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I just got a Minolta SRT101 and I thought it would be nice to take some photos of my son skateboarding just for fun. I have three lenses and I am not sure which would really be the best to use I have:

  • MC Rokkor PG 50mm 1:1.4 lens.
  • Minolta Rokkor 135 MM 1:2.8 lens
  • Minolta Rokkor 35MM 1:2.8 lens.

The area where he skateboards is a wide open area generally with no shade. Its the first time I'm using a camera like this vs just a digital camera so I know I'm going into this as a learning process really just for fun and to learn.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ This depends a lot on the kind of photos you want to take (i.e. more close up or rather showing more of the surroundings). Couldn't you just take all three lenses with you and then try out which one is most suitable at the location? \$\endgroup\$
    – luator
    Commented Aug 14 at 14:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ This being a film camera has no bearing on the question. It's a general photography question. Your question would be identical had you just picked up a digital SLR \$\endgroup\$
    – timvrhn
    Commented Aug 15 at 12:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ A lot depends upon where you're shooting from. Are you sitting on a park bench away from the skating surface? Are you crouching down or even laying on the ground underneath a ramp as he launches himself over and past you? Somewhere in between? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Aug 22 at 16:57

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This is a SLR camera - you'll see the ultimate field of view through the viewfinder whenever you mount a lens. So just mount the three lenses, and see which you prefer.

It's also an interchangeable lens camera - the whole point is you can change lenses to change the view. What's stopping you from using all 3 lenses to photograph the skateboarding session?

It's obviously also a manual focus camera. Don't neglect this important detail! Some people new to such cameras are too used to automation. The camera will not focus on its own! Don't just hope for the best - concentrate on getting accurate focus. (You can also take into account using a smaller aperture to maximise depth of field.)

Try to ensure your photos are exposed correctly depending on the ISO of the film loaded, and the faster shutter speeds you'll need to stop the action/motion. You can also experiment with slower shutter speeds, to emphasise the dynamic motion for creative effect.

Enjoy film photography! Just don't expect every photo to be a "keeper".

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    \$\begingroup\$ I'm not familiar with this camera, but just read that it has "match needle” metering. This is also something you need to keep an eye on while shooting - if the meter is working reliably, that is. If it isn't, then you might be stuck with the "Sunny 16" method of setting exposure. \$\endgroup\$
    – osullic
    Commented Aug 14 at 15:10
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There is many takes to this, meaning each of the lenses work great, but have different strengths, benefits and challanges.

The quick answer is 50 or 35mm, at rather closed aperture, like F8, to have a wide depth of field. Moving subjects can be difficult to get in proper focus, so unless you have very good experience with manual focus it will be difficult or impossible to get a sharp photo at wide open apertures. Keep an eye on shutter speed though, to freeze action you probably want it to be at 1/500 (or 1/250 or 1/1000, depending on the speed of the action). Make sure you have plenty of light for your first tries, to facilitate high shutter speeds at narrow apertures.

A wider lens makes it easier to keep the moving subject in the frame, thus 35mm has a benefit there. Assuming you stand a bit away from the action the 50mm might be a better fit. But you will have to find out what fits best to your style of photography.

Maybe first try with your digital camera: exposures have no cost there, and you can view the results on the same day on the computer, or even immediatley on the screen of the camera. Thus any errors will show up quickly, and you can learn from them since you still remember exactly how you shot the respective photo. Also the EXIF data contains shutter speed, aperture etc., so you can understand what effected the photo. Photographing sports can be quite demanding, and for starting with it using film can be frustrating and expansive.

If your digital camera has interchangeable lenses, it would be a fun option to get a cheap adapter for your wonderful Rokkor lenses - in principle that works for any camera, DSLRs can be tricky as most mounts are longer than the old Minolta mount. It will work well on any mirrorless camera though! This is great to learn the usage of the vintage lenses, and also can be a great artistic choice - some pro photographers use a similar setup because of the beautiful rendering of old lenses (famous recent example is the use of very affordable lenses like Helios 44-2 for filming Dune II).

Another approach would be to simply use your digital camera as is, and checking on what focal length you find most suitable for you. Mind that there might be a 'crop factor' between your digital camera and the Minolta SLR, which is 'full frame'.

In any way, don't hesitate to try things out, and have fun with those wonderful vintage lenses and cameras!

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My 2 cents.

I. If you want "action photos" I would recommend the smallest focal length. (the 35mm)

This is because a manual lens is harder to maintain in focus, and the shorter focal length will give you a bit more room.

II. If you want "portrait", and they can pose for you, try the widest aperture (the f1.4) But depends on the max shutter speed.

III. For some "documentary style", (the kids sitting watching some other kids, and you taking the photos a bit far away) use the longest focal length, (135mm) at the widest aperture.

IV. Always keep the Sunny 16 rule in your mind. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunny_16_rule

Or print a cheat sheet

enter image description here

V. If you want to freeze the action, try an ISO 400 film and adjust the exposure accordingly.

VI. To use the widest apertures, you can try some ND filters. (In the table I posted, the zones in gray need an ND filter)

VII. Try to keep a record of the shutter speeds you use.

This is because vintage cameras might struggle to keep an accurate shutter speed, especially on the faster side. This way you can test its functionality

For a 24-exposure film, I would try 3 groups of aperture-exposures to keep this record simpler.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ YMMV on ISO 400. A manual focus SLR like this is unlikely to have shutter speeds much above 1/1000. In daylight you could almost get away with ISO 50. \$\endgroup\$
    – davolfman
    Commented Aug 21 at 19:03
  • \$\begingroup\$ Indeed, 1/1000 is the shortest exposure time available from the Minolta SRT101. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Aug 22 at 16:54
  • \$\begingroup\$ That is why I marked in gray the other speeds, to use an ND filter. \$\endgroup\$
    – Rafael
    Commented Aug 23 at 0:26

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