Meopta 15x56 HD - Reviews and Information (1 Viewer)

[HenRun]

tenex: yes, that is the one phrase from Meopta that made me order it unseen.

EDIT: I also emailed Meopta Czechia directly and was promptly answered that the 1.1 I had been trying to find was no longer being made but that they had their first batch of 15x56 HD B1 Plus fairly recently made and that production and shipping had been delayed but that they were happy to send me a pair through the sales agent in Sweden. They even sent the sales agent a forwarded email with my details to help me out. It was informative and a personal email which is a credit to the Meopta staff for taking the time instead of a generic reply.

Of course, they did not give away any company secrets during the email conversation. On the B2 plus they stated that there was a delay in the factory/production and that was it.

Based my decision on good reviews of the previous model as compared to Swarovski saying that they were very close in performance. With a few saying they can't tell the difference other than field of view. After reading Meoptas statement I decided it was worth a try.

The Meopta is truly optically excellent. I haven't seen the B1 or 1.1 myself so I cannot comment on how much it is improved but in this magnification class, incremental improvements are probably easier to spot than on lower power binoculars.

I can work the Meopta well enough with glasses, have them set up in front of me as I write. And the viewing is very good, but I would have wished for a mm or so more eye relief for perfect viewing in my case. Without glasses they are for sure a keeper!

I would like to compare them to the Swarovski SLC HD 15X56 but as I have written before I don't expect the Swarovskis to be optically superior - I even suspect that the glare/flare handling is better on Meopta and that the Plus model closes the gap compared to the previous model.

BUT, and it is a big but, if the Swarovskis are optically equal to the Meoptas with better viewing with glasses I would consider trading, but I am not sure I would do it. I don't care about the brand name and in any case I would have preferred to keep the Meopta. Selling a bino I just bought brand new in a market (Sweden) where the Meopta is virtually unheard of will most likely lead to me losing too much in the "lateral" trade. I even considered getting new glasses instead - but I realized the ones I have are slim profile and that it would not help me out. I like my glasses, I like my Meopta.

If I could sell it a reasonable price/loss I would consider trading, provided I have had the chance to run them either side by side or trying the Swaro´s in store and feeling happy with the eye relief. The dealership hasn't got them in stock for month or two and I am not sure I want to order and return from an online vendor yet again.

 

[HenRun]

I would also like to say that I think it is cool to have an excellent pair of binoculars that not many have heard of and I support the underdog if I can.
I know Meopta does not need my blessing and can do without my meager sales contribution but I really like them and being very superficial I think it is also a cool name and a cool Logo.

I think most newer Swarovski binoculars are ugly - both in color and shape - but if I was convinced they are the best I would still get them.

 

[kestrel1]

Hello,
the eye relief on12x50 HD+ is not well suitable for eyeglasses, as the FOV get restricted, here the EL SV perform better for 12x.
Stability of view is very good as binocular has some weight and allow good grip. Still 12x is allways better suitable at walks around fields, lakes or on mountainviews which do not require too much hiking effort.

Thanks
Best Regards

 

[HenRun]

Thank you Kestrel1, I have suspected based on reviews that eye relief is not the strongest point on the 12x50.

I decided to go "all the way" in my quest and I now have the Swarovski 15x56 SLC HD on order, should arrive after the weekend.
I treated myself to the Swarovski quick release bino adapter which fits well enough on the Meopta to make it a keeper, regardless of outcome.

I have three criteria which, if at least the two most important are met, will make me trade for the Swarovski:

1) Eye Relief with glasses. If it is clearly better, then that will be number one in the decision making.
2) CA control. It is on such a high level on the Meopta that Swarovski will have to be at least on par. I actually expect the Swarovski to be worse.
If it is significantly worse I will keep the Meopta and live with the Eye Relief. Both criteria would have to be met.

3) Closer range parallax. Meopta does not allow me to merge the image near the close focus range.
If Swarovski allows me to merge the image fully at closer range too it is an added bonus.

