This is an unusual review because the subject of the review has recently been discontinued so is no longer in production. It is unusual for me personally in that it is the first 7x model that I have reviewed and only the second 7x model that I have ever looked through, the first being a pristine Zeiss Dialyt 7x42 T* P* owned by Gary Hawkins and brought to the British Bird Fair a few years ago. Moreover the models with which it would be most obvious to compare the Meopta include Zeiss’s FL 7x42 (discontinued) and Nikon’s EDG 7x42 the future of which seems uncertain now that the whole EDG series has been taken off the Nikon’s USA and Australia websites, but remains on the UK and Netherlands sites. Swarovski only offers 7x in the Habicht porro series, which are the most handsome of binos and high performers, but are problematic for spectacle wearers, with only 15mm of eye relief, and a reduction in the field of view for spectacle wearers specifically mentioned on Swarovski’s website. There are many 7x porros available at varying price levels of course but this review will concentrate on roof prism binoculars. By the way although Meopta has stopped making the 7x42 MeoStar, it still (at the time of writing) offers the MeoStar 7x50 and of course Leica still offers the Ultravid HD Plus in 7x42.
The Meopta MeoStar B1 7x42 comes from a manufacturer that is not as well-known as many and, I would argue, is not as well-known as they deserve to be. Their first family of binoculars, the B1 range, is extensive, extending from 32mm objective sizes through 42, 50, up to an 8x56, and it is fair to say that achieving the lowest possible weight was not one of the main priorities. All of the models have a ‘chunky heft’ to them that speaks of a desire for durability, for example the 7x42mm model weighs around 900g / 31.6ozs which makes it 65g / 2ozs heavier than a Swarovski 8.5x42. They all have an optical tube shape reminiscent of a cross between a Leica BA/BN and a Zeiss FL, which is to say they have a curviness that is distinctive among so many models that have parallel-sided optical tubes today. The 7x42 follows the rest of the B1 family by being relatively compact, occupying the middle ground of about 150mm / 5.9in long in the company of Zeiss’s FL and Nikon’s EDG, half way between Swarovski’s EL 8.5x at 160mm / 6.3in and Leica’s Ultravid HD+ at about 140mm / 5.5in.
Binoculars with 7x magnification have held a favoured position in the estimation of a dedicated band of users for decades. Zeiss’s Dialyt 7x42, for some years considered the premier birding bino in Europe, was the inspiration behind the genesis of the original Swarovski EL. But in recent decades, sales of 7x binoculars have been in a steady decline, and when asked to comment on this, most brands say more or less the same thing: everybody loves them but nobody buys them
In view of the fact that the review model is no longer manufactured, I won’t spend any time on a critical examination of the accessories such as caps, rainguards, straps and cases. Let’s take a quick look at the specifications and then find out what they are like in the field.
Comparing fields of view, the MeoStar at 137m / 411ft is competitive with Leica’s Ultravid HD+ and Nikon’s EDG, both having 140m / 420ft, but all of them are left behind by Zeiss’s discontinued FL and it’s 150m / 450ft. The MeoStar’s close focus looks a little old-fashioned at 3m and is matched by Nikon’s EDG, with Leica bringing up the rear with 3.3m and Zeiss’s FL in the lead with 2.0 metres. Close focus isn’t a priority for everyone of course, but for observers interested in a broad range of nature subjects this is very useful attribute.
Bird Forum member Gijs van Ginkel tested the transmission of this model and the daylight transmission at 555nm came to 90.9%, a respectable figure, which bettered the figure he obtained from Leica’s Ultravid HD Plus 7x42 of 88.2% but was beaten by Zeiss’s FL 7x42 at 93.1%.
I took the MeoStar on a two week’s holiday to the south-east of England in the county of Suffolk, to what are known as the Suffolk Sandlings. These are large areas of sandy heaths, separated by lowland, coastal marshes, much of it designated as nature reserves, and are some of the best birding areas in the UK, with iconic species such as Dartford Warbler, Bearded Reedling, Nightjar, Bittern and Marsh Harrier, as well having celebrity species such as Starlet Sea Anemone in some coastal lagoons, Ant Lions at RSPB Minsmere and Norfolk Hawker dragonfly sites within easy reach.
