Visual riddle: name those eyecups! (1 Viewer)

[yarrellii]

A little riddle/game for the binocular fans around here
In the following picture there are two binoculars that share nearly identical eyecups.
Can you name the brand, model and magnification/objective?



... as a prize, we can discuss the incredible similarity between those eyecups

 

[dorubird]

Swarovski EL 8.5x42 vs Swarovski SLC 8x42

 

[yarrellii]

Hmmm, interesting guess...
2 miss
0 on target.

 

[dorubird]

Zwarovski EL Swarovision 8x42 vs Meopta Meostar B1 8X42

 

[yarrellii]

Ahhh, even more interesting guesses, but still 0/2, I'm afraid. This is fun!!!

 

[dorubird]

Zwarovski EL Swarovision 8x32 vs Meopta Meostar B1 8X32 ....maybe with 32mm I'm lucky?!

 

[mbb]

Zwarovski EL Swarovision 8x32 vs Meopta Meostar B1 8X32 ....maybe with 32mm I'm lucky?!

That seems like a good guess to me, certainly considering Yarrellii liking the 7-8x30-32 formats. (But, following thad lead of preferred formats together with the colour of the binocular armours, a 7x42 Meostar would also be a possibility )

 

[yarrellii]

... considering Yarrellii liking the 7-8x30-32 formats. (But, following thad lead of preferred formats together with the colour of the binocular armours, a 7x42 Meostar would also be a possibility )

Aha, knowing the psyche and preferences of the OP probably goes against the rules of the IBVRF (International Board of Visual Riddles in Forums) , but I have to check them to see if I'm right.
So far, only one of the two binoculars has been guessed, I'll leave it for others to try and guess the second one and eventually show the mysterious and unlikely couple (which is, beyond the riddle, the genuine goal of the thread).

 

[yarrellii]

Ok, so here's the solution to the riddle:



The two unlikely eyecup-siblings were the Swarovski 8x32 EL SV and the Meopta Meostar B1 8x56. I say "unlikely" because one is nearly twice the weight of the other, they belong to different brands an have markedly different goals. Hence my surprise when I compared the eyecups and found them to be so similar than one could take them for twins (like the first answer from dorubird showed).
Personally, I find them close to eyecup perfection in shape and size. In an ideal world, there would be an ISO-standard for eyecup thread, so that you could mix-match binoculars with eyecups from other brands (who knows, there could even be a niche for a brand specializing in the manufacture of eyecups, the same way there are brands that make straps or harnesses (or the same way there are third party manufacturers of lenses for cameras, say you can buy a Sigma lens for your Nikon or Canon). But that's just daydreaming

 

[dorubird]

Indeed very similar eyecup! ...I was close

 

[mbb]

Ok, so here's the solution to the riddle:

View attachment 1382689

The two unlikely eyecup-siblings were the Swarovski 8x32 EL SV and the Meopta Meostar B1 8x56. I say "unlikely" because one is nearly twice the weight of the other, they belong to different brands an have markedly different goals. Hence my surprise when I compared the eyecups and found them to be so similar than one could take them for twins (like the first answer from dorubird showed).
Personally, I find them close to eyecup perfection in shape and size. In an ideal world, there would be an ISO-standard for eyecup thread, so that you could mix-match binoculars with eyecups from other brands (who knows, there could even be a niche for a brand specializing in the manufacture of eyecups, the same way there are brands that make straps or harnesses (or the same way there are third party manufacturers of lenses for cameras, say you can buy a Sigma lens for your Nikon or Canon). But that's just daydreaming

That Meostar is huge 😐 It makes the EL 8x32 look compact...
Can you comfortably handhold that binocular for relatively long observations? If so, it must be quite impressive at very late, dark hours.

 

[yarrellii]

That Meostar is huge 😐 It makes the EL 8x32 look compact...
Can you comfortably handhold that binocular for relatively long observations? If so, it must be quite impressive at very late, dark hours.

Well, it is indeed bulky and somewhat heavy... although, having had a 7x50 Fujinon, it balances quite well in your hands. I've had the Meostar in 8x32, 7x50 and 8x56 and I have to say that for my taste Meopta really got the shape/grip factor right with the Meostar B1 series, all feel good in the hand, and especially the x50 and x56 feel great considering their weight. Maybe it has to do with the long barrels that give you some nice gripping surface or maybe it's the location of the heaviest glass/prisms, but they don't feel as heavy as the specs sheet might suggest.