Comparisons
My little trip to the La. Sportsman's Show & Festival was an educational "eye opening" excursion. Meeting Brendon, co-owner, designer and marketing guru for Maven Optics, was as great as getting hands-on experience with the products he has brought to market. Very personable and knowledgeable, Brendon displays passion and pride for the outdoor optic tools they offer. My visit to their booth was filled with sharing of stories, life, but in particular, the Maven binoculars I came to "see"!
Was it fair for me to make direct comparisons (in the venue and outside-bright daylight) with my Swaro EL's that I traveled with...after all, they cost A Lot more $$$ and power or objective sizes didn't perfectly match...well, YES! These are my best, the best (to my eyes) I've ever had the pleasure of glassing with and the tools I use to achieve high quality wildlife\scenic observations in the big outdoors. Brendon welcomed and was appreciative of my hands-on direct approach and at no time offered contradiction or qualification comments and opinions...simply, he was a perfect gentleman! :t:
I do need to qualify that Most areas of performance differences that I mention are very close, subtle and in reality, probably not noticeable without side-by-side glassing actions. A few hours of viewing versus several weeks or months of usage could yield different impressions, but today is what I had and I tried my best to observe as objectively as possible. If you want to skip the below gruesome and gory details, I'll just state up front that IMO (as many others on BF already know), the B2 and B3 perform Way Over their price points and their marketing design and philosophy do offer a superior optical product as a great dollar value to the public! There...said it, recommend it, nuf said (or read on)...
Maven B2 9X45 \ Swaro EL 10X50 SV
Optics
*Resolution- EL due to extra Details and Sharpness from higher power. I can hand hold a steady sight picture with both, giving the SV the edge.
*Colors- Tied, as both offer extremely neutral color renditions throughout the full spectrum. Reds, Greens, Blues etc. are all Very Natural with no detectable color shift hues.
*FOV- Tied. Even though the B2 offers 32ft more, their 90% sweet spot equals out with the FF's in the EL!
*Transmission- Tied. Again, the B2 is rated higher with AK prisms, but the EL has larger objectives. No opportunity to test in challenging light conditions.
*Step-In-View- EL, but with the B2 AK's, very close. Stereopsis king is still in my view, the 10X50 SV.
*Eye Placement- EL. I do not wear glasses, thus fully extend the eye cups. For me, ER on the SV gives me more wiggle room for easy eye placement and quicker FOV acquisition. With the B2, I had to work a little to achieve the perfect EP position...once there, Nice.
*CA- EL. I was able to view bare branches at 150yds against the bright mid-morning blue eastern sky and noticed the B2 rendered their silhouetted edges less defined, less sharp than the EL, which presented the bright lighting challenge edges with clarity and ease.
Ergonomics
*Hand Holding-Tied...both offer balanced holds that are comfortable and allow quick focus access and well controlled image shake. Single hinge on B2 and open bridge on EL are smooth, positive and robust. They are within 2oz of weight and Overall, I could live with either.
Functions
*Focus Wheel- B2...Smooth, Even, Perfect resistance, No Slack, Better tactical feel. I have the "GenII" EL's (2012) and they do have a little stickion and uneven resistance, been thinking of sending them in for service. FWIW, newest GenIII FP 10X50 SV's have focus wheel performance Much Closer and very pleasing as per these B2's!
*Eye Cups- Tied-Although different materials, both adjust smoothly, hold their settings well and are very comfortable on the eye sockets.
*Diopter- Tied-EL is internal to the focus knob and secured, B2 is set on the right barrel and exposed, but is stiff to adjust, thus stays in place.
Build
*EL - Only because they have a long term track record. To be fair, the Maven B2 is the first full size bino I've held or used that feels as well made as the EL SV...that is a Big Compliment!
Value
*B2 - To achieve 95%+ overall performance for 1\3 the retail price...I told Brendon that if I hadn't already invested in the Swaro, a B2 purchase would be a no brainer for a performance\cost ratio consideration!
Maven B3 8X30 \ Swaro EL 8x32 SV
Optics
*Resolution- EL is sharper and resolves more detail, both inside and out. However, any differences were real small.
*Colors- Tied-Same results as with the EL vs B2 above.
*FOV- Tied-Same results as with the EL vs B2 above.
*Transmission- EL-Surprisingly brighter, however I suspect the B3 would be much closer in low challenging lighting conditions.
*Step-In-View- Neither this EL or B3 have as easy a picture-window step in view as their big brothers above. Steropsis is there...barely.
*Eye Placement- Tied as both have comfortable and quick sight achievement, even though the B3 has a smaller EP.
*CA- EL. Same results as with the EL vs B2 above.
Ergonomics
*Hand Holding- Similar to results as with the EL vs B2 above, except EL weights 5 oz more...for me, no big deal.
Functions
*Focus Wheel- Tied-Both are smooth, even, no stickion or slop and have even perfect resistance. As above, the newest FP EL 8x32 SV is even better.
*Eye Cups- Tied-Although different materials, both adjust smoothly, hold their settings well and are very comfortable on the eye sockets.
*Diopter- Tied- Same results as with the EL vs B2 above.
Build
*EL - Only because they have a long term track record. To be fair, the Maven B3 is solid and feels very well built.
Value
*B3 - To achieve 95%+ overall performance for 1\4 the retail price...I told Brendon that if I hadn't already invested in the Swaro, a B3 purchase would be a no brainer for a performance\cost ratio consideration!
Well, hopefully I came across with the understanding that these Maven Optics should\can hold their heads high. It's been said before that entry to mid-tier instruments are close on the heals of the Alphas in performance, but then as far as I know, they Always were! B
Ted