VC Meter II and the Nikon SP

[kdemas]

I got a VC Meter II for my Nikon SP and, after moving the hotshoe mount , I noticed that it is very insecure when attached to the SP. There is a ton of play and it could slip out pretty easily.

I know I can shim it a bit with some material but I find this odd. Has anyone else experienced this?

Kent

ps- The meter is a great little tool BTW 🙂

 

[jonmanjiro]

Kent, I use a CV II meter in the accessory shoes of my Nikon RFs (1x S2, 1x vintage SP, 2x reissue SP)from time to time and have never had any problems. The meter fits snugly on all my cameras.

Just thinking out loud here, but maybe the springs in the accessory shoe of your SP have lost some of their "spring", or maybe the accessory shoe itself is a little worn ???

 

[Fuchs]

Kent, I use a CV II meter in the accessory shoes of my Nikon RFs (1x S2, 1x vintage SP, 2x reissue SP)from time to time and have never had any problems. The meter fits snugly on all my cameras.

Just thinking out loud here, but maybe the springs in the accessory shoe of your SP have lost some of their "spring", or maybe the accessory shoe itself is a little worn ???

Same here, I have a VC-II on my S2's shoe and it fits perfectly snug in. Check the camera shoe.

 

[robbeiflex]

I have a VC II and had the same problem on my Zorki and on an accessory handle for my Rollei, neither of which have springs. I found that putting some transparent tape on it shims it and creates some friction to avoid it sliding out, and it does not leave any permanent marks on the meter or the camera.

 

[kdemas]

Excellent feedback, thanks everyone. I am going to have a look at the camera shoe itself and also try popping it on another camera when I get home.

Thanks!

Kent

 

[splitimageview]

I tried a VC II today on a Tower (Nicca) and it was loose in the shoe. I'll try it on an SP and report back...

 

[fbf]

mine has some play too but i put some tape under the hot shoe to make a tight fit. It is working fine though I feel more comfortable working with l208 twinmate.

 

[ellisson]

I find the fit is too tight over the rewind dial, so the film cannot be advanced without removing the VC II from the hotshoe. Does anyone else notice this problem?
Thanks,
Gary

 

[Paul T.]

I find the fit is too tight over the rewind dial, so the film cannot be advanced without removing the VC II from the hotshoe. Does anyone else notice this problem?
Thanks,
Gary

Check the manual and Gandy's site - from memory, you have to move the shoe to a different position for it to work on a Contax/Nikon.

 

[ellisson]

Thanks Paul T. I will try this.

 

[Gary E]

Check the manual and Gandy's site - from memory, you have to move the shoe to a different position for it to work on a Contax/Nikon.

There are two positions you can move the shoe on the VCII, and it's to align the meter above the lens' centerline or away from the Leica's shutter speed dial.

I've put a cardboard flap off of a roll of 120 film box end to make it more secure on my SL when that was around. 🙁

 

[gilpen123]

It's a bit loose on my M3 but ok with Canon P and Leica IIIf. I use a cardboard to shim the VCII in my M3.

 

[rbsinto]

A small piece of Dymo labelling tape which has a strong, adhesive and comes in black should solve your shimming problem. A series of dots imprinted on the label will add traction, if necessary.

 

[kdemas]

Well in the end it was, in fact, a weak spring in the hotshoe mount of my SP that was the culprit. The meter fits like a charm on all of my other bodies.

I used a piece of think paper from my business card as as shim before running out the door to shoot and it worked like a charm.

The meter is really a beautiful accessory for the SP, I definitely prefer using it over my handheld Gossen. I highly recommend it.

Thanks again for the tips and suggestions!

Kent