Meopta

Meopta - optika, s.r.o.

Industry	Optical, opto-mechanical and opto-electronic systems
Founded	1933 as Optikotechna[1]
Founder(s)	Dipl. Ing. Alois Benes and Prof. Alois Mazurek
Headquarters	Prerov, Czech Republic
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Consumer, Industrial & Military applications
Employees	2,400
Subsidiaries	Meopta U.S.A., Inc.
Website	[1]

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^{[citation needed]} 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

• 

  Flexaret VII Automat 1967

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 35mm Stereo 35 16mm Subminiature Mikroma series Large format 13x18 Magnola

Movie Cameras

• 

  Admira 8F

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

• 

  Meopton UM 70/35

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-?)

References

1. ^ "The Meopta Story". http://www.meoptahistory.com/index.php?id=162. 

• http://www.meoptahistory.com/index.php?id=313
• http://www.meoptahistory.com/index.php?id=314
• http://www.meoptahistory.com/index.php?id=315
• http://www.meoptahistory.com/index.php?id=316

External links

• Official website
• Company Virtual Museum
• Stereo-Reels Meopta
• meopta Movie Equipment