In the event of a "tie" I will send back the Swarovski. No "lateral" trades for me, the only way is up!

I really have no idea of what to expect, part of me is hoping the Meopta is as "good as it gets" in this type of binocular and that I can send back the Swarovski knowing I gave it a try.

Given how good the Meopta B1 plus is I am excited to see what they will churn out in the B2 series, when and if they materialize. Should they release a 15x binocular I would kick myself for not waiting but in ernest I am more looking forward to a lower power binocular to go with either the Meopta B1 plus or Swarovski 15x56 SLC.

 

[bartd]

I checked with Meopta and that statement is true.

 

[NDhunter]

That seems to just be marketing jargon, that is done all the time.

Jerry

 

[wal]

Hi HenRun,

you mentioned that you ordered the new Swaro SLC 15x56 HD (W B or how it is officially called).
Theoretically the Swaro should be sharp to the very edge, and slightly brighter. The field flattening of the Swaro is supposedly great, except some people don't like it when panning. Generally, the SLC should be ideal for serious hunters, that spend a lot of time slowly scanning the whole view for animals.
I'm not a hunter, and when glassing I have a tendency to just jump all over the place I actually do like a little bit of pincushion distortion, seems more natural to me when panning.

Did you get the latest Swaro W B and compare it with the MeoStar B1+? I'm very curious, since I do not wear glasses so for the money the 15x B1+ seems a good deal. The central sharpness should be at least as good as the Swaro, and the price difference allows me to buy a nice tripod and a good bino adapter, with still some money left.
As for the close distance performance, what is the minimal distance where you can merge the images comfortably with the MeoStar?

I'm planning to use it on a tripod, so weight and ergo is not that big an issue. Tried one with fluid head, and it spoiled me. The horizontal panning is super smooth and starting/stoping the panning motion doesn't shake or flex the tripod at all, very addictive.

 

[kestrel1]

Hello Wal,
there is eshop https://www.hermes.sk/meopta+217/meopta-dalekohlad-meostar-b1-15x56-hd/ in SK,
showing quite low price for standard version. In case they really have it, might be worth to try.
I bought 12x50+ from Meopta directly and I can confirm that Meopta has very precise grinding/coating technology and true HD glass. Meopta performance exceeds my expectations mainly in terms of center-field resolution and has still big enough sweetspot.

Thanks
Best Regards/

 

[HenRun]

Hey Wal, yes, I did compare the latest/current version of the Swarovski SLC.

in short the Meopta suits me as good or better than the Swarovski and I use the Meopta with the Swaro tripod adapter.

Evidently the Meopta has less CA though it is not a problem on the Swarovski. I do stand by my comment that the Meopta is a hair sharper in the center. I find the lesser field of view adequate on the Meopta as I use it for detail viewing.

Merging the Meopta is inferior to the Swarovski and I merge well around 10m give or take a few. Under that it is troublesome for me. My IPD is 61mm.

The Swarovski I could merge all the way easily to great effect. Superb at close range. I did however find the ca most disturbing at closer range when viewing details with depth.
In dull weather the Swarovski pops more but the Meopta is no slouch.

I use the Meopta 90% on tripod.

 

[HenRun]

I agree, center resolution is hard to find better at any price. I have never seen it. Fall off is gradual and not dramatic.

 

[wal]

kestrel1:
I noticed that too and already asked them about the B1. Sadly they are out of stock and not being made anymore. From what I've seen there should still be some B1.1 around for 100e less than the B1+.
I do want to do some in-shop comparison of the MeoStar B1.1/+ vs Swaro SLC, but given that the non-essential shops just opened now after months of corona-related restrictions, it might take a while. I do not want to spend 2K+ on a bino, even the 1300-1400e for a MeoStar is stretching it, but if the image quality and viewing comfort is there, I fear I will not be able to resist

