This camera features a non-rotating shutter speed dial, which allows coupling of an external exposure meter. It does not have a lever in the baseplate to facilitate rapid film advance (as found on the VT, VT deluxe and VT deluxe M).

A built-in self-timer is fitted. Flash synchronisation is provided for both M and X.

Earlier Canon rangefinders (starting with the IIB) have a lever next to the rewind knob which operates the optical finder. This changed with the introduction of the VT, which has a finder window on the top plate in line with the viewfinder. A wheel to the side of the viewfinder sets the finder and moves an arrow in the finder window to one of three positions. These are marked 50, 35 and Mg on the VlL. The 50mm setting shows both 50 and 100mm focal lengths. The Mg setting gives magnification of 1.5x, to allow more accurate focusing on far away objects.