Binos - buy once cry once?

[mxgsfmdpx]

I have not heard of Meopta brand, what makes them equal / better than the Vortex?

Meopta MeoStars are far superior glass, image quality, clarity, non field flattening, do the best job managing chromatic aberration of any binocular I’ve tested, and are the closest to “true color” to what my naked eyes see.

The field flattening and rolling ball effect from the razors make me sick. The image clarity on the edges and peripherals (where you catch most game moving) is night and day between the vortex and meostar. No image distortion, color blurring, or shadowing on the meostars where the vortex struggles.

Lots of other things I could touch on but comparing the Meostar to the Vortex isn’t even a fair comparison. Meostars compare to Swaro and Zeiss in my experience.

 

[Spiral Horn]

I have not heard of Meopta brand, what makes them equal / better than the Vortex?

Meopta (based in Prerov, Czech Republic) is a well established premium optics manufacturer that has been around since 1936. Their primary focus during WWII and state run operations that followed were military optics applications. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that they became the current private Meopta that we know today. But they have a depth of engineering and manufacturing expertise and facilities and extensive experience in optics and optical component manufacture. This includes not just sport, but military and commercial/industrial optical solutions. Unlike many others, they even produce their own lenses.

They are very well known in Europe but haven’t been as heavily marketed under the Meopta name in the USA until fairly recently. But they also have a long history as an elite OEM manufacturer for other optics companies. A few of their better known endeavors were the very highly regarded and recently discontinued Cabelas Euro and Instinct product lines; and the current Nightforce TS80 Spotting Scope.

Under their own Meopta brand the MeoStar Line is their top end and they are highly refined and very rugged premium optics products. I have a MeoStar S2 Spotting Scope that is simply spectacular. If I were ever to buy another it would be to get something with a finer micro-focus, but the MeoStar Optics are simply stellar. The MeoStars are almost always a finalist in top-end optics comparisons (which speaks volumes). With a deep history as a military optics manufacturer their product designs are often very rugged and durable.

BL - Meopta is a top-end optics manufacturer both under their own name and as an OEM for others. I would not be at all surprised to learn that some other famous named optics contain some Meopta glass or components.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Meopta (based in Prerov, Czech Republic) is a well established premium optics manufacturer that has been around since 1936. Their primary focus during WWII and state run operations that followed were military optics applications. It wasn’t until the early 1990s that they became the current private Meopta that we know today. But they have a depth of engineering and manufacturing expertise and facilities and extensive experience in optics and optical component manufacture. This includes not just sport, but military and commercial/industrial optical solutions. Unlike many others, they even produce their own lenses.

They are very well known in Europe but haven’t been as heavily marketed under the Meopta name in the USA until fairly recently. But they also have a long history as an elite OEM manufacturer for other optics companies. A few of their better known endeavors were the very highly regarded and recently discontinued Cabelas Euro and Instinct product lines; and the current Nightforce TS80 Spotting Scope.

Under their own Meopta brand the MeoStar Line is their top end and they are highly refined and are very rugged premium optics products. I have a MeoStar S2 Spotting Scope that is simply spectacular. If I were ever to buy another it would be to get something with a finer micro-focus, but the MeoStar Optics are simply stellar. The MeoStars are almost always a finalist in top-end optics comparisons (which speaks volumes). With a deep history as a military optics manufacturer their product designs are often very rugged and durable.

BL - Meopta is a top-end optics manufacturer both under their own name and as an OEM for others. I would not be at all surprised to learn that some other famous named optics contain some Meopta glass or components.

Correct. Meopta makes glass for Zeiss and is usually branded under their “affordable” lines such as their “Conquest” scope offerings.

 

[IH8Cali]

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[guylaga]

If you wanting to buy once cry once then I would go look through all the binos together and see what your eyes like Zeiss, Swaro or Leica is what I would look through and figure out which one looked the best to my eyes….. Then look through the UHDs and see if your eyes notice a difference,

Honestly that's the best reply, I will likley do just that.

 

[thebest3]

From my personal experience. If you want to buy once cry once cannot go wrong with Swarovski. That way you wont have the urge to upgrade.. until a new model come out. lol

 

[JGRaider]

You'll take a beating on resale with Vortex UHD's.

