Minolta SR-2
Encyclopedia
The name Minolta was first used in 1932 on the 4.5×6 format Semi-Minolta using 120 film
. The manufacturer was established in November 1928 by Kazuo Tashima (1899-1985) as the Nichidoku Shashinki Shōten (Japan-German Camera Store) together with two Germans living in Japan, but reorganised as a joint stock company named the Molta Goshi Kaisha in the summer of 1931. It is likely that this inspired the name Minolta that later became a registered trade mark. However, in 1937 the company was reorganised as the Chiyoda Kogaku Seikō KK
, CHIYOKO for short. Chiyoda Kogaku manufactured leaf shutters and photographic lenses, as well as melting their own optical glass
es, an achievement very few camera makers ever have matched. In 1947, the Minolta-35
was launched as the company's first 35mm camera, resulting in a brief range of quite popular rangefinder models
lasting until the end of the 1950s. In 1962 the company name was changed to Minolta Camera K.K.
camera from Chiyoda Kogaku. Popular cameras of this type at that time were mainly from Europe but a few from Japan, including the Asahi Pentax
, the Miranda T
and the Topcon R
. The miniature SLR camera concept was conceived in the 1930s at Ihagee
in Dresden, resulting in the 1936 Kine Exakta
. Influential cameras designs like that of the 1939 KW Praktiflex, the 1949 ZI Contax S, and 1952 the KW Praktina marked the steady progress toward a perfected SLR. Several features of the latter seem to have influenced the design of the SR-2 although dissimilar in many respects. The obvious similarities are the stepped top plate, the carrying strap lugs, the self-timer lever and some general body features.
, used throughout the entire lifespan of the Minolta manual focus camera area. The automatic aperture mechanism on this camera does not reopen the aperture after exposure, a feature at the time regarded as unnecessary, since the darkened finder might indicate the camera not being made ready for the next exposure. The SR-2 was joined a year later by the budget model SR-1, and was replaced in 1960 by the improved SR-3. This range was complemented by an increasing selection of high quality Minolta SR mount Rokkor lenses, within a few years ranging from 35mm to 600mm, and an RF 800mm f8 mirror lens in 1960, some of these even multicoated
from the very start.
120 film
120 is a film format for still photography introduced by Kodak for their Brownie No. 2 in 1901. It was originally intended for amateur photography but was later superseded in this role by 135 film...
. The manufacturer was established in November 1928 by Kazuo Tashima (1899-1985) as the Nichidoku Shashinki Shōten (Japan-German Camera Store) together with two Germans living in Japan, but reorganised as a joint stock company named the Molta Goshi Kaisha in the summer of 1931. It is likely that this inspired the name Minolta that later became a registered trade mark. However, in 1937 the company was reorganised as the Chiyoda Kogaku Seikō KK
Minolta
Minolta Co., Ltd. was a Japanese worldwide manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It is perhaps best known for making the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system...
, CHIYOKO for short. Chiyoda Kogaku manufactured leaf shutters and photographic lenses, as well as melting their own optical glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
es, an achievement very few camera makers ever have matched. In 1947, the Minolta-35
Minolta 35
The Minolta-35 was launched in the spring of 1947 by Chiyoda Kogaku. It was the first successful new 35mm rangefinder camera with Leica specifications to emerge on the market after World War II that utilises the 39mm screw lens-mount. The Minolta-35 range of cameras was manufactured in quantities...
was launched as the company's first 35mm camera, resulting in a brief range of quite popular rangefinder models
Leica copies
After World War II, the Allied countries made all German patents in their country available to the public free of charge. Ernst Leitz had no patents registered in the USSR. Cameras introduced later would not cause patent rights infringements as far as the early Leica models are concerned...
lasting until the end of the 1950s. In 1962 the company name was changed to Minolta Camera K.K.
Minolta
Minolta Co., Ltd. was a Japanese worldwide manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photocopiers, fax machines, and laser printers. Minolta was founded in Osaka, Japan, in 1928 as . It is perhaps best known for making the first integrated autofocus 35mm SLR camera system...
The first Minolta SLR camera
The Minolta SR-2 was presented in 1958 as the first 35mm SLRSingle-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
camera from Chiyoda Kogaku. Popular cameras of this type at that time were mainly from Europe but a few from Japan, including the Asahi Pentax
Pentax cameras
This article discusses the cameras – mainly 35 mm SLRs – manufactured by Hoya Corporation's and its predecessors, and .It covers from the first "Asahiflex" models in 1952 and their successor, the pivotal "Asahi Pentax" single-lens reflex camera, to the present time.- Background :The...
, the Miranda T
Miranda T (camera)
The original Miranda T 35mm SLR camera was launched by the newly established Japanese Orion Camera Co. in 1955. It is the first Japanese 35mm SLR camera to have an eyelevel Pentaprism finder...
and the Topcon R
Topcon RE-Super
Tokyo Kogaku KK launched their first 35mm SLR camera in 1957, about two years before the Nikon F and the Canonflex. This was the Topcon R that acquired the bayonet lens mount from the Exakta Varex camera from Ihagee in Dresden, successor to the Kine Exakta of 1936...
