Meopta Meostar B1 Plus 8x32 mishaps (2 Viewers)

[lmans66]

I found this comment while browsing the threads for Meopta info prior to my first purchase:

This comment is from fellow member lmans66 in another Meopta thread and it concerns the 8x32:

(I was going to link to it, but I can't find it just now and my missus is ringing the proverbial dinner bell...)

"One thing to take note....you have to watch the copy you purchase and don't be afraid to send it back. The first one I bought had a focus wheel clunky issue that didn't go away, while the second one is more in line with how it should be. A great bin for the money though."

I vaguely remembered this comment and I had it in the back of my mind before comitting to order number three. At least it makes me feel like I am not the only one having problems with the 8x32. I know how it may look with my four-in-a-row debacle but I have no Meopta-smearing agenda, quite the contrary, but I have to tell it like I experience it.

Regarding my last attempt it may very well be so that the B1.1 has been sitting in store for a year and a half (going by manufacture date) and have had potential walk in customers disregard it due to the coarse focusing wheel even though it hadn't seized up yet.

This comment by GCole tipped the scales in favor of ordering the B1 Plus unseen:

Post #20 From thread:

Meopta compared to Alpha glass?

I'm on the serious hunt for some Zeiss bins right now but, in that search, I have had several recommendations for Meostar options. I see the MeoStar B1 Plus and MeoStar B1.1 being referenced as 'near peers' to things like Swarovski SLC's. I'm have also been cautioned that their resale value is...

www.birdforum.net

"I keep reading comments about those awful small eyecups of the little Meopta Meostar 8x32. They work for some and not for others ? I am glad they work with my eye/facial characteristics with or without my glasses. If they did not, to equal or better the Meopta I would have had to go to the Zeiss 8x32 FL’s. The cost to me would more than have doubled for what I paid for the little Meostar at the current lowest Zeiss discounted prices now being offered. So I give my condolences to all those who can not live with those awful small dreaded eye cups of the Meopta Meostar 8x32 but I am glad I got to keep more money in my pocket with my purchase."

This I agree with. Together with Lee/Troubadour who made a similar comment on the Meopta vs Zeiss price/performance is what got me into ordering my first pair of Meopta, although I started at the long end of the magnification range.

The 8x32 b1.1 I have for my wife is excellent… As I mentioned, I did return the first copy due to sluggish focus wheel. The second copy is great, albeit a bit slow in focus, simular to the Swaro Cl or in my thinking the MHG. But a nice bin , but the small eye cups annoy me a bit. My wife wears glasses so she has no problem with. The B1 Plus seems heavier n bigger. I hvnt seen one in person. I am going to try the new Opticron Verano 8x32 and compare optically against the B1.1….. might be an option.

 

[HenRun]

Thank you for chiming in.

I really like the B1.1 and compared with the B1 Plus the difference is minimal in the 8x32, the rubber does feel thicker. At close range I did think the B1 Plus felt like the optics indeed were improved. Overall I prefer the older B1.1, based on looks and feel.

 

[HenRun]

For those of you who have followed my mishaps and gripes with the Meopta Meostar 8x32 binoculars I have now gotten my old Meopta B1.1 8x32 back as a loaner.

The focuser works better with only some occasional tendencies of slight binding. Readjusting the bino hinge usually loosens it up again. I would prefer this was not necessary but in reality it is quickly remedied and the focuser has freed up over time. On warm days it works great. Some days it seems a bit stiff in the morning, much like me.

The focuser has a very slight play changing direction but other than that it seems the focuser does need some time to free up.
Anyone looking for a great pocket rocket just under the top tier in performance should still consider this bino. Highly recommended!

 

[Pacci]

Thank you very much my friend for your latest update.

I was very attentive to the evolution of your problem.

