Advice/ Experience Appreciated

[mt100gr.]

I'm going to up grade my binos this year and have it narrowed down (I think) to 3. I'm considering the Zeiss conquest HD, one of the vortex HD, or the Meopta made Cabelas Euro HD. Any experiences, recommendations, or input would be great. I'll be getting 10x42 and budget-wise, I want to keep the cap at about 1200 (price of the euros). Even that's a bit of a stretch but I don't want to wish I had spent a little more.

Also, I have had great luck with vortex and like the Vipers a lot. In your opinion, are the Meopta Euros really worth twice the money of the Vipers. I've looked through them all a number of times and see pros and cons to all...only cons really in size/weight/ FOV/ etc. Really just looking for input from actual users.

Thanks

 

[Longshot]

i have a pair of swaro's and my buddy has the cabelas euro's, both 10x42. i hate to say it but the cabelas are every bit as clear as mine which cost quite a bit more. in defense of the swaro's they are 6 years old and the cabelas are brand new. other than clarity the swaro's are still less bulky and more comfortable. another buddy has the vortex and loves them but i never did a side by side comparison

 

[dotman]

If you go with the cabelas euro hd, save $200 and just go with the meopta hd at $999.

I like my Zeiss and my buddies euro hd's, personaly I don't see much diff other then his are heavier, noticably. I looked thru the razors and while nice neither the razors or meopta hd's made me want to upgrade from my Zeiss.

Personally I say go with the best deal as all three are nice.

 

[mt100gr.]

I couldn't find a price for the meopta. Thanks, I actually figured the Cabelas were less due to volume sales. Good to know.

And yeah, that's kinda where I am at with it all right now...none of them are bad. And the euros are heavy - first thing I noticed about em.

 

[thinair]

http://www.cameralandny.com/optics2/meopta.pl?page=meopta467781

These guys are great to deal with also.

 

[mt100gr.]

Thanks, looking into it now

 

[Matt Cashell]

The Meopta HD is the class of the $1000 10x42 crowd, IMO.

 

[mt100gr.]

In-store viewing the meopta were the brightest and clearest to my eye. They feel solid, for sure...the weight seems to vary by retailer though. I've seen 27oz to 33oz for the same binos...guess it's a good place for a few oz penalty though.

Need a chance to get em all outside again.

Thanks for the input.

 

[JJHACK]

The meoptas I have had were every bit as good as the Ziess and Swarovski glass with equal or better construction

 

[Matt Cashell]

In-store viewing the meopta were the brightest and clearest to my eye. They feel solid, for sure...the weight seems to vary by retailer though. I've seen 27oz to 33oz for the same binos...guess it's a good place for a few oz penalty though.

Need a chance to get em all outside again.

Thanks for the input.

Here is my take on the Meostars:

http://www.rokslide.com/2012-01-09-05-09-42/optics/251-meopta-meostar-b1-10x42-hd-binocular

I weighed mine at 32 ounces.

 

[LaHunter]

I have only had 1 set of high end binos and they are Swaro 10X42. They are about 8 years old. One area where I see a difference in glass is after using them for a few hours. Even though you may not see much difference outside at the store, after 2-3 hours of glassing in poor lighting you will know if you have the right binos. May want to check into the return / exchange policy with the place you are planning on buying them.

 

[tipsntails7]

I really like the razors, they will be the next binos I buy most likely, I really do not care for the ergonomics of the zeiss' I've handled, glass is great just can't stand holding them. No experience with meopta

 

[mt100gr.]

Good bino review Bitterroot Bulls. The kind of info I am looking for as I do my research as well as things to physically check and consider when I have my hands on them. Thanks.

 

[tenth1]

For what it is worth, I have had the Viper HD's (10x42) for several years in the Alaska weather. Outside of a little silt in the mechanics, they have been fantastic.

Only change would be to get 8x next time around.

 

[AGPank]

I have had 10x50 viper HDs. I think the 42 mm model would have better suited my needs as the narrow field of view wasn't to my liking. I also like the razor hd in 10x42 for light weight and very bright image. The set I had experienced slight CA and I preferred the Meostar HD image and ergonomics. Vortex does have the warranty advantage.

I didn't like the ergonomics of the conquest HDs, but haven't spent much time behind them. I don't know if they have the tripod thread built in, I know some users here modified theirs, but something to keep in mind if you use a tripod. Zeiss had a great abuse and misuse video that does demonstrate how tough they are.

He slc HDs are excellent, but you jump up to $1700. There are lots of reviews on here on these models. Read and test on your own if you can. I didn't have a lot of options to test so bought used and resold some to learn.

 

[mt100gr.]

Thanks everyone. Unless something has changed, or it just isn't as good as it sounds, Meopta has a full warranty, transferable/ lifetime. Anyone have any experience with that?

 

[JNDEER]

I have looked through all of them. here is my take.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?7225-My-quest-for-quot-the-one-quot

 

[mt100gr.]

Great review for sure. Did you get to keep 10k worth of Cabelas points even after you returned the others??

Honestly, I am afraid to even look through the 2000 dollar plus binos. I know what would happen. (My wife would sell anything that said Hoyt or Kifaru on it...)

I appreciate all the insight, everyone. Gonna get behind a few pair this weekend and take some notes. I can definitely see the advantage of clarifying the "return policy" beforehand. How they perform on the mountain can't be derived from parking lot glassing.

 

[JNDEER]

Great review for sure. Did you get to keep 10k worth of Cabelas points even after you returned the others??

Honestly, I am afraid to even look through the 2000 dollar plus binos. I know what would happen. (My wife would sell anything that said Hoyt or Kifaru on it...)

I appreciate all the insight, everyone. Gonna get behind a few pair this weekend and take some notes. I can definitely see the advantage of clarifying the "return policy" beforehand. How they perform on the mountain can't be derived from parking lot glassing.

LOL. I did not have a cabelas card with that high of a limit. There is nothing extreme between a $2k and a $1k bino. Noticeable differences YES, but nothing like going from a $500 to a $1k. That difference to my eyes was extreme.

If you can get the ones your interested in and do a side by side in the field that is your best bet for success in picking the bino for you. Also make sure to glass at different hours, that too can make a difference.

 

[mt100gr.]

This is all good stuff. The hardest part for me is taking my time. Once I get it in my head to buy something I am excited about, I get hasty. I am not in a hurry though, it's gonna take a few trips to the glass store for sure. (And the budget needs a few more rounds with the snowplow before winter is over.)

Also, who can clarify what "demo" really means with regard to cameralandny?? Are they used? Returned? Floor models? That's a tempting option indeed...