 

[gr8fuldoug]

You should also talk to Doug at Camralandy, he is a sponsor here, and offers some fantastic deals.

It would be my pleasure to discuss options with you. In no particular order I would say the "Top Shelf" would be a display of
Swarovski NL Pure & EL's, Leica Noctivid and Ultravid Plus, Kowa Genesis, Zeiss Victory SF, one shelf down I'd say Meopta Meostar Plus, Leica Trinovid, Zeiss Conquest HD, Meopta Meopro Air

Optical quality is also affected by how good your vision is

Give a call to discuss which would be best for you as well as special opportunities

 

[BBob]

Cut to the chase and buy some NL's. Keep them forever and even with future improvements you'll never be left very far behind. I have a pair of first generation EL's and while things have certainly improved they are still very viable and I still use them for certain situations. My NL's are fantastic though!

 

[CApighunter]

I’ll echo the chorus of Swaro EL/NL, Zeiss SF, or Leica Noctovids. Something to consider is magnification, are you set on 10x? I bought my “lifetime purchase” binos this year, Zeiss SFs in an 8x42. The lower power is incredibly easy to handhold, super bright, field of view is huge, and I feel I give up very little to a pair of 10x. I’d suggest trying with an 8x unless you’re looking at the NLs then I’d probably do a 10x with the FOV being as wide as it is. If I need more power, I’ll bring the spotter or 15s.

 

[radar1225S]

Newbie here. I am also at a crossroads in upgrading my binoculars. I am a firm believer in buy once cry once, but binos arent my most used piece of equipment. That being said I don't think I am wanting to spend Swaro money but rather Razor HD money.

 

[guylaga]

That being said I don't think I am wanting to spend Swaro money but rather Razor HD money.

That was my thought.

I was thinking that Razors where close to the same level as Swaro / Zeiss, but from the feedback on here it does not quite seem to be the case.

 

[radar1225S]

That was my thought.

I was thinking that Razors where close to the same level as Swaro / Zeiss, but from the feedback on here it does not quite seem to be the case.

That was my impression too! Just recently discovered Maven binoculars thanks to this forum and I considered myself in the know of high-performance brands.

 

[nobody]

That was my thought.

I was thinking that Razors where close to the same level as Swaro / Zeiss, but from the feedback on here it does not quite seem to be the case.

That's not necessarily the case, and only your own eyes can tell you. I would WAY rather see somebody spend $500 on a pair of binos and use the excess funds to buy 2 more tags every year. Contrary to what lots of guys on here would have you believe, you can be successful year after year using mid-grade glass and store brand camo.

As I stated above, my eyes do not like Swarovski glass. Zeiss and Leica handily beat the Swaro for me without question, and I like my Razor UHD's a ton. To my eyes, the UHD's are on a shelf above the Swaro's, but that's just me. And I'm just some random guy on the internet. Try as many different pairs and brands as you can and don't buy into the hype. If your eyes like the Leupold BX5's the best, then any additional money spent to go with Swaro would be a waste. Also, it's important to remember that the Razor is broken into 2 tiers: the $1k HD's, and the $1500 UHD's. There's a MAJOR optical and physical difference between the 2.

Another one to throw out that you should really entertain is the Maven, either the B2 or B6. They do a 2 week "test drive" where you can order a demo pair, use them in field (within reason) and test them, and then either keep them at a discount, return them, or return them and order a brand new pair.

 

[guylaga]

That's not necessarily the case, and only your own eyes can tell you. I would WAY rather see somebody spend $500 on a pair of binos and use the excess funds to buy 2 more tags every year. Contrary to what lots of guys on here would have you believe, you can be successful year after year using mid-grade glass and store brand camo.

As I stated above, my eyes do not like Swarovski glass. Zeiss and Leica handily beat the Swaro for me without question, and I like my Razor UHD's a ton. To my eyes, the UHD's are on a shelf above the Swaro's, but that's just me. And I'm just some random guy on the internet. Try as many different pairs and brands as you can and don't buy into the hype. If your eyes like the Leupold BX5's the best, then any additional money spent to go with Swaro would be a waste. Also, it's important to remember that the Razor is broken into 2 tiers: the $1k HD's, and the $1500 UHD's. There's a MAJOR optical and physical difference between the 2.