Roaming the heaths, marshes and reed beds can mean long days, there is so much to see and the marshes can mean lengthy walks around the margins, to the extent that I wondered how the back of my neck would feel after a full day of carrying the 900g/32oz Meoptas but I needn’t have been concerned. I never gave their weight a thought while out walking and their relatively compact size (they are only about 10mm/0.4” longer than a Swaro EL 32mm) meant they handled well.
The view through them is bright, transparent and lively, as sharp from edge to edge as I would ever need, and when panning close to the sun, even in the late afternoon, there was no glare at all. Checking for chromatic aberration it was possible, with a big struggle, to find it right across the field of view but it was of such a miniscule, barely discernible degree, right up to the edges that it was totally forgettable. In fact I checked for CA very early in my first day of using them and when I started writing up my review, more than two weeks later, I had so totally enjoyed the view through them that I had to go outside and check for CA all over again as I began to mistrust my notes and wonder if my eye placement had generated the initial observation. I can’t emphasise too much how wrong it would be to dismiss these binos due to my observation of such a tiny amount of CA in the centre field, in fact it is more remarkable that this tight control was maintained all the way to the edge.
The proof of the pudding came a few days into our holiday when the MeoStar captured a ‘lifer’ for me deep in the heart of a wood-marsh of the kind that we call carr in the UK. It was at the head of a huge reed bed but inside the wetland wood that we heard an unfamiliar but very close bird call and there, only a few metres away was our first ever Firecrest. If you don’t know what these look like you really should Google them. It sported a bright golden crown with fiery red tinge, flanked by coal-black margins with a fabulous white eye stripe underneath. The Firecrest with its punk hairdo was so vivid through the Meoptas it was hard to believe that we ever thought it might be tricky to separate it from its Goldcrest cousin, which is a UK resident. In case you were wondering how a bino’s view can be said to be lively, the sparkling view I had of this bird is how. And the complex head pattern was rendered with precise sharpness, excellent colour and contrast.
Over the next few days the MeoStar gave great views over the vistas of huge heaths and vast reed beds with such a satisfyingly pleasant quality that I searched for an explanation. It is not field of view monster like Zeiss’s FL, although at 7.8deg it is no slouch, and in any case it wasn’t a question of quantity about the view so much as a quality. The only thing I can put it down to is the 7x magnification giving a greater depth of field than I am used to with my usual 8x, so at any distance, more of the view is in focus. Indeed the reduced need for focusing was far more noticeable than the loss of 1x magnification.
Several days after the Firecrest incident we spent two days roaming a heath where Dartford Warblers are resident. Day one was cold, wet and windy, but the next day was much more pleasant and we got our reward in the shape of a Dartford briefly glimpsed and, after a nail-biting wait, it perched on top of a small gorse bush in full view. And there it was through the MeoStars: slate grey head and plum-coloured breast. Although not as dramatically coloured as the Firecrest’s head, the Dartford was still a bird of magic and beauty and the MeoStar did it full justice.
The following day we hiked around another marsh and visited a corner of an adjacent wood where, 30 years ago we had seen large clumps of Mistletoe growing wild in the trees and to our delight it was still there albeit having moved to smaller neighbouring trees. It was during this interlude that there was a commotion in the trees and down to a lower level swept two Great Spotted Woodpeckers having a territorial dispute. They were far too concerned with bad-mouthing each other and striking intimidating poses to notice us so we were able to get pretty close. It was a really dull day with low cloud cover and under trees but the Meopta still gave a nice bright view. The red on the nape and under the lower belly stood out like 3D as did the checker-board black and white of their wings. We walked underneath them as we left the showdown and neither showed any sign of deferring to the other. Later that day the Meopta delivered other delights such as Marsh Tit, Siskins and Stonechats and even a southward-swimming shark and all with great panache. What terrific binos.
