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Voightlander VC Meter

A

andrew_n

Does anybody have experience of this clip on exposure meter?
 
Hi Andrew

I use one on my IIIf and also on my small collection of 1950's cameras. Very usefull little gadget. A bit pricey - you would get a decent conventional hand-held meter for the same price, however the idea is that it remains with the camera in use so it is unfair to compare it in this way.

Accuracy is pretty good as compared to my M6/Nikon FM2 and other centre-weighted cameras , obviously you have to make judgements in tricky lighting situations. For print film I generally have no problems, for slide film the usual decisions about bracketing have to be made.

There is fairly low clearance between the underside of the meter and the camera top plate so if you have a recessed shoe you have to check that the meter will not foul anything else on the top plate. It is fine on the IIIf although if you want to use an accessory finder you may need to get the Voigtlander adapter that allows 2 auxilliaries to be attached to the camera's shoe; I have no experience of these. I use the old Leica VIHOO finder which has a shoe on top so I can mount the meter on this. It looks (and is) a bit clumsy but it works OK.

Mike
 
Another option to consider is the Sekonic Twin Mate L-208 meter. I bought one a couple of years ago and I am quite pleased with it for use with my IIIf and M4. It's a little larger than the Voigtlander meter (it's a 2 in. by 2.5 in. oval shape), so although it can be mounted on the hot shoe, it's a little bulky when used that way. Instead, I just pop it into my pocket in its little felt pouch and I'm ready to go. I particularly like having the option of taking incident readings via the little diffuser that slides over the meter cell. If you're specifically looking for a meter to clip on your hot shoe, the Voigtlander is probably better. But if your overall goal is simply to have a meter that doesn't get in the way, the Sekonic is worth looking at.
 
Hello Andrew,
I have two of these very handy accessories, a black one and a silver one. They're fine for b&w photography (I never do color) and I can recommend them. But... watch out, because dust and fine sand can easely get under the tiny dials on top. Last year I was shooting in the south of Belorussia (it was very dry and windy) and after a while one of the dials didn't move anymore. With extreme care I removed the dial and cleaned it, so no problem anymore, but there is a risk of serious damage. It is also possible hanging it around your neck with a cord, but then you lose the handyness of a clip-on meter.

Best regards,

Erik.
 
I bought one of these meters new three weeks ago. I am now selling it. It is one of the worst accessories I have ever bought, for one reason. The ISO dial on the top moves almost if you breathe on it. As a result (since I wear contact lenses and can't easily check the setting without reading glasses) quite a few frames have been lost because the ISO changes. This strikes me as being poor design, especially for something which is quite expensive.

Also bought the double accessory shoe. It is not tight enough, and the meter fell off my M2 while getting it out of the bag. It also costs a fortune for what it is.

I'm not getting at Voigtlander - I have their 15mm lens, and think it is great value. Using these little meters if you need reading glasses is a problem, so I'm now reluctantly selling my M2 and getting a Voigtlander Bessa R2 as the second body. The camera isn't as good as the Leica (what is?). but I need to be able to set the exposure.
 
Do not sell your M2 - get a good handheld digital meter instead like a sekonic with large values on the screen (even for glass/contact lens users)- they even have a spot meter adapter for it, and once you get the hang of it it works just as quickly as the mounted meter IMHO
 
Is there a reason why you don't buy a Leicameter MR or MR4? I've used them for years with great success, and they never slip off as they're doubly connected to the camera, via the hot shoe and a pin in the speed dial. This makes them much faster than the Voigtlander meter as half the settings are chosen (completed) when taking the reading. regards, Jem Kime
 
Personally I'd follow Jem advice: I'm using my Leicameter MR with my M3 and had no problem at all with both B/W negatives and slides except when I have misinterpretated the meter readings.
Everything changes, of course, if you have a screw mount Leica: I have no experience with the CV meter but I agree it is greatly overpriced (I suspect CV is planning to make money with some lens, shades and accessories while keeping low margin on bodies) and probably its quality it's not the highest available.
Still if you want a nice looking clip on meter for your LTM Leica there are no real options and personally I'm going to buy one, sooner or later, for my IIIf.
I hope that the guys from CV will develop something new and better made in the future: they demostrated a real willingness to improve their product line in the past.
All the best
 
Andrew

I agree with Ruben, Jem and Enrico. I sold my M2 with MR meter a few months ago and have been regretting it ever since.

As for the VC meter, which I use with my IIIf and other oldies, it is a convenience matter. It will not compare in value or performance with a good hand-held meter but it stays with the camera (except when using the VL double shoe apparently). I can't say I have experienced the problem of the ISO setting turning and it may be that yours is actually faulty.

Mike
 
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