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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steve C" data-source="post: 3469019" data-attributes="member: 56622">Of the binoculars that have come up in this discussion, I have had or have had some experience with the following, ranked in my personal order of preference.Maven B3> Swarovski CL> Leupold Mojave> Monarch M7> SIghtron Big Sky=Theron Wapiti= Zen Ray ZRS > Leupold AcadiaI could be happy if the gods declared I could only have one binocular to my name and it turned out to be the Maven B3.  Add the Maven B2 and I'm set for life, as the B2 and B3 combo leaves me wanting for nothing else.I was seriously considering a Swaro CL before I got my hands in the B3.  The two are exactly the same in size and dimension.  If left unlabeled and in the same armor and left as the subject of a blind test with the question..."which one of these is the Swarovski ?", I have absolutely zero doubt that the majority would go for the Maven.  The image characteristics are nearly identical, but the Maven is poke you in the eye obviously wider.  I have three Maven B3 8x30 and they all actually measure 445' @ 1,000 yds, or 8.47 * angular field.I preferred the Mojave to the Nikon M 7 and did a review here, but my search function does not seem to be working and will give me no results, not sure why, but I'll look it up later.  Those are both a step over the  Sightron and the Theron, two binoculars which I was unable to pick one as better than the other.  I have a ZRS and it is essentially optically identical to the other two hereI have looked through the Zeiss Terra several times, and it does not impress me enough to try it further.  Not ranking it may change if I wring one out.In answer to the question posed, the Maven has a composite frame.Edit to add:  Eye relief, or inadequate extension of the eye cup assembly, may be problematic, at least more problematic in the 30-32 mm binoculars than it is in the larger 42-43 mm binoculars.  We can get hung up to too great a degree with comparisons of this one vs that one.  I tend to think that ergonomics are more important to user satisfaction, provided optical performance is adequate, which it is in what has come up on this thread.Edit to add:  Link to Mojave and Monarch reviews<a href="http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=279586" target="_blank">http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=279586</a></blockquote>

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