Review: Meopta Meostar HD 15x56

[robby denning]

Matt "the-Yoda-of-Optics" Cashell is back with another great review. This one on Meoptas big eyes- their 15x56 HD Meostar

See how they stacked up against the venerable Swarovski SLC 15x56 WB and why Matt says these could be the best value in class.

Review: Meopta Meostar 15X56 HD Binocular

(p.s. Matt's in the field as of publication date, so it might be a few days before he can check this thread.)

 

[5MilesBack]

I bought these binos a little over a year and a half ago and my only complaint is that their twist out eye cups don't lock into place. So they can get pushed back in if they're pushed up against something. My Kahles binos snap into the fully locked out position, so they stay there until I move them. I also found that the eye relief was so great, that the best positioning for the eye cups is right about half way out for me. Just wish they had a mid point stop or slot or something to find the same spot every time without guessing and trying to get them both the same. I did provide Meopta's engineers with this feedback.

But as for the optical quality, Matt is spot on. Would like to compare them to the Swaro HD's in the field, but I don't know anybody with those.

 

[robby denning]

But as for the optical quality, Matt is spot on. Would like to compare them to the Swaro HD's in the field, but I don't know anybody with those.

hoping we can arrange that!

 

[Browninglover1]

I'd love to see how they compare to the new Maven's as well. I'm hoping to get back into a set of 15x next year.

 

[Fireguy]

hoping we can arrange that!

I have a pair of the SLC HD 15's you guys could use. If you can hold off until after my Coues deer hunt ends around October 28th I'd be more than happy to let you use them for a review.

 

[robby denning]

I have a pair of the SLC HD 15's you guys could use. If you can hold off until after my Coues deer hunt ends around October 28th I'd be more than happy to let you use them for a review.

Very cool and what I love about Rokslide members.

Fireguy, we'll have to wait for Matt to get back from the hills to see if that's possible. I'm not sure if he's keeping the Meoptas or if they have to be back by then. If not, maybe we can get him to do a review on those. Even if he just ran the chromatic aberration test he ran with WBs, that would tell us a lot.

Matt, please please please! We'll pay the postage back and forth

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I have compared my Cabelas Euro HD (Meopta Meostars rebranded for cabelas) 15x56 to these same Swarovskis and even the Swaro owner agreed that the Euros were sharper. However we never compared in low light. Do you have any experience in low light comparison?

Also, has anybody every compared the Meopta/Euro to the Zeiss Conquest HD? I've looked at them each at different times and I thought the Euros had more detail pop to them but I've never done a side x side.

Also interested in seeing them compared to the new Swaro HD's.

Thanks for the write up Matt.

 

[Hatchet Jack]

Or I have an idea! If you guys will pool your money together and buy me a set of the Swaro HDs I will gladly do a comprehensive comparison and a thorough write up for you all.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Sorry guys, but I sent the loaner Meostars back, but maybe we can work something out with Meopta and Swarovski on a future comparison.

Thanks for all the feedback, and I think I got all the PMs returned!

 

[5MilesBack]

If you can arrange something, I'll offer up my Meopta's so you can compare them to the Swaro HD's.

 

[Matt Cashell]

If you can arrange something, I'll offer up my Meopta's so you can compare them to the Swaro HD's.

Generous offer, 5MB, thanks.

I will keep it inmind if something comes together.

Your conversation with Meopta about the eyecups may have paid off, as I had zero trouble with the eyecups collapsing on my sample.

Also there are several fixes for getting the eye relief set just right on detent-free twist eyecups like Meopta and Swaro. A little electrical tape can hold them where you want them, or even better: You can get plastic rings at the hardware/plumbing store that fit over the shafts of the eyecups. Unscrew the eyecups, slide the rings on, and screw the eyecups back on. Then just twist the cups down to the rings, and they hold fast. Just need the right amount of plastic rings for your desired eye relief. Hope that description makes sense.

 

[5MilesBack]

Hope that description makes sense.

