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

Guns Magazine, Sept, 2002 by David M. Fortier

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.