Minolta SRT-2021975

History

Minolta's SRT line ran from 1966 (SRT-101) to roughly 1981 in various markets. The SRT-202 and its near-twin the SRT-102 (introduced 1973) were the penultimate step. The key differences from the original SRT-101:

• Viewfinder display — shutter speed visible in finder alongside the match-needle; the SRT-101 only showed the needle.
• Coverage — ~0.95 vs ~0.94 on the 101; a minor improvement.
• Shutter train — internally refined for more consistent timing, particularly on slower speeds.

The SRT-202 was sold concurrently with the electronically shuttered XE-7 (1974) and later the XD-11 (1977). Minolta's strategy was to keep the mechanical SRT line in production for markets and customers who wanted no electronic dependence, while the X-series represented the aperture-priority and eventually programmed-exposure future. By 1981 the X-700 had subsumed both lines commercially.

Why It Matters

The SRT-202 is in many respects the purest expression of the SRT concept. Where the SRT-101 has the historical significance of origination, and the XD-11 the engineering interest of electronic shutter and dual-mode AE, the SRT-202 occupies the position of the most-refined purely mechanical Minolta. It is the body Minolta built when they had learned everything they were going to learn about the SR/MC platform before moving on.

For contemporary film photographers, the SRT-202 offers the same practical proposition as the SRT-101 — fully mechanical (no dead-battery failure), CLC metering that handles backlit subjects better than single-cell systems, full Rokkor lens compatibility — with marginally better finder information and mechanical tolerances. The price difference used is minimal.

The SRT line's reputation rests partly on the Rokkor glass ecosystem. The MC Rokkor 58mm f/1.4, the 50mm f/1.4, and the 35mm f/1.8 are optically competitive with Nikon's equivalent Nikkor glass of the period at a fraction of the used-market price, a consequence of Minolta's brand having disappeared entirely (Konica-Minolta merger 2003, brand exit 2006, Sony acquisition of the SLR/DSLR line).

Lenses & Accessories

The SRT-202 accepts SR, MC, and MD Rokkor lenses via the SR bayonet. MD lenses (post-1977) mount and meter correctly via the aperture-index coupling. MC lenses provide full metering coupling. Early SR lenses mount but may require stop-down metering.

Rokkor highlights for the SRT-202:

• MC Rokkor-PG 58mm f/1.4 — the canonical fast normal; hexagonal bokeh, slight warm rendering
• MC Rokkor-PF 50mm f/1.4 — leaner, sharper rendering than the 58
• MC Rokkor-QE 35mm f/1.8 — fast wide; scarce but excellent
• MC Rokkor-QF 28mm f/2.5 — standard wide angle kit option
• MC Rokkor-TC 135mm f/2.8 — portrait reach with smooth falloff
• MC Macro Rokkor 50mm f/3.5 — close-focus with extension tube, sharp across the frame

Accessories: Minolta Auto Winder D (compatible with SRT-202 for 2 fps motor advance); standard hot shoe adapter for PC sync.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The SRT line as a whole was standard mid-market professional and advanced-amateur equipment through the 1970s; the SRT-202 was the incumbent body in that slot from 1975 onward.
• Press and editorial photographers in markets where Minolta had distribution (Japan, parts of Europe, Australia) used SRT bodies as a second-system or primary system. Specific SRT-202 attributions are sparse in published record.
• Featured in Minolta's own photographic education materials and catalog photography of the late 1970s.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Minolta SR-T 202
• Wikipedia: Minolta SR-T