Meopta Binos- I think I was wrong about them

[Pester]

I was looking at Vortex, Kowa, Zeiss, Leica, etc,etc. to use for back ups binos and for the grandkids to use on their hunts.

After spending time with all of them the Meopta MeoPro HD's (10x42) were the ones I went with and now that I have had some real time with them I am really impressed. While I still think the EL's are my favorite I dont really feel like there is all that much difference between mid range binos at 25% of the cost of the high dollar models. I would also add that the Meopta'sMeoPro's are better than similarly priced other brands.

Dont want to start a bino war here.......I was just very very pleasantly surprised at how great the Meopta's really are in the field.

 

[Mxridr]

Meoptas are very good! Always get compliments on mine and the clarity

 

[Devildog]

I have a pair of the 15x56 Meopta MeoStar’s and they are excellent! Great choice enjoy!

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Meopta does not market their products well which is a shame as they offer some great optics at better than comparable optics pricing

 

[Pester]

Meopta does not market their products well which is a shame as they offer some great optics at better than comparable optics pricing

I agree Doug. I would also add that, in addition to the viewing aspect of the binos', the smoothness in operation and fit and finish is a very positive surprise.

Not sure I am desperate for any new optics at the moment but if I get to that point Meopta will sure be in the mix.

 

[Rexwagon]

The meoptas are fantastic. I will give you this comparison with EL. The EL gives better depth of field. More 3D like. And I can read mirage better with the EL. Both would benefits are more for shooting matches than anything else.

Have you had a chance to look through mavens top lines yet? They are also on par. Fantastic binos.

 

[carbonbased]

I really liked the Maven 18x B5 I tested. Better than the Vortex UHD 18x. But neither had a LRF, which I decided I needed, so I went Leica Geovid 15x LRF. They are optically at least as good as the Mavens.

 

[Pester]

The meoptas are fantastic. I will give you this comparison with EL. The EL gives better depth of field. More 3D like. And I can read mirage better with the EL. Both would benefits are more for shooting matches than anything else.

Have you had a chance to look through mavens top lines yet? They are also on par. Fantastic binos.

I did not look at the Mavens although I have heard good things. I wanted to at least look through them and could not find anyone that stocked them. That being the case I passed on them.

 

[Grubber]

I have a set of the Cabelas brand. Euro HD 10x42. They are a fantastic glass.

 

[Pester]

I have a set of the Cabelas brand. Euro HD 10x42. They are a fantastic glass.

From what I have heard, and it may not be correct, is that Meopta made the Cabelas Euro products so that makes sense that the optics are good

 

[Makinchips208]

I’m not surprised the binos are good. Meopta makes the TS-82 for nightforce. Good products from meopta.

 

[Threadcutter308]

Meopta does not market their products well which is a shame as they offer some great optics at better than comparable optics pricing

Well, if a mfr has to screw up anywhere, marketing is where they should do it.

I've read good things about Meopta and if they remain a high quality "Sleeper" product, that's OK.

 

[supercorndogs]

I just picked up some meopro 10x42. I like them so far but I haven't had a lot of time with them. I will spending a lot more time with them in the coming months. So far they seem to compare well with my Leupold bx-4.

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

Everyones eyes are different and if you havent spend time behind high end binos (as well as lower end ones) you don't know what what don't know.

I thought My Leica Geovids were nice until I spent time with a set of NL Pures. I sold the Leicas that day and bought a set of 12x Pures. Worth every penny. They cut through mirage better than a Tangent, which is super impressive.

The Meopta's are very good for the price. Their flagship, the Meostar B1 is right below Swaro SLC, which is on the lower end of the swaro lineup, but are still great binos. Most PRS guys use the SLC because they can be had in 15x unlike most of the alpha glass. Those Meopros are a few rungs down and more similar to Conquest HD , Vortex Razors or Bx-4. $500-1000 Binos. The best bang for your buck IMO is the Kowa Gennesis 44's. Prominar XD glass at less than $1000 is really hard to beat. https://cameralandny.com/shop/kowa-...2136-0130-87e6-20cf30bab63e?variation=1237090.

There are people here who say they can't tell the difference between a tangent and a gen 2 razor. The same people probably couldn't tell the difference in taste between a properly cooked ribeye and a hot dog. Lots of peoples opinions are worthless.

This is one of the reason most glass and optic conversations here go to shit.

 

[shields shtr]

I have the 15s and 10s. I prefer the 15s optically, and since they are primarily a tripod mounted solution the weights is no biggie. I didn't think the 10s punched above their weight class as well as the 15s but they do make a nice set of truck binos.

 

[Pester]

Took two sets of the Meopta's on an elk hunt in CO with a couple of the grandkids a few weeks ago and both sets were excellent. For my eyes they were very close to the Swaro EL's in clarity and, for the money, they were pretty impressive.

I do think the Swaro's are easier to get a better focus at longer distances but at those distances a spotting scope was a better option. Glad I got them as I can continue to keep them in a vehicle and not worry about destroying something so expensive. And, they are good enough to use on future hunts.

The one place they seemed to fall just a bit short was when the weather was cold. Maybe its because they were new but I found them to be rather stiff in the focus. It did not seem to be noticeable until it got down to about 0 and at minus 10-20 it was just a bit hard to find the right focus at distances. And at that temp the lens covers seemed cheap and stiff while the Swaro's did not. Nothing huge. Just observations. Still really clear, small/compact, pretty light and, for me, a really good value.

I also got two Alaskan Guide bino harnesses. Cant say enough good things about them.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I keep Swaros in my vehicle and don’t worry about destroying them or anything happening to them because they’re insured for about $10/yr with a $0 deductible.

 

[Burdy]

I have the 15x56 B1 Plus and I just cant see replacing them with anything. That pair got me to quit spotters altogether. I ran the 8x32 B1 Plus up until just two weeks ago and the only reason I replaced them was to move on to something with a Range Finder and ballistics.

 

[Pester]

I keep Swaros in my vehicle and don’t worry about destroying them or anything happening to them because they’re insured for about $10/yr with a $0 deductible.

I was not even aware they could be insured.....

However, between the 3 trucks and the suv I dont think I could afford 3 more EL's.

And, for my eyes, I just dont think I could justify the cost for something that is not that different for me. The reason for my comments was that, after looking at Vortex, Leopold, Zeiss, etc I was very impressed with the Meoptas. They were never on my list of optics to look at and it pleasantly surprised me.