Leicameter with Zorki 6?

[Janos]

Hi,

since my Zorki 6 lacks a lightmeter and my "eyemeter" doesnt work with ISO 400, Im looking for a decent lightmeter to use. Do leicameters work with Zorkis or will they hit the speeddial knob on the top plate?

Janos

 

[blacknoise]

I dont think it'll interfere with the shutter dial, the dial is closer to the shoe on my Leica III than my Zorki, but the rewind knob on the zorki might get in the way. Perhaps someone actually has some first hand experience of this combination.

 

[rxmd]

Back when I had a Leicameter MR I think I tried it on the Zorki and it didn't fit, it was too wide. I'm not sure because it's been a while.

It wouldn't be worth it anyway IMHO. As meters go, the Leicameters aren't too great. They are clunky to use with the 90mm frameline for the metering area, and not too precise, and the electronics are sometimes unreliable, and you need weird mercury batteries. Their only advantage is that they grip into the M Leica's shutter speed wheel, but that's it. You'd be much better off IMHO getting a generic shoe mounted meter, or a compact meter like a Sekonic L208 or a Digisix, or a compact external meter.

 

[Janos]

Are there other shoe mounted meters apart from Leica's? Can you give some names?

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

http://cameraquest.com/voivcmet2.htm

 

[rxmd]

Shoe-mount light meters

Shoe-mount light meters

In addition to the VC meter, there are accessory shoes available for the Sekonic L208 and the Gossen Digisix, so you can put those in the shoe, too. They're small enough.

And there were actually a number of small selenium and CdS shoe-mounted meters back in the good old days, such as the Vivitar 24 (a CdS meter). According to this thread the Kodalux L is another, and for the old Gossen Pilot there was apparently a shoe, too. I think all in all this class of meters was never too common, so it's a matter of a bit of luck to find a good one.

If you have the money, I'd probably go with a Digiflash, it gives you the most versatile package. (And once you try Polaroids you'll actually be grateful for the thermometer and timer, too 😉)