Meopta
Encyclopedia
Meopta is Czech-American global manufacturer of precision optics, specializing in the design, engineering and assembly of complex optical, opto-mechanical and opto-electronic systems. Meopta makes stuff for the consumer, industrial and military markets.
Meopta - optika, s.r.o. resident in Prerov, Czech republic, Meopta U.S.A., Inc. resident in New York, USA.
In 2010 Meopta employed in both companies round 2400 staff.
Company history
Meopta traces its roots back to 1933, when the Optikotechna company was founded in Prerov, Czechoslovakia. 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.
Optikotechna enjoyed a thriving consumer goods business until the company was seized by German forces in 1939. Optikotechna was then forced to immediately cease consumer goods production in order to supply military optical equipment for the German army. From 1939 until the end of the war, the company produced nothing other than military optical equipment that included rangefinders, periscopes, binoculars and riflescopes.
At the close of WWII, the company re-focused its efforts on the design, development and production of new optical products and in 1946, was renamed, Meopta.
With the advent of the Cold War, Meopta's production was once again shifted primarily toward military products. From 1971 until 1989, over 75% of the company's capacity was allocated to the production of military products for the Warsaw Pact countries.
Finally, in 1992, Meopta became a fully independent, private company and started supplying optical components to optical companies across the globe. Over the past 15 years, investments in both infrastructure and personnel have allowed Meopta to evolve into more than just an optics manufacturing company. Today, Meopta is not only one of the suppliers of a wide variety of premium grade, high performance optics products, but also a provider of research, design, engineering, manufacturing and assembly services.
Folding 6x6
Interchangeable lens (viewfinder/rangefinder) 35mm
Fixed lens 35mm
Stereo
35mm
16mm Subminiature
Large format 13x18
9.5 mm Cameras
16 mm Cameras
16 mm Projectors
35 mm Projectors
Meopta - optika, s.r.o. resident in Prerov, Czech republic, Meopta U.S.A., Inc. resident in New York, USA.
In 2010 Meopta employed in both companies round 2400 staff.
Company history
Meopta traces its roots back to 1933, when the Optikotechna company was founded in Prerov, Czechoslovakia. 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.
Optikotechna enjoyed a thriving consumer goods business until the company was seized by German forces in 1939. Optikotechna was then forced to immediately cease consumer goods production in order to supply military optical equipment for the German army. From 1939 until the end of the war, the company produced nothing other than military optical equipment that included rangefinders, periscopes, binoculars and riflescopes.
At the close of WWII, the company re-focused its efforts on the design, development and production of new optical products and in 1946, was renamed, Meopta.
With the advent of the Cold War, Meopta's production was once again shifted primarily toward military products. From 1971 until 1989, over 75% of the company's capacity was allocated to the production of military products for the Warsaw Pact countries.
Finally, in 1992, Meopta became a fully independent, private company and started supplying optical components to optical companies across the globe. Over the past 15 years, investments in both infrastructure and personnel have allowed Meopta to evolve into more than just an optics manufacturing company. Today, Meopta is not only one of the suppliers of a wide variety of premium grade, high performance optics products, but also a provider of research, design, engineering, manufacturing and assembly services.
Cameras
TLR 6x6- Flexette
- Autoflex
- Optiflex
- FlexaretFlexaretFlexaret is a brand of cameras manufactured from 1939 to 1970 in the Czechoslovakia by the company Meopta. All models of Flexaret are twin-lens reflex cameras with aluminum body, taking square "6×6" format photographs on a 120 roll film...
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
Stereo camera
A stereo camera is a type of camera with two or more lenses with a separate image sensor or film frame for each lens. This allows the camera to simulate human binocular vision, and therefore gives it the ability to capture three-dimensional images, a process known as stereo photography. Stereo...
35mm
- Stereo 35
16mm Subminiature
Subminiature photography
Subminiature photography is photography with unusually small cameras using unusually small film formats. It is distinct from photomicrography, photographing microscopic subjects with a camera which is not particularly small....
- Mikroma series
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 19 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-?)