30 Aug
I have an old Minolta SRT-202 SLR. Ok, I know its 35 years old, but it is still in excellent condition. Anyway, rather than putting in 35mm film, I was wondering if there is some kind of digital attachment that could take the film's place. I don't even know what to call it.
I'm not looking for a lens adapter. I just want to use this old SLR to take digital photos. Why? Because I'm Cheap and don't want to pay for film processing.
Your Minolta also uses an older lens mount. Unfortunately, the Minolta MC lens mount that the SRT series used, was replace by the MD mount, and then by another mount. Currently, Sony Alpha dSLR's take current Konica/Minolta autofocus lenses, but not the ones from the SRT era. There may be an adapter that will grant you to use the lenses, but there will be limitations. Most obvious is manual focus only. Another is having to use “stop-down metering”.
Apart from that your lenses are strictly film era lenses, the way they disperse light at the image side would not be suitable for use with a flat digital sensor.
There was a convincing hoax on therokkerfiles.com about the chinese company seagull producing a minolta SR mount (the correct name for the minolta manual focus mount from the SR- range to the x700) digital SLR but sadly it wasn't to be.
You can get adaptors to mount the SR lenses on other manufacturers bodies, including minolta/Sony, but apart from the conversion factor of the adaptor you often have a crop because of the smaller sensor.
I have an Sr-T101 and and Sr-T303a and they’re still joyous to use, the perfect antithesis to automated everything.
I would advocate that a film scanner is your best way forward if you wish to keep using your fine classic camera and the famous rokkor lenses.
Most labs will do develop only for a couple of quid.
And whisper this bit…. film IS better.
Worth a go at Google or a Minolta specialist….Good luck.
PS. Perhaps it's time to switch altogether. I put it off all this time but it was worth it.. Using Canon 450d, loving it, light, simple, fantastic immage quality and possibly even adapters to use your existing lenses.
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