Another one to throw out that you should really entertain is the Maven, either the B2 or B6. They do a 2 week "test drive" where you can order a demo pair, use them in field (within reason) and test them, and then either keep them at a discount, return them, or return them and order a brand new pair.

Totally understand, and believe me if it was easier to draw tags I would be putting my money toward that instead.

I have been using lower end glass and harvesting game successfully, but figure its time to step up from the binos I have used since college or where gifted years ago.

Mavens did peak my interest, and I am waiting on the review from the front page especially since it is vs Razor HD and UHDs.

Also for clarity my original idea was to get the UHDs.

 

[radar1225S]

The difference in quality between brands and models would be difficult for me to pick apart mainly because I am upgrading from low-budget level Nikons. Any of the previously mentioned models would probably blow my mind.

 

[Jimss]

I've been using Leica and Swaro for the past 40 years and have no reason to look elsewhere. I learned years and years ago that the lifetime investment is worth the additional price. I used and abuse both of these brands almost on a weekly basis and they have definitely withstood the test of time. I recently updated to a Leica-rangefinder combo. I got tired of carrying both! It's also SOOOO much quicker than going back and forth between binos and rangefinder. If you think about it, taking less time setting up may be the difference between getting a kill shot or watching a monster buck or bull run over the horizon.

If you are paying top dollar for binos, make sure to buy a bino-rangefinder combo. Definitely worth it! If you can't afford brand new.....watch the classified section of this website, craigslist, marketplace, ebay, etc. Sometimes you may even be able to pick up a hardly used demo model. I've gotten several pairs of nearly new Leica and Swaro spotters and binos for almost 1/2 price by doing this.

 

[Mhopper5]

I've been using Leica and Swaro for the past 40 years and have no reason to look elsewhere. I learned years and years ago that the lifetime investment is worth the additional price. I used and abuse both of these brands almost on a weekly basis and they have definitely withstood the test of time. I recently updated to a Leica-rangefinder combo. I got tired of carrying both! It's also SOOOO much quicker than going back and forth between binos and rangefinder. If you think about it, taking less time setting up may be the difference between getting a kill shot or watching a monster buck or bull run over the horizon.

If you are paying top dollar for binos, make sure to buy a bino-rangefinder combo. Definitely worth it! If you can't afford brand new.....watch the classified section of this website, craigslist, marketplace, ebay, etc. Sometimes you may even be able to pick up a hardly used demo model. I've gotten several pairs of nearly new Leica and Swaro spotters and binos for almost 1/2 price by doing this.

Plus if you go for one of the big three think of all the time you will save not looking for validation on the ones you did buy. It seems everyone who doesn’t go big has all the right reasons and justifications and they want to beat it to death. These are a tools and used to give you an advantage in the hunt.

On a personal note, I found once I had premium glass, I found joy in using my “tools.” So much so I was scouting a lot more and helping others with their hunt. I always felt if I can find the animal I can take the animal, so finding it is the fun part. If I take the animal then next weekend there might not be anything to look at. In other words the joy I get from using quality glass is better and more repeatable than the hunt kill. This level of glass isn’t required to hunt, it just brings more joy to it.

 

[Maverick1]

It kind of depends on several factors.

• Are you going to use these binoculars once a season?
• Are you going to use these binoculars for multiple days on end, mounted to a tripod, field judging the trophy quality of some animals? Do you hunt multiple times in a week/month/season?

Kind of opposite ends of the spectrum, there.

 

[Jimss]

The number of days I scout each year way out number the days I hunt. If you scout effectively this will likely happen unless it’s a late season migratory or rut hunt where animals tend to migrate or rut later into the season.

I’ve add also extending the days I scout and hunt by shed hunting or hunting other species at different times of year. There aren’t too many months I’m not looking through glass. As mhopper5 alluded to it’s a joy looking through the best glass $ can buy for hours upon hours with a front row seat watching wildlife!