How accurate or good is the Voigtlander clip on meter??? :)

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Hi everyone,

What does anyone think about the Voigtlander clip on meter? Is it accurate as one says that it is? :) Stephen Gandy is saying on the website: http://www.cameraquest.com/voivcmet.htm that "Since the VC meter can be used with practically any classic meterless camera, it seriously gets my vote as the most important classic camera accessory of the last four decades. With the VC's convenience, many classic dust collectors will start shooting again." Wow, I suppose that the light meter is a must?

Does anyone use this device Voigtlander VC meter on say a Leica II or IIIf? Just wondering. After all sinking down 150 dollars isn't a small investment for a crazy Leicaphile like myself :)

sincerely, Alfie

-- Albert Wang (albert.wang@ibx.com), November 02, 2001

Answers

As with many other things, it's a matter of personal preference. Some people don't like the meter because it's difficult to aim accurately, considering that the angle of view is comparable, I believe, to a 90mm lens. Also, the reading is continuous, in that it does not lock in when the switch is engaged. Personally, I like the meter. I use it hand held and not attached to the camera. Barring unusual circumstances, I always like to try to shoot between f4 and f5.6, so being able to see the combinations of f- stops and ahutter speeds is a plus for me.. I find the meter to be pretty accurate, at least based on the film I've shot. The exposures are pretty good, paticularly in low light situations. I also like the small angle of view because you can use it almost like a spot meter, taking readings on specific parts of your subject, such as in shady areas. Another plus is that it fits in my pocket. Again though, it's a matter of personal preference. I happen to enjoy using a hand-held meter. I have an M6 and an old M2. Invariably, I always grab the M2 first. There are lots of good hand-held meters (Sekonic, Gossen, etc.), and I've used some of them. It's all a matter of personal preference,and you wouldn't go wrong trying any number of them.

-- Dennis Couvillion (couvilaw@aol.com), November 02, 2001.

After reading Mr. Gandy's plug, I bought the Cosina VC meter to use w/my vintage RFs (Canon P, Leica M2 & M3, Zeiss Ikon Contax II & IIa, et al.) & I like it. It works well w/my shooting style & aesthetically matches my cameras. Since it uses modern technology, it's very accurate (e.g., more accurate in low light levels than my Leica-Meter MR), but you do have to remember its relatively narrow field of view. Generally, I concur w/Dennis Couvillion's summary of the meter's shortcomings (continous readout, etc.), but none of them outweigh the benefits for me.

-- Chris Chen (furcafe@cris.com), November 02, 2001.

One point of note is that when you use a clip on meter, where do you put a viewfinder if you need it? Voigtlander makes a double shoe adapter that lets you use the VC meter AND a viewfinder at the same time. I bought the 4mm version to use with my IIIf. It's very well made but a bit pricy.

At least Voigtlander apears to actually USE their stuff before putting it on the market.

-- Tony Oresteen (aoresteen@lsqgroup.com), November 02, 2001.


I really like the VC especially on my M3. It is a simple reflective meter and to solve the problem of where to aim the thing just aim it at the palm of your hand and place it at zone 5 or 6 depending on your complexion.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), November 02, 2001.

Great little meter. Accurate enough to let me expose Provia 100F well, easy to use, tiny enough to slip in my pocket when I'm using an aux finder or one of my old troopers that doesn't have an accessory shoe.

-- Craig Zeni (clzeni@mindspring.com), November 02, 2001.


I think the meter works well, except for one major problem. The top of the shutter speed dial, which has the window for the ISO setting, can rotate very freely, especially when going in and out of camera bag. Or maybe only my meter does this, but I have not found a method to make the dial more tight so it does not change by accident. Even some times with my finger to spin the dial, the ISO changes.

-- Masatoshi Yamamoto (masa@nifty.co.jp), November 02, 2001.

I use one on my M6 when I want to expose from the hip in preparation for a shot, I have compared the lightmeter in the M6 to the VC and they follow each other so closely as to not be relevant, I had my Leica meter checked at a Leica day 2 weeks before so it should be an accurate measure. The VC meter picks up lower levels of light than the M6 aswell which can be useful. I also keep it in my pocket sometimes and play a guess the level of light in here game when boredom gets the better of me [usually about 15 - 20 seconds of doing nothing]and it is so small it easily goes on your pocket. For me the only fault is that you cannot turn it off.

-- Richard (richard@designblue.co.uk), November 03, 2001.

You mean, if you keep the button pressed involuntarily...? Otherwise there's an auto shut-off after 15 seconds. I am with everybody who praises this little gem for precision and versatility. It even clips on neatly onto the hoods of hassy lenses.

-- Lutz Konermann (lutz@konermann.net), November 03, 2001.

I use the VC meter with a double shoe adapter on a III f. It works perfectly, and is visually acceptable. I also have not encountered the problem of slipping ISO setting. Go for it!

-- Sebastien Simon (Simon-Schwarz@swissonline.ch), November 04, 2001.

Yes, I mean it gets turned on accidentally in my bag.

-- Richard (richard@designblue.co.uk), November 04, 2001.


The following is a part of what I've posted in a recent thread; hope this helps:

. . . I decided to get a Voigtlander VC Meter and have it clipped to my M4-P. I was more than a little sceptical of how accurate the reflected-light VC Meter would be compared to my tried and trusted incident-light Sekonic handheld meter, but it turned out to be a non- issue. The VC actually meters very well, and the metering is consistent with that of my CLE's built-in meter, which is accurate. The only times when the VC fails to give accurate exposure settings are in situations when there is a lot of sky in the scene, in which case, the meter tends towards under-exposure. But this is a common shortcoming of reflected meters, and experience should tell me to get a more accurate reading by metering the scene without the sky. Without question, the VC is much more convenient than using a handheld meter, and it actually helps in taking sneak-shot of people. The VC is meant to be used with the camera at chest level, I can now meter, set hyperfocal distance on the lens, and shoot, without ever lifting the camera to my face. The unsuspecting subject will think that I have been busy fixing something on my camera!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), November 05, 2001.

I just got back my slides (Provia 400F film) taken during a trip to the World Heritage City of Lijiang in China. The exposure of over 90% of the shots (that's about 33 out of 36 shots) taken with my M4-P and VC Meter are spot-on. The remaining 10% are either due to my own fault (under-exposure in low-light situations that really required the use of flash) or because of too much sky in the shots (which results in shots of some perfectly exposed evening clouds!). Verdict: the VC Meter works very well!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), November 05, 2001.

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