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What is Meopta doing? (1 Viewer)

tenex said:
Something's still wrong here. There's only one mirror surface in the pair of prisms, and if it's silver it's not dielectric. The word "dielectric" is apparently also used for other coatings, like phase correction, which the other (roof) prism would indeed have. So if we're talking about the mirror, this answer is still "silver not dielectric". And I'm beginning to suspect that the answer Gijs got is the same.
Click to expand...

Apparently. Gijs asked specifically if the roof prism was dielectric coated and was told it was. I had previously been told by Meopta that the prism was silver mirrored so I asked for clarification on the coatings. This was the reply "The roof prisms are coated with dielectric coatings, nevertheless the prism system includes also half-penta prism which has silver coating."

Anyone who has tried the current generation of Meostars will know that they definitely do not have the yellowish cast of the older models. They are now close to neutral, and to my eyes have a better colour presentation than the current Swaro and Zeiss offerings.

Unfortunately I was asked not to post the transmission spectra I was sent when I reviewed the 12x50HD, but was told I could describe it. The trace hovers around the 90% mark between 500nm and 675nm with perhaps a 2 or 3% high point in the red. At the blue end of the spectrum the trasmission is still 80% at 430nm (what used to be called indigo) and 60% at 400nm in the violet. At the other end of the spectrum in the deeper red, it's still 80% at 700nm and 55% at 780nm. In my book, that is very good..

David
 
David and others interested,
Until some years ago the Meopta roofs were supplied with silver mirror coatings and, in addition to the other coatings the binoculars had a specific color impression which showed a yellow-red preference, but that picture changed quite a bit with the introduction of di-electric mirror coatings and better lens coatings. So the presnet binoculars can compete very well with other top brands like Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss, but at a lower price level. That is probably of importance for the company since traditionally it sold many instruments to Eastern European countries and farther east and for large sales numbers a lower price level was absolutely a must to prevent the loss of many customers (consumers in Western Europe, USA etc. obviously had more money to spent).
David mentions transmission at 400 nm and some at 780 nm. Everybody who has done spectroscopy or used to sit behind a monochromator will have noticed that a these wavelengths you can not see a lot (400nm) or nothing at all (780nm).
Gijs van Ginkel
 
While thanking all for their information and analysis here, from themselves or another source, I think maybe we should keep in mind that a binocular manufr. may not be willing to divulge information about their products beyond some point.
 
Gijs,

I suggest you read posts #38, #40 and #41 very carefully again.

A Schmidt Pechan prism assembly is composed of a Bauernfeind semi penta prism which I'm informed by the same person at Meopta that Gijs spoke to has one silver mirrored surface. The Schmidt roof prism requires no mirrored surfaces, but the roof facets are phase coated, which I understand can be termed a dielectric coating.

David
 
David,
I did not ask for a phase coating but specifically for a di-electric mirror coating and I suppose that Meopta knows the difference very well at least that was my solid impression when I met and spoke with the outstanding Meopta professionals.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Gijs van Ginkel said:
David,
I did not ask for a phase coating but specifically for a di-electric mirror coating and I suppose that Meopta knows the difference very well at least that was my solid impression when I met and spoke with the outstanding Meopta professionals.
Gijs van Ginkel
Click to expand...


Allbinos says this about the coatings on the Meostar B1 10x42 HD

"The company boasts of using special Meobright coatings, covering all air-to-glass surfaces which are supposed to ensure 99.8% of transmission on one such surface. Additionally you get MeoShield ion-assisted coating which protects external lens surfaces and delivers enhanced resistance to scratching or abrasion in extreme conditions. Of course you shouldn’t forget about phase-correction coating on Schmidt-Pechan roof prisms; unfortunately we couldn’t find any info on the producer’s site concerning the type of reflective coating on the Pechan prism."

Note the last sentence about "the type of reflective coating on the Pechan prism."


https://www.allbinos.com/310-binoculars_review-Meopta_Meostar_B1_10x42_HD.html

Bob
 
Bob, post 46,
I know and it took me some time to cross the mental barriers at Meopta, since the first message I received was: we are not supposed/allowed to give any information about the secrets of our prisms specific coatings and that was specifically aimed at the mirror coatings. So I had to go deeper into the organisation....and charm in combination with beauty did the trick......up to now.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
adhoc said:
While thanking all for their information and analysis here, from themselves or another source, I think maybe we should keep in mind that a binocular manufr. may not be willing to divulge information about their products beyond some point.
Click to expand...

Adhoc,

I think it is fair so say that Meopta are aware of certain predudices in the public domain and have been reticent about providing specific details about their coatings. I have known this person at Meopta for may years, and although I he has previously ackowledged that silver was used in the prism coating, this was the first time I'm aware of that he has furnished this level of detail knowing it would be made public. I am sure there are proprietary details he would not be prepared to disclose.

