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Post by doubs43 on Jan 21, 2007 15:35:24 GMT -5
Yesterday I made the mistake of stopping into a local pawn shop and spotting a camera bag on the counter. Looking inside I found a Minolta SRT-102 with a mint 45mm f/2 MD Rokkor-X lens, an excellent 50mm f/1.4 MC Rokkor-X lens, JC Penney doubler, Tiffen Polarizer filter (49mm), two Minolta flash units and some odds and ends not worth mentioning. The shop owner asked $75, I offered $60 and walked out with the whole shebang.
There's good news and there's bad news. Cosmetically there are a few bright spots on the chrome but no dings. The meter doesn't work but everything else operates as it should although shutter speeds are consistently about 1/3 of an f-stop slow which would cause an over-exposure.... easily compensated for. The viewfinder is very bright and images with both lenses snap in and out of focus sharply.
One of the flash units (Auto 200X) won't charge but the other (Auto 28) seems to work OK. I have little use for the doubler although I'll keep it until I can acquire a longer lens in the 90~135mm range. That's not a priority though. (I've just looked through my odds & ends and have found two T-4 Minolta mounts to go on a 35mm f/2.8 Soligor and a Vivitar 105mm f/2.8 lens. When I add a meter, looks like I have my "throw-it-in-the-car" kit for carrying around.)
Looks like I've done what I said I didn't want to: added yet another lens system! Darn!!
IMO, the deal was OK but not a barn-burner. Thoughts anyone?
Walker
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Post by Just Plain Curt on Jan 22, 2007 6:29:27 GMT -5
Hi Walker,
Sounds like a decent deal to me. I usually pay between $40-60 Can. for an SLR with 1 50mm at our local pawn shop. Both the lenses you picked up are good glass, the 1.4 especially. As long as you're aware of the problems with the meter (I never use mine anyway) and compensate for the shutter speeds it looks like a nice outfit for the price.
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Post by Randy on Jan 22, 2007 7:10:19 GMT -5
No pawn shops around here anymore. I did buy a camera at one back in the 80s. I think you got a decent deal.
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Post by herron on Jan 22, 2007 12:39:43 GMT -5
There are one or two pawn shops left around here...but both are in parts of town where you only stop the car if you have to. In fact, one of them is in an area where, if the wheel fell off, I would drive on the rim, rather than slow down!  I think the last time I visited one (in any town) was about 15 years ago!  |
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Post by John Parry on Jan 22, 2007 17:27:51 GMT -5
Ron (Herron)
Gun laws not working then?
Regards - John
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Post by doubs43 on Jan 22, 2007 18:05:36 GMT -5
Ron (Herron) Gun laws not working then? Regards - John John, gun laws never work. They only hinder.  I'm licensed to carry and will if I'm going somewhere that is potentially more dangerous than ordinary. My son actually lives in a city (Kennesaw, GA) that has an ordinance that REQUIRES each head of household to have a gun! Their crime rate is almost non-existent. Walker (Who prefers to shoot with a camera but is otherwise prepared.) |
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SidW
Lifetime Member
Posts: 1,107
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Post by SidW on Jan 22, 2007 19:55:10 GMT -5
I found my first Fed 1g in a pawnshop in 1958, Russian seamen used to trade them in for cash.
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Post by majicman on Jan 22, 2007 20:48:37 GMT -5
I think you got a great deal. I love pawn shops garage sales estate sales and flea markets. There are about 20 pawn shops in a 30 mile radius around me and I hit them all about twice a month. This month I picked up a 1932 Kodak in great shape for $15.00. A couple of months ago I picked up a Mamiya /sekor 1000DTL for $30.00 My wife often wonders why I need more than one camera. I'd like to say just get in the kitchen and bake me a pie but you all know what would happen then.
