Meopta 8x42 Binocular Review

I've had the pleasure of using the Meopta 8x42 binoculars for the last couple of months. Here is a brief summary of what I thought about them:

The first thing I noticed about them was their green armor exterior and rugged build. They're not particularly lightweight at 30.4 ounces but they have an ergonomic design that makes them feel well balanced in your hands. I also liked the sculpted thumbs pockets which allows for a secure and comfortable grip.

Meopta uses high end European glass in their binoculars which produce images that are both bright and colorful. They have an incredibly wide, flat, field of view (402 ft @ 1000 yds) that is sharp from edge to edge.

The focus is sufficiently fast and brings images into focus with precision. These binoculars have an excellent depth of field which makes it easier to view birds that are moving around without having to refocus all the time.

The close focus is sufficient at 9.8 feet but I have found that I'm able to focus in on objects even closer than that.

The neck strap is wide and comfortable but I did not care much for the lens caps. They just got in the way stay so I just took them off and put them in storage. I just keep the binoculars in the case when I'm not using them. The binocular case is made of some sort of wool or felt material which I didn't care for either. I prefer the old fashioned hard cases that can protect the binoculars in the event that someone happens to accidentally sit on them.

I've had the Meopta meostar 8x42 binoculars with me in all kinds of weather conditions. I've carried them with me while climbing up mountains and bushwacking through dense brush after getting myself lost in the woods. They've never fogged up and the view is always crystal clear, even in low light conditions. I've compared them side by side with the other top name binoculars on the market. In my opinion, the Meopta Meostar 8x42 binoculars are every bit as good as the other top selling European optics but cost hundreds of dollars less. I highly recommend them.

Meopta 8x32 Binoculars Are Top-Notch

I recently received Meostar B1 8x32 binoculars from Meopta. They are looking for feedback from birders about their new 32mm series. I used them for birding during the past two weekends which gave me a unique opportunity to put them to the test under various conditions.

When I first received the Meostars, I gave them a quick try by out in my backyard. I was amazed at how wide the field of view was. My Swift binoculars have a 341' field of view but the Meopta's offer an impressive 420 feet at 1000 yards. Not only do they have a wide field of view but the image is very flat and sharp from edge to edge.

I took them out for a field trial at Wangunk Meadows the next morning. It was a grey, overcast day and their was a light mist in the air. These are not ideal viewing conditions but the binoculars performed very well under these conditions. I watched as Song Sparrows popped up on top of some tall weeds and was impressed by the detail I could see around the edge of one Song Sparrow's eye. I was able to get very close since the close focus for the 32's is only 5.7 feet .

These binoculars have a very solid, compact design. They are only 20 ounces but the feel very balanced and they fit very comfortably in my hands. They have some raised texture and thumb indentations which improve the grip.

I found that these binoculars provided the best viewing experience when I was zeroed in on a bird that was out in the open. The wide field of view in this compact binocular made it so easy to follow a bird that was moving around in a tree or flying overhead. I also noticed nice color and contrast while viewing Mallards in the Connecticut River.
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I have heard that 32mm binoculars don't work as well in low light conditions as 42mm binoculars do but I didn't have any problems seeing when I used them at dusk.
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-I've read about chromatic aberrations and color fringing in binoculars but didn't notice anything like that. I figure why bother looking for it if it isn't a problem. I'd rather watch birds.
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The only shortcoming of these binoculars was their depth of field. When I watched birds that were set back in the woods it was noticeable. I could focus on individual birds but you didn't get that nice 3d effect that you are able to get when looking through 42mm binoculars. A few other details to add: the diopter is located near the center focus. It was easy to adjust and did not move out of focus. The eyecups are adjustable twist and click type that work well. The neck strap had extra cushion and was very comfortable. I didn't like the felt carry bag but I understand that they have already changed it to a new style.
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My final test came when I compared the Meopta 8x32 binoculars to other top brand 8x32 binoculars including Swarovski. I found the image from the Meoptas to be be just as good as the other top brands but at $800 they are about half the price.

There are a lot of excellent binoculars available these days in the $300-$1,000 dollar range. I have tried several of them and have found some that would be an upgrade from my $300 Swift Ultralite but the Meoptas are the only ones I tried in this price range that seemed to be right up there with the best of them. I am looking forward to trying the 8x42 models soon.

