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Dallen
Tinkerer
Username: Dallen

Post Number: 3
Registered: 09-2006

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Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 08:52 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I am kind of proud of the fact that I have an older model Minolta SRT 101 . I would like to now how one goes about trying to determining the age of his or hers camera . Bragging to others , and of course general information . I thought that some where on the Internet that some one said that serial numbers on Minolta's can determine their age . But I don't know if this true . Can anyone help me .
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Glenn
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Username: Glenn

Post Number: 54
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 10:07 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I am sure that Minolta, like all major manufacturers have a date code somewhere on their kit. You will just have to search all the Minolta sites and glean what you can. If there is not a definite date code (like the Canon system), somebody will have done the research and listed serial numbers against production dates.
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Glenn
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Username: Glenn

Post Number: 55
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 - 10:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Should have stated that production run was 1966 to 1975.
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Dallen
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Username: Dallen

Post Number: 7
Registered: 09-2006

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Posted on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 07:24 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

If I find a serial number on the camera ; is there a chart or something to detyermine the year and month . Tonight I'll start looking and it would be nice to know what I'm looking for . I been here for a week and the things I have learned and the questions answered is a huge help for me . Thank You
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Jan
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Username: Jan

Post Number: 16
Registered: 07-2006

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Posted on Wednesday, September 27, 2006 - 05:16 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Dallen,

Some manufacturers code their serial numbers, some have records and some cameras have a wide collectors following, thus it might be easy to find the information. Some cameras list a patent number on the body and it might be possible to determine the year when the patent was applied for, but not the actual production year.

Simply put - it all depends on what camera you have......

All the best,

Jan
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Dallen
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Username: Dallen

Post Number: 8
Registered: 09-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 - 05:21 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi , there is a serial number on my MINOLTA SRT 101 that is 1823760 . If I remember correctly from what I've read , this serial number is between 1971 and 1973 . I do not know if this is correct . Could someone please confirm this as being right .
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Tom_cheshire
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Username: Tom_cheshire

Post Number: 193
Registered: 04-2009

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Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 09:24 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Usually cutting them in half and counting the rings is the way scientists do it.
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Mndean
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Username: Mndean

Post Number: 165
Registered: 08-2007

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Posted on Saturday, October 10, 2009 - 11:01 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Easy ways to tell on an SRT101 are as follows - black speed dial and mirror lockup 1966-70, chrome speed dial ring w/mirror lockup 1971-72(?), chrome dial ring w/o mirror luckup later than that. There are also differences in the back ASA/DIN dial that give clues. Serial numbers on Minoltas are not easy to discern age on except for some bodies and some lenses, like the Autocord and low production lenses. Too many SRT101s were made for anyone to even try to catalog them for possible age differences except by broad design changes.
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Gez
Tinkerer
Username: Gez

Post Number: 150
Registered: 09-2007

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Posted on Monday, October 12, 2009 - 06:33 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Minolta certainly struck gold with their SRT range but maufacture must have presented problems with all those intricate sub-assemblies that they seemed so fond of. Where others of the 'big 5' would machine a component Minolta liked to fabricate from small parts.

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