Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics meopta 8x32 or swarovski 8x30 opinions please people!

Been looking at these two binoculars for awhile still debating on which one. The meopta are definitly just as clear and bright as the swarovski. Just wondering if any reason I should go with the swarovski for an xtra $250? what do you people think?

cabelas has the meoptas on sale for $650 now

I was in the same boat a few months back. Spent a good amount of time deliberating between the two. (8x42's though). The fella behind the counter at Cabela's was bent on me buying the Swaro's. The twist was that I should look/wait for the Swaro's to show up in the bargain cave at any store on the East coast. The way he figured, if you're gonna spend that kind of money you may as well go with the more reputable name. Taking nothing away from Meopta, mind you, but Swaro definitely has the upper hand in the after purchase dept.
Ironically, I like the Meopta's better. They have a "warmer" view to my eyes and the focus wheel has a firmer spin. I like to feel like I'm dialing in on something.* I have read reviews where the focus wheel can rub on the body housing, don't think this was the case though* Whereas the Swaro's felt like they could develop some slop with a little use. Highly doubtful that this would happen.
Just my .02
Good luck!

Can't speak to the Meoptas, though their scopes are mighty clear... But I love my Swaro 8x30's. I've been hunting them hard for 7-8 years now; I just love 'em.

I think both are excellent bins. However, if given a choice between the two I, personally, would have a hard time justifying spending the extra money on the Swaros. I had a pair of the 8x32 Meoptas in my hands a month or so ago and I was truly impressed by their optical performance first and then the quality of the construction. Meopta's bins are built like proverbial tanks plus their customer service is top notch.

Optically the 32 mms are very bright (for a 32 mm) have extremely easy eye placement and feature a wonderfully wide, flat image. Only the 8x32 Swaro ELs ($1700 or so) are comparable in this areas. In addition I also felt that the Meopta was just as ergonomic as the more expensive Swaro EL. That says something because I have always felt that the 32 mm EL was the most comfortable binocular I have ever handled.

At $650 I would buy these in a heartbeat.

You can't judge the quality of a bair of binoculars by looking thru them for a few minutes.....anything will work if that's all your're going to do.

If you really want to see the differences, if any, you need to look thru them for an exteneded period time --- say an hour or so. If you don't get a head-ache and it doesn't feel like your eye-balls are going to fall out, then you have a good set of glass.

Decided on the 8x30 swarovski. Found them new for 899.00. Im sure the meopta binocs are very well, but in case if I decide to resale them couple years down the road, Im sure the swarovski will get better return on used.

I've no experience w/ Meopta, but I know you'll love the Swaro's. I bought my wife a pair of 8x30's so she would quit un-focusing my 10x42's for me. They're so much lighter and handier, I find myself taking them out, when she's not looking......

I just bought a pair of the Meopta 8x32's that Cabelas had on sale. I had my Nikon SE 8x32, Meopta 8x32 and Swaro 8x30 NEU SLC out yesterday morning for an informal backyard test. Now I am not a reviewer of the ability of others that post on here, but I can tell you what my eyes told me. No question, the Nikon SE's are the sharpest and most vivid of the group. Not even really close. The Meopta's, to me, are sharper and more vivid in terms of color than the Swaros -- and by a fair degree. Not to say that the Swaros are inferior in any respect, just that the other two seem crisper and more vibrant to look through. Another thing, the focus wheel on the Nikon blows the other two away. The Meopta focus wheel is tight -- perhaps it will loosen up a little over time. The focus wheel on the Swaro is okay but I am not a fan of the focus wheel being on the front instead of the rear. I guess I am just too used to focusing with my index fingers and not my pinkies.

My $0.02.

i think meopta has definatly got their stuff together.

Good decision going with the Swarovski.

I would take my NEU SLC 8x30 over my dads Meopta 10x42 every time-IMO not quite up to the Swarovski in clarity and the SLC is more color neutral-the Meopta has a yellow tint to it like the old SLC's had many years ago.

The Nikon E series in 8 or 10x has never impressed me much-goes to show everybodys eyes are different.

MJ,
Obviously everybody's eyes are different and we may not all agree on what is the best, but I was happy to read your post as I keep trying to talk myself into buying an alpha, or perhaps Meopta 8x32 to compliment my 8x32 SE. This was mostly for all weather use that finds the SE lacking a bit. Just considering this purchase only demonstrates how bad I have caught the optics bug, as the Nikon SE is so good there is no reason for another 8x32.

Your post which reminds me how good those SEs are, gives me the strength to stick with the SE as my only 8x32, and in those rare intances of really bad weather I can "settle" for my water proof 8x42 Ultravids. I also agree with you on the focus wheel, in normal temps the SE focus wheel is perfect, in smoothness, lack of free play andspeed, the Ultravid on the other hand though not as smooth at normal temps, stays the same regardless of tem, even in very cold weather, where the Nikon stiffens significantly. Over all I prefer the SE as it is better 90% of the time and when its cold the Nikon still works, just stiffer.

