Meopta's new HS 75 spotting scope: fortier says you know a piece of equipment is first rate when everyone wants to borrow it

It was a cold November morning in New Hampshire and I was two days into a five day Advanced Tactical Marksman Observer course at the SIG Arms Academy. We had just finished a course of fire and my class was preparing to move to another section of the rifle range. I was engrossed in gathering up my brass, my Sako TRG-22, and other assorted gear, so I didn't hear our Instructor approach.

"Dave my spotting scope just went down, you mind if I borrow yours?" John asked.

"Naw man, it's right there." I said pointing to my Meopta HA 70 Hermes 1.

"Thanks man," he replied.

And that was the last I saw of my Meopta until the end of the course.

I really should have known better. John had taken a liking to it at the last rifle course I'd been at. He, and the rest of my class, had been impressed with its light weight, compact size, and excellent optics. So when his well-used and abused spotting scope died an inglorious death, he quickly pressed mine into service. I took it as quite a compliment. You know a piece of gear is good when everyone wants to borrow it, and they all ask how much it costs. Such was the case with my Meopta.

Great Value For The Money

When it comes to optics, the old rule of thumb, "you get what you pay for" rings all too true. Without a doubt it's best to stick with one of the well-established manufacturer's and pay a little (sometimes a lot) more for quality glass.

Recently however I ran across a European optics manufacturer almost unknown in the U.S. This unfamiliar company is Meopta of the Czech Republic. Of interest here is the fact that they have a new line of spotting scopes that are of very high quality and perfect for the serious rifleman.

No newcomer to building precision optics, Meopta is in fact an old established Western European company highly respected in the Old World. While their rifle and spotting scopes have been available in the U.S. for some time, they were never marketed aggressively. So most American riflemen have never heard of them. Due to this I did a little background research on the company and turned up some interesting information.

Origins Of Meopta

The company's history dates back to 1933, when the production plant "Optikotechna" was founded in the city of Prerov by Dipl. Ing. Benes. It was here that Dr. Antonin Mazurek constructed the first Czechoslovakian lens system. While at the time Europe was still caught in an economic depression, this little company managed to grow. Then Nazi Germany invaded and Hitler's expansionism brought the company firmly under the Wehrmacht's control.

One of the items needed to wage a modern war are precision optics, so Optikotechna was a valuable asset to the German war machine. Throughout the war years 1939 to 1945, the optico-mechanicle production in Prerov was continually developed and refined. Among other precision optical devices, they produced scopes for sniper rifles during World War II. These included such items as the Zielfernrohr 41 (telescopic sight 41, a long eye relief 'scout' type sniper scope for the Karabiner 98k), and the Zielfernrohr 4-fach (telescopic sight 4 power as used on the Selbstladegewehr 43 sniper variant).

Interestingly, Optikotechna also produced a scope, probably exclusively, for a Waffen SS sniping variant of the 98k. Known as the "double claw" mount 98k, this sniper rifle used a mounting system that was almost identical to that used by Ceskoslovenska Zbrojovka, AS (Czechoslovak Arms Factory, Ltd.) on pre-war sporting rifles. For this rifle, Optikotechna produced a surprisingly modern 4x sniper scope. Features of which included a BDC calibrated to 800 or 1,200 meters, large objective lens, a focusable ocular lens, and, for the time period, superb light transmission and resolving power.

This was arguably the finest sniper scope of the war. It's interesting to think how many collectors over the years have admired the "superb German optics" on some of these sniper rifles without ever knowing they were actually Czech. The only way to identify them being their wartime code, "dow."

Postwar Evolution

Optikotechna eventually became today's Meopta. After the war they went on to become well known in the world of photography. They produced cameras, lenses, projectors, enlargers, and movie cameras. However, the Soviet invasion of 1968 placed Czechoslovakia firmly behind the Iron Curtain. This led to their products being almost unknown here in the United States. However, this is changing, and Meopta is quite interested in the U.S. market.

