My SRT 101 finally developed multiple shutter problems.  I put it on a tripod and let my three-year-old experiment with it.  Maybe he’ll fix the shutter!  I’d always had the hots for an SRT 102, and here was an excuse to get one—I mean, we all need at least one SRT around.   I found one that showed few signs of use, and fed it one of the precious mercury batteries I keep refrigerated; it sprang into life.  And like every other Minolta I’ve owned, it metered superbly. 

The 102 has a hot shoe, double-exposure mechanism, and split-image focusing.  These features attract me more than the 102’s macro capabilities, but it has the latter in spades.  You can lock up both the mirror and the lens diaphragm and release the shutter with a self-timer.  Put Minolta’s 100mm f4 macro on this beast, and you’ve got a world-beater kit for little stuff.  If you are serious about macro, you can find a Minolta bellows at little cost.  Minolta made a nice bellows for the SRTs, and there are generic brands out there with T adapters. 

You have to adjust to the 102, because it does have quirks.  The shutter release is a little rough, and jams unless you’ve added force to the end of your film advancing.  The diaphragm lock doesn’t operate unless the camera is cocked; and when you do lock the diaphragm, the meter shuts off.  

Quirks aside, the 102 is a pleasure to use in the field.  Once you’ve set the exposure, you don’t have to keep looking at the needle in the viewfinder.  You see it continually from the corner of your eye, and make adjustments almost without thinking.  The camera has the heft to steady your hands without being a pain to carry around.