Great interview Lee. I hope the new Cabela's armor style is strictly to differentiate it from the standard Meostar. I like the Meostar just like it is!
I got some Meoptas today, both binos and scope. Cracking bits of kit.
Most interesting interview. Thanks. Interesting US-links.
Meopta builds very nice high quality and is not overpriced yet. And still made in Europe. A company to watch for sure. I just would like them to be slightly more traditional designed please. A little less "cucumber"-style. But the parts that really matter are top notch.
The little "cucumber" like bumps on the objective tubes where you hold them---maybe?:h?:
Bob
Lee, post 1,
Thank you for the interview of Milos of Meopta, very nice and informative. During our visit to Meopta in Prerov we also had a long conversation with him in the company building and later at a dinner which was organised for us as visitors. Upon our question: wil there be new developments and he told us that there were plans for a complete new binocular line. As yet we however did not see it, so the Rausnitz family may have decided to postpone it for some time.
On the other hand shortly after that the new Meorange binocular came on the market: a beautiful binocular both to see as to look through came on the market, a binocular with built-in rangefinder. We have seen with great admiration how the complex housing was made by an excellent craftsman on his CNC machine. We also watched the many quality control steps for every binocular and telescope made. That made it very clear to us, that Meopta is a top quality company.
Gijs van Ginkel
I always wondered whether they were desperately trying to make the Nobilem series look non-military, in order to avoid bad war memories (hot or cold). Truly ugly. Though it was possible to make porro designs look clean and modern, as Swarovski did (I forget the name of that series in the 1980s).It's an instrument, so no need to design "geometry", curves and shapes, unneeded finger rests and fancy patterns of the season on top of it except you find some genius designer to do it. (and this criticism includes my own Docter Nobilem 10x50's design)
Technically I consider Meopta to be top notch and fairly priced. And I might very well buy some later one day.
I would have considered the B1 but I found it so ugly that I didn't take it. If it only could be a little less "designed". I have to to say this goes for many new binoculars of many manufacturers. The later made the uglier. It's an instrument, so no need to design "geometry", curves and shapes, unneeded finger rests and fancy patterns of the season on top of it except you find some genius designer to do it. (and this criticism includes my own Docter Nobilem 10x50's design)
This is admittedly just my taste and others might think different. To take another example I think many current cars are über-ugly by design. That might happen because you take standard mass produced cars -all have to be designed for the same regulations like pedestrian protection- and then companies try to add some "image" on top afterwards by putting on ugly details.
Being old school and coming back to binoculars: Make them purely functional again, more like microscopes and less of some "sports" article please. I even accept leatherette or heavy duty rubber seals for functional comfort. But this "piece of art" approach is not for me.
I recently got the 12x50 B1, HD, and find it a very nice binocular, the
balance and handling, and the armor are all just right. The thumb indents are
also perfect for me.
Binoculars are not cars.
So try before you criticize. :smoke:
Jerry
I am not surprised to read that Meopta supplies other brands with components. Finished or semi-finished prisms may be a significant part of that business. I will point out that the Czech Republic borders on Austria, as well as Germany.
Happy bird watching,
Arthur :hi:
I read they build spotting scopes for both Leica and Zeiss.