HenRun:
10m minimum distance is ok for me, as my experience with my 8x42 Nikon Prostaff 7s shows that I rarely use even the relatively light and compact 8x on very close subjects, even though it focuses at around 2.4m and the view is comfortable for such close range.
I routinely take the 8x42 with me when going outdoors, and the image quality is decent for the price, but on tripod it shows that it is not high-level glass. Generous dose of CA, and the angular resolution is according my very crude measurements, about 80% of what my eyes are able to see. But imho binos in the 200-250e range still offer absolutely better image quality and viewing experience than the cheapest stuff, making them gateway binos

My use case for the bulkier/shakier 15x will be similar to yours: always using it on a tripod, generally to go to viewpoints and look over longer distances, enjoying the little details. On weekends I plan to haul the 3kg tripod with the 1+kg 15x bino to all nearest hills with a good view...
I sometimes go to the Danube river to watch water birds, so that is 30-250m range and the MeoStar should still be ok. The river is wide and slow there, and I find looking over the water in the summer very relaxing. (the danubian mosquitos totally agree)

On a clear spring day with the 8x(tripod), I was able to spot gondolas of a ski lift moving against the snowy mountain, at a distance of 70km. Based on the amount of detail my 8x gives me, a good quality 15x would be a treat, limited only by the state of the atmosphere. The higher magnification binos (20x-25x) are huge and heavy, and my theory is that in perfect conditions, a high quality 15x should allow you to see the same detail as a cheap 20x. When I observed distant mountains in summer with the 8x, it seemed that after 60-70km of range, even high-end 25x100 ED binos should not show more detail, since it just isn't there by the time the light reaches you through the 10's of kms of turbulent air.

 

[HenRun]

wal: I agree with your reasoning. 15x works very well even if there is some heat shimmer. There is a horse farm around 1 to 1.2 km away and on a clear day I can read the sign. Yes, the sign is fairly large, but still! I am amazed by the resolution every time I look through the Meopta 15x56 - it never gets old. It is probably as good as the 10x42 HD in the center.

Also I have become better at handholding it so now I can do it for a little while longer before I attach it with the rapid plate to the tripod. I have tried spotting scopes but the heat shimmer a little past 20X is often too much and many of the better tubes start out around 20x. Also, I have realized I much prefer using both eyes so spotting scopes are out for me.

I only had a day and a half with the Swarovski 15x56 at my place to run them side by side but during that time I was more certain I had made the right choice in the end than when I started out and was kind of relieved to send the Swarovski back and not miss it. If I had never seen the Meopta I probably would have kept the Swarovski and never looked any further - but I am sure I would have thought it could have been a little better for the money.

Initially my plan was to have 8x and 15x "only". However over the six to seven months we have lived here I have come to the conclusion that the area around the house is very well suited for 8x to 10/12x glassing and that is how I ended up getting a 10x again. The 10x is stellar but is of course competing for time with both the 8x and the 15x. Which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place.

I should have listened to those who recommended 8x and 12x as it would be very interesting to see how the Meopta 12x50 is, it has a very good reputation and so far all of the Meopta Meostar HD have been very impressive.

Not saying I would go that route but if I did I would have to decide if I would like to use my return period on the 10x very soon - and sell the Meopta 15x which means exchanging two well known optical performers for an unknown. I would kick myself if it didn't work out. It would make sense in a way because I would have "only" two instead of three that are constantly in rotation or competing for glassing time. Meopta is unfortunately not very known on the Swedish market so selling the 15x would take quite some time and I would not want to lose out too much in the process so it will probably remain just an idea.

Love all of my three binos but I am trying to keep the hassle to a minimum.

 

[HenRun]

Hopefully the 8x32 will arrive before the weekend. It will be a genuine Meopta-party with the Meostar 8x32/10x42/15x56 , the MeoPro Air 10x42 and the Zeiss 8x32 FL for "reference". The Meostar 8x32 might not show up in time but hopes are high the Air will be here on Friday so we will be having a bird watching session on Saturday.