David
 
I disagree with the word "prejudices"; we're talking about matters of fact (performance and longevity). I consider it normal to want to know the basics of what one is being asked to pay for. Could this be part of the transition to a more consumer-oriented society?

Thanks again to both Gijs and David for inquiring into this, and adhoc is certainly right that every manufacturer has details they keep proprietary -- even though basic type of mirror coating isn't normally one of them. To judge from the spectrum David described, Meopta is getting good transmission (~90%) and neutral color with what are still probably silver mirrors, and that may be a good deal at this price point. The inconsistency regarding ED/HD glass in different models is of course another story. I'll be very curious to see how the Meostar line (and transparency about it) develops further.
 
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tenex, post 49,
I have explained it in previous posts, but the transmission spectra we measured of binoculars which are supplied with silver mirrors on the roof prisms are different from the ones with di-electric mirrors and the spectra we have measured on the Meopta Meostars definitely have all the characteristics of roof prisms with di-electric mirrors, so actually I did not have to ask it since we were already convinced. Tht Meopta is not eager to share everything with consumers: that is the policy of the company. In fact it is not all that imprtant it is the performance of the binoculars that count, and that is excellent from the ones we have investigated.
Gijs van Ginkel
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Well, in that case Meopta speaks with dubble tongues, since its employees then give quite different messages.
But again it does not matter what kind of mirror coating is supplied as long as the performance of the binoculars is up to high standards, and they are.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
David, Gijs, an exemplary reaction!

Personally, I am grateful to manufrs. for putting into our hands these magical devices, and for telling us about them as much as they presently do.

Leica, Swarovski or Zeiss, say, would not have gone along this far in this discussion.

typo said:
...I have known this person at Meopta for ma[n]y years...
Click to expand...
Gijs van Ginkel said:
...I had to go deeper into the organisation....and charm in combination with beauty did the trick...
Click to expand...
Perhaps, now, David's friendly investigation, and Gijs's charm and beauty, might be toned down!

PS. Private information, between a manufr. and a user or reviewer, is of course another matter.

I have gone on here because in an earlier post I requested Meopta for more info. in their website and now I think I should not have done so on this particular subject.
 
Last edited:
adhoc, post 55,
If you ask my opinion: I do not care one bit whether binoculars have a perfect silver mirror (like the Leica Trinovid-3 series, the so-called "bricks" if I remember well) or the Meoptas as long as the optical performance and stability of the mirror coatings is garanteed and that is, as far as I can see, both for the Leicas and the Meoptas the case. Now David and myself have tried to get the information wanted in this topic is certainly something to laugh about: David mentions to have received the transmission spectrum, it has to be top-secret (the curve at least) and then all the necessary numbers to characterize the spectrum were allowed. I was told that the mirror coating was top secret and later I received the information we were looking for. But then David received the message that my information was wrong. So the picture is crystal clear now: a novel is in progress: "The mysteries of mirrors, a travel in the land of fairy tales".
I am prepared to write a few chapters, but I hope to enjoy during break times the excellent quality of my Meoptas.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Hi,

I have a Meopta Meostar 8x32. I bought it second hand through Eurooptic, in 2011. I like it very much!!! It is my main "travel" binocular. And the one I pick up as a going everywhere binocular. It has a rather warm or reddish-brownish tint, nothing serious or disturbing. But it is an outstanding performing binocular, indeed!! Great contrast, resolution and working mechanics. And also excels at difficult light situations!
Don't care if it has silver or dielectric phase coating, as Gijs say.
 
Gijs van Ginkel said:
...a novel is in progress: "The mysteries of mirrors, a travel in the land of fairy tales"...
Click to expand...

Actually it has been completed. See attached image*. (Note the second title.)
There are some interesting characters in it but I could not recognize David or you.

*Copied off the internet. No infringement intended.
 

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PHA said:
Hi,

I have a Meopta Meostar 8x32. I bought it second hand through Eurooptic, in 2011. I like it very much!!! It is my main "travel" binocular. And the one I pick up as a going everywhere binocular. It has a rather warm or reddish-brownish tint, nothing serious or disturbing. But it is an outstanding performing binocular, indeed!! Great contrast, resolution and working mechanics. And also excels at difficult light situations!
Don't care if it has silver or dielectric phase coating, as Gijs say.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's about where I am coming from too-they certainly perform, leaving little to be desired! My Cabelas B1 Euro 10x32 (earlier gen closeout), is great, as is my Meopta B1 7x42 (earlier gens closeout too). They certainly perform above their cost, and unless you are looking for as good as it gets, they get the job done, along with a smile on your face, no doubt! Excellent optics, I would think in most anyone's opinion. Unless of course, you are in the most elite of binocular users who see beyond the masses who also regularly use them. No doubt there are some here that fit that distinction.
 
Hello Bluespiderweb,

By the way, I also have other so-called "alpha" binoculars, like Zeiss HT 42mm. But the "little" Meopta is, IMHO as "alpha" as any other. No matter their cost or "pedigree"!

PHA
 
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