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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

New 30-60x WA and 20-70x Zooms for Meopta 82 mm Apo Scope (1 Viewer)

John,

That does look intriguing. I much prefer 30-60x compared to the Swaro/Leica 25-50x. If we assume the FOV spec is correct, the "true" AFOV could still remain constant or even increase at higher magnification if pincushion distortion increases at higher magnification. The simple math suggests AFOV closer to 72-75 degrees. Presumably their spec is base on the ISO standard.

Henry
 
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That scope is a new Meopta? the S2 version....It looks interesting..it seems to have a rotatory collar ,that was absent in the previous model,(and started to look a bit dated lacking that feature)..What is with the " Soft Shell " finish?..
 
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henry link said:
That does look intriguing. I much prefer 30-60x compared to the Swaro/Leica 25-50x.
Click to expand...

25-50x is not ideal by any means. I'm not sure I'd like 30-60x though, I'd prefer something like 25-60x myself. I really like magnifications around 25x for general viewing, 30x is too much for my taste.

Hermann
 
Hermann said:
25-50x is not ideal by any means. I'm not sure I'd like 30-60x though, I'd prefer something like 25-60x myself. I really like magnifications around 25x for general viewing, 30x is too much for my taste.
Click to expand...

The problem is magnification ratio and AFOV/ER are all coupled together so it's one (smaller magnification range) or the other. That said the difference between 50x and 60x is small (20% more ... would that really make a difference to an ID?).

Both 25-50x and 30-60x are 2x magnification range with the promised 20-70x being 3.5x (a bit like the new Zeiss EP).

Perhaps it's better thinking of the 2x zoom as a "variable fixed EP" with wide FOV, big ER, (like a fixed EP) but with a 2x mag range starting where you usually use a fixed EP and a "zoom lens that you can use a finder" with narrower FOV, shorter ER but it is a zoom with an > 3x range.

So on an 82mm scope so 30x seems "normal" for a fixed EP but I could see some people preferring 25x. But each to his own of course. I change on different days ;)

Meopta said:
Our new 30-60x variable eyepiece provides a consistently wide 66 degree field of view through ought all magnification ranges.
Click to expand...

That does seem to imply a constant AFOV ... are they moving or changing a barlow "in front" of the EP? I recall there is one low range zoom design that does give a constant AFOV/ER over the whole range but I forget what it is.
 
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Well, constant 66 deg. FOV is impressive, but on the other hand the linear FOV given in the specification has nothing in common with the angular FOV value. At x30 66 deg makes 38.5m/1km (not the given 44m/1km) and at x60 it is 19.9m/1000m (not 21m/1km). Thus the problem is whether any of these parameters (angular or linear FOV) have anything in common with reality... sorry, but if somebody provides just 'some values' ignoring simple geometry I tend not to believe in everything being presented.
Even if the 66 deg. FOV is true the question arises about the quality of the image out of the center... 66 deg with good quality image is quite good value even for fixed focal eyepieces. However, if thet 66 deg is true and if the sweet spot is quite generous the Meopta's offer seems to be very interesting.

But...
Look at the day the mentioned info appeared on...
http://www.meopta.com/news/?q=new-products
01.04.2011.
Well... taking into account 'a 66 deg. brilliant zoom eyepiece' it might be just ...
 
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R.B. said:
Well, constant 66 deg. FOV is impressive, but on the other hand the linear FOV given in the specification has nothing in common with the angular FOV value. At x30 66 deg makes 38.5m/1km (not the given 44m/1km) and at x60 it is 19.9m/1000m (not 21m/1km). Thus the problem is whether any of these parameters (angular or linear FOV) have anything in common with reality... sorry, but if somebody provides just 'some values' ignoring simple geometry I tend not to believe in everything being presented.
Click to expand...

Robert,

The figures given by Meopta are in compliance with one another.

According to ISO, the AFOV for 44 m @ 1000 m and 30x magnification is 2.arctan (22x30/1000), which is 66,8°.
For 60x and 21 m FOV it is 2.arctan (10,5x60/1000), which is 64,4°.

The approximation of real FOV times magnification gives even higher values.

Nevertheless, I find it very surprising that the FOV of a zoom eyepiece at 30x can exceed that of the Swarovski and Zeiss fixed focal length 30x WA eyepieces, which have 42 m and 40 m respectively.

John
 
John Russell said:
According to ISO, the AFOV for 44 m @ 1000 m and 30x magnification is 2.arctan (22x30/1000), which is 66,8°.
For 60x and 21 m FOV it is 2.arctan (10,5x60/1000), which is 64,4°.
Click to expand...

