The EM-01 fits onto a camera using a shoe-mount. As there is no electronic connection with the camera, that means it can either be a hot or cold shoe. One of the cool things about the EM-01 is that the shoe mount can be removed and re-positioned. Not only does this mean that different sizes of shoe-mounts are catered for, but that you can also set them in such a way that best suits the layout of your particular camera. For example, slightly off to the side on a Leica rangefinder, so that it doesn’t overlap the shutter speed dial.
The earlier versions of the meter came with 3 differently sized plastic mounts, but the later versions came with an additional 6 aluminium mounts. If you bought before the upgraded version was available you could get a set of the 3 metal mounts for $5 on the Keks site. There are differing views on what mount is better in which situation… in that the plastic connection is much more likely to break off, whereas the alumiunium mount could place more stress on the camera as opposed to the meter in the event that tension was applied. Personally, I think the risk of the plastic snapping due to an unfortunately timed bash and losing the meter is greater than the camera’s shoe-mount getting damaged, so I’ve stuck with using the aluminium mount – but the plastic one seems perfectly sturdy.
Unlike some other comparable products, the display of the EM-01 is nice and bright, meaning it is visible even in bright daylight. There’s no visible flickering or other issues. Positioning wise, the display is located on the rear of the device (as opposed to the top)… and there’s some debate over which is better. To be honest, I think that both have their strengths. Having the display on the back means that you don’t need to flip the camera over to change the settings, but if you’re shooting from the hip, or out doing street photography, having the meter on the top can be handier. Either way, it’s something that you adapt to quickly and don’t really think about.