Today, in addition to their photographic products, they also have a line of military wares. These include passive night vision devices for use in armored vehicles, night vision goggles, and the ZD6x50 and ZD10x5O scopes for use on military sniper rifles. And though their military optics are not currently available in the U.S., their extensive line of sporting optics are.

Included in their sporting line are some very high quality spotting scopes. Their line includes the company's older HA 70 Hermes 1 as well as two brand new models, the HA 75 and HS 75. Having been impressed by their HA 70 and desiring a first hand look at these new scopes, I contacted Meopta directly when these new versions were first advertised. A short time later a parcel arrived from the Czech Republic.

First Impressions

In it was the first HS 75 spotting scope and 20-60x variable power eyepiece to arrive in the U.S. My highly professional initial reaction after unpacking it was something along the lines of, "Cool!" Close inspection showed it to be a well made and attractively finished scope.

I was also quite impressed with the interior method of focus adjustment. This is almost identical to the system used by Swarovski Optik on their ST 80/AT 80 series of spotting scopes. In this system, magnification is set via the eyepiece but the focus adjustment is on the scope body itself. A band in the center of the scope body is rotated to focus the image. This method proved both fast and user friendly. Both minute or extreme focus adjustments were easy to make, and did not disturb the scope on its tripod.

While I received an HS 75 in for testing, the main difference between their two new models is that the HA (A=angle) uses a 45 degree eyepiece and the HS (S=straight) employs a straight eyepiece. Featuring a 75 millimeter objective lens, 13.75-inch length (without eyepiece), and weighing 2.64 pounds, they are a step larger than the firm's older, and excellent, HA 70 Hermes 1. Like the Hermes 1, the HA 75 and the HS 75 were designed for ornithologists (birdwatchers) who demand the highest level of light transmission along with an accurate color rendition and fine resolution.

Ornithologists are a picky bunch. They desire to see the most minute details and colors of the birds they are observing. To allow this, Meopta's lenses are all multicoated. In addition, the reflective surfaces of the prism are coated with special films to enhance both image contrast and resolution. The end result is a spotting scope with excellent optics.

Two eyepieces are currently available for their new models, a fixed 30x wide angle and a 20-60x variable. These are equipped with rubber eyecups which may be folded down for use with corrective lenses. The scope's aluminum body features an attractive and very durable green protective finish. A retractable sunshade is incorporated which easily slides forward to shade the objective lens from the influence of piercing counter-light or to reduce the risk of light reflecting from it.

The body is sealed and nitrogen filled to be fully protected against dust and moisture. This ensures that no fogging appears on the inner surfaces with sudden temperature changes. The unit's mount is threaded for the universally standard 1/4 inch camera mount, allowing it to be attached to any tripod.

Inspecting Clarity And Resolution

Optically, the HS 75 is an impressive scope. Looking at the front of the objective lens one can see an even purplish/amber color from the lens coatings. The lens glass is Czech, not Chinese as many companies are now using. Looking through the scope the image is very bright. This is greatly appreciated when using the optics in low light conditions. Carefully checking it optically, I detected no rolling dispersion, no curvature of field, and no astigmatism.

At the very edges there is a slight amount of spherical aberration. At 30 feet on a Zeiss Test Pattern (ZTP) with the magnification set on 20x, I could resolve down to 12.5 cleanly and 16 so-so. Increasing the magnification to 60x I could resolve down to 20 cleanly. But to be honest, on my photo copy of the ZTP this is the smallest one that copies cleanly. So I toughened the test by posting the ZTP at 50 yards.

Here on 60x I could resolve down to 12.5. As a further test, I placed a dollar bill at 30 feet and checked the HS 75's ability to resolve fine detail at both the center and edges of the image. At 60x every bit of the engraving jumps out at you. Turning the power down to 30x, I could clearly read everything on the bill. Resolution of this scope is excellent.

