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Meopta vs Ultravid?

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Rusty View Drop Down
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    Posted: November/27/2006 at 07:46
How does the Meopta stack up against the Leica Ultravid and/or Trinovid?  The 10X50 Meopta has decent specs (weight and FOV).  I am wondering how optically close to the best it is.
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FrankD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FrankD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/01/2006 at 11:24

I can compare for you the 7x42 Trinovid and 7x42 Meostar but not the 10x50 of each configuration. The Meopta appears brighter but with a slight warm color bias. The Trinovid appears sharper because, I believe, of higher contrast. Beyond those differences I think there is very little to choose between them optically. Physically the Meostar is more contoured with thumb indents to make it more ergonomic. The Trinovid is approximately the same size and shope with ribbed strips down the length of the binocular and a lack of thumb indents. I cannot really say one shape is superior to the other but the Meopta suits my hands better.

 

Now, I did own the 10x50 Meopta for a time and was quite impressed with it in all respects. It is a bit longer and heavier than the 7x42 but the image quality in terms of brightness, flatness of field, etc... was quite good, even excellent. I would compare it directly to the Swaro SLC 10x50. The only issue I found objectionable with it was the higher level of noticeable color fringing on extreme high contrast objects.

 

Hope this helps.

Frank
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roadroach357 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote roadroach357 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/07/2006 at 15:11

I'm new to the board and I must say this is a very informative forum. I recently had the chance to examine the Meopta 10x42 and 10x50 and I was quite impressed so I began an exhaustive quest for more information about them. I keep reading and hearing very good things about Meopta but the informaiton I am getting is limited to only a few websites and dealers here in the Houston area.

 

So my question is this: Does anyone have any new first hand information about the Meopta Meostar binocs?

 

The word I'm getting is to get them while you can before the price goes through the roof.

 

 

 

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FrankD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FrankD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/08/2006 at 07:53
Originally posted by roadroach357 roadroach357 wrote:

 

So my question is this: Does anyone have any new first hand information about the Meopta Meostar binocs?

 

The word I'm getting is to get them while you can before the price goes through the roof.

 

 

 

 

Reviews of them, especially on the net, are extremely limited. I have only found mention on them on the following sources....

 

1. Here

2. Birdforum.net

3. Their own webpage has some scanned/uploaded reviews from print

4. BPS forums

5. Reviews of Cabelas Euro Bins (a rebadged Meostar 10x42) on their site and elsewhere.

 

I currently own the 8x42 but have briefly owned the 7x42 and 10x50 models. I also owned one of their spotting scopes, the Hermes I 70 mm.  I think your description of them is entirely accurate. This is a company that has been making optics for years and finally was able to pull everything together and offer a premium line of binoculars and scopes at a price considerably less than the big 3. Their optics are exceptional and very close to being on par with the German and Austrian glass. I have no hesitation in recommending them based on the quality of their binoculars and their customer service. Their VP of marketing, Richard Gilligan, is an exceptionally knowledgable and helpful individual. I have complete faith in their warranty program.

 

Everybody seems to have a bin or scope that appeals to them for some reason. They may not be the very best out there but they fit our needs for one reason or another. I really enjoy using the Meostar 8x42s and would highly recommend others check them out if they are looking for a bin in this price range.

 

Hope this helps.

Frank
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roadroach357 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote roadroach357 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/11/2006 at 00:48
Thanks for the reply FrankD. I had the chance to play with the 10x50's and 42's over the weekend and I compared them to a set of Swaro SLC 10x42's and Nikon porro Action 10x50's. Again, the Meopta's were top notch and the only thing I noticed compared to the Swaro's was a color difference. The SLC's had a tad bit more natural color, but the Meopta was right there with it matching the clarity and sharpness. As for the Nikon's, I observed that the Meopta was brighter and produced a more sharp, flat image across the field of view. I realize that comparing the Nikon's to the Meo's is somewhat unbalanced but I have owned these for a very long time and I have grown accustomed to their relatively clear and detailed image, as well as the length and weight.

Personally, I am going to go with the 10x50 Meopta. Subjectively, I just don't see spending the extra money to gain something that may or may not be there over the Meopta. Also, I feel that the 42's are a little too light for me since I have grown accustomed to the somewhat heavy and long Nikon's and the 50's seem to be a perfect fit for me. I found that I could throw up the Meo's and be dead on target and the weight did not bother me at all.

Thanks for the help. Hopefully I won't get flamed over this post but I assure you that I am in NO WAY affiliated with any binocular maufacturer in any way. I just happened to be looking for a good set of bins for a good price and I have found them. Period.
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FrankD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FrankD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December/11/2006 at 05:57
Glad to hear it. The Meoptas are an excellent bit of glass and I think only the very most discriminating binocular fanatics could find fault with them.
Frank
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