Meopta Meostar 10x42 serial number and possible upgrade? (1 Viewer)

[Swift802]

Good day all,
I am new here but thanks to all of the people on here who pass on their knowledge. I have read many posts over the years and gained valuable information before purchasing so I am grateful to the (too many to mention) members who have provided freely of their time to help with queries.
Right, here goes:
I have a 10x42 non HD Meopta Meostar with serial number 51*** which I purchased from Cley Spy as “new old stock” in 2012. They were actually in the special offers section and cost £599 at the time. Good value as it turns out because they offer about the same optical quality of a Trinovid BN at much less cost. You can see a bit of a yellow cast to the view and a bit of CA at the edges but the view is just so comfortable. They were sold with a 30 year warranty at the time and I confirmed with Meopta that they would indeed cover the 30 years from the date of purchase.
Other manufacturers only offer the 10 year warranty so that’s a bonus.
Has anyone else got a Meostar with a 5 digit serial number? I’ve provided Meopta with the serial number in the past when enquiring about the warranty and they didn’t question it but every other serial number I’ve seen on this range has 6 digits, not 5. I would be interested to hear thoughts on this.
Secondly, has anyone compared an early Meostar to a b1.1? The reason is I would quite fancy a 10x32 this time and am curious as to the difference between my possible 2005 Meostar and a b1.1 in 32 configuration.
Thanks in advance and I look forward to anyones thoughts on these matters.
Take care all,
John.

 

[eitanaltman]

I believe that makes it a 2005 production. If you search on this forum there are some prior discussions of serial numbers and Meopta confirmed that the first two digits (of 6 digit SN) are the year, so 13xxxx would be 2013, 17xxxx would be 2017, etc.

Since yours is non HD older stock, and therefore was likely produced before 2010, it stands to reason that the first digit is the year with the implied 0, so it’s effectively 05xxxx.

I don’t know if anyone has specifically compared a B1.1 to an old Meostar, but there has been much discussion of coatings changes over time (and 3rd party measurements). And nobody disputes that the optics are identical, the only difference is coatings updates and the locking diopter on the focus knob. So I would not expect any difference between your older model and a B1.1 other than a slight increase in brightness and a more neutral color presentation.

 

[Swift802]

Thank you Eitan. I was thinking it was a 2005 model alright. That’s actually pleasing as it means I have one from the first year of production. They are excellently constructed as they haven’t aged a bit. I’ve had Leica BN and Ultravid HD, Zeiss FL and Swaro EL WB and actually the Meopta hold their own in construction and don’t give up a lot visually. Very similar to a Leica BN in view. Not as bright as the other models I mentioned.
I know from perusing the forum here that Andy (Dries1) recommends getting a version of Meostar post 2015 production as he was thinking there were coating upgrades around this time.
I do like the integrated Leica style diopter of the B1.1 model. The one on my model has a habit of moving unnoticed. Annoying.
Im in no hurry to decide whether to upgrade and I’ll wait until a good deal comes around. The Meostar are not the easiest to track down as well.
Thank you and stay well,
John.

 

[dries1]

I have a 2012 7X42, I also have a 2012 8X42. I eventually ended up with a 2015 B1 and the view had that bit of noticeable increase in transmission over the 2012 B1. I spent some time with it in the field however the 2015 obtained focus issues. I sent them into Meopta and they sent me a replacement 2018 model which I now have and use quite a bit. I have been curious about when they actually stopped making the B1 7X42, as I have been curious about obtaining a late model. The 2012 B1 model are also more neutral than the 2005, with less yellow cast. As per the focus design, I have never had an issue with the original design.

Andy W.

 

[Swift802]

Thanks Andy. I remember you advising somebody else to get a post 2015 version due to slight improvements in coatings. My 2005 version is nicely built though and the focuser is good enough on mine because as you know, some have had issues in this regard. Though the diopter occasionally moves on mine unnoticed due to the lack of a lock. The only other thing I would criticise is the eyecups which are the standard twist up and twist down with no intermediate stops.
But they are so comfortable in the hand!
I was thinking 10x32 so I get a smaller, lighter package, more neutral view and the Leica style integrated diopter with a lock.
There was a listing on the auction site from October last that I was watching for a 7x42 Meostar. It went for 1 bid at £250. Quite the bargain. It looks like a 2005 model from the serial number and design. My 2005 10x42 looks lidentical to this. I’ll try and post pictures that I saved. Thanks again and stay well,
John.

 

[HenRun]

Swift: after sending several Meopta binos back for stuck focusers I have now figured out what probably caused the problems on the specific model I had trouble with. Since the newer locking dioptre versions have dioptre adjustments that are fixed in place and do not rotate with the focusing wheel they seem prone to "binding" as the seating of the locked dioptre is pressing on a seal between the moving and the fixed part.

On the larger models this doesn't seem to lead to many failures though my two binos (10X and 12X) are both a bit molasses-like in turning, probably due to the resistance of the seal being pressed down by the dioptre against the separating disks on the axle.

On the 8x32 model it seemed more prone to binding perhaps due to some part being too sloppy in the specifications.

I have on a total of four samples (10X/10X/12X/15X) not noticed any degradation over time though two are different in feel compared to the others, one has a little play and the other is easier to turn with a slight play.

 

[HenRun]

Judging from the size and shape of the 10x32 I think it will be a very nice binocular. I had the Zeiss 10x32 FL and since the Meopta B1.1 8x32 is similar to the 8x32FL in handling I can only imagine that the Meopta 10x32 would be equal in handling which is very nice.

I have the Meopta 10x42HD which is a little on the heavy side but optically excellent.

 

[Swift802]

Thank you HenRun. I read those threads that you posted about your woes with the Meopta binoculars. It’s worrying about the faults that you outlined and disappointing that the “improvement“ to the design of the diopter mechanism has actually led to this situation.
My plan is to bide my time and let any issues with the relatively new diopter work themselves out before I contemplate purchasing. Hopefully Meopta will rectify this fault as production progresses. That’s my plan anyway. Your threads are very helpful with your experiences with the various Meopta models. Thanks for posting those. Meopta are a great company and it would be a shame if they don’t address these issues quickly. I’m sure the quality control will improve on these in time.
Thanks again,
John.