Features, Controls and How to use the Minolta SRT 101

I take you on a tour of the Minolta SRT 101, a classic 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) camera, and explain its features and how everything works.
My Email: [e-mail]

[@sputumtube]

Absolutely love your tutorials/reviews. So easy to understand and well presented. Thanks for posting.

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Thank you, I think you can tell I love these old mechanical film cameras. Of course I also love the latest mirrorless as well.

[@rubensun9049]

Straight to the point and very informative!

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

@@rubensun9049 Thanks for watching

[@mikebreazeale2563]

I pushed film and used Illford and Agfa stuff...and I went up to 6400 a lot as I remember. Agfa always worked the best. Those concerts were dark...very dark. I loved doing all that stuff. I shot a lot of concerts. I was a Dead Head and have some pretty cool pics. I also had a Minolta totally manual camera. NO light meter or anything. I loved it and got tons of great photos. I LOVED it! Then I got a Pentax and used that for a while. Now I have all Nikon cameras and lens. Thanks for sharing...Peace

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Thank you for watching

[@MrDastardly]

A great camera. 👏👏

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Agreed. Thanks for watching

[@thienthansanga68]

great explanation. I just got my camera and your video is really helpful!

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Thank you

[@jagtag6297]

Hi, great video and very informative! I have my dad's SRT 101 here but the film advance lever seems to be stuck, it doesnt pull past about 20 degrees and the shutter release doesnt seem to depress. Any thoughts on this? Is there a reset button or similar? Also the timer lever seems to also get stuck at around the 30 degrees angle from vertical, which is maybe related to the same shutter release issue. Many thanks, Jag

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

@@jagtag6297 There is no reset button. A few questions. Is the mirror down? Open the back. Look at the shutter is it fully closed?

[@jagtag6297]

@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 The mirror is in the down position at the moment and the shutter is fully closed. I noticed a thread on Reddit suggesting the timer was the issue, and "there is a brass screw near the battery chamber that sets the tension for the self timer. Loosen that and it will release the timer and allow you to use it again." Although I cannot see a brass screw near the battery chamber at all (maybe there is a screw within the battery chamber itself but my chamber cover doesn't want to turn). I cant seem to force the timer lever to the vertical position either - it just wont move past the 30 degree point...

[@gtaylor1564]

That used to be my favorite camera 📷 still have a brand new one in the box

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

That’s great. When did you buy it?

[@gtaylor1564]

@julesvuottosphotofocus4696 the new one I got from a garage sale last summer for 2$ bucks

[@FelicityGill-sp8tk]

Hi! Great video- thanks! My SRT101 has a kind of grainy viewfinder- definitely not dirty- looks more like a film across it.. is this removable do you think? Makes it hard to focus! Thanks!

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

It’s probably the focusing screen or possibly the viewfinder. Try cleaning the viewfinder with a q-tip moistened with lens cleaner. There really is no way to clean the focusing screen without taking the camera apart. You can access the bottom of the screen by removing the lens but it’s plastic and you really can’t clean it. You can try a blower brush if it’s dusty. Son look at the mirror when you have the lens off. Give it a few blasts of air with the blower brush. If it’s dirty you can very carefully use a microfiber cloth moistened with a few drops of lens cleaner. Use very light pressure. Hopefully this works. Let me know how you make out. Thanks for watching.

[@tauepsilon4220]

Thanks!​@@julesvuottosphotofocus4696

[@jsbphotog]

Do the shutter speeds on these tend to remain accurate? It's easy enough to use an external light meter if need be, but are the shutters usually ok?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Very good question. In my experience in some cases the slow speeds are off. Thanks for watching my video.

[@thomaskey1445]

Would it be possible to get a scan of the manual? Mine was missing

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

Go to Butkus.org. You can download camera manuals there.

[@henryIRL]

Great video! Is the battery for the light meter only? Can I take photos without batteries and a separate handheld meter?

[@julesvuottosphotofocus4696]

@@henryIRL Yes, the battery is only for the meter. Use a hand held meter or meter app for your cell phone. Thanks for watching.

[@eddyhoughton6542]

Absolutely, you can. The camera is 100% mechanical, so it'll work without the battery. You can use the "sunny 16" rule, but I use a 1.5V battery (L44) and back it up with a reading on the light meter app on my phone. Never had any problems.