Re: [Leica] Light meter

[TTAbrahams@aol.com]

On 11/21/99 jem.kime@cwcom.net wrote:
>Tom,
>Good to hear this. Are there any further specs. you can share with us?
>Sensitivity seems to be as good as the M6, EV1.
>It's not quite as small as the 1954 (selenium) 'Leica-Meter 2' I have (33mm 
>x 33mm x 23mm) but it will have much better sensitivity, accuracy and 
>presumably longevity!
>Are the two dials interlocked so that they relate to each other? I.e. 1/500 
>@ f5.6 can be adjusted to 1/60 @ f2?
>I notice that the pointers align themselves with numbers that have to be 
>read vertically, I'm sure this would not be difficult after getting used to 
>it.
>best regards,
>Jem
Jem, 
I just got my VC meter yesterday, a nice black one, # 00007. It is a delight 
to use. The dials (chrome on the black meter) are not interlocked. The 
shutterspeed dial has a clickstop on it, you set it at the speed you are 
using and then turn the f-stop dial until the green diode goes on. Very quick 
and simple. The meter has an automatic shutoff after 8-10 seconds. Initially 
I found it a bit too short but once I got used to it, it is fine. The diodes 
are quite bright and does catch the attention of other people "what is the 
red light on top of your camera?" is a common question. The acceptance angle 
of the sensor is the same as a 90mm lens or as the old MR meter. It has one 
advantage over the MR meter, it is not coupled to the shutterspeed dial of 
the camera and can thus be used as a very small handheld meter. Just aim it 
in the direction you want a reading from, press the button, adjust the f-stop 
dial until the green diode goes on and transfer the reading. The meter 
remains "live" as long as it is on, i.e if you change the direction the meter 
reads the new light condition. It will probably take a while for me to get 
used to this fact and remember to leave the setting at the designated reading 
and not to correct it when I lift it up to see the f-stops on the dial. I 
also found that it can be used as a Hi/Low meter, take a reading of the 
darkest area and then point it to the brightest area, it will give you a 
quick range and you can mentally average it.  It uses two 76 type batteries, 
the same as the M6 and also the same as the M6TTL loves to devour. The fact 
that the diodes are on for a very short time should keep them going for a 
long time. I would suspect that the circuitry is the same as in the Bessa-L 
camera, the diodes look the same and the sensitivity range seems to be the 
same. 
 Only change I would incorporate is to have the dials black with white 
lettering, makes it easier to see in daylight than the black lettering 
against chrome background. I have thing about this which might explain why 
most of my cameras are black and the lenses are matching black. I find it 
easier to pick out a small white digit on a black background than a black one 
on a chrome background. The worst of them all is the shutterspeed dial of the 
titanium M6, white lettering on grey/yellow tinged back ground!
 I also got my finders, a 50 brightline and a 75 brightline, looks like the 
old 50 finder for Leica, but machined from brass and painted black (available 
in chrome too). Very high contrast and brightness and easy to use. It will be 
a nice combination to put the 75/2,5 on a IIIF with this finder. As a rule I 
have found the finders produced by both Cosina and Konica (for the 60/1,2) to 
be extremely good, but one also has to take into account that all the Leica 
finders for 35/50/85/90/135 are by now close to 40 years old and might have 
suffered over time. Cosina also has access to modern high-tech glass and 
optical acrylics that simply was unavailable to Leitz at the time of the last 
finders. It will be interesting to compare the new 35 finder from Leitz for 
the screwmount 35/2 Asph with one of Cosina's 35 finder in this aspect.
 Now all I have to do is to get a leather strap and attach the VC meter to it 
and hang it around my neck. The diodes are bright enough to make people think 
that I have the absolute smallest cell-phone and then I can meter their faces 
and expose correctly!
All the best,
Tom A