FredrikJerner
Member
Being birdwatcher, fisher and hunter, a good binocular is always around my neck. Among birdwatchers Meopta is quite unknown at least in Scandinavia but when it comes to hunting-optics it is different, their riflescopes are highly appreciated.
Anyway, for me it is important with good optics and I first tried the Meostar B1 10x42 hd when a friend handed his over to me and I let him try my Swarovski EL 10x 42.
Impressing optics, I thougt and jokingly suggested that we should swap binos right there. Well ,we didn't, but since then I've been interested in the Meostar B1.
As I use the Meostar S2 spotter and a Meostar riflescope, the optical quality was not an issue. The S2 is really superb.
A week ago I bought a Meostar B1.1 10x42 hd from a nice dealer in the Netherlands. So the last days it has been thoroughly tested in various light -conditions and weather.
Compared with my Swarovski EL I notice both cons and pros.
The B1 has a bit shorter eye-relief. Wearing glasses when viewing is easier with the EL.
Edge sharpness is better in the EL which with their flattened lenses keep sharpness out to the edge. (The B1 doesn't show edge sharpness and center sharpness in the same focus.)
Hard to tell but the EL might have a slight advance in brightness at dawn.
The EL reflect blue/blue-green tones in an apparent way. When looking at the sea in cloudy weather the EL turnes the grey waves definitely bluer. Also blue-grey shadows among leaves turns more blue in the EL than what my eye experience. It is somewhat false colours. As we get closer to the trees, rocks or bushes or whatever we look at, the more contrast and warmer tones of color occur. Quite obvious. That's why a spotter or a binocular also must transport both contrast and color fidelity to our eye. The nature gets closer and the warmer colors have to be more visible in the optics than seen at distance without binos. Not getting more blue.
The Meostar B1 has an awesome sharpness and more contrast than the EL in the center (75 % )of the field. Not a big difference but it is visible when comparing. B1 is very much like Leica , my experience.
In low light, at dawn, the B1 has slightly better contrast.
Colors are more natural in the Meostar. Color fidelity and rendition is excellent and is in this matter exactly like the S2.
When looking against sun-reflections at a lake in sunset the Meostar B1 controls stray light apparently better than the Swarovski EL. That the EL has problems handling reflections have been discussed by many users before me. As I spend a lot of time in the swedish archipelago this is important for me.
The build quality of the Meostar B1 and S2 is absolutely very high.
I never use the word alpha for optics. There are of course differences in quality but we can't get it all in one binocular. It is a pity that Meopta as an old and big producer of high quality optics for industry, military and sports is not better known among birdwatchers. The swedish defence industry knows the brand better as the company provides airforce, navy, battlewagons and handheld antitank-weapons with advanced optical systems. Guess Meopta has a lot of orders of that kind these days....
Anyway, this is my personal opinion based on my experiences and testing. For me, the Meostar B1 is a winner and a keeper. It shows very high quality in optics and construction so my Swarovski EL now gives another birdwatcher a sharp and flat view.
Bino-greetings to you all!
Anyway, for me it is important with good optics and I first tried the Meostar B1 10x42 hd when a friend handed his over to me and I let him try my Swarovski EL 10x 42.
Impressing optics, I thougt and jokingly suggested that we should swap binos right there. Well ,we didn't, but since then I've been interested in the Meostar B1.
As I use the Meostar S2 spotter and a Meostar riflescope, the optical quality was not an issue. The S2 is really superb.
A week ago I bought a Meostar B1.1 10x42 hd from a nice dealer in the Netherlands. So the last days it has been thoroughly tested in various light -conditions and weather.
Compared with my Swarovski EL I notice both cons and pros.
The B1 has a bit shorter eye-relief. Wearing glasses when viewing is easier with the EL.
Edge sharpness is better in the EL which with their flattened lenses keep sharpness out to the edge. (The B1 doesn't show edge sharpness and center sharpness in the same focus.)
Hard to tell but the EL might have a slight advance in brightness at dawn.
The EL reflect blue/blue-green tones in an apparent way. When looking at the sea in cloudy weather the EL turnes the grey waves definitely bluer. Also blue-grey shadows among leaves turns more blue in the EL than what my eye experience. It is somewhat false colours. As we get closer to the trees, rocks or bushes or whatever we look at, the more contrast and warmer tones of color occur. Quite obvious. That's why a spotter or a binocular also must transport both contrast and color fidelity to our eye. The nature gets closer and the warmer colors have to be more visible in the optics than seen at distance without binos. Not getting more blue.
The Meostar B1 has an awesome sharpness and more contrast than the EL in the center (75 % )of the field. Not a big difference but it is visible when comparing. B1 is very much like Leica , my experience.
In low light, at dawn, the B1 has slightly better contrast.
Colors are more natural in the Meostar. Color fidelity and rendition is excellent and is in this matter exactly like the S2.
When looking against sun-reflections at a lake in sunset the Meostar B1 controls stray light apparently better than the Swarovski EL. That the EL has problems handling reflections have been discussed by many users before me. As I spend a lot of time in the swedish archipelago this is important for me.
The build quality of the Meostar B1 and S2 is absolutely very high.
I never use the word alpha for optics. There are of course differences in quality but we can't get it all in one binocular. It is a pity that Meopta as an old and big producer of high quality optics for industry, military and sports is not better known among birdwatchers. The swedish defence industry knows the brand better as the company provides airforce, navy, battlewagons and handheld antitank-weapons with advanced optical systems. Guess Meopta has a lot of orders of that kind these days....
Anyway, this is my personal opinion based on my experiences and testing. For me, the Meostar B1 is a winner and a keeper. It shows very high quality in optics and construction so my Swarovski EL now gives another birdwatcher a sharp and flat view.
Bino-greetings to you all!
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