I just recently got this Minolta SRT201 from an old friend who didn’t have the time nor the space to make a home for her. I bought the camera with a 50mm f/1.4 Minolta MD Rokkor-X and then I thought: If I’m going to get another 135 system, I might as well set it up to lend a different look than the other ones right from the get-go. So, I quickly started to look for a different lens lineup than the ones I own for my Spotmatics (50 and 28 mm). I managed to get a 45mm f/2.8 that looks nice and sharp enough, but my goal was set on a wide angle lens. The 35mm f/1.8 seemed like a great promise but was a bit out of budget.
Then, I came across a Minolta MD W.Rokkkor-X 24mm f/2.8 lens on eBay… I waited for it, made my bid and won. I love working with great wide angle lenses. The 28mm has been a great source of fun and inspiration on the Spotmatics and a way to steer away from the standard look of normal lenses, but I had been longing for something a bit wider, so I had my hopes set high on this 24.
I must say, I Was expecting some big barrel distortion and funny looking artefacts from this lens, but it was a very nice surprise to find out that this piece of engineering from Minolta has all of that well taken care of. The lack of distortion and the all-around sharpness of this piece of glass lends an incredible sense of freedom when trying to compose without compromising what you see with your own eyes.
All in all, I’m happy with the purchase and looking forward to making lots of memories with it. I hope you like’ em!
~ Efrain
Submit your 5 Frames… today
Get your own 5 Frames featured by submitting your article using this form or by sending an email via the contact link at the top of the page.
Share your knowledge, story or project
The transfer of knowledge across the film photography community is the heart of EMULSIVE. You can add your support by contributing your thoughts, work, experiences and ideas to inspire the hundreds of thousands of people who read these pages each month. Check out the submission guide here.
If you like what you’re reading you can also help this passion project by heading over to the EMULSIVE Patreon page and contributing as little as a dollar a month. There’s also print and apparel over at Society 6, currently showcasing over two dozen t-shirt designs and over a dozen unique photographs available for purchase.
6 responses to “5 Frames… With Kodak Tri-X 400 (EI 400 / 35mm format / Minolta SRT 201)”
Hi Efrain!
I was reading your article about the Minolta SRT 201 camera & have I think 2 lenses with Vivitar automatic tele converter that was included with the lenses. Do you know anything about the auto tele converter at all?
I do love your article & tried to get a camera but found out when I got it that it was a digital one. I am using it some & works pretty well but wanted really to find out how much better or worse the manual lens setup with the Vivitar auto tele converter works with the lenses. With the digital one I got, there were 3 different lenses included & change them when I need a close-up & the mid-range & also a lens that shoots far ranges. I just had to buy the batteries for it. Thanks & have a great day!
Hi! I’m just reading your comment.
I have never dealt with a tele-converter. Not with the SRT-201 nor with any other one. Sorry!
@KodakProFilmBiz Thanks for the post, Em!! Much appreciated!
The 40 mm is one of the lenses I’m after for my SRT… part of that distinct look I was talking about up there.I’m trying to give myself a reason to pick one system over the other for a specific look.
I have found that wide angles like 35, 28 and now the 24 mm lend themselves pretty well for that photowalk-ish, don’t-know-what-to-shoot kind of mood.
Thanks a lot for taking the time to leave a comment, Dan!
Nice photos, I especially like the geometry and contrast of the stairs…
When I still had a Nikon FM, I found that I preferred the 24mm Nikkor over the 28mm Nikkor. Just that little bit wider angle made all the difference.
I got a battered, but workable Leica M2 about 20 years ago. I thought I could continue to use a 24mm lens on the Leica, but the difference in the viewfinder systems (I could not ‘see’ the effects of the wide-angle coverage – the addition of an aux. viewfinder didn’t help; just made the process more fussy for me) made me abandon the 24mm focal length. I now am quite happy with a 40mm lens affixed to the M2.
Nothing better than sitting at a table with a cold beer or coffee and your camera, snapping away at people!
– Dan [flickr.com/photos/dcastelli9574/]
a 40 mm is another lens I’m trying to find for the SRT. All in the hope of making this system to produce a distinct look from what I get with te Spotties.
For now, this extra bit of wide angle I get with the 24 does the job of making me reach for this camera instead of another.
Thanks for the comment, Dan!