Thanks, John

Seriously, the Nikon SE's are amazing binoculars. If they were waterproof and you could only own one pair of binoculars, they would be my choice. I read where someone described them as having a "wow factor", meaning that when you look through them you just say "wow". There is no way that someone can convince me that some of the high end binos at $1800-$2000/pair are three or four times the binos of the SEs at under $600, not possible. Like I say, if Nikon could find a way to waterproof them, to me they would be damn near perfect. They fit well in your hand, the weight is nice and light, the focus wheel is smooth and positive, the optics are crystal clear . . . did I mention that the Nikon SEs are good binoculars?

Are you saying the Nikons are not waterproof? If thats the case, as far as using them for hunting, I wouldn't touch them with barge pole no matter how good the image is...

I have various Swaro and Meopta optics...In scopes, the Meoptas are good, but the Swarovskis are noticably better..With binos, Meopta have closed the gap and I would be happy using either brand..

It seems to me that Nikon is simply guilty of facing facts. The fact they are facing is that there really is no way to make an external focus porro prism binocular fully waterproof. There is always only a seal provided by an O-ring in the eyepiece assembly against the outside environmental elements. You can nitrogen purge and advertise as waterproof as some porro prism models do, but in reality they are not and cannot be as waterproof as a decent roof prism. My money goes to the Nikon SE series being as waterproof as an external focus porro can be made. I think that if they could truly make their inexpensive Action Extreme porros really waterproof that they would do the same with the SE.

However, I have always wondered to some extent, why they didn't simply purge the SE and sell it as waterproof? They might have had some more warranty claims, but they might also have sold a pile more SE binoculars. A lot of manufactures seem to be guilty of porro prism bias in their binocular planning.

Bird Watching Magazine (UK) Reviews The New Meopta Meostar B1 8x32

in the December edition of Bird Watching magazine (UK) David Chandler puts the new MeoStar 8x32 through its paces.

Overall verdict...

"A very nicely put together binocular which delivers a very good view via some lovely ergonomics. Try them alongside the acknowledged �top-gun� 8x32s. Then compare the prices. This Meostar could be a neo-star"

This is a small, lightweight binocular that felt very good in my hands. The aluminium alloy body is covered in green rubber armour, with some stippling to improve grip and with thumb indents underneath. The thumb indents were well-positioned.

Build quality feels and looks impressive, and given Meopta�s history of manufacturing for the military, I suspect this binocular can take some abuse. It�s stuffed full of nitrogen, is waterproof and fogproof and will work from -45�C to +55�C � adequate for most bird watching!

The moving bits are good too. Dioptre adjustment is via a click-stopped, uncalibrated wheel on the focuser. It offers three dioptres of adjustment in either direction, works well and couldn�t be moved inadvertently once set.

The rubber-covered eyecups have a good action, twisting up and down to three positions.

Focusing is smooth and precise, with moderate resistance. The 1.5-finger-wide-ridged focusing wheel provides good grip, even with gloves on, though it sometimes stuck at closest focus. It takes about 1.5 clockwise turns from up close to infinity, but for most birdwatching you won�t need to move it more than 60-70�.

The package includes a strap like no other, and that�s not a criticism. It�s wide, and neoprene, with lumps on the neck side, added to increase airflow and reduce the sweatiness of your neck! Strap attachment is simple, the lugs don�t get in the way and the binoculars hang well. However, it�s reasonably hefty, and may be more than you really need for these.

So are the innards as good as the outers? Meopta use cold coating on their lenses, rather than vacuum coating, which means you can put more, thinner layers on. Silver is used for the mirrored prism surface � this isn�t �di-electric state of the art�, but does a very good job.

The view is impressive and bears comparison with the acknowledged top names. It is wide, very sharp and bright, with just a hint of a yellow cast, but nothing to be concerned about.

Contrast is good, and, hand held with a resolution chart, the Meoptas resolved similarly to an 8x32 from one of the �big four�. I tried hard to find some colour fringing, but found very little, certainly nothing that put me off. They did well in low light and have very good close-focus � I could get them down to just under 1.7m. Eye-relief is quoted as 15.4mm.

I did find some edge softness, but don�t go looking for it � the normal way to use binoculars is to put the bird in the middle!

The accessories are well made, but the rainguard locks on to the eyepieces and can be a real pain to get off � I�d change it.

The case is too big � I�d find an alternative.

The tethered objective covers hang by a thread, literally, so the covers don�t flap up over the lenses. It works, but they can be removed and that�s what I would do.

Design and ease of use (out of 10) 9
Optical rating 9
Value for money 9.5