Megaloblatta
Active member
I have used a pair of excellent Leica Trinovid 10x42 BA binoculars on natural history-related trips all over the world since the early 1990's. However, they are very heavy (890g) so on outings where I think I won't be seeing anything very exciting I usually leave them behind - and sometimes regret it! After a recent gruelling 2 hour walk up steep hills through hot, humid rainforest, to see Wilson's Bird of Paradise on a trip I led to the Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia with SeaTrek Sailing Adventures, I decided I must try to find a lighter pair of bins. I actually already have a much lighter pair (300g) of Nikon HG L DCF 10x25 (=Premier LX L), but they are ironically TOO light and I can't hold them steady enough.. Anyway, when I got back to the UK I did a lot of research on the Web. I was looking for a relatively inexpensive and light pair with great optical quality, and in the end I purchased the Maven C1 10x42 as they had excellent reviews and weigh almost 200g less than my Leicas. I have now compared them to my Leicas, and to my eyes their sharpness and ability to resolve detail in low light are indistinguishable. The Maven's FOV is less, but the close focusing distance is much better. Their weight is just right for me to be able to hold them pretty steady. And not only are they very, very good value given their optical quality and durable build, but they have a phenomenal lifetime no-fault warranty (https://mavenbuilt.com/journal/ufaqs/what-is-your-warranty/). Because of their unusual business model of selling direct to the customer, Maven binoculars are about 50% the cost of what you would be charged for the same item in a shop. I ordered my pair from Maven in the USA via Amazon and received them in the UK only 6 days later. I will certainly be taking them on my next trip and leaving my Leicas behind…
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