Minolta SR-T200 SLR Film Camera Owners Manual

Minolta SR-T200 SLR Film Camera

NAMES OF PARTS

1. With contact for X sync. on SR-T 201, for X/FP sync. on 202
2. Not on SR-T 200
3. Only on SR-T 202

BATTERY AND POWER

The meter in your SA-T is powered by a 1.35v “button-cell” mercury battery, Eveready EPX-625 or EPX-13, or equivalent.

Installing battery

1. Using your thumb as shown, turn the battery chamber over counterclockwise and remove it.
2. After wiping terminals with a clean, dry cloth and handling only by the edges, insert one of the specified batteries plus (+) side out into the chamber.
3. Replace the cover and align it carefully and screw it in clockwise until it is secure
   • CAUTION
   • Do not touch the battery terminals with moist or dirty fingers, as this may cause them to become inoperative.
   • If the camera is not to be used for over a month, the battery should be removed and stored in a cool dry place
   • Do not discard a mercury battery in a fire or attempt to open or break it.
   • Testing battery
   • Use your thumb to turn in the battery switch on the bottom of the camera to “B.C.” If the meter needle moves to and remains fixed within the square battery-check mark in the finder as shown, the battery is serviceable.
   • Test the battery immediately after installing it. If the meter needle does not point as indicated, make sure that the battery is fresh and has been inserted correctly. A battery will generally last for over a year in proper normal use.
   • Switching the meter on and off
   • To activate the metering system, move the index of the battery switch to “ON.” This will cause the meter needle in the finder to move if there is sufficient light and battery power. When not using the camera, it is advisable to turn the switch index to the “OFF” position to prevent needles’ battery drain.

FILM-ADVANCE LEVER AND EXPOSURE COUNTER

• The film-advance lever is designed with 20° unengaged movement before the beginning of its engaged stroke to allow swinging it out from the body so that the right thumb will fit comfortably behind it. Continuing to move the lever in one or more strokes through its engaged angle of 150 until it springs advance films
  and exposure counter and cocks the shutter for the next exposure
• The exposure counter advances one graduation for each exposure made. It will not move more than one graduation past “36” regardless of the number of multiple exposures that may be made with the SR-T 202. The counter automatically resets for film loading when the 1901822

STOP-DOWN BUTTON

• The stop-down button on your SR-T has two settings, one for full-aperture metering and the other for stop-down metering (see right) or depth-of-field preview (see p. 32). Pushing the button once after the film has been advanced will set it at one of these positions: pushing it again will set it at the other. If the film has not been advanced, the button will not operate, and the camera and lens will remain set for full-aperture metering. They will also auto-magically reset themselves for full-aperture metering when the shutter is released even if they have been on stop-down mode.

HOLDING THE CAMERA

• Your camera should be held in a comfortable position that will provide sufficient steadiness. A recommended way that permits the ready operation of important controls is shown here.
• To hold the camera horizontally, cradle the bottom of it in the palm of the left hand with the thumb and index or middle finger on the focusing grip of the lens. The middle or ring finger of the same hand can be used to turn the aperture ring. Grasp the camera body firmly with the right hand as shown so that the index finger rests on the shutter release button. In this position, the thumb can conveniently operate the film advance lever

VIEWFINDER

As you look through the viewfinder of your SR-T, you can see:

1. Meter needle (responds to light)
2. Follower (align with meter needle for correct match-needle exposure)
3. Metering range limits (match-needle exposure will not be correct when the meter needle is outside *these)
4. Battery-check mark (meter needle points to this to show it fan power when the switch on base turned to “B.C.”)
5. Focusing spot, micro prism type in SR-T 200 and 201, split-image/micro prism type (shown here) in the 202. In the 201 and 202, you can also see:
6. Shutter-speed scale with an indicator to show the speed set The 202 further shows above frame:
7. F-number of lens aperture setting. For further details, see the following sections on exposure control focusing, and battery checking (p. 11).