This has been a lesson to me that has perhaps explained a little of why 7x binoculars have a devoted following and I hope that Meopta can find the courage to include another 7x42 at their premium level at some time in the future, despite the fact that when being asked about 7x binos most brands’ representatives have a facial expression that suggests these models are loss-makers.
In the UK the network of Meopta dealers serving the nature observation market is still under development so all those interested in locating a dealer should, in the first instance, contact Avisum | T: 01423 780649 | E: [email protected] | www.avisum.co.uk .
The Meopta MeoStar B1 7x42 comes from a manufacturer that is not as well-known as many and, I would argue, is not as well-known as they deserve to be. Their first family of binoculars, the B1 range, is extensive, extending from 32mm objective sizes through 42, 50, up to an 8x56, and it is fair to say that achieving the lowest possible weight was not one of the main priorities. All of the models have a ‘chunky heft’ to them that speaks of a desire for durability, for example the 7x42mm model weighs around 900g / 31.6ozs which makes it 65g / 2ozs heavier than a Swarovski 8.5x42. They all have an optical tube shape reminiscent of a cross between a Leica BA/BN and a Zeiss FL, which is to say they have a curviness that is distinctive among so many models that have parallel-sided optical tubes today. The 7x42 follows the rest of the B1 family by being relatively compact, occupying the middle ground of about 150mm / 5.9in long in the company of Zeiss’s FL and Nikon’s EDG, half way between Swarovski’s EL 8.5x at 160mm / 6.3in and Leica’s Ultravid HD+ at about 140mm / 5.5in.
Binoculars with 7x magnification have held a favoured position in the estimation of a dedicated band of users for decades. Zeiss’s Dialyt 7x42, for some years considered the premier birding bino in Europe, was the inspiration behind the genesis of the original Swarovski EL. But in recent decades, sales of 7x binoculars have been in a steady decline, and when asked to comment on this, most brands say more or less the same thing: everybody loves them but nobody buys them
In view of the fact that the review model is no longer manufactured, I won’t spend any time on a critical examination of the accessories such as caps, rainguards, straps and cases. Let’s take a quick look at the specifications and then find out what they are like in the field.
Comparing fields of view, the MeoStar at 137m / 411ft is competitive with Leica’s Ultravid HD+ and Nikon’s EDG, both having 140m / 420ft, but all of them are left behind by Zeiss’s discontinued FL and it’s 150m / 450ft. The MeoStar’s close focus looks a little old-fashioned at 3m and is matched by Nikon’s EDG, with Leica bringing up the rear with 3.3m and Zeiss’s FL in the lead with 2.0 metres. Close focus isn’t a priority for everyone of course, but for observers interested in a broad range of nature subjects this is very useful attribute.
Bird Forum member Gijs van Ginkel tested the transmission of this model and the daylight transmission at 555nm came to 90.9%, a respectable figure, which bettered the figure he obtained from Leica’s Ultravid HD Plus 7x42 of 88.2% but was beaten by Zeiss’s FL 7x42 at 93.1%.
I took the MeoStar on a two week’s holiday to the south-east of England in the county of Suffolk, to what are known as the Suffolk Sandlings. These are large areas of sandy heaths, separated by lowland, coastal marshes, much of it designated as nature reserves, and are some of the best birding areas in the UK, with iconic species such as Dartford Warbler, Bearded Reedling, Nightjar, Bittern and Marsh Harrier, as well having celebrity species such as Starlet Sea Anemone in some coastal lagoons, Ant Lions at RSPB Minsmere and Norfolk Hawker dragonfly sites within easy reach.
Roaming the heaths, marshes and reed beds can mean long days, there is so much to see and the marshes can mean lengthy walks around the margins, to the extent that I wondered how the back of my neck would feel after a full day of carrying the 900g/32oz Meoptas but I needn’t have been concerned. I never gave their weight a thought while out walking and their relatively compact size (they are only about 10mm/0.4” longer than a Swaro EL 32mm) meant they handled well.