. The miniature SLR camera concept was conceived in the 1930s at Ihagee
Ihagee
Ihagee was a camera manufacturer based in Dresden, Germany. Its best-known product was the Exakta single-lens reflex camera.-History:Johan Steenbergen, a Dutchman, founded a camera company called Industrie- und Handelsgesellschaft in Dresden in 1912. The name was shortened to Ihagee...
in Dresden, resulting in the 1936 Kine Exakta
Kine Exakta
The Kine Exakta was the first 35mm SLR still camera. It was presented by Ihagee Kamerawerk Steenbergen GmbH, Dresden at the Leipziger Frühjarmesse in March 1936. The Exakta name was already used by Ihagee on a roll film SLR camera line since 1933, among these the Vest Pocket Exakt Model B from...
. Influential cameras designs like that of the 1939 KW Praktiflex, the 1949 ZI Contax S, and 1952 the KW Praktina marked the steady progress toward a perfected SLR. Several features of the latter seem to have influenced the design of the SR-2 although dissimilar in many respects. The obvious similarities are the stepped top plate, the carrying strap lugs, the self-timer lever and some general body features.
Minolta SR-2
The Minolta SR-2 is well built and thoroughly constructed; including features that remained characteristic of the Minolta SLR camera range to follow until the advent of the auto focus cameras in the 1980s. The main features are a single stroke wind-on lever; a rapid return reflex mirror and a sturdy three-pronged bayonet lens mount with an internal automatic aperture stop-down mechanism. This mount is the earliest example of a modern 35mm SLR bayonet lens mountLens mount
A lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge...
, used throughout the entire lifespan of the Minolta manual focus camera area. The automatic aperture mechanism on this camera does not reopen the aperture after exposure, a feature at the time regarded as unnecessary, since the darkened finder might indicate the camera not being made ready for the next exposure. The SR-2 was joined a year later by the budget model SR-1, and was replaced in 1960 by the improved SR-3. This range was complemented by an increasing selection of high quality Minolta SR mount Rokkor lenses, within a few years ranging from 35mm to 600mm, and an RF 800mm f8 mirror lens in 1960, some of these even multicoated
Optical coating
An optical coating is one or more thin layers of material deposited on an optical component such as a lens or mirror, which alters the way in which the optic reflects and transmits light. One type of optical coating is an antireflection coating, which reduces unwanted reflections from surfaces, and...
from the very start.
The characteristic features of the Minolta SR-2
- Camera body with fixed pentaprismPentaprismA pentaprism is a five-sided reflecting prism used to deviate a beam of light by 90°. The beam reflects inside the prism twice, allowing the transmission of an image through a right angle without inverting it as an ordinary right-angle prism or mirror would.The reflections inside the prism are not...
finder with Fresnel lensFresnel lensA Fresnel lens is a type of lens originally developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel for lighthouses.The design allows the construction of lenses of large aperture and short focal length without the mass and volume of material that would be required by a lens of conventional design...
for even brightness - Reflex finderReflex finderA reflex finder is a viewfinder system with a mirror placed behind a lens. The light passing through the lens is reflected by the mirror to a focusing screen, usually ground glass...
mirror flips up and returns instantly after exposure. - Hinged strong back with double light traps for simple and safe film loading.
- 45mm wide throated three-pronged bayonet lens mountLens mountA lens mount is an interface — mechanical and often also electrical — between a photographic camera body and a lens. It is confined to cameras where the body allows interchangeable lenses, most usually the single lens reflex type or any movie camera of 16 mm or higher gauge...
. - Lens diaphragmDiaphragm (optics)In optics, a diaphragm is a thin opaque structure with an opening at its center. The role of the diaphragm is to stop the passage of light, except for the light passing through the aperture...
closes automatically to the preset apertureApertureIn optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
and opens on winding on. - Wind-on lever makes camera ready in one quick operation for continuous shooting.
- Shutter release is situated in the hub of the wind-on lever.
- Focal plane shutter with speeds from 1 to 1/1000 second and B set on a single stationary dial.
- Automatic frame counter placed under a magnifying glass, which resets when opening the back.
- X and PF flash synchronizationFlash synchronizationIn a camera, flash synchronization is defined as the firing of a photographic flash coinciding with the shutter admitting light to photographic film or electronic image sensor. It is often shortened to flash sync or flash synch....
contacts with separate PC sockets. - Self-timer with separate release button.
- Combined folding crank rewind knob and back door opener.
- Rewind release button on the camera base.
- ASA / DIN film type reminder dial on the back.
The Rokkor lenses for the SR-2
- W.Rokkor-HG 1:2.8 35mm (1958)
- Auto W.Rokkor-HG 1:2.8 f=35mm (1959)
- Auto Rokkor-PF 1:1.8 f=55mm (1958)
- Auto Rokkor-PF 1:2 f=55mm (1959)
- Tele Rokkor-QE 1:3.5 f=100mm (1958)
- Auto Tele Rokkor-QE 1:3.5 f=100mm (1959)
- Tele Rokkor PG 1:2.8 f=135mm (1958)
- Auto Tele Rokkor-PG 1:2.8 f=135mm (1959)
- Tele Rokkor-PF 1:2.5 f=180mm (1959)
- Auto Tele Rokkor-QF 1:3.5 f=200mm (1959)
- Tele Rokkor-QF 1:4 f=250mm (1959)
- Tele Rokkor-TD 1:5.6 f=600mm (1959)