 

[HenRun]

Wal: I would like to add that if your IPD is less than 61-62mm and you have the Meopta 15x56 on a tripod adapter it will be very little to play with for setting your IPD. I would recommend an adapter that straps down the bino instead. If your IPD is 62mm or larger you probably can use a little thicker adapter if you use the snap in type. The Meopta 15x56 tubes are a little fat so there is very little room for the tripod adapter if you have narrow set eyes.

I use the Swarovski tripod adapter with locking stud on the Meopta and the Swaro adapter is very thin so it gives me that little extra for my eyes - sometimes I wish for an extra mm though.

Eye placement on the Swarovski is easier but with glasses I get some ocular reflections and sometimes this can be very annoying. Meopta gives me none of that ocular reflection but eye placement is a little more demanding. Most of the time it is dead on right for me now that I have set it up but sometimes if I pan and stand with the tripod and my legs in a less than optimal placement then I have to work some more to center my eyes to the binos. I know from handholding the binos that the binos are perfectly fine with glasses but sometimes on tripod I have to hunt a little more for the best eye placement. This should hold true for the Swarovski on tripod as well but during the testing of the Swarovski I had a very solid set up of the tripod and both the Meopta and Swarovski were no problem.

All that said I have glassed with the 10x42HD and 15x56 side by side now around 20:45 in very low light. The 15x56 does have an advantage when the deer move in the tree line - I can spot them with the 15x56 but they are hardly visible with the 10x42. Out in the open the 15x56 holds the advantage on a tripod - given the same light the magnification wins out by some margin.

 

[wal]

I only have a cheap and flimsy adapter for the 8x42, for the 15x56 I'm thinking about the Swarovski adapter, it looks solid and comfortably thin. The price is a bit steep, and I have about 65mm of IPD so maybe a thicker one would work too. A strap adapter is interesting, because it doesn't need the vertical "rod". So if it directly screws into the tripod plate, it would give me lower center of gravity and perhaps a tad less shake.

I have read that a lot of people really like the ease of eye placement on the Swaros, and I need to test that against the MeoStar. I guess ER alone will certainly not be a problem, but the Swaros obviously are optimized for viewing comfort. I have read that the CA control in the MeoStar is less dependend on the eye placement than in the Swaros. Well this needs to really be tested using my own set of eyes. In my 8x there is enough central CA present that a perfect eye placement does not make a big difference. With the relatively big exit pupil and decent ER, the view in the 8x is comfortable regardless of how I slam it against my face I should probably set my expectations a little lower for the 15x binos..

In the future, I will probably upgrade the 8x to some decent 10x42 with a wide view. And maybe add a small, light and low power bino to always have with me like 4-6x20-25. I think Nikon even made some really ultra pocket-sized 4x10, but the AFOV was only 40°... Such low powers are not sought after by buyers, so there is not much choice in this segment, and the "regular" 8x25 seem too shaky and overpowered to me. 6x/10x/15x would be a nice spread, adding roughly 50% magnification with each step.

I live in the middle of a big city, so the most interesting thing to look at out of the window is the local pidgeon population. And when the refinery 6km away occasionaly flares excess gas at night (and the yellow-red 15m flames illuminate half of the city) in the venerable 8x I can see the most unusual kind of chromatic abberation: green and orange There is no blue light in the spectrum of the flames, but there is obviously enough of green, who would have guessed that...

 

[HenRun]

Wal, all good points. CA is at an absolute minimum in the Meostar HD range regardless of eye placement. When you start to look around the Swarovski 15x56 it is easily detectable off axis - but I would not call it disturbing. I am sure they had to sacrifice something to get that flatter field.

One thing to consider is that Meopta used to make (and maybe still makes) a 2x / Doubler of very high quality that screws in the right side ocular and makes it a make shift spotting scope with twice the power. You can still look through the left side and find your target of interest and then "zoom in". I am thinking of getting one as it apparently fits a few of the Meostars. You screw out the right side ocular which is threaded and replace it with the Doubler.