Maybe.
However I remember that for example Kowa's TE-14WD with 42m/1000m were claimed to have some 72 deg AFOV that agrees with the formula:

30x2arctan(21/1000)

which is a reflection of: AFOV=RFOV*magnification
And if we will count our linear FOV this way on the basis of 66deg AFOV we will get just 38.5m/1km

OK, that is why is much more convenient to present just RFOV ;-)

John Russell said:
The approximation of real FOV times magnification gives even higher values.
Click to expand...

Well, if we count the 30xRFOV calculated using these 44m per 1km we will get some 75 deg. What is simply... stunning.
reversibly - counting the linear FOV on the basis of 2*tg(0.5*66deg/30) formula yields some 38.5m/1000m

John Russell said:
Nevertheless, I find it very surprising that the FOV of a zoom eyepiece at 30x can exceed that of the Swarovski and Zeiss fixed focal length 30x WA eyepieces, which have 42 m and 40 m respectively.
Click to expand...

These 44m/1km exceeds FOV of almost every wide angle fixed focal EP I have seen. Including Kowa's TE-17W, TE-14WD, Pentax XW and so on... Not to mention zooms.

Well, it is possible - the weight of the Meopta's EP is likely substantial (20g more than SMC XW 14), it seems to be a piece of jar... but I cannot believe in sharpness over all such high FOV in zoom.

Anyway,... pazywiom, uwidim... (we'll see...)
 
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There's no maybe about it John Russell gives the correct calculation (sketch out the geometry) and shows the AFOVs are almost the same in both cases.

As he points out the simple "multiply it" approach isn't accurate at large AFOVs.

It's perhaps best to consider these 2x "wide and long ER zooms" as "variable fixed" EPs: most used, like a fixed EP, at their lowest magnification but with 2x upwards range for when you need to see details.

Now when will Zeiss make a 25-50x/30-60x Vario ;)
 
I made an enquiry to Meopta (Europe), and got a reply telling me that these would start shipping in November 2011.
 
For what it's worth to those who are intrigued by this scope and its eyepieces, an inquiry to Meopta revealed that the 20-70x eyepiece's apparent field ranges from 48 degrees (20x) to 66 deg. (70x), and that the scope's focal length is 438mm.
 
Hmmm... but I guess those apparent field specs above are by the ISO standard (?), and I don't know how to derive true FOV from that. Anyone?
 
Hi all,

We hope to begin delivering the MeoStar S2 82 APO with 30-60x WA eyepiece at the end of November. The standard FOV 20-70x will be towards Q3 or Q4 of 2012.
We are still working on the stay-on case and a few packaging details, so once they are finalized, then a concrete date will be ready.

Thanks!
 
Have these arrived in any shops yet?

Can Meoptaman confirm the use of fluorite and what type if there are different types used in the lens. Some posters are dubious that it will be "real" fluorite, only Kowa does fluorite etc.
 
dipped said:
Have these arrived in any shops yet?

Can Meoptaman confirm the use of fluorite and what type if there are different types used in the lens. Some posters are dubious that it will be "real" fluorite, only Kowa does fluorite etc.
Click to expand...

Hi,

Still haven't gotten the scopes on store shelves yet. We are technical supporters of the Czech and Norwegioan Biathlon teams, so we sent the first batches of S2 82 APO Straight scopes to them for the upcoming season.
The objective lenses are fluorite, but I will have to do some research and find out the details.

Regards
 
The description of the objective in Meopta´s web site mentions "fluorite glass"..Sure enough is the same glass compound using fluoride particles in its composition,versus pure fluorite crystal,that all the other "APO" ,HD ,etc use..ED GLASS......1001 times repetition..(picture me yawning)
 
First contact and EU prices

Last Thursday had a chance to look through the new telescope with the 30-60x zoom. Didn't had any of my references to compare but did compared it to a S1 Apo with the old 20-60x zoom, in a short street of a Czech city...
I concentrated in the image quality and comparing TFOV of both models.
The 30-60x zoom has wider TFOV at 30x than the old zoom at 20x. For me this zoom makes more sense than the 25-50x of other brands - have wide AFOVs and don't loose resolution... Image quality was very good in the new model, no visible CA neither pincushion at all field. Eye-releif was ok for me with glasses.
I became very interested of comparing this model to the other top 80is models, on real field conditions. If the 20-70x zoom has the same image quality, although different AFOVs, will became my reference to use in my Optolyth 100 since will allow higher magnifications than the 3.75x Zeiss zoom - the Meopta is a 21.8-6.3mm zoom - would result in 29-100x... Unfortunately this zoom model wasn't available to test. I was told that production only will start next month. Will have to test it and see if will manage a way of adapting it to a 1.25" size and reach focus on the Optolyth.
Regarding the recommended prices these are 1565€ for the body and 425€ for both zooms.
 
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