>One nice thing about them, they don't use foam light seals so no problem with rotten sticky foam.</p>

[howardstanbury]

<p>Lovely camera! And I can't wait to see the results of your camera shoot. The nearest I get to this is the later SR-7 (<a href="/classic-cameras-forum/00WU3Z">here</a>) and that had a built-in CdS meter. I rather like the external selenium cell on your example. Am I right in thinking that the sequence of models released in the SR range was SR-2, SR-1, SR-3, SR-7?</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>You're correct regarding the production sequence, <strong>Howard</strong>, though there were quite a few variations produced in the SR-1 line. See the great "Rokkor Files" site for a full run-down:</p>

<p>http://rokkorfiles.com/SR%20Series.htm</p>

<p>As several of you have observed, the lack of foam seals <em>is</em> a definite plus; I've always felt that resorting to such measures to keep a camera light-tight was a cheap and nasty solution to a problem that had been solved years earlier by cameras like the SR-3. Nice blossom pic, <strong>Ralf</strong>; somehow I seem to have acquired a couple of versions of that lens, and it's a great performer. Thanks to everyone for your input. After all that approval, I'd better hurry up and put a film through the beast!</p>

[jodys]

<p>SR, SR-1 and SR-7 here, I sold one of those and don't remember which. I have one working aux. meter, and one missing a part. They're magnificent cameras, both to photograph with and to handle.</p>

[jeff_harting1]

<p>looks to be in exceptional condition, i have little knowledge of Minoltas but that looks like a very nicely made camera.</p>