The view through them is bright, transparent and lively, as sharp from edge to edge as I would ever need, and when panning close to the sun, even in the late afternoon, there was no glare at all. Checking for chromatic aberration it was possible, with a big struggle, to find it right across the field of view but it was of such a miniscule, barely discernible degree, right up to the edges that it was totally forgettable. In fact I checked for CA very early in my first day of using them and when I started writing up my review, more than two weeks later, I had so totally enjoyed the view through them that I had to go outside and check for CA all over again as I began to mistrust my notes and wonder if my eye placement had generated the initial observation. I can’t emphasise too much how wrong it would be to dismiss these binos due to my observation of such a tiny amount of CA in the centre field, in fact it is more remarkable that this tight control was maintained all the way to the edge.
The proof of the pudding came a few days into our holiday when the MeoStar captured a ‘lifer’ for me deep in the heart of a wood-marsh of the kind that we call carr in the UK. It was at the head of a huge reed bed but inside the wetland wood that we heard an unfamiliar but very close bird call and there, only a few metres away was our first ever Firecrest. If you don’t know what these look like you really should Google them. It sported a bright golden crown with fiery red tinge, flanked by coal-black margins with a fabulous white eye stripe underneath. The Firecrest with its punk hairdo was so vivid through the Meoptas it was hard to believe that we ever thought it might be tricky to separate it from its Goldcrest cousin, which is a UK resident. In case you were wondering how a bino’s view can be said to be lively, the sparkling view I had of this bird is how. And the complex head pattern was rendered with precise sharpness, excellent colour and contrast.
Over the next few days the MeoStar gave great views over the vistas of huge heaths and vast reed beds with such a satisfyingly pleasant quality that I searched for an explanation. It is not field of view monster like Zeiss’s FL, although at 7.8deg it is no slouch, and in any case it wasn’t a question of quantity about the view so much as a quality. The only thing I can put it down to is the 7x magnification giving a greater depth of field than I am used to with my usual 8x, so at any distance, more of the view is in focus. Indeed the reduced need for focusing was far more noticeable than the loss of 1x magnification.
Several days after the Firecrest incident we spent two days roaming a heath where Dartford Warblers are resident. Day one was cold, wet and windy, but the next day was much more pleasant and we got our reward in the shape of a Dartford briefly glimpsed and, after a nail-biting wait, it perched on top of a small gorse bush in full view. And there it was through the MeoStars: slate grey head and plum-coloured breast. Although not as dramatically coloured as the Firecrest’s head, the Dartford was still a bird of magic and beauty and the MeoStar did it full justice.
The following day we hiked around another marsh and visited a corner of an adjacent wood where, 30 years ago we had seen large clumps of Mistletoe growing wild in the trees and to our delight it was still there albeit having moved to smaller neighbouring trees. It was during this interlude that there was a commotion in the trees and down to a lower level swept two Great Spotted Woodpeckers having a territorial dispute. They were far too concerned with bad-mouthing each other and striking intimidating poses to notice us so we were able to get pretty close. It was a really dull day with low cloud cover and under trees but the Meopta still gave a nice bright view. The red on the nape and under the lower belly stood out like 3D as did the checker-board black and white of their wings. We walked underneath them as we left the showdown and neither showed any sign of deferring to the other. Later that day the Meopta delivered other delights such as Marsh Tit, Siskins and Stonechats and even a southward-swimming shark and all with great panache. What terrific binos.
This has been a lesson to me that has perhaps explained a little of why 7x binoculars have a devoted following and I hope that Meopta can find the courage to include another 7x42 at their premium level at some time in the future, despite the fact that when being asked about 7x binos most brands’ representatives have a facial expression that suggests these models are loss-makers.
In the UK the network of Meopta dealers serving the nature observation market is still under development so all those interested in locating a dealer should, in the first instance, contact Avisum | T: 01423 780649 | E: [email protected] | www.avisum.co.uk .