perterra
Well-known member
Hmmm, I'm starting to doubt the veracity of some of our posters. :-O
-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Review: Maven B2 9x45: Has the $1,000 game just changed? (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Steve C
- Start date
Hmmm, I'm starting to doubt the veracity of some of our posters. :-O
So, what's their return policy?
Steve C
Well-known member
I posted this before, but I will repeat it. You go to the website, purchase with the card, use the demo option, then there is two weeks to return. If you return, the card gets refunded when they get the binocular.
Obviously they need to get an undamaged item back. If you think you might want to custom order a personal set of colors, use that option, then send the binocular back for your color treatment. If you customize, they will likely take it back, but then it has to go back to be returned to stock, so it is kind of a hassle for them.
Last edited:
Steve C
Well-known member
If you are interested, they will ship anyplace. The VAT is of course up to you. I asked them about this this morning. They will work with an overseas customer on return times, etc. So hit them with an e-mail.
NDhunter
Experienced observer
I would not worry about that, the one you have mentioned is priced
too high, and it will not sell for that price. It can be included in a review
if you can call it that.
Any review here, would be suspect, as he proclaimed the CL as the best
binocular Swarovski ever made. :-O
It is too bad someone has made a hijack of a review post.
Jerry
perterra
Well-known member
I think before that he proclaimed Nikon as the best binoculars ever made.
Priced to high! Watch it sell. I have 18 watchers already. HaHa! That is $200 under retail for a like new binocular. I know what I am doing when I buy and sell and pump binoculars. I never said the CL was the best binocular ever made. That is the SV.
Last edited:
Nikon's are the best porro's ever made. Particulary the SE and EII.
I think I can remember what the CL view looks like. The Maven B.3 8x30 is not the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 clone is it or Kite 8x30? I hope not. I thought the Maven B.3 was made in Japan or is that just the B.1 and B.2 models.That Monarch 7 had too much glare for me. The Maven is going back to Lander if it is. I could buy a Monarch 7 8x30 for $349.95. I go through Lander on my way to Yellowstone every year. Cool town. Gateway to the Windriver Indian Reservation. I pull my RV up there and spend some time in the back woods looking for bear and wolves. If the Maven B.3 8x30 is a relabeled Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 I am not even going to waste my time reviewing it. Damn.
Attachments
Last edited:
Steve C
Well-known member
I talked to Maven this morning about sending mine for some custom features. The camo finished armor is a hydro dip process and they say the feel is slightly less grippy, and not quite as tactile. Bummer. Guess I'll keep the gray armor I have. I might do some different color on some features, maybe not. This is as nice, or nicer, in the hand tactile feel is there is on almost anything else.
Gijs van Ginkel
Well-known member
Dennis, post 69,
From the pictures you show the Maven B3 body looks more similar to the Nikon Monarch then to the Kite. However, that does not say a lot since similar housings can have very different optical constructions, so the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I am curious how you judge the binoculars in comparison with other 8x30's with almost the same dimensions (CL??).
Gijs
From the pictures you show the Maven B3 body looks more similar to the Nikon Monarch then to the Kite. However, that does not say a lot since similar housings can have very different optical constructions, so the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I am curious how you judge the binoculars in comparison with other 8x30's with almost the same dimensions (CL??).
Gijs
I sent an e-mail to Maven asking them if the B.3 8x30 was a rebadged Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 and this is the detailed response I received. I must say this company is impressing me.
"Hello Dennis-
First off thanks for purchasing one of our binos. I think you'll be real happy with them. I recognized your email from the order you placed as I was the one that inspected them.
As for your question, no they are not the the Nikon Monarch or the Kite binocular. There are some platform similarities in that we are all using a compact bridge assembly, something that our partner in Japan developed and is probably going to be showing up in many places ( much like when Swarovski introduced the open hinge concept and then everyone else also had one.) We use a different eyecup system and most importantly have a completely different optical spec. I would say that performance wise it would be more similar to the Kite model but superior to the Nikon which is notorious for its issues when looking towards the light. And, all of our optics are made in Japan.
A few other items to note... we offer a lifetime no-fault warranty which neither of those brands do (don't get me started on the level of customer service you'll receive from Nikon). I don't have any experience with the Kite customer service, so I won't comment there, but I assure you that ours is second to none. And finally, we offer personalization on every model we sell which you won't find anywhere.
Something that I'd like to ad as I've heard a similar question asked. I'm not sure what your definition of rebadged actually is. Hopefully I'm addressing what you mean by rebadging. But, you should know that what you might think is a simple inexpensive thing to do is not at all. Just the tooling costs for the cosmetic pieces (rubber armor, focus wheel, branding) on a compact binocular can be up around $50-$80K. Most companies aren't interested in only making a cosmetic change at that cost. And we are definitely not one of those companies.
Our reason for starting our company was to give people the option of buying a premium quality binocular for a reasonable price with the personalization option being the icing on the cake. Shelling out $2500-3000 for a full size and $900-1000 for a compact was taking it out of reach of most consumers. We saw this happening in the optics market and knew we could do it, but only by selling direct. We think we've done the right thing.
Sorry to be long winded but I've had this asked several times and think it's worth explaining. As a brand who only sells direct we rely on our customers to tell our story. We hope you'll be happy with your bino and that you'll share that with others.
Thanks Dennis.
>Brendon"
brocknroller
porromaniac
Gray is a neutral color, so I don't think you need the more costly camo. I chose to make mine black, but for aesthetic reasons. However, the default demo colors for the focuser knob, tripod cap, side label, and ocular, strap and objective rings are white and might glint in the sun. You could remedy that by coloring them all black, and it doesn't cost extra. I think the black and gray combo looks more elegant.
Steve C
Well-known member
Actually I don't think the camo is worth the cost either.
It might be just for the sake of having something different, which was why I asked. Most camo finishes that I'm aware of (and I'm not a big camo fan, so there are probably those I'm not aware of) are a dip process. I wondered if, and apparently it does, slick up the surface ever so slightly. At this point I am not willing to do anything to sacrifice the superb feel of the stock gray or black armor. I'd never be much of a pink or orange sort for personal aesthetics, but I decided the main purpose of a binocular is to look through the thing, not at it. I might do a red or green accent in a place or two, but that's about it I think. Mine is the stock gray armor with black accents. It really does make all the statement it needs to when you look through it.
Last edited:
Hermann
Well-known member
There was never a "resolution problem" with the original Victories. There were some problems with reflexes and glare, but no resolution problems.
Get your facts right.
Hermann
perterra
Well-known member
If Ingraham was the only reason they made any changes he is getting way under paid. Hell if so he is right up there with denco in importance of his internet postings.
Last edited:
Thank you.
brocknroller
porromaniac
Zeiss obviously doesn't agree with you, otherwise, they wouldn't have hired him! You must have just fallen off the turnip truck if you think his reviews weren't influential and are on the same level as Dennis. Ingraham was a pioneer who paved the way for all the reviewers we see cited on BF today.
I purchased my 8x32 SE and my 8x32 LX based on his recommendations. I would never purchase a bin based on anything Dennis wrote, because he always has an agenda. The two of them are not even in the same league, and you are way off base in suggesting they are.
perterra
Well-known member
Should I have used a smiley?
When one person has the power to completely change a company direction they hold a lot of power. He is under paid if he is a rep who can change the direction of the biz. And Dennis is pretty important, just ask him.
Last edited:
Thank you.
Similar threads
