bob_gentile

<p>A digital back for my 4x5? Nah! I'm happy with all the gear I have now.</p>

<p>"... If you want to use Minolta lenses, but stick with film the SRT series are great since all operations except light meter are mechanical..."<br>

^^^ What he said. ^^^</p>

<p>I <em>love</em> "Windy Landscape." Great composition. <em>VERY</em> nice!</p>

<p>Try Carol Miller at <a href="http://www.flutotscamerarepair.com/">Flutot's Camera Repair</a>. Very competent. And honest.</p>

<p>I've <em>always</em> had good experiences with KEH. And, as Phil said, I've always found them to be conservative in their grading. Stuff that I would call Excellent, they call Good -- and so, that's what I try to buy from them.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"... A word of caution, John: Minolta SLR's are like potato chips because it's hard to stop with just one..."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's the truth! I have five SRTs, including my first one, bought when I was in Vietnam. They're all I use for small format shooting.</p>

<p>There will always be a place in my heart for SRTs. They were (and still are) Da <em>Shiz</em>!</p>

<p>A 675 battery is a 675 battery. 1.4VDC is a <em>nominal</em> voltage. Some 675's are 1.35VDC, some are 1.4VDC, some 1.45VDC and some are even 1.5VDC; so it shouldn't make much difference.</p>

<p>"... Thanks James. There does seem to be a number of people still using the A700..."</p>

 

<p>-----------------------<br>

Michael, there are a number of people still using SRs and SRTs!</p>

 

<p>"... the 101 exceeded all my expectations..."<br>

-------------------------------<br>

Same here. I've been shooting SRTs since the 60's and they're what I still use now (for small format photography). They're built like <em>tanks</em>!</p>

<p>Suh-<em>WEET</em> lens! Heck, the 303b is a sweet <em>camera</em>, too! <em>Very</em> nice setup! Looking forward to seeing the scans.</p>

<p>Robert Dazet sez: "... there are many in the Sony/Minolta community that still shoot film and use the Maxxum 9..."<br>

---------------------<br>

Actually, there are many in the Sony/Minolta community that still shoot film and use <em>manual focus</em> cameras. Y'know... SRTs, et al...</p>

<p>Nice. <em>Very</em> nice! </p>

<p>The SRTs are <em>tanks</em>. Rokkor lenses are excellent, as are the Kiron, Komine, and Vivitar lenses, <em>especially</em> the earlier Vivitar Series 1 lenses. The early Vivitar S1 70-210 macro lenses are cult classics -- the Kiron-made version (which I have) is a f/3.5 and the Komine-made version is a f/2.8-4.0. (IMO, the later Cosina versions weren't up to same quality.)</p>

<p>I bought my first SRT-101 back in 1969 and I still use it regularly. These days, I still shoot nothing but film (mostly B&W) with Minolta SRTs. (That is, for 35mm. I also shoot 4x5, but that's a different story.)</p>

<p>Get yourself over to the <a href="http://www.rokkorfiles.com/">Rokkor Files</a> and see what Antony has put together. There's a history of the SRTs (and other Minolta manual-focus cameras) and tests of various Rokkor lenses. I had the pleasure of joining him and many other Minolta manual shooters for a day in NYC a few years back.</p>

<p>"... I came from a Minolta 101b/Konica TC and Fs1 background..."<br>

------------------------<br>

I <em>still</em> shoot with my 101's, 102, and 201. </p>

<p>"... I wanted something that would hold all my gear with ease..."<br>

-------------------------<br>

I just pack what I think I'm gonna need. For example, I seldom pack flash unless I see the need for it ahead of time. Same with macro stuff. </p>

<p>I <em>never</em> go out with <em>all</em> my gear.</p>

That's good to hear. I've lusted for one of those for years.

<p>Hard (for me) to tell. Why not take it for a test drive and see how it performs?</p>

<p>Jeff,</p>

<p>Wow! Someone has done a <strong><em>great</em> </strong>job compiling all that information! Thanks for the info and the link. </p>

<p>Apparently, mine is the latest model.</p>

<p>Same to you and your family. </p>

<p>FWIW, I have so much to be thankful for, I wouldn't know where to start. </p>

<p>Does anyone know the differences between the Minolta 100mm f/4 "Auto Bellows Macro" lens and the 100mm f/4 "Auto Bellows Rokkor" lens?</p>

<p>i know that the former has an hourglass shape and the latter looks more like a conventional 35mm lens. I know that they're both designed to work with a meter-coupled bellows. I know that they both have aperture control and no focusing ring -- they depend on a focusing rail for that. But, beyond this, I know nothing. </p>

<p>Is the Rokkor version a later design? Any differences in coatings? Resolution?</p>

<p>Anything?</p>

 

Consider the venerable ol' Vivitar 283/285. For the money, they're hard to beat.

<p>For all things relating to Minolta manual-focus (including theX-700), check out <a

href="http://www.rokkorfiles.com/">The Rokkor Files</a>. </p>

 

<p>It sounds like what you'd be gettingessentiallyis an X-700 with a 50mm <em>f</em>/1.4

lens. The other stuff won't add much value. $160 sounds a <em>little</em> high, but not

outrageous, assuming it's all in good working condition. The 50/1.4 is a nice lens, but so

is the much-less-expensive 1.7.</p>

 

<p>FWIW, I agree with David about KEH. They're <em>very</em> conservative with their

ratings and their BGN stuff is generally what others would rate as G to VG.  David

makes another good point about the electronic shutter. One of the things I like about my

SR-Ts is that I don't need batteries to take a pic. I guess I'm just a Luddite.</p>

<p><em>"... I'm assuming I'd use the same customer service number that's on

calumetphoto.com..."</em></p>

 

<p>Yup. That'll do it.</p>

<p><em>"... So are they hypocrites...?"</em></p>

 

<p>No more so than most. Those who lean to the Left <em>depend</em> on profits (generated

from capitalism) to pay for their programs. No profits... no welfare, no public housing,

no public medical care... </p>

<p>A good cleaning may be all that's needed. And <a

href="http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=8809">here's</a> a

thread from the LF forum about using various waxes on the slides. </p>