I just got my VC meter in the mail today and tried to stick it on the Leica III(F) I own but it only slips in halfway. I wasn't too happy but I tried it on my Canonet 19QL and it fit perfectly. So basically I tried it again on the Leica III(F) and managed to slip the VC meter in only about halfway which it looks sorta wierd to be honest. Anyone else have trouble fitting the VC meter onto the cold shoe of a Leica Screw mount camera?

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), February 19, 2002

Answers

Alfie,

The VC meter fits onto the cold shoe of my IIIB perfectly, as if it was made for it. Perhaps I'm just lucky.

BTW, I'm very satisfied with the meter, it is reasonably accurate and makes the IIIB and 50mm Summitar a lot more pleasureable to use. I bought mine from Stephen Gandy at Camera Quest.

-- Steve Fuhrer (dfuhrer@nj.rr.com), February 19, 2002.

I've had problems fitting my VC into the accessory shoes of some of m Contax IIa's. Either quality control back in the old days was not as consistent as we expect nowadays, or perhaps it's Cosina's quality control today that's inconsistent! I would exchange your meter for another 1 & see if the new 1 fits (or have the shoe on your Leica adjusted).

-- Chris Chen (furcafe@cris.com), February 19, 2002.

Alfie,

I have tales to tell about fitting the VC meter into various hot and cold shoes as well as VC and Leica external finders and VC double shoe whatsits. In my case it has been the opposite. They have been too loose.

The problem is not only with the meter but with the various cold and hot shoes. Some are too tight, some are too loose and some are just right--with a particular thingie. In the old days, manufacturers would have a slot in the chromed brass feet so you could expand and contract width to fit a particular shoe. VC unfortunately is not equiped with that little extra. But there are solutions.

Okay, I know this isn't your problem, but what I did with the bottom of my meter was smear a little bond on the bottom of the foot. If there is too much you can sand lightly with very fine wetsanding paper.

One for your problem. Here are two options:

1.You can VERY lightly sand the bottom of your meter's foot with very very fine wetsanding paper. You can even use the scratch paper from a book of matches. Be extremely careful.

2. You can use a go-between between the cold shoe and the meter. A VC double shoe whatsit would work nicely. Or you can use one of those things that one puts flashes on (usually with a wire for plugging into the camera). I've pulled the wires out three such thingies to use as intermediary platforms for my Russian 28-135 eternal finder on my Bessa T and as platforms for my 2 VC right angle finders.

Let me know in this space if you have any questions or problems.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), February 20, 2002.

Try rubbing a pencil over the ends of the foot that slide into the shoe, and work the meter on and off. The graphite is both a microabrasive and dry-lube. If the discrepancy isn't tremendous (and it doesn't take much to hang it up halfway)this might work.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), February 20, 2002.

The pencil eraser worked! Jay's idea is definitely the one...

-- Alfie Wang (leica_phile@hotmail.com), February 20, 2002.