Minolta SR-T 100b (1975)
The Minolta SR-T 100b is a 35mm match-needle SLR introduced in 1975, a slightly improved follow-up to the SR-T 100. It belongs to Minolta's long-running SRT series, which began with the SR-T 101 in 1966 and grew into a confusing tangle of model numbers. The 100b, 101b, and 303b even shared a single instruction manual. What the "b" stands for, or exactly how the 100b differs from the non-"b" 100, appears to be undocumented. Even period researchers threw up their hands on that one. The one concrete improvement in the record is a 1/1000s top shutter speed, where the earlier SR-T 100 topped out at 1/500s.
What is documented about the 100b's internals puts it squarely in the SRT tradition. It uses Minolta's CLC (Contrast Light Compensation) metering. Two CdS cells on the pentaprism take overlapping full-aperture readings, and stop-down metering is also possible with the depth-of-field preview button. Film speed is set on the shutter speed dial, from ASA 6 to 6400. Power comes from a single 1.35V mercury cell (Mallory PX-625 or equivalent) in the base. The lens mount is the Minolta SLR bayonet with full-aperture coupling for MC lenses. There is a cold shoe and a PC terminal for flash. The camera is fully mechanical apart from the meter, so with no battery you still get a working camera, just no meter.
Surviving documentation on the 100b is thin beyond these basics. No dimensions, weight, or original retail price appear in the record, and no period magazine reviews of this specific model have surfaced. Examples turn up regularly on the used market, and estate-sale listings have asked anywhere from $50 to $200 depending on condition and kit contents.
- Type: 35mm SLR, match-needle/manual exposure
- Metering: CLC full-aperture TTL, two CdS cells; stop-down via DOF preview
- Shutter: Horizontal-traverse mechanical focal-plane, top speed 1/1000s
- Film speed: ASA 6–6400
- Mount: Minolta SLR bayonet, MC full-aperture coupling
- Power: One 1.35V mercury cell (PX-625 or equivalent)
- Flash: Cold shoe + PC terminal
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