Minolta SRT Disassembly: How to Clean the Viewfinder, Prism & Focus Screen

Is your Minolta SRT viewfinder cloudy, dusty, or showing signs of "foam rot"? In this tutorial, we perform a deep dive into the Minolta SRT series to disassemble the top plate and clean the internal optics. The SRT series are "tanks," but their internal light-sealing foam often breaks down over decades, leaving debris on the prism and focus screen. This guide covers the safe removal of the top cover, cleaning the glass, and fixing common mechanical issues like stuck frame counters and laggy aperture returns. ✅ This guide applies to ALL SRT models: Minolta SRT 101, 100, 102 Minolta SRT 200, 201, 202 Minolta SRT 303, 303b Minolta SRT Super & SR505 🛠 Tools used in this video: JIS Screwdriver set (Do not use Phillips, you will strip the screws!) Lens Spanner Wrench or Pointed Tweezers Rubber friction tool (for the rewind crank/shutter button) Cotton swabs and a blower bulb 📍 Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:18 Top cover disassembly 6:00 Viewfinder cleaning 7:43 Access to the prism 9:53 Cleaning the Prism (Removing Foam Rot) & Focus screen 11:00 Reassembly of the prism 13:15 Reassembly of the viewfinder 14:24 Fixing a stuck frame counter 15:15 Solving stuck/laggy aperture ring returns 16:47 Top cover reassembly ⚠️ Disclaimer: Camera repair is delicate. Proceed at your own risk. Be especially careful with the "string" mechanism inside the SRT series—do not snap the silk thread!