If you have around 65mm IPD I think you will find the 15x56 Meopta easier on the eyes than I do but I think the TAs-SLC adapter from Swaro is necessary not only because it is slimmer, it also locks down better and the cheaper one I tried (Bushnell) started to unscrew itself in use and did not allow for my IPD. The Meopta 15x56 has a more gentle sharpness drop off than the 10x42 HD. If I look at the treeline across the field the 10x42 falls off quicker towards the edges if you try to absorb the whole image. If you just look at that pair of birds you have centered at you don't really notice.

If you choose a latch on adapter they usually work very well too and if for the most part cheaper than the Swarovski adapter.

The 15x56 is definitely on the same level as the 10x42 and with the narrower field of view you get more attention to detail. I am sitting right now at breakfast with the two binos looking at birds across the field. Both are great and the 10x42 is better for panning birds in flight but as always when they are equally resolving and the viewing conditions are good: magnification wins. When I start out with the 10x I often think I don't need more power than this - then I put my eyes to the 15x on the tripod and think; "well, this gives me more detail at this range".

On a Monopod I have a Leica adapter with rubber strap which wasn't cheap either - and the rubber strap broke after a couple of years... ...but I solved it with a bungee cord that replaces the strap and does it well going from the anchor end, across and back in a sort of a triangle and the I hook the looped end to the original opposite side anchor point.

Pictures here, the tripod head is a Manfrotto RC 128 which is smooth and I simply removed the handle which is only in the way. I have the center lock unlocked for panning and use the side lock slightly tensioned for smooth action and I just move the 15x56 around and then lock. Works very well!
Swaro adapter in place.

Picture number two is with the 10x42HD on a Manfrotto monopod and the Leica bino adapter with my home made bungy cord solution. Works really good as well. The tripod mount tilts which is actually useful even on a monopod and it locks down too.

Image quality isn't the best due to murky indoor light.

 

[wal]

Hi HenRun, and thank you for the pics. The Swaro adapter sure looks squeezed there
The Leica adapter certainly is lower, and also allows for some forward/backward balance adjustment, I'm intrigued... But judging from the photos, it might not quite fully fit the 15x56, did you use it like that?

As for the compromises, the Zeiss Conquest HD 15x56 is in the same price range and has a much bigger AFOV, I think it was around 68-9°. But many people have noted that CA was too easily visible in the latest Conquest, given its price. That probably means it is also slightly less sharp than the Swaro SLC, where the small residual CA is not that noticeable according to many. The Swaros are supposedly using a field flattener with some unusual profile that should work very well. However some folks report slight barrel effect when panning with the Swaro. I'm especially interested to try it because I'm quite tolerant to pincushion distortion, which in theory means I should see the barrel effect in the Swaro too. But maybe it will surprise me

One weird FOV issue I noticed with a big astro bino was, that I couldn't see the entire 65° FOV at once. Even with correctly placed eyes, I had to look around to see the field stop. The bino had a decent 4.4mm exit pupils with 17mm of ER, so during the day my eyes were definitely well within the EP with some room to spare. I'm not sure what was going on there.

I tested a tripod with Manfrotto MHXPRO head, it was in total 2.75kg but I think the weight is worth the stability over lighter tripods. The head itself is not too expensive, and therefore does not have true tension adjustment, but with a 1.2kg bino it should allow 25-30° tilt before needing to tight down. The astro bino I tested it with was a 2kg+/30cm piece on a relatively heavy and tall (14-15 cm) adapter, and still it worked ok for terrestrial viewing. The horizontal axis allowed precise movement using just a light touch, no "sticking" at all, I was impressed. Tracking a bird in flight was very doable, unlike with the cheap tripod. The bird was far though, so I didn't need to change my position.

 

[HenRun]

Hey Wal!

