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Meopta HA 75 thoughts? (1 Viewer)

R

Ries

Well-known member
Netherlands
Hi there,

My eye caught on a secondhand Meopta HA 75 with 20-60 eyepiece for €300. But I can't find much about this oldie but http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/101 and some review that didn't find the Leica APO televid worth the much extra money.

Any experience or thoughts here on this scope? I can only afford a budget scope, mainly for occasional shorebird watching. Mobility is a major plus and I read this one is quite light and compact?

Like to hear from you, thanks already!
 
Hi,

Meopta spotting scopes are indeed not very common (unlike bins and rifle scopes) but they build fine oem optics (Bins for the big US chain Cabelas and spotting scopes for Zeiss - there's probably others).

The HA 75 was built around year 2000 and seems to be quite similar to its successor Meostar S1 75 non ED (also discontinued). Eyepieces are the same as the current Meostar S1 APO series.

At that price I would have a look at the scope, if you can. If you do, let us know the results ;-)

PS: Here's a satisfied dutch owner - http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=5350

Joachim
 
Hey thanks Joachim! Fun is that Dutchie seems to be the guy selling it right now haha. No bag though, which will add a 90e again later pkus the tripod of course.

How would this stand up to a double priced new Vanguard Endeavor ED 65/85? (which I can't afford right now, just being curious)
 
Hi,

that's hard to say - probably the Meopta will have a bit more color at higher magnifications due to normal glass...

Btw. look what google coughed up when searching for the Endeavour...

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Vanguard-End...b239c7d&pid=100033&rk=1&rkt=4&sd=321950607937

383€ used including bag - with a few specks of dust behind the objective lens (which are invisible and probably the reason for the return). No I'm not related to the seller - you decide if you feel lucky although the seller has 100% positive ratings and offers paypal...

Although the Vanguard seems to have quite a bit of sample variation - see http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=260192 - so we don't know if it is just a few specks of dust or a lemon in general...

Joachim
 
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Kein Versand nach Niederlande

So that's a pity...good deal though. The Meopta + bag would cost me the same. Although I doubt a 'ready bag' would be of my liking: gotta have something more solid to put on the back of my bike...all goes by bike (no car) so a bag that takes scope+tripod and swings on my back would be golden (got a cheap something like that now...might use that).

Think I'll go try out the Meopta, it's tickling and doubt I'll ever find something like that in my budget again.
 
Ries,
I have investigated the Meopta S1-75APO in comparison with the Leica Apo-Televid 65 with 25-50x zoom and the heavier Leica Apo-Televid 85. The Meopta was a clear winner since it has:
-1- a lower weight
-2- substantial higher light transmission (5-10% higher than the Leicas depending on the wavelenght)
-3- a very pleasant to use focussing system
-4- good color reproduction with a slight focus on red (warm images)
-5- image quality is very good from 20-40x, it becomes softer at 40-60x (this is for the 20-60x zoom eyepiece).
-6 FOV =- 31-16m/1000m for the 20-60x zoom and 38m/100m for the 30xWide Angle.
In The Netherlands Technolyt in Wormerveer is the national dealer for Meopta, so you can buy all extras by ordering there through a binocular shop. The price you have mentioned for the used telescope seems atractive to me.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
Hi Gijs,

this is about the older HA 75 w/o ED glass - do you have experience with this one too?

Regards,

Joachim
 
Well, Gijs talk lays out the fine quality of Meopta...

Incl. bag and tripod I'd come to €400. Right now for sale a Bynolyt Spacelyt T100 ED with 20-60x, 22x and 30x eyepieces, heavy Velbon tripod and big bag for €500....really tempted by that although it's quite too big and heavy (2x other option) for me to stay mobile with my small folding bike by train...
 
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Hi,

not sure about the latter... the fact that I don't find any reviews of the model in question or any other products from Bynolyt would make me a bit wary... Does anybody know where these are made?

Meopta scopes are also not too common but they build nice bins and Zeiss Diascopes...

Joachim
 
Bynolyt is almost exclusively found in Netherlands. No idea which factory they have it made/what brand it's a rebranding of. Bins are usually not topnotch. T100 can't be found anything on, 80ED is still being sold for somewhat under €700. But hey that set would be 5kg against 2.5kg Meopta/Manfrotto Compact!

Looking at other cheap scopes...wonder how the Celestron Ultima 80 (Chinese vs Czech) would stand up to the Meopta HA 75. Gotta stay under €500...that's already a big sum for poor me. And then the Nikon Prostaff 5 82A comes just in view incl eyepiece...and Vortex Diamondback 80...

Ooh wa; the Nikon for €262...25mm eyepiece and I'd like a zoom so there's a €130 for that...tripod and bag will get me to €500. Tempting. Is that Prostaff 5 line Jap or Chin?
 