I really like the 32 lenses, I prefer them over the 42 lenses, especially because of their low weight, ideal for long walks.
I always really liked the look of the B1, then when the new update to the B1.1 came out, much better.
When I was deciding to buy the B1.1, I heard rumors of the B1 Plus being released....so I decided to wait again... After all this, I found your post, so I stopped purchasing again. I live on another continent, so a return for me would be almost impossible... I must always be very sure of what I am buying.

I still want to buy the B1 Plus 8x32, but I would like to be sure that this problem has been definitively corrected by Meopta... but how can I be sure of this?

You raised the problem in april 2021... almost 2 and a half years have passed... it would be reasonable to assume that from then until now, Meopta must have sold more units of that model (8x32)... will the problems continue? Are there other members of this forum who have recently purchased the same model? It would be very interesting to know their impressions about this...

HenRun, I understand that you have contacted Meopta, but then, when you have fully understood the origin of the problem, have you been able to fully explain this problem directly to Meopta? Finally, did you manage to get an official response from them?

Regards,
Pacci

 

[gcole]

Thank you very much my friend for your latest update.

I was very attentive to the evolution of your problem.

I really like the 32 lenses, I prefer them over the 42 lenses, especially because of their low weight, ideal for long walks.
I always really liked the look of the B1, then when the new update to the B1.1 came out, much better.
When I was deciding to buy the B1.1, I heard rumors of the B1 Plus being released....so I decided to wait again... After all this, I found your post, so I stopped purchasing again. I live on another continent, so a return for me would be almost impossible... I must always be very sure of what I am buying.

I still want to buy the B1 Plus 8x32, but I would like to be sure that this problem has been definitively corrected by Meopta... but how can I be sure of this?

You raised the problem in april 2021... almost 2 and a half years have passed... it would be reasonable to assume that from then until now, Meopta must have sold more units of that model (8x32)... will the problems continue? Are there other members of this forum who have recently purchased the same model? It would be very interesting to know their impressions about this...

HenRun, I understand that you have contacted Meopta, but then, when you have fully understood the origin of the problem, have you been able to fully explain this problem directly to Meopta? Finally, did you manage to get an official response from them?

Regards,
Pacci

Hi Pacci , I think if you read all the comments from all the members here who have purchased and owned a pair of the B1 or B1.1 or the Meopta Meostar Latest Plus version you will come to the conclusion that the majority of members here have not had the problems with their 8x32 Meostars as HenRun has. In fact, you will find the main complaint was with their eye cups, they thought they were too small. We have owned three pairs of Meostars, a 2016 B1.1 8x32, a 2017 B1.1 10x32 which we still have and briefly owned for a day a Meostar 8x32 Plus version which we sent back because to our eyes we saw no Optical improvement over the B1.1 that we compared it to. I still think the Plus version is a hype to sell more Meostars, granted we liked the Plus version armor more but Optically the Plus is just a B1.1 with a better suit in my opinion. In the end all the Meostars we owned/handled arrived with no issues. As far as the eye cup complaint, we found them to fit us perfectly. I can not explain all the issues HenRun has had with his pair but go and read all the issues the top three Alpha owners have had with their high end purchases here these past few years and be glad you are not one of them, having spent 2 to three times the cost of a Meostar. My advice … find the pair you want at the cost you want to pay and just buy it.

 

[HenRun]

Hello Pacci (and GCole).

I can highly recommend either the B1.1 or the B1 Plus 8x32 models.

You can think of my experiences with ”faulty” focusers to have one of three possible explanations:

1: BAD LUCK? Maybe I was really unlucky with my 8x32 purchases to get same problem on several units, both B1.1 and B1 Plus? Well, if that is the case then Meopta has very poor quality control. And I don’t think they have that problem.