The Leica adapter was used with the 15x56 before I got the Swarovski adapter. It actually works a little bit better with the Leica (or any similar) adapter. The reason is like you mentioned from the picture. Even the slim adapter squeezes the barrels in at about exactly my IPD and off the adapter I have some more room to spare and I find that I could use a fraction of a tighter squeeze in at times.
However, for the most part since it is just/barely within my IPD I prefer it on the larger tripod head mainly because I can click it on/off very fast.

I am quite sure you would not like the Conquest, the CA level is simply too much. It really detracts from the imaging. Take it from a Zeiss guy, it is not worth the Zeiss badge.

On the Swarovski SLC almost everything was top notch. On very bright day viewings I find the image a little harsh or overbearing, this is when that little amount of CA kicks in more visibly and sometimes looking at branches the CA pops up in out of focus edges. This is one of the instances where the Meopta was better and gave me a slightly cleaner looking image.

Other than that the Swarovski performs brilliantly. I don't quite recall but there might have been some ocular reflections with the SLC which are a little bit disturbing with glasses. I don't recall because I had both the Pure NL 12x42 and the 15x56 SLC at my house within a short period of time and one (or both!) gave me some stray light problems and ocular reflexes. Not to any alarming degree though the Meopta did a little better in that regard.

In overcast conditions the Swarovski is really nice to look through.

You should take any review with a grain of salt as I could not recommend either the Meopta or the Swarovski to anyone else but me because they are both that good. I think many - perhaps even most - would and will choose the Swaro for brand recognition and perhaps status and resale value. For me those are attributes I do not care about at all.

Even if I chose and prefer the Meopta I don't think it is better in every regard, but for the sum of all parts I think it is as good as or even slightly better than the Swarovski SLC. I do glass late in the evenings and I guess the Swaro would give me a few more minutes of twilight going into dusk but those are not my priorities. To be blunt I would think that I would have overpaid if I had bought the Swaro and then seen the Meopta.

I have so far never seen through binoculars at any price range that can resolve more details (coupled to my eyes) at far distances than the Meostar HD range and the Zeiss FL and the Swarovski Pure NL. You can always argue that is subjective as some recollections are from memory but I have gone through a lot of binos over the years and in the process of finding what works for me.

Every day I use the Meostar HD and the Zeiss FL I feel I don't need better - and I have gotten by with worse!

Some days when my eyes are tired and I mash my glasses against the Meopta 15x56 I can't squeeze out all that resolution out but with rested eyes even small details at far are very crisply outlined to the point I am looking at bird details far across the field as I would at closer range at the bird feeder.

What I am trying to say in so many words is that these binoculars are not the limiting factor, they can show you as much detail as the magnification and my eyes combined can resolve.

 

[Tringa45]

Picture number two is with the 10x42HD on a Manfrotto monopod and the Leica bino adapter with my home made bungy cord solution. Works really good as well. The tripod mount tilts which is actually useful even on a monopod and it locks down too.

You are using the Leica adapter the wrong way round with the narrow"V" at the objective end.
Look at the lettering on the top: VORNE, FRONT, AVANT:
Btw, I'm sure you would be able to get a replacement strap from Leica.

John

 

[HenRun]

Hey John, regarding the adapter, yes, I know about the direction of the adapter.
However with the Bungy cord I have it the other way around since I latch it on the "wrong side" of the adapter where the rubber strap pin goes in so it is more ergonomic that way. If I still had the strap I would use it as normal.

One side of the adapter has a soft pad on it but the adapter is not dependent on direction or which tube it is leaning on which side and the handling is no different with the bino mounted facing the other direction - it is just a piece of plastic. It is flat on top so swinging it the wrong way changes nothing in handling. But good catch though!

I have spoken to the dealer about the strap, it is out of warranty so I would have to pay for a new strap and according to other reviews on the adapter it is very prone to breaking so I will not bother with a new strap. The strap lasted about three years with very light use so I think the bungy cord will outlast it.