35mm SLR · 1958–2001

Minolta SR (MC / MD) mount cameras

Minolta's SR bayonet arrived with the SR-2 in 1958, with a 43.5 mm flange distance, and lenses swap between Minolta's manual-focus SLRs old and new. There are three main generations. SR-era Rokkors from 1958 to 1966 have an automatic diaphragm. MC Rokkors from 1966 add meter coupling for full-aperture metering. MD lenses from 1977 add a lever that tells the body the smallest aperture, which the XD-11 uses for shutter priority and the X-700 for program mode. The autofocus A-mount replaced it in 1985.

MC lenses mount and meter on MD-era bodies, but the XD-11 needs MD lenses for shutter priority and the X-700 needs them for program mode. Lenses from before 1961 can have aperture problems on later bodies, and later lens tabs can hit screws on the earliest SR bodies.

4 cameras we cover.