2: BAD HANDLING? Maybe I can’t operate a binocular. Hmm, strange then that I have owned and still own several other Meopta Meostar binoculars over the years: 10x42HD, had the odd 8x42 for a few days, 7x42, 12x50HD (several copies, still own) 15x56HD. NONE of the other Meopta binoculars had the same binding problem with the focuser. This makes me doubt that only I can be blamed for my 8x32 binocular experience.
Which leads me to my assessment of the 8x32 model in particular:

3: NOT OPTIMAL CONSTRUCTION.
Maybe the dioptre lock is not perfectly designed - for the 8x32 model in particular. The pull-push design of the Meopta diopter lock has an O-ring that seals the gap between the body/armor and the dioptre knob. In the case of the 8x32 it seems that the play / sloppiness of the knob together with the seating of the O-ring can - and in my case certainly DID - cause binding.

When pressed into place the diopter knob would bind ever so slightly against the O-ring and when you focus, the focus wheel will drag the O-ring against the diopter knob and depending on pressure and speed it will then (sometimes, but not always) bind when the O-ring friction causes it to drag out of shape and bind up the focuser against the knob and focuser. The O-ring on the 8x32 is too thin and sloppy to retain its shape and easily becomes distorted and displaced.

How did I come to this conclusion and how did I fix this?

When I noticed that the focuser did bind up directly after I set the Diopter and I rechecked the Diopter I noticed that the focus wheel was now perfectly free. Huh? But it did make sense.

When I pushed down the Diopter wheel the focuser was now giving more friction and going back and forth two/three turns would cause binding. Now I started thinking I am on to something.

Pulling the Dioptre knob back up from the seated position a fraction of a millimetre released the binding. Fixed?
Hmm, in everyday use the knob would reseat and cause spontaneous binding in use and the solution was to gently lift it up to ”free up” the point of potential binding.

So, my conclusion is that there is a fault in that particular model: 8x32 B1.1 and B1 Plus. Perhaps even more on the B1 Plus with thicker armor but the main issue is that the O-ring seating between the focuser and the diopter know is more sensitive than on any other than the Meopta Meostar series.

Meopta has no fix for this as far as I know. It does not happen on all 8x32’s, it might go away over time - or get worse? No other Meoptas I have/had has this ”binding”. Meopta did replace one under warranty and the vendors that I have sent back the 8x32 to (a total of three) have all confirmed it is binding and accepted the return. So, it is not just me.

Why do I still recommend it? Because it is a great little binocular and if you happen to have the problem with the focuser binding it is easy fix to lift up the diopter knob just a hair when it does. And not push it all the way down.

I had too many binoculars so I sold off my little (essentially trouble free) B1.1 8x32 to a forum member - and he is very happy with it. And I do miss it.

I do miss the Meopta B1.1 8x32 and would be happy to buy it back. The only good reason for selling it is that I use my larger binos more. Or rather, my larger 8x40 bino.

CONCLUSION:
Don’t let my troubles put you off buying a Meopta 8x32.
Be aware that IF you have focus wheel binding issues it is most likely a habit of freeing up the o-ring/diopter seating from time to time. Don’t send it back and expect it to get fixed. I still think it is a design flaw, but, if the 8x32 had been on the same level as the HD glass (10x42 and 12x50) I would happily accept that little design flaw.

Well, I now accept it as it is but I simply had too many similar power binoculars and that little design flaw was one of the reasons I did not keep it as my go-to small size binocular.

Instead I went back to the Zeiss VP8x25 which is a little better - optically - but not nearly as nice to use in terms of viewing comfort and handling as the Meopta. I think the Meopta 8x32 is - overall - a much nicer binocular in use.

 

[HenRun]

I do agree 100% with GColes post.

For me the eye cups are great. With and without glasses.

The B1 Plus has a new armor. I prefer the previous B1.1 armor.

On my 12x50HD I have the new armor and a perfect focuser. There can be a little slight slop in the Meostar focusers changing direction but I have had two perfect samples. I would not hesitate to switch my new B1 Plus 12x50 for a B1.1 if I could find one, simply because I think the B1.1 looks very cool!

Meopta themselves regard the B1 Plus 12x50HD as their ”finest binocular” in the German Brochure that came with it.

