Vintage cold shoe: small raised screw

[kingbuzzie]

Having moved in the last few years from 80-1990s slrs to much older medium format (and 35mm) cameras... I'm a little perplexed on what the center raised screw is for on a cold shoe. I've actually never found the need to use a cold shoe until I bought a folder without a built in rangefinder. Will someone enlighten me?

 

[AgX]

A shoe is open at one end and closed at the other ...

With a shoe of a camera, at least some older models, this stop is achieved by a screw, blocking the flash or other accessory from sliding out of the other end of the shoe.

 

[kingbuzzie]

A shoe is open at one end and closed at the other ...

With a shoe of a camera, at least some older models, this stop is achieved by a screw, blocking the flash or other accessory from sliding out of the other end of the shoe.

Is the screw supposed to adjusted out so that the bracket wedges over it? Otherwise there is still the danger of sliding out the other side correct?

 

[Rick A]

The "cold shoe" you are referring to is actually called an accessory shoe. The "raised screw" isn't raised, it has an extended head to stop accessories from sliding completely through.

 

[Dennis-B]

Is the screw supposed to adjusted out so that the bracket wedges over it? Otherwise there is still the danger of sliding out the other side correct?

The stop screw only prevents the accessory from sliding off the shoe. It's not supposed to wedge the accessory into the shoe. Look at it this way, if you wedge the accessory in, you may damage everything by over-wedging. A lot of accessories use a locking screw to snug the accessory against the shoe.

 

[John Koehrer]

I read the description as the screw being in the center of the shoe. The other posts refer to the small screw at the front edge
that acts as the ((mentioned) stop.

 

[AgX]

I think a photo by the OP or a more precise description would be helpful. A raised screw in the true center makes no sense.

 

[kingbuzzie]

Thanks for the help. I thought that's what it would be for, but none of my cameras have ever made it into my hands with the screw high enough to stop anything... So I thought I would double check.

 

[Sirius Glass]

It keeps whatever [flash, rangefinder, light meter, view finder] is mounted on it from sliding forward and off the shoe.

 

[AgX]

Thanks for the help. I thought that's what it would be for, but none of my cameras have ever made it into my hands with the screw high enough to stop anything... So I thought I would double check.

All of my flashes, I can think of without checking, have the base of its foot flush with its lateral part, except for the central spring-loaded contact, when there is such contact. The same for accessories.
The distance of this base from the base of the shoe is controlled by the springs in the shoe, if there are such springs.