More Good News

Color rendition is very neutral, just as we, and birdwatchers, like it. Eye relief at 20x is quite generous. Cranking the magnification up to 60x caused me to want to fold down the tall eyecups though. Field of view is large at 31m/1000m on 60x. This is comparable to, but 2 meters smaller than, Swarovski Optik's 20-60x eyepiece at the same magnification setting. Zoom down to 20x and the Meopta is within 1 meter of the larger Swarovski's FOV at this power setting.

Size wise the HS 75 is in the middle of the pack. As mentioned, length without the eyepiece is only 13.75 inches. This is 1.5 inches shorter than Leica's Televid 77 and over 2 inches shorter than Swarovski Optik's ST 80. Weight wise, the Meopta is approximately three quarters of a pound lighter than either of these scopes. It's actually only a few ounces heavier than Leupold's new 15-45x60 Wind River spotting scope, yet has a 15 millimeter larger objective lens.

Having used it extensively now for almost a year, I can say I'm very impressed with this new spotting scope from Meopta. My HS 75 has seen extended use not only on the range, but also in the field, and even training at a firearms academy. It's an excellent piece of gear and a splendid unit for the serious rifleman. The optics are definitely upper crust European and handily bested a friend's Kowa.

Resolution, brightness, and contrast are excellent. True to their heritage, color rendition is very neutral. This is greatly appreciated when you spend an extended amount of time looking through your optics. Testing the unit at dawn and dusk showed it to have impressive low-light capabilities. Size and weight wise I feel this unit is more at home on the range rather than in the field. If I'm humping a rifle and ruck over hill and dale I'll take the smaller HA 70. For everything else though the HS 75 gets the nod.

I highly recommend the Meopta HS 75 to anyone looking for a quality spotting scope with excellent optics. So far mine has impressed everyone who's used it. This includes men who spend a good part of their professional careers looking through optics and know quality when they see it. Price wise the HS 75 is not cheap, but quality optics never are. Retail price of the body (either HS 75 or HA 75) is $527, the 20-60x eyepiece is $151, and the fixed 30x is $117.87. For what you get though, it's an excellent value.

New from Meopta are their HS 75 (shown here) and HA 75 spotting scopes. Manufactured in the Czech Republic, they exhibit Old World craftsmanship and superior optics. It's shown along side a Newcon Optik 1500m laser rangefinder and a Kestrel 3000 weather meter. Top-Left: The HS 75 (top) is shown with Meopta's older HA 70 Hermes 1 (bottom). The HA 70 is small and light enough to pack well for field use. Bottom-left: I used the HS 75 both in the field as well as on the range during testing. It proved to be a well made unit with excellent optics and would serve the serious rifleman well.

Equipped with a 75mm objective, the HS 75 has a nice bright image in a fairly compact package. Designed with bird watchers in mind it's built for rugged field use and has particularly good acuity and color rendition. Bottom (left-right): The built in retractable sunshade is an extremely worthwhile feature. The test unit was supplied with a 20-60x variable eyepiece. Eyepieces feature O ring seals, fold down rubber eyecups, and are easily swapped by simply unscrewing them from the scope body.

HA AND HS 75 SPECIFICATIONS

   MAGNIFICATION           30XWA             20-60X

   Field Of View         38m/1000m        31-16m/1000m
   Lens Diameter           75mm              75mm
Exit Pupil Diameter        2.5mm          3.75-1.25mm
Dioptric Correction    from +5 to -5     from +5 to -5
Exit Pupil Distance         15mm             15mm
   Focusing Range     4.2m to infinity  4.2m to infinity
Length Less Eyepiece       13 3/4"          13 3/4"
Weight Less Eyepiece      2.46 lbs         2.46 lbs

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Euro-Imports

[619] 442-7005

www.meopta.com

I.O.R. Valdada

(Meopta Rifle and Spotting Scopes)

[970] 879-2983

Newcon Optik

(Laser Rangefinders, Night Vision, More)

[416] 663-6963

Nielsen-Kellerman

(Kestrel Pocket Wind and Weather Meters)

[610] 447-1555

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