Cabelas Euro Binos

[CalHunter]

Does anybody know which company makes these?

[RuRu12]

Meopta - they are made in the Czech Republic.

[PABowhntr]

Ditto. In essence they are a rebadged Meopta Meostar. I have heard that there is some difference in the construction or coatings of the two models but I really did not notice much, if any, difference when I compared the two side by side.

Excellent performance optically and mechanically for the price.

[CalHunter]

Thanks. That gives me a better idea on them. Some people have posted comments on Cabelas that these binos are as good as the big 3 and I didn't think that was likely.

[RuRu12]

Calhunter - I spent quite a bit of time at Cabela's optics counter one day comparing the Euros to the big 3. This was right after the Euros came out in 2005, and I was trying to decide what optics to buy. Optically they are all very close. Looking at them in the store, and observing details on the mounted animals on the Conservation Mountain I could see very little difference in sharpness or clarity.

Where I found the biggest difference was in the ergonomics. I thought the Euros felt clunky and cumbersome in my hands. They are all very close in size, but the handling characteristics are very different.

Cabela's has an excellent reputation for standing behind their product, so I don't think any differences in warranty amount too much.

They are definitely worth a look, and in the end it comes down to what fits you best and what is clearest to your eyes. Having said all of that, when Imademy choice I bought the Swarovski New SLC in 10x42. Are they worth the extramoney? Are they as good as the big 3? That's up to the person spending the cash to decide.

[PABowhntr]

I think they are comparable to the Big Three. It depends on what your expectations and experience level is in that regard. If you have a trained eye you might notice slightly more color fringing especially in the outer 1/3rd of the image. You might also notice a slightly warm (yellow) color cast to the image. Beyond that, in terms of image quality, there really is no difference to my eyes. They offer a very bright, sharp image from almost one edge of the field of view to the other.

In terms of build quality they are top notch. I would put them right up there with the Leica Trinovids in terms of overall durability. However, they are not quite as refined in some ways as the Big Three.For one example their eyecups are entirely functional but do not offer the multiple clickstop adjustments that the more expensive models exhibit.

Still at less than half the cost of some of the Big Three's comparable configurations they are a steal in my opinion.

[patchnball]

They are a great glass. If you have extra money spend on the others. For the money they are the best I could find bar none. " used the rest of the money on an elk hunt this past fall"

[okcmco]

Darn good glass. Meopta has been in bis since before WW2.

[Pioneer2]

Meopta was forced under Nazi occupation to make sniper scopes under Zeiss supervision.[need I say more]They have or do make lenses for both Zeiss and Swarovski.No longer a militarily run company but privatized............Harold