These Camera Hot Shoe Covers Double as Film Speed Reminders

Amateur photographer Guy Sie of The Netherlands needed a better way of remembering what film speed he has loaded into his camera, so he created custom 3D-printed camera hot shoe covers with ISO numbers on them.

“On my fully manual ’50s Leica M3 rangefinder camera, the ISO film speed indicator dial on the back only goes up to 200 – the fastest speed available at the time,” Sie writes. “With film speeds going up to ISO 3200 now the dial is basically useless so I don’t bother with it, but then I have to remember what film I loaded last time I used the camera, which might be weeks ago.

“So, was it Delta 3200? Was it T-Max 100? Or maybe Neopan 400? Oops.”

After forgetting his film speed one too many times, Sie took Norwegian photographer Dmitry K Valberg’s 3D print Leica hot shoe cover design and added ISO speed numbers to the top.

“Load your camera, swap out the cover for the right ISO, and never forget what film is loaded again!” Sie says.

You can find the designs over at Thingiverse, and the set contains covers for ISO 100, 125, 160, 200, 320, 400, 800, 1600 and 3200 film. The numbers on top are simply raised, so you can make them black yourself using a permanent marker or some paint.