METERING WITH CLC

• Minolta’s exclusive CLC (“Contrast Light Compensator”) the metering system employs two CdS cells mounted on the pentaprism to take separate, overlapping light readings. These cells are circuited so that the reading of each affects that of the other to automatically yield optimum exposure in both normal and most high-contrast situations. One exception is that exposure should generally be decreased by one to two stops if the most important subject area is much brighter
  than the rest of the picture (e.g., is in a spotlight or shaft of sunlight). Some photographers also prefer to increase exposure to a half stop or more with a backlighted subject or one whose most important area is considerably darker than the area surrounding it. (Exposure adjustment instructions are given on p. 25.) Though the SR-T’s special system and finder are designed to minimize the effect on the meter of light entering through the finder eyepiece under usual conditions, care must be exercised to prevent this especially if you wear eyeglasses.
• The use of a rubber finder eyecup is further recommended when the subject is in the shade and the camera is in sunlight, when bright sidelight falls between the eye and eyepiece, or when stop-down metering is used, particularly at small apertures. Besides offering exceptionally long service life and consistent conversion of light to electrical values. They are able to “see” about the same light and color as your eyes and photo film can; this is a great advantage for accurate exposure. Like your eyes, however, their time of response varies with the intensity of the light falling on them. It thus takes them a while 10 become accustomed to low light levels after exposure to bright light.
• For accurate exposure, you should thus be careful not to point the camera at very bright natural or artificial light sources before making exposures. And you
  should give your CdS electric eyes a short time to get accustomed to darker conditions, when, for example, taking pictures in shadow or indoors after shooting in bright sunlight.

WAYS OF USING SR-T EXPOSURE CONTROL

• Your SR-T’s match-needle system offers a quick, easy, and flexible method of obtaining proper exposure that offers considerable control over results to suit the conditions and yourself.
• General use
• As usual good personal pictures, such as Example A below, where no particular effect is desired, simply set a shutter speed (say, about 1/125 sec.) fast enough to sufficiently “stop” the subject’s motion and guard against blur from camera movement that will result in correct exposure at a medium aperture (say, about f/8) that will provide as much depth of field (see p. 31) as possible.
• A: Medium shutter speed and lens aperture
• Shutter Priority
• There may be times when the subject or the effect you want may make it most important to select a particular shutter speed. In this case, first set the required speed (except the “B” setting), then use the match-needle system to set the aperture that will give proper exposure at that speed. High shutter speeds such as 1/500 to 1/1000 sec. can “freeze” fast action, as in Example B below. Such slow speeds as 1/2 to ricon.
• Aperture priority
• At other times, it may be most important to select a lens opening to obtain a particular effect,
• B: High shutter speed

ATTACHING AND REMOVING LENSES

• To Attach
• Align the red dot on the lens barrel with the red dot on the camera body; insert the lens bayonet into the mount; and turn the lens clockwise until it locks into place with a click.
• To remove
• While pushing the lens-release button toward the lens as shown, turn the lens counter. clockwise as far as it will go; then lift the lens bayonet out of the mount.

USING OTHER THAN MC LENSES

Metering and exposure with RF Rokkor and Rokkor-X (reflex-mirror type), Auto Rokkor, and manual diaphragm lenses is by the stop-down method as follows:

Auto Rokkor

1. After focusing set the stop-down button to its stop at it’s stop down position
2. Set exposure as explained on pp. 24-26. The viewfinder field will darken as the lens is stopped down, and the split-field spot and/- or microprism band may become unusable due to darkening.

CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS

• Type: 35mm single-lens reflexes with match-needle/manual exposure control
• Lens mount: Minolta SLR bayonet, 54° rotating angle; coupling for full-aperture metering and automatic diaphragm control with “MC” lenses (stop-down metering used for other lenses); button for depth-of-field preview and stop-down metering. (Standard tenses: 50mm f/2 MC Rokkor-X for SR-T 200; 50mm f/1.7, 50mm f/1,4, or 58mm f/1.2 MC Rokkor-X for SR-T 201 and 202; see p. 46 for specifications.)
• Exposure control:
• Turning the shutter speed dial and/or lens aperture ring to align the follower with the meter needle visible in the finder yields proper exposure according to the metering system indication at the film speed setting. Alignment may be disregarded for exposure adjustment or full manual control. Metering and match-needle exposure range: EV 3 to EV 17 (e.g., 1/4 sec. at f/1.4 to 1/1000 at f/11) at ASA 100 with f/1.4 lens
• Shutter: Horizontal traverse mechanically controlled focal-plane type; speeds 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, and 1/1000 sec. plus “bulb”
• Mirror: Oversize quick-return type (PO value: 138mm; finder image cutoff negligible even with 1600mm f/11 RF Rokkor-X extreme telephoto)
• Finder: Eye-level pentaprism type showing 94% of 24 x 36mm film-frame area: Magnification: 0.83X with 50mm lens focused at infinity

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Minolta SR-T200 SLR Film Camera-FAQs