Meopta - optika, s.r.o. is a Czechia-based company that manufactures various products mainly in the field of

optics Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of optical instruments, instruments that use or Photodetector, detect it. Optics usually describes t ...

. The company was once well-known for its still and movie cameras, although it no longer manufactures such products.

History

The Optikotechna company was founded in 1933 in

Přerov Přerov (; ) is a city in the Olomouc Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 41,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Bečva River. In the past it was a major crossroad in the heart of Moravia in the Czech Republic. The historic city centre is we ...

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

. Originally established with the intention of producing a limited range of lenses and condensers, the company rapidly expanded the range of products to include enlargers, composite lenses, binoculars, riflescopes, cameras and slide projectors. After 1935, Meopta optika became a subsidiary of

Zbrojovka Brno Zbrojovka Brno, s.r.o is a maker of small arms in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic, wholly owned by Colt CZ Group, Colt-CZ Group. In the past it also made light artillery, cars, motorcycles, tractors and various tools, such as typewriters and early c ...

and a major supplier of military optics for the Czechoslovak Army. The company retained its focus on military production when it was seized by the Germans during the occupation of Czechoslovakia as well as after

WWII World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, when it was nationalized and renamed to Meopta – an acronym for MEchanická OPTická výrobA ("mechanical optical manufacturing"). In 1945 the company merged with the

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

subsidiary of C. P. Goerz. Apart from military deliveries, the company became one of the world's major manufacturers of cinema projectors between 1947 and 1970. The abrupt halt of military demand after the dissolution of the

Warsaw pact The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Co-operation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a Collective security#Collective defense, collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Polish People's Republic, Poland, between the Sovi ...

forced the company to refocus mainly on civilian applications. The company was privatized in 1992. Members of the Rausnitz family, who emigrated from Czechoslovakia to the United States in 1946, became the majority owners. During WWII the Rausnitz brothers had been active soldiers of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps and were decorated for their service. Meopta U.S.A., Inc. was founded by the same Czech-American family in New York in 1960 under the name ''Tyrolit Company, Inc.'' At that time, its main business was selling grinding wheels in the US and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. Tyrolit gradually changed its focus to manufacturing various optical products and in 2005 was renamed to Meopta U.S.A., Inc. In December 2009, the Ministry of Industry and Trade issued a decision to provide a subsidy from the OPEI for the Modernization of Meopta Research and Development project, so that the following year the development building could be reconstructed and research and development capacities were significantly expanded. In 2013, the company had 2,200 employees in Přerov and 150 in the USA. Meopta owner Paul Rausnitz received the Medal of Merit for the State in the field of business from the hands of the President of the Republic

Miloš Zeman Miloš Zeman (; born 28 September 1944) is a Czech politician who served as the third president of the Czech Republic from 2013 to 2023. He also previously served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002. As leader of the Cze ...

on October 28.

Cameras

TLR 6x6 * Flexette * Autoflex * Optiflex * Flexaret II * Flexaret III * Flexaret IV * Flexaret V * Flexaret Standart * Flexaret automat VI * Flexaret automat VII Folding 6x6 * Milona Interchangeable lens (viewfinder/rangefinder) 35mm * Opema I/II Fixed lens 35mm * Optineta * Etareta

Stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

35mm * Stereo 35 16mm Subminiature * Mikroma * Mikroma II * Mikroma Police * Mikroma II snake skin

16mm * Stereo-Mikroma II Large format 13x18 * Magnola

Movie cameras

8 mm Cameras * OP 8 (1939) * Sonet 8 (1956) * Admira 8 D (1946–47) * Admira 8 IIa (1954) * Admira 8 F (1960–64) * Admira EL 8 (1960) - one and only camera having the Zoom lens * Admira 8 G1 (1966–68) * Admira 8 G2 (1966) * Admira 8 G0 (1968–73) * Admira 8 G1 Supra (1968–71) * Admira 8 G2 Supra (1968–71) * Admira 8 L1 Supra (1971) * Admira 8 L2 Supra (1971) :''Supra is an indication for Super 8.'' 9.5 mm Cameras * Admira Ledvinka (Pocket) (1934) 16 mm Cameras * Admira 16 (1937) * Admira 16 A1 el. (1963–68)

Movie projectors

8 mm and 9.5 mm Projectors * Scolar (1934) * Sonet 8 (1938) * OP 8 (1936) * Optilux (1945–50) * Jubilar 9.5 (1945–50) * Atom (1940–45) * Meo 8 (1954–60) * AM 8 (1960–69) * Meocord (1966–67) * AM 8 Super (1967–70) * Meolux I (1969) * Meolux II (1972–77) * Meos (1978) * Meos Duo (1977–86) * KP 8-2 Super (1976–80) 16 mm Projectors * OP16 silent and sound (1938) * OP 16 (1951) * Opefon (1945) * Almo 16 (1936) * Pictureta (1936) * Meopton I (1945–50) * Meopton II (1945–50) * Meopton IIa (1966) * Club 16 (1962–63) * Meoclub 16 (1965) * Meoclub 16 Automatic (1968) * Meoclub 16 Automatic H (1970) * Meoclub 16 Standard (1974–78) * Meoclub 16 Electronic (1980–84) * Meoclub 16 AS 2 (1982–84) * Meoclub 16 Electronic 2 (1984) 35 mm Projectors * Eta 7 (1947) * Meopton III (1955–57) * Meopton IV (1959) - IV S with magnetic soundhead * UM 70/35 (1963–73) * MEO 5X series (1978-?)

Sport optics

Meopta is producing

Binoculars Binoculars or field glasses are two refracting telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes (binocular vision) when viewing distant objects. Most binoculars are sized to be held ...

Telescopic sight A telescopic sight, commonly called a scope informally, is an optical sighting device based on a refracting telescope. It is equipped with some form of a referencing pattern – known as a ''reticle'' – mounted in a focally appropriate p ...

s, Red dot sights and

Monocular A monocular is a compact refracting telescope used to magnify images of distant objects, typically using an optical prism to ensure an erect image, instead of using relay lenses like most telescopic sights. The volume and weight of a monocula ...

s on the field of sport optics and caters hunters, birdwatchers and sport shooters. In 2019 the production includes the following series of products: Binoculars: * Meostar B1 * MeoRange (available only in EU, with laser rangefinder integrated) * MeoPro HD * MeoSport * Optika HD Rifle Scopes * Steyr AUG factory optics * MeoTac * MeoStar R2 * Meostar R1 * MeoPro Optika 6 * MeoPro * ZD Reflex sights * MeoSight III * MeoRed

References

External links

* * * *
List of all Meopta cameras
{{Authority control Photography companies of the Czech Republic Lens manufacturers Cameras Czech brands Manufacturing companies established in 1933 Czechoslovak companies established in 1933 Photography equipment manufacturers