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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Cabela's Euro HD 8x32 (Meopta) (1 Viewer)

Stet

Well-known member
So I went to Cabela's to check out the 8x32 Conquest Hd but they only had the 10x32 in stock, which optically was great but the focus was very poor. Very shallow depth of focus and very hard to obtain good focus. Anyway, the salesman mentioned that Cabela's was coming out with a full line of Euro HD's very shortly! Which he said would be the 8x32, 10x32 and an 8x42. I'm not sure but I think I may have squealed like a little girl with delight! My 10x42 HD's are one of my favorite all time bins!!! I even prefer it over my Swarovision 8x32's in a lot of situations. He said the 8x32's were slated for $799, but was not told a definite release date yet other than to expect them soon.

I am very excited about this development and was wondering if anyone else had heard anything along these lines? I'm wondering also if Meopta has any plans to release them also? The salesman seemed quite knowledgeable about binoculars but I have yet to verify any of his statements. Hopefully he had his facts straight and I will have a 8x32 HD for fall migration. :t:
 
It wouldn't surprise me, Cabela's listens to what customers want, they have the money so Meopta shouldn't have a problem with producing the glass! I knew it would only be a matter of time. A lot of people want options other than 12x50 and 10x42 which have been the staple of Cabela's Euro line! Good to see let's hope it's valid! Bryce...
 
Holy Carp! You'd think that MEOPTA MAN would have given us a heads up about this exciting development. According to him, the company had no plans in the works to introduce more bins in the HD version. A sign that the global economy is really improving?

But notice the 7x42 model is conspicuously absent. Another One Bites the Dust

<B>
 
If the improvement in sharpness I found with the 10x42 HD applies across the new range, then with the ergonomics of the 8x32 it makes it sound like a winner to me.

David
 
Good news.

And thanks for the morning laugh I had when I read the part below in your post. :t:

.......Which he said would be the 8x32, 10x32 and an 8x42. I'm not sure but I think I may have squealed like a little girl with delight! .......
 
If the improvement in sharpness I found with the 10x42 HD applies across the new range, then with the ergonomics of the 8x32 it makes it sound like a winner to me.

David

Should make an interesting challenger to the Zeiss Conquest HD in 8x42, and 8x32 sizes. Pity there's no 7x42 HD slated - could be a popular option at that price/ performance point. The existing Meostar 8x42 is quite the porker (hopefully it takes the same trip to 1-800-JENNY that the 10x42 did in going to its HD incarnation), but with better eye relief. The 8x32 Meostar is quite the svelte supermodel, though with less ER - damn compromises!


Chosun :gh:
 
In terms of sharpness, I thought the regular Meoptas were about on a par with the Conquest HDs. The Meopta 10x42 HD I tried was significantly better IMO. The Conquest HD is no lightweight, but 900g for the Meopta x42s rules it out for me. Much as I like a 7x I still wouldn't buy the 7x42. A 7x32 HD would be sweet.

David
 
In terms of sharpness, I thought the regular Meoptas were about on a par with the Conquest HDs. The Meopta 10x42 HD I tried was significantly better IMO. The Conquest HD is no lightweight, but 900g for the Meopta x42s rules it out for me. Much as I like a 7x I still wouldn't buy the 7x42. A 7x32 HD would be sweet.

David

David,

I just checked the Meopta website and got it straight from the horses mouth. Weights of the x42's are all just under 900g (~31. .. ozs) whether HD flavour or not. Several retailer websites list the 10x42 HD's as 765g, which is what I based my original post on. Not sure where the boo-boo lies. 765g ~ Okish, 900g definitely not (for me anyway). A shame if you're seeing the HD Meopta's as sharper than the Conquest HD's.


Chosun :gh:
 
David,

I just checked the Meopta website and got it straight from the horses mouth. Weights of the x42's are all just under 900g (~31. .. ozs) whether HD flavour or not. Several retailer websites list the 10x42 HD's as 765g, which is what I based my original post on. Not sure where the boo-boo lies. 765g ~ Okish, 900g definitely not (for me anyway). A shame if you're seeing the HD Meopta's as sharper than the Conquest HD's.


Chosun :gh:

Yep, 31 oz is the correct weight. I thought the weight was gonna be an issue for me also when I first bought them, but, in use, it never materialized as an issue for me. I find them to be very well balanced and having just great ergonomics for my taste. They just feel good in my hands. Now when I had my Nikon HG/LX 8x42's (34oz if I remember correctly) the weight constantly came up as an issue for me in use.

The only real issue I can say comes up with these binoculars for me in use is when I use them in very cold weather, the eyepieces tend to fog up easier than my other bins. My guess is the rubberized eye cups along with the smaller diameter eyecup that fits deep into my eye socket just seal in the moisture from my eyes too well. So just by tilting the bottom of the eyecup away from my eye slightly alleviates this. The focus is also a bit stiffer but so precision and smooth it just works for me.

When I was buying a 10x bin, it came down to these or the Conquest HD's and I spent several days comparing them in the store. They are very close in performance but I too felt the Meopta HD had better contrast and had ever so slightly better apparent sharpness. The deciding factor was viewing a spider web between an Elk's antlers in Cabela's at the other end of the store. The Meopta's resolved it in fine sharp detail while the Conquests were able to resolve it but just not as sharply detailed as the Meopta's. Using some of the cheaper bins, I could barely make out that there was even a spider web there. I do wish I were able to compare the two out in the field though. Only so much you can decipher from using in the store.
 
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