*Never buy binoculars based solely on someone else's opinion. Always try them yourself and form your own opinions.

My First Pair Of Binoculars

Patrick at The Hawk Owl's Nest recently did a post about his first pair of binoculars and invited other bloggers to do the same. My first pair of binoculars actually belonged to my grandfather. As I recall, they were 7x50 WWII US Navy issued binoculars. I had nothing to compare them to but they sure seemed to have a sharp, wide-angled view. As a child, I would often spend a week as a guest at my grandparents house. Those binoculars were one of my main sources of entertainment during those times.
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I didn't have much of an interest in birds back then. I would glance at whatever birds were in the feeders but that was about as far as it went. I was more interested in stargazing and searching he skies for anything of interest. This included clouds, satellites, jets, and hot air balloons. There's probably not many kids these days that would be so entertained by a pair of binoculars. I spent hours at a time using them.
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There came a point when I decided to get my own binoculars. I don't remember the brand but they were 8-16 x 40 zoom binoculars, if I remember correctly. I don't know what happened to them but they didn't last long. The optical quality was not as good as my grandfather's.
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The first binoculars I used for birding were a $30 pair of 7x35 Tascos. They may not have been Swarovski's but they seemed to work just fine for me. They were ruined when I left them sitting in the sun. The cement that held the lenses in place must have melted.

Thanks for the fun idea for a post Patrick!

How Did You Choose Your Binoculars?

When I started actively birding about 3+ years ago, I had a pair of 7x35 Tasco

Porro Prism Binoculars. (It's actually just binocular but that doesn't sound right). They were as good as Leica's or Swarovski's since I didn't even know what those were at that time.-To me, the $35 Tascos were perfectly clear and sharp.

It wasn't until I started to go birding with other birders, that I became aware that my Tascos were socially unacceptable. Every so often, someone would tease me a little about them. They would offer to let me try their fancy roof prism binoculars, to see how I liked them. I liked them o.k.-until they told me how much they payed for them.-No way was I going to pay $1500 for binoculars.

Then came the 100 degree day when I left the Tascos on the dashboard of my truck. The glue that held the lenses melted like the wicked witch and my precious binoculars were done.

Next came along the little Nikon Travelite V porro binoculars that my brother-in-law gave me. These nifty little bins could focus in on something five feet in front of me. They provided a great view for $75 binoculars. The very small field of view wasn't sufficient for birding in the field. I now keep these handy to watch birds at my feeders. They are perfect for that purpose.

I bought 8x56 Orion Mini-Giants online for about $120. My plan was to use them for some light astronomy.They aren't bad but wouldn't recommend them.I keep them in a cooler in my truck in case I see some birds while commuting to and from work. I also recently bought

Nikon action 7x35's for my wife. They are good entry level binoculars and are a good back up pair (for me too).

After two years, I realized that I was going to be hooked on birding forever. At this point, I decided that I needed better binoculars. This is when I discover a major problem with binoculars. There are too many of them! With the amount of time I spent reading reviews, I could have worked overtime and bought top-of the-line bins and been done with it. There are just too many "pretty good" ones to be able to figure out which ones to get. I don't know of a shop that carries every brand and model to try out. It is just too much trouble.

Although reviews help give you basic information, its not worth obsessing over them. If you can't or don't want to buy the best, go to a local binocular dealer-try them-buy them and be done with it. If you can afford the best-try them buy them-and be done with it. You can't rely completely on someone else's review. What works for their eyes may not work for yours.-You need to try them first. Another good way of doing that is trying out other people's binoculars.

After all the fussing, I chose the Swift Ultralite roof prism binoculars.

They have the following features:

• are extremely bright (ultralite refers to the brightness not weight).


• they are waterproof


• a lifetime warranty(which I recently made use of-excellent service).


• a very fast focus wheel


• they are relatively sharp


• sell for about $300


• Bak-4 phase coated optics

These are excellent roof prism binoculars for the price. When I was at the Eagle Fest , I decided to try out binoculars at the optics tents they had set up. Most of the ones I tried were o.k. but didn't really impress me. When I tried the Swarovski 8.5x42 that changed. They fit my eyes perfectly, and have to admit they were sharper, more comfortable, and had a better field of view than my current ones. Will I break the bank and buy some?-Yes-as soon as I can.

Here are two binocular reviews: Cornell Binocular Review & Better View Desired.

How did you go about choosing your binoculars?