Ya, that makes sense......but then they're too tall to fit in my case. LOL. They have to be fully down to fit. Then my daughter uses them at times and she wears glasses. So......just have to adjust them every time I use them. Biggest pain is for 3D because I keep them under my right arm and they seem to get pushed in between every target.

 

[twall13]

I'd love to see how they compare to the new Maven's as well. I'm hoping to get back into a set of 15x next year.

+1 on this. I'd like to see how the Maven's compare to the other 15x's.

Great reveiw by the way, very helpful.

 

[mtnkid85]

Thanks for the review. I am thinking a set of 15s will be my next optics purchase, so I of course would love to see them compared to the Swaro HDs.

 

[yergjay]

I have a pair of the new Swarovski 15x56 SLC's. I would be interested in helping out with a comparison. I don't know where everyone lives, but I am in Twin Falls, Idaho. I can tell this. I hunt the hills south of my town, which is basically the same throughout all of southern Idaho. It has a lot of open sage country mixed with chaparral, bunches of quakes, and pine. With my 15x56's it is like cheating. As far as my eye can see, I can pick it apart with the Swaros and see if it holds deer. My Swaro SLC HD 10x42's I just cannot reach out that far.(Obviously!) I'm in a pickle (tough one..jk) trying to figure out how to carry both in the field. lol

 

[Hatchet Jack]

I actually compared my euro hd ( meopta) 15s with the maven 15s today in lander. Side by side on tripods mid day in rainy overcast conditions for nearly an hour. In short, the meopta were brighter and sharper and easier to look thru to me. Although I did think the maven had better edge quality, the overall view was better in the meopta. My biggest complaint with the mavens are the eye pieces. They are so bulky and just wierd to me but my dad didn't have a problem with them and enjoyed the mavens. My brother also thought the eye pieces were hard to get used to. Overall it's good glass I just found looking thru the meopta more enjoyable and a bit better view. The mavens are sweet glass you just may want to get your eyes into them before buying a pair.

 

[robby denning]

Thanks Hatchet Jack!

 

[backcountryguide]

I was able to spend a considerable amount of time behind both the new Swaro 15x56 and Meopta 15x56 HD's on a recent hunt here in Nevada. My client for the hunt showed up with a brand new set of the Swaros and I had purchased the Meoptas late this summer. The buck we hunted lived in a giant backcountry basin and had went completely nocturnal just a few days prior to the opener. It took 4 days total with an average of 10 hours per day on the glass to finally turn him and get him in the salt. I switched between the two pairs of binos frequently each day to see if I could find a difference between the two. After the conclusion of the hunt both I and the client agreed it was to close to pick an out right winner with the Swaros maybe being a bit more comfortable. The Meostars are a hell of a deal for anyone looking to break into the advantages that big glass on a tripod can give a guy.
View attachment 42104

 

[robby denning]

backcountryguide

you just answered the $50,000 question for a lot of guys. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. It's very hard to get a head-to-head going during hunting season with guys with knowledge of optics.

 

[dcopher]

I actually compared my euro hd ( meopta) 15s with the maven 15s today in lander. Side by side on tripods mid day in rainy overcast conditions for nearly an hour. In short, the meopta were brighter and sharper and easier to look thru to me. Although I did think the maven had better edge quality, the overall view was better in the meopta. My biggest complaint with the mavens are the eye pieces. They are so bulky and just wierd to me but my dad didn't have a problem with them and enjoyed the mavens. My brother also thought the eye pieces were hard to get used to. Overall it's good glass I just found looking thru the meopta more enjoyable and a bit better view. The mavens are sweet glass you just may want to get your eyes into them before buying a pair.

I demo'd a pair of the Maven 15 X 56's and I had the same complaint with them. The glass was excellent, overall quality was excellent, but the ocular lenses are huge and did not fit my face at all. When adjusted for my eyes, the lenses would pinch and press against my nose very noticeably. It was the first thing I noticed when I tried them. My buddy came to the same conclusion when I asked him what he thought. Great optics but they need to make the oculars smaller. I would consider myself to have average eye spacing, so I don't think that was the problem.