Marc
This gets more curious as the latest catalogue https://www.meoptasportsoptics.cz/cz/ke-stazeni-5553/
definitely lists a 7x42.
Lee
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What is B1.1? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter tenex
- Start date
Marc
This gets more curious as the latest catalogue https://www.meoptasportsoptics.cz/cz/ke-stazeni-5553/
definitely lists a 7x42.
Lee
mooreorless
Well-known member
Lee I did not find a 7x42 binocular on the link you have. I have an old Meade 7x42 of which I like. I have lots of other binoculars of course.
marcsantacurz
Well-known member
Yes, I see what you mean. I found the 2018 catalogue and it was absent, so they intentionally added it back in to the 2019 catalog. 937g (with covers)! Well, it would be nice to see another high-end 7x42 back on the market. The Maven B2 7x45 is only 942g, and that has a 1m close focus compared to 3m on the Meopta. The FoV is 7.4* Maven vs 7.8* Meopta. Somewhat a mixed bag in its weight class. Nikon EDG/Leica UVHD/Zelss FL are all in the mid-700g. That's a big difference.
OK folks here is the explanation directly from Meopta, Czech Republic.
B1.1 7x42 will not be a regularly manufactured model and will be available for dealers to buy only on a special order that will be subject to a substantial minimum order quantity.
Lee
B1.1 7x42 will not be a regularly manufactured model and will be available for dealers to buy only on a special order that will be subject to a substantial minimum order quantity.
Lee
RobMorane
Well-known member
Thank you Lee, I was about to contact them to ask about it.
On special order with a substantial minimum quantity, I don't think they will get any order.
They should produce a batch (let's say 20-30) and sell them from stock and mention "limited availability" on their catalog.
To be honest, I can't understand why they made some changes on the B1, and have not mention anything on their catalog or anywhere else either.
Lee I did not find a 7x42 binocular on the link you have. I have an old Meade 7x42 of which I like. I have lots of other binoculars of course.
Sorry for not spotting your post earlier Steve. Go right to the back of the catalogue where the specifications are listed for all products, wade past all the rifle scopes and eventually you find the bino specs where the 7x42 is listed.
Lee
Rob, sorry but I am not clear whether you ask why Meopta made changes to B1 or why they haven't made more clear in their marketing what those changes are.
As it happens I am on holiday and have been using B1s extensively and I welcome the news that B1.1 has a locking dioptre arrangement as the setting on mine has moved accidentally several times during the last couple of weeks. In addition, I had to use o-rings to adjust the position of the eyecups on the 7x42 due to there being only totally up or totally down positions available. To hear that there are more adjustments on B1.1 eyecups is good news.
All the brands that I have asked about the viability of 7x42 have said it is a money-losing model so I can't find it in me to criticise Meopta for deleting it from their regular line-up although I must say it is confusing to have it listed at all.
Lee
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tenex
reality-based
Well, they are rather minor mechanical improvements. (There may also be a new hue for the green armor.) Not exactly advertising blitz material; 1.1 indeed, not 2.0. (I'm very curious how much more expensive it could be to have a magnesium body, and wider FOVs for the higher power models. I've long wanted to like the Meostars, and to see them give the alphas a run for their money, as that integrated focus/diopter knob suggests, but weight and FOV strike me as real shortcomings in the larger models.)
Beyond that, I've wondered for some time whether a company like Meopta even wants to get seriously into the marketing end of things on a global scale. I just read some of their model/feature descriptions on the B&H website, and they're pretty clunky. (Perhaps this is also why Kamakura likes to remain in the shadow of various rebadged "brands"?)
I have no inside information on this but it seems to me that these modest improvements to B1 leave room for a B2 range that will be more competitive and would put Meopta in a similar situation as Swarovski with B1.1 playing the SLC role and B2 acting as EL.
Lee
tenex
reality-based
Sounds good to me! Then again, everyone points out that the high end of the bino market is much smaller volume, so maybe Meopta is right to have just introduced a third range that's even cheaper than Meopro, instead of a B2. What I really want to see is how close one can come to the alphas without the alpha price, and if anyone could do that it would be Meopta. Whether it would actually work in the marketplace, I don't know.
NDhunter
Experienced observer
This Meopta discussion leaves me confused. I do know the Meostar models are good, but not
great. The 10x50 model I had left much to be desired.
I do now have a Meostar 12x50 HD, and this binocular is very good. I have posted on the site before
on how I like this binocular.
The B.1 or whatever is confusing, it seems both Meopta and most discussing don't really don't know
what they are talking about.
Jerry
great. The 10x50 model I had left much to be desired.
I do now have a Meostar 12x50 HD, and this binocular is very good. I have posted on the site before
on how I like this binocular.
The B.1 or whatever is confusing, it seems both Meopta and most discussing don't really don't know
what they are talking about.
Jerry
Jerry
The full name of the MeoStar binos that have been on the market for something like 15 years was MeoStar B1. Most folks ignored the B1 and simply referred to them as MeoStar.
This range of binos has been updated with a lockable diopter adjuster and some other changes and while it is still called MeoStar, they are called MeoStar B1.1 to indicate they are a step forward from B1.
For some years there has been rumours of a replacement for B1 binos called, unsurprisingly, B2, but these have not been officially confirmed by Meopta. So many folks were expecting MeoStar B2s as the next step from Meopta and were surprised by B1.1.
Lee
The full name of the MeoStar binos that have been on the market for something like 15 years was MeoStar B1. Most folks ignored the B1 and simply referred to them as MeoStar.
This range of binos has been updated with a lockable diopter adjuster and some other changes and while it is still called MeoStar, they are called MeoStar B1.1 to indicate they are a step forward from B1.
For some years there has been rumours of a replacement for B1 binos called, unsurprisingly, B2, but these have not been officially confirmed by Meopta. So many folks were expecting MeoStar B2s as the next step from Meopta and were surprised by B1.1.
Lee
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NDhunter
Experienced observer
Lee:
I am only familiar with the original Meostar models, and the Meostar HD model.
So tell us how these numbers correspond.
Jerry
stereotruckdriver
Well-known member
Jerry pretty much a,b,c if you read Lee's posts. Bryce.
Hi Jerry
With respect, my earlier post, quoted by you and also by me here, did just that, although I left out the HD models as an unnecessary complication.
Some HD models were marketed by Meopta and some by Cabelas but these were all B1 models albeit with some HD glass.
So, to repeat myself, the binos that everyone has just called MeoStars for years were always really called MeoStar B1.
The new B1.1s have upgrades such as a locking dioptre and multi-position eyecups instead of just fully-up or fully-down. I guess they are called B1.1 because they are a simple step forward from B1.
Unfortunately Meopta are on their summer shut-down right now so are not available for further comment, but Bird Fair is approaching fast now and we should learn more then.
Lee
LandNavigator2
New member
Twist out eyecups?
Hello,
Does anyone know if the new model Meostar B1.1's multi-position eyecups screw all the way out (and off) for cleaning? Thanks.
Bob
Hello,
Does anyone know if the new model Meostar B1.1's multi-position eyecups screw all the way out (and off) for cleaning? Thanks.
Bob