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I'm wondering now if the Nikon Prostaff 5 82A would be worth the €100 more against the considerably older but EU made Meopta HA 75. Thoughts? Already read the threads and reviews on the Nikon; sounds good.
 
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Hi,

forget about a Manfrotto Compact. It won't be stable. You want sth with a rated maximum weight of double your scope, EP and camera plus adapter (if you want to digiscope). Preferably with 3 section legs and tall enough so you can use the tripod with the column down or mostly so.

Five kilograms is not too bad with a 100mm scope - if you can test the binolyt before buying, it might be a good deal.
You want to get a scopac or a clone - then it's nice to carry or on a bike (I do that too when birding close by). My package with Kowa TSN-3 (77mm) on a Velbon Carmagne 530 tripod is 4.5kg with the Orniwelt backpack.

Joachim
 
Joachim, post 8 and post 10,
Yes I know that I have investigated an older model of the Meopta scope, but one may expect that the new one is even better.
As far as Bynolyt is concerned; these are binoculars made by Japanese or Chinese binocular producers with specifications given by the Dutch company Technolyt. Essentially it is the same procedure as Zeiss follows for the production of the Conquest, which is completely made in Japan, assembled there and then disassembled in a few marked pieces to be re-assembled in Germany. Leica has chosen now the same path with the new Leica Trinovid HD series, which is also made in Japan and assembled in the Leica factory in Portugal. I am told that Leica does not use the same Japanese company as Zeiss did, but Leica has/had already strong ties for its military binocular line with Katsumo Optical Company, so..that may be the one for the new Trinovids.
So if you are interested in the Bynolits: look at their top models and you will probably have a good instrument. After all, Bushnell, Zenray, Maven, Kite, Vortex, Leupold etc. etc. follow the same approach and they sell good products.
Gijs van Ginkel
 
The meopta offered is a far older model, Gijs, the one after the first Hermes, no fluorite or anything.

jring said:
Hi,

forget about a Manfrotto Compact. It won't be stable. You want sth with a rated maximum weight of double your scope, EP and camera plus adapter (if you want to digiscope). Preferably with 3 section legs and tall enough so you can use the tripod with the column down or mostly so.

Joachim
Click to expand...

But the Nikon Prostaff is a kilo and the Manfrotto Compact Advanced can carry 3kg so that should be fine ;)
4.5kg and a tripod length of around 65cm is just too much. You should see my tiny 20" folding bike...and I'm the sweaty kind of guy that can't go cycling with a backpack on or I'll be soaking... So when cycling it's in a padded bag fixed on the back of the bike, when walking it'll be swung over my shoulder because a backpack with water/book/stuff is already on my back. Might benefit from a stronger and padded backpack for the whole lot, but after a €500 scope/tripod my budget will be drained for a half year or more...

So there's in combat the Nikon Prostaff 5 82A vs Meopta HA75 vs Celestron Ultima 80...I tend towards the Nikon; new, good rep and reviews, compact size and good weight. Meopta waaay older but does that mean worse??
 
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Ries,
Looking at your working conditions I would go for a compact lightweight telescope for example a 50 mm telescope (Kowa and Nikon had them, vey good and lightweight/compact) and a compact tripod. In August there is an international open air fair in Doesburg, if you are lucky you may find there everything you want for less than 500 euros. As far as used tripods are concerned, there is a shop in the city of Utrecht that normally has quite a selection.
Gijs
 
Hi,

older doesn't necessarily mean worse. Especially if you get a former alpha scope at a good price used. I haven't read a lot on the Prostaff Scope but with bins the Prostaff Series is quite basic bins...

Regarding the tripod - I own a little Manfrotto tripod which I bought some time ago for a superzoom cam (FZ38 - weights about a pound) and it's marginal there.
I tried to put my Kowa on it and it was no fun at all. So please take Gijs' advice and go with your scope to a brick & mortar store to try the tripod. Or think about sth. smaller - Opticron MM3 is well regarded besides the ones Gijs mentioned although might break the budget new.

Joachim, happy owner of a 30 year old Kowa TSN-3...
 
Nice. Battered and to my liking somewhat heavy, but I see advantages of larger objective, is this one. For €250 this seems like a good deal too; no ED glass but will that matter that much with Kowa? Not so much fan of straight view though.

What's that store you mean, Gijs. House of Outdoor?
 
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Hi,

number 1 and 2 are both nice, especially #2 is helluva deal due to the cosmetics and comes with the brilliant 30 wide EP and not an old Kowa zoom (some of which are not so great).

The non ED one is ok for visual either if you don't want to digiscope.

Joachim
 
Yep, that 823 is awesome but sadly the seller won't ship to the Netherlands. And I think the (not waterproof but caseless f.i.) 613 is a bit overpriced (or not?) in view of an earlier sale
 
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