Isn't it heavier than Germany and Austria's offerings?
Interview with Maven Outdoor Equipment Company
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79ak3dfDVTw
Thanks for that link. The cameraman should have had a directional mic and a windscreen, too much background noise. I had to "rewind" in a couple spots.
Yes, the B2 is about 5 oz. heavier than most 42mm alphas. The objectives are slightly larger, though, 45mm. These were made for hunters, not birders. If they are not "stalking," hunters are sitting in a tree stand or hiding behind a blind where they can rest their bins on their knees or in the blind, sit in a chair.
I don't mind heavier bins for stargazing since they rest against my adamantium skull, but for birding, holding heavy bins out in front of me all day can get tiresome as I found out with the Nikon 10x42 HG (35.6 oz.).
The B2 has better ergonomics than the closed bridge HG, which should help counter the weight some, but at this point, I'd rather carry the 16 oz. midsized model --same glass, same optical quality, according to the video. And a wider FOV.
The one thing the B3 doesn't have is a better close focus than the B2: 8.2 ft. vs 4.9 ft. I wonder why they made such a good close focus on the B2, which is made for hunters and is only available in 9x and 11x? You'd think it would be the other way around.