Vortex Viper HD 6x32 and Meopta MeoPro 6.5x32? (1 Viewer)

Has anyone had both at roughly the same time? I was just wondering if the Vipers were worth the extra money.

I know that the odds of most people owning multiple pairs of 6x bins are pretty low.

I would expect the Vipers to have a better build quality and perhaps more pop and contrast to the image. I would also expect field curvature to be higher than most other bins, for the eye relief to be really long, and for a pure 6x to be just a bit shy of what several people want in their binoculars power wise (summarizing what I have read).

I would expect the MeoPros to be excellent for the money with a with a larger field of view than the Vipers and a slight bit more magnification to boot but with lesser edge quality and less overall "wow" about them ( again impressions from reading).


Does excellent for the money make them equal to the Vipers? That is essentially what I am hoping to get opinions on.

Thanks

Isn't the MeoPro 6.5x32 discontinued?

Bob

Hi Inquisitor. I can't help with the Viper HD, but I currently have both the Viper (non-HD) 6x32 and the Meopro 6.5x32. Optically, I'd say that the Viper is a bit sharper and a bit brighter, but the differences are not significant. The Meopro might have a slight edge in contrast and glare control. Mechanically, both are very good, with the Meopro having an especially smooth focuser. However, the reason I have a hard time comparing them head to head is because the Viper is as compact as you would expect a 6x32 to be, but the Meopro is so large that you might confuse it for a compact '42. I'll post a pic sometime if I get the chance. So basically, if you're looking for a compact package, then the Viper would be worth considering. If the size isn't a consideration, then maybe the Meopro. Is either worth the money? That's really up to you.

Thanks again, Peatmoss, you seem able and willing to give well reasoned advice to newbies and I for one appreciate it. Btw....I did not order the Vixen's from the other thread...It is a long story but somehow that ended up turning into a new pair of 8x42 Conquests HD ( actually in hand). I woke up one day and realized that my needs require comfort and portability far more frequently than ultimate low light brightness. I reckoned a better (for me) 8x42 would be bright enough for most of what I actually need.

Hi Bob....I am not sure.....various places seem to indicate so but I directly asked OpticsPlanet and they said they were only backordered a week or two. Their online availability checker says something like "usually ships in 1-3 days" if IIRC.

Hello Inquisitor,

You might want to look at this thread. It is mostly discussion of the Meopta.

Happy bird watching,
Arthur Pinewood :hi:

I don't see the Meopta 6.5x32 MeoPro listed on Meopta's website:

http://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/shop/us/32-mm-series/meopro-32mm-binoculars/ctgBus.html

Bob

ceasar said:

I don't see the Meopta 6.5x32 MeoPro listed on Meopta's website:

http://www.meoptasportsoptics.com/shop/us/32-mm-series/meopro-32mm-binoculars/ctgBus.html

Bob

Click to expand...

"Greetings from OpticsPlanet.com!

Thank you for your interest in our products! The Meopta MeoPro 6.5x32 binoculars have not been discontinued, but they are, unfortunately, on backorder at the moment. We expect to have more in our warehouse in 1-2 weeks. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Have a great day!

Best regards,"

I think it makes more sense to trust the manufacturer. I am typically a bit underwhelmed when I call a distributor for advice.

Just showing why I asked the question.


Pinewood, that thread was part of the research that got me to thinking about one. Thanks.

Regards to all.

Hi Inquisitor. You're very much welcome. In the time that I've been on this forum, I've found it to be full of members who are generous with both their time and their knowledge. So I try to do my part too. Btw, I got the 8x32 version of the Conquest HD's a few months ago, and if the 8x42 is anything like its little brother, then I'd bet it's some seriously good glass!

Well....I now have a pair of 6x32 HD Vipers in my hands. I just got them on Monday. My first reaction is that I cannot understand why anyone who ever visits the woods or briar patch or simply spends a fair amount of time hemmed in by "civilization" would not just love these things.

I have a heavy brow, deep set eyes, and am slightly myopic so the eye relief does not bother me. They work better with my glasses than anything else I have (but I usually view without them since I have no astigmatism).

I may spend more time worrying about the actual % of the sweet spot but it is clearly not annoyingly small to me. There is indeed field curvature but I am not sure that bothers me all that much.

At my lunch break I was comparing them in some harsh light with my 8x32 Euros. They are bright enough that when I first put them up right after the Euros that I could feel my eyes protest at the extra brightness. They have a larger exit pupil and "brighter" coatings while the Euro leans on the contrasty tone of things.

The Depth of Field is a treat and they seem to come up really sharp on targets that are within a 6x range. I was very happy with looking at deer in the park at dark last night. The image stayed useful for a really long time. They were a bit worse on glare when the light was coming in low and from the side than the Euros. Not so much worse as to annoy me, but it was clear that they were not quite as good in that area.

Focusing on flying birds has never been easier.

The eye cups and focuser are sweet on this copy.

If I should decide to not keep them or later sell them it will not be because I couldn't find a use for them next to my 8x32 but because I have somehow slipped into spotter lust-- 6x is a bit light when a guy is dreaming of a useful 60x image. Yet I know in my heart that these will be used almost daily while a spotter is more of a big weekend kind of thing for me right now.

I may uncover some flaws with more time but in a first impression, pick me up and take me home kind of sense, I really like them!

I'm no optics guru, but I do have both the Vortex 6.5 Furys and 6x32HD's. Both are excellent with the HD's having the edge. I also have a new pair of the Swaro 8x32 EL's. All three have a field of view that is within a few feet of each other and eye relief that is also long. I'm perfectly happy using any of the three despite the wide difference in cost. As an eyeglass wearer the eye relief is really important to me. I also favor the lower powers. I rarely bring out the 10x ones. I bought the Swaro's because the eye relied and FOV were pretty much the same as the lower powers, but with more power. Can't say the slightly higher power was really worth the extra money. That said, the Swaros are great and I bought them just because, but don't feel shorted with any of the others.

Hi Oldfortyfive,

Thanks for using what seems to be your first post in this thread. I am very new here myself.

I am glad to hear that you also enjoy the Vipers. Indicating that you still enjoy the Vortex 6x class stuff while owning a Swaro 8x32 is really saying something. I would have expected you to say that since you got the Swaro that the Vortex models were paperweights.

Seems the low power stuff is simply fun and easy to use.

BTW-All, I took the 6x Vipers and my new (three week old) Conquest 8x42 back to the park to watch deer at dark. Granted I wasn't looking much past 200 yards but I think I liked the Vipers better! The extra depth of field gave the image more "texture" in the dark and it seems my eyes actually prefer the color tone of the Viper coatings over the Conquest. I don't mind the extra life the Vipers have against the more neutral flavor of the Zeiss.

I may be turning the Conquest over for a decent 10x42 or a spotter. My 8x32 Euros are plenty good and I am beginning to think I don't really need a 8x32 and a 8x42. If it is getting dark in the woods, I will have the 6x32. If I am in a place so wide open that I feel the 6x is worthless I will be better off with a 10x42 and/or small spotter anyway and I still have a quite nice 8x32 for all the places in-between.


I will keep looking and comparing. I do this crap every time I buy something....get it in hand and frantically compare it to everything I own to make sure it is good enough to keep and then try to make adjustments to the stable.