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Minolta SRT 201

Evolution or revolution? Incremental change or overhaul? Sometimes it's hard to choose between how to improve on a previous design. But for the designers at Minolta, a middle path was found in the 1970s when it came time to upgrade the classic Minolta SR-T 101 and in 1975, Minolta introduced the 200 series of their flagship SLR camera. While they maintained the look of the original, the internal components underwent serious revisions to take advantage of some of the up- and-coming camera technology.

As the mid-range model of the 200 series, the SR-T 201 had some features that were definite upgrades from the 100 series. The metering system now included two Cds chips that were coupled to give high and low readings that the camera's computer chip would then average out to help the photographer get the best possible exposure. The CLC (Contrast Light Compensator) system gave an already very good meter a definite boost. The camera's accessory hot shoe was also changed to allow for electronic flash synchronization and a film memo holder was attached to the back of the film door.

The SR-T 201 didn't quite get all of the possible upgrades, however. Notably, the camera did not have the mirror lock-up mechanism that was available on other models. Aside from that, however, the SR-T201 was certainly upgraded enough to be considered improved, if not new.

The one technicality to keep in mind with all of the SR-T cameras is that they were designed for use with a mercury-based 625 battery. As production of those batteries has ceased, finding a battery replacement with the correct voltage can be challenging. While there are a few substitutes on the market that will put out the correct voltage, it's generally recommended to have the meter adjusted in order to use the newer alkaline battery. With the updated metering available on this camera, it's most assuredly worth the small cost and trouble.

So whether you're a revolutionary or an evolutionist, the SR-T 201 is a camera with upgrades that will keep you happy.

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RAY and a Minolta SRT 201

One thing that makes us really blue about our shop being closed to the public, is that folks no longer get to see our brilliant printers and their mechanical counterparts in action! ⁠

We are proudly one of the last remaining film labs offering optical, analog printing services... across the globe.

⁠For those who haven’t yet been inside of our shop, at the very center of the front lab are our two beloved optical printing machines: Ray, a Copal ML-300II (as seen in this photo) and Nora, a Noritsu QSS 2301. These machines are certainly not as sleek as all that wood, leather, and glass that comprise the hundreds of cameras and lenses that line our shelves. But Ray and Nora have an alluring magnetism all their own. From these machines comes the whir of the tangible — real exposures being made on real photo paper, moving through real chemistry, resulting in real prints from your negatives!⁠

⁠What better way to honor your film process, than by making analog prints of your images?!

Let them transcend from the conceptual to physical.

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Minolta SRT 201 - Green Powder-Coated

Our resident repair tech has made a personal art project out of powder-coating cameras in a variety of colors. Here he has recoated an Minolta SRT 201 in a matte olive green.

Minolta SRT 201 - A Lifetime Camera

This is an ode to the Minolta SRT 201. Stalwart companion. Never a more reliable single lens reflex will you find. Do you know how many springtimes the two of you will see together? Neither do we, but it will be many upon many. ⁠

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You'll pass it around to your friends so that you all can make photos of each other on that celebratory day. It'll go with you to college. It will help you make your first snapshot of your home-away-from-home on Kodak Tri-X. One day, it'll catch the eye of that young lady at the coffee shop and, later, she'll catch your heart. There'll be the time it gets bumped by a passerby at a cafe in Lisbon, knocking it off the table; other than a small dent and some scuffs (and the scare) it will be fine. It will be the camera you use to make the last living portrait of your father, before he passes unexpectedly. That young lady from the cafe grows along with you and you lose track of how many candid, happy moments you catch of her with this camera. One time, hiking in the Sierra Nevada, you are caught in a surprise storm - the lighting afterward will remain some of the most beautiful you have ever seen - of course this SRT will be there with you, along with a roll of Ektar. The camera is in your anxious hands in the delivery room, while you await the birth of your daughter. It is as steady and reliable then as it always has been. You are a bit calmer with the birth of your second daughter, and the camera keeps on keeping on. You lug it with you on the first family vacation to the coast. The images it makes are treasured for decades. Almost thirty years after it first came into your hands, you finally get it in for some servicing. The camera was doing fine, but you figured it doesn't hurt. Your camera is thankful. First day of school photos come and go, so do the birthdays. At each event, you eschew your phone or the family DSLR in favor of your trusty Minolta and a roll of Portra. Your oldest daughter is growing up; one day she starts to show in interest in your beloved hobby. Gears begin to turn and, at her next birthday, she unwraps a box to find the treasured family Minolta SRT 201 waiting for her. She cries a bit. So do you. Spring rolls back around. The shutter of the Minolta can be heard.

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Blue Moon Camera and Machine llc

sales@bluemooncamera.com
(503) 978-0333
(503) 978-0370
8417 North Lombard Street
Portland, OR 97203