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Post by herron on Jan 22, 2007 23:55:51 GMT -5
Ron (Herron) Gun laws not working then? Regards - John Not sure I follow that one, John. When you can buy new guns at the local K-Mart or Walmart, or used ones at the local gun shops, who needs a pawn shop? |
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Post by herron on Jan 22, 2007 23:58:35 GMT -5
A couple of months ago I picked up a Mamiya /sekor 1000DTL for $30.00 My wife often wonders why I need more than one camera. I'd like to say just get in the kitchen and bake me a pie but you all know what would happen then. My wife has said that a lot. With the collection at 150+ now, she just rolls her eyes when a new package arrives. But, if I were you, I'd banish that thought of "...just get in the kitchen...." permanently from your mind...so there's no chance of a slip of the tongue! ;D ;D LOL!!! |
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Post by John Parry on Jan 23, 2007 14:39:42 GMT -5
Majicman - I agree with Ron. While "rattlin' them pots an' pans" is a favoured occupation (my dear lady does it on a regular basis at 8:30 on a Saturday morning), suggesting it as good therapy is an excellent recipe for checking the state of your internal organs - without benefit of ultrasound. You could try it - but of course we'd never get to see the results!!
Ron - Oh I see. Gun laws over here mean that you aren't allowed to have them. Over there they seem to make them compulsory!
Regards - John
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Post by doubs43 on Jan 23, 2007 17:33:13 GMT -5
And...WE ALL KNEW it was only a matter of time before your resistance gave out!!!!!!! Ron Head Kalamazoo, MI LOL...... ya got me there, Ron! I tried to resist but it was futile when I finally had a chance to handle the STR-102. I'm impressed by the brightness of the finder. Thanks everyone for the comments. Walker |
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casualcollector
Lifetime Member
In Search of "R" Serial Soligors
Posts: 619
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Post by casualcollector on Jan 23, 2007 18:48:21 GMT -5
Think the 102 is nice? Check out the XE-7. I looked one over 30 years ago and was very impressed.
Bill
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Post by Peter S. on Jan 24, 2007 5:24:48 GMT -5
Hi Walker,
You shurely made a good deal. The two lenses alone are worth the money You spent.
And get a 135mm lens - they are ridiculously cheap. Two days ago I bought another one,
17,50€ for a MC Tele Rokkor 2.8/135. I could not stop myself although it might be my
fifth 135mm lens.
The Minolta glass in the 85 to 100mm range is pretty expensive quite on the contrary the
prices for the Rokkor glass is coming down. In the Bay of Evil a 100mm lens will cost You at
least 60€ (MC Tele Rokkor 2.5/100, a great lens), the 85mm ones are noticeably more
expensive.
Very good and inexpensive is the 4/200, which can be found for as little as 25€.
Btw the MC Rokkor-PG 1.4/50 is maybe the best normal lens Minolta ever made. It is just
a bit prone to flare (that's my I often use a MD Rokkor 1.7/50), but escpecially if You use
a tripod You get a level of detail on a good film, that is really impressive.
On the wide angle side the 24mm lenses are renowned but pricey. The 35mm ones are
pretty OK w.r.t. their optical performance and usually not very expensive.
My insiders tip is however the MC W. Rokkor 2.5/28. It might suffer from lens yellowing
and require a good dose of UV to cure that. Two copies I got outperform my 2/28 at F=4!
Its mechanics are relicts from a lost age...
All in all the great thing about the manual Minolta stuff is the availability of excellent
lenses at moderate prices. So get a meter and a film in the SR-T soon ;-)
Best regards
Peter
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Post by John Parry on Jan 24, 2007 16:18:38 GMT -5
Thought I had an SRT101.... Could have sworn I had an SRT101 (I bought it on Randy's recommendation if I remember correctly), I got it at the same time as an XG-M with a Vivitar 28mm, and a Rokkor 50-135. You know team, I can't find that camera - and I've never sold a camera in my life!
Aaaaaghhh! There's no hope for me - I have to start cataloguing!
Regards - John
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