Manufacturing tolerances has improved at Meopta (polishing and grinding tolerances - according to Meopta) so the B1 Plus is built to better tolerances than the B1.1.

Is it visible? I can’t see any difference.

If I took ten pairs of the 8x32 B1.1 and B1 Plus and put on a tripod I probably would not see any difference.
Perhaps I could find one that was ”off” in some way but I think that in this class binocular you either have something obviusly wrong with it or that the difference is not discernible or on a level far less than my eye sight variation during the day and light conditions. Oh, and I probably would send back four of them for ”faulty focusers”

 

[HenRun]

This is my beloved Meopta 12x50HD. Optically it is my best binocular.
It has been modified by removing the original eye cups and replacing them with rubber hose connectors.
This gives me that extra mm or so for even better eye comfort with glasses.

My 12x50HD has sufficient, but not great, eye relief. With this modification the binocular works perfect for me. Full field of view and a ”direct” eye placement with some slight wiggle room.

No adjustments can be done however, so anyone who would borrow it from me would probably not benefit from my modification. For me, it solves the slight issue of eye placement.

I actually traded my former 12x50HD and went for the Swarovski 12x42 Pure NL which also is a fantastic binocular which for most people would be a ”better” binocular than the Meopta: lighter, easier to handhold, much larger eye relief and a very compelling view. But, for me the Meopta 12x50HD works better, handles adverse light better, MUCH less susceptible to glare and better contrast in back lit conditions. So, I traded back. Now, the Meopta is staying for good!

I split the use between the Zeiss SFL 8x40 and the 12x50HD (on monopod) and for the most part I take the Meopta whenever I can as I find the 12x very useful out where I live and I use the 8x40 more when I am in the woods and for casual every day use.

Second image is the O-ring / gasket that caused me issues on several samples of the 8x32 version.
I think the reason is that the focuser itself is smaller and that the inner diameter of the diopter knob was too tight and needed a chamfer towards the O-ring. On the larger Meoptas (8x42 and up are the same size) I have not come across any issues, only on the 8x32.

Second image is showing the diopter knob in open position, in this case on the 12x50HD.

 

[tenex]

It has been modified by removing the original eye cups and replacing them with rubber hose connectors.
This gives me that extra mm or so for even better eye comfort with glasses.

Perhaps this could be (better?) solved by asking Meopta for a set of eyecups from the 10x50. This trick has worked well for me on my SLCs (8x cups on 10s) and Meopta specs suggest a similar 2.4mm ER difference there. (It was John/Tringa45 who suggested this to me.)

 

[HenRun]

Thank you for that, will look into it!

 

[hopster]

Thank you for that, will look into it!

Did they say this would work?

I am also a spectacle wearer and have a Meostar 12x50 HD B1+ arriving tomorrow - partly due to a lot of recommendations here from PMs and in the forums - and also some rubber hose gaskets (Geka) which I believe are the same as the ones that HenRun discovered for his excellent ER hack. Of course it would be even nicer to have movable eye cups with better ER.

 

[hopster]

Just to add to my above post, the Geka-style gaskets that I bought online were too small so be careful with sizing or else compare physically. I am trying to find out more information but it seems that they come in a number of sizes which I didn't know before. After measuring the eyecups I think I am looking for the 1.5" or 38mm size.

 

[hopster]

Just to add to my above post, the Geka-style gaskets that I bought online were too small so be careful with sizing or else compare physically. I am trying to find out more information but it seems that they come in a number of sizes which I didn't know before. After measuring the eyecups I think I am looking for the 1.5" or 38mm size.

Now I am told that Geka only do one size of connector/seal so I am forced to conclude that the one HenRun has found is not Geka after all even though it looks exactly like it. It's not proving easy to find the right size but I'll keep looking. It may be that the UK doesn't have the choice that there is in the EU. If anyone has any ideas then please let me know.