Hands on with new Mavens (1 Viewer)

[birdrousta]

I have a set of the B3 in 6x30 coming as loaners for my 8x30 which are going out for repair. The objective shroud on the 8x was pulled off by Butler flip up objective covers. I took a picture of it and they'd like to see it and are willing to lend me the slightly different glass while they repair.

Obviously I'm not much of a reviewer but if folks have specific questions about 'em, please ask. I have confirmed with Maven that these will only do a +/- 2 diopter adjustment. It is, they tell me, a limitation of the design. I tried to find published examples of similar binos to compare. I'm sure there are 6x30s with published spec, but a cursory look didn't show me a published spec for a competing 6x30 roof diopter setting.

I also have a set of the 9x45s coming, adjusted to my requested level of overfocus. The 6x loaners will be stock.

 

[Steve C]

I have a set of the B3 in 6x30 coming as loaners for my 8x30 which are going out for repair. The objective shroud on the 8x was pulled off by Butler flip up objective covers. I took a picture of it and they'd like to see it and are willing to lend me the slightly different glass while they repair.

Obviously I'm not much of a reviewer but if folks have specific questions about 'em, please ask. I have confirmed with Maven that these will only do a +/- 2 diopter adjustment. It is, they tell me, a limitation of the design. I tried to find published examples of similar binos to compare. I'm sure there are 6x30s with published spec, but a cursory look didn't show me a published spec for a competing 6x30 roof diopter setting.

I also have a set of the 9x45s coming, adjusted to my requested level of overfocus. The 6x loaners will be stock.

I was able to get in contact with my contact at Maven. He said the adjustment on the 6x30 was indeed only +/- 2 diopter like is listed on the web page. We got the same story. I got the idea they might be up for some change if the 6x30 will turn into a big seller, but as it is...well everybody knows an 8x is better...unfortunately.

Now it seem like I told 6x6 that I'd get up a B1 & B2 pic. I see I have been remiss.

 

[chill6x6]

Now it seem like I told 6x6 that I'd get up a B1 & B2 pic. I see I have been remiss.

:t:

No hurry... I have about three I'm considering...one of the Maven's or Questa/Cronus.

 

[jan van daalen]

:t:

No hurry... I have about three I'm considering...one of the Maven's or Questa/Cronus.

Or 1000 Leica's......

 

[birdrousta]

one thing I heard today in response to a request that the focuser be set up with less viscous grease is that they have changed the focuser stiffness. when my b3s get to them they will make that change, so if folks who have the earlier focusers would like them adjusted, that is an option.

