Meade Binoculars

Meade 8x42 Glacier Binoculars

Meade is a world leader in the design and manufacture of telescopes and accessories for amateur astronomers, but they also produce a few spotting scopes, microscopes and binoculars, for astronomy and for general use.

The Company was first established in 1972 as a very small mail-order supplier of small refracting telescopes, but by 1977 Meade Instruments already started producing their own telescopes, the Meade Models 628 and 826 6" and 8" reflecting telescopes. Meade moved its Irvine based manufacturing to a brand new factory just over the border in Mexico in early 2008 where they now have over twice the space for production.

The Range of Meade Binoculars
In the past you could find many models including compacts and things like Meade digital binoculars or camera binoculars like the Meade CaptureView Binocular, which combined a camera and a pair of binoculars in one instrument.

Their latest lineup consists of far fewer binoculars and they seem to be focusing on a more serious binocular which I personally think this is a good thing. I say this because in the past, the Meade Camera binoculars for example were little more than a gimmick (for more see my article on Digital Camera Binoculars) and this in my view cheapened their brand.

The two series they now offer are the Glacier and the Astro binoculars that focus on a good quality pair of optics at an excellent price. This goal is emphasized in their marketing as they often mention that you can get a pair of Mead binoculars that rivals the most expensive European brands and at a fraction of the cost. At the time of writing, I am still a little unsure if they still produce any Meade TravelView binoculars or not.

Meade 9x63 Astro BinocularsMeade 9x63 Astro Binoculars

Whilst the giant 9x63 Meade Astro binocular with it's very large 63mm objective lenses is obviously designed to be used as a pair of Binoculars for Astronomy, their fairly modest magnification of 9x means that they can also be used by those looking for a binocular that produces exceptionally bright images and is therefore ideal for terrestrial use in low and poor light conditions. According to Meade the 63mm objectives provide almost 60% greater light gathering ability than the more commonly found 50mm models.

These binoculars have a field of view 305' at 1,000 yards, a 7mm exit pupil, and generous 21.5mm eye relief.

As you would expect with a giant binocular they are on the heavy side, weighting 44 ounces, but also as you would expect with any astronomy binocular, they are tripod mountable (tripod and tripod adapter bracket not included).

The Meade 9x63 Astronomy Binocular comes with multi-coated achromatic objective lenses provide and also included is a carry case, neck strap, lens caps and lens cleaning cloth.

Details:

  • Magnification: 9x
  • Objective lens diameter: 63mm
  • Lens Coating: Multi-coated
  • Prism type: Roof Prism
  • Focus type: Central
  • Eye relief: 21.5mm
  • Field of view: 305 ft. at 1000 yds.
  • Weight: 44.1 oz
  • Tripod Adaptable - Can be mounted using standard ¼-inch threading. Binocular Tripod Adapter sold separately.
  • Model / Part Number: 9x63 / B120031

Price Range
The Meade 9x63 Astro binocular has a list price of $99.00

 

Meade 8x42 Glacier BinocularsMeade 8x42 Glacier Binoculars

The 8x42 Meade Glacier binocular is interesting in that they have many quality features including fully multi-coated lenses and phase-coated roof prisms, yet are priced in the low cost range - you can find them for between $99 and $130 which is excellent.

Phase correction coatings on the prisms help keep the light in correct color phases and therefore increase the image quality and contrast are mostly only found on far more expensive optics. The quality does not stop there as the Meade Glacier's roof prisms are made of BAK-4 (barium crown) glass, which again is a higher quality glass that also increases brightness and sharpness in images.

They produce a field of view that is 341ft wide at 1,000 yards and have a minimum close focusing distance of 6 feet and come with a comfortable 19.5mm eye relief that easily makes it onto my list of Long Eye Relief Binoculars and therefore will be more than enough should you wear glasses.

The binoculars are waterproof and come with lens caps, neck strap, carry case, and lens cleaning cloth.

Details:

  • Magnification: 8x
  • Objective lens diameter: 42mm
  • Lens Coating: Fully Multi-coated
  • Prism type: Roof Prism, Bak-4
  • Focus type: Central
  • Eye relief: 19.5mm
  • Field of view: 341 ft. at 1000 yds.
  • Weight: 23.3 oz
  • Model / Part Number: 8x42 / B170100

Price Range
The Meade Glacier 8x42 binocular costs between $99 and $130


 

>>Where to Buy Meade Binoculars:

Meade Contact Details

USA
Meade Instruments Corp.
27 Hubble Irvine, CA 92618
Tel: (800) 626-3233 (U.S.A. Only)

UK
Broadhurst, Clarkson, and Fuller Ltd.
Tunbridge Wells, Kent (+44) 189-261-6131

Europe
Meade Instruments Europe
Rhede, Germany
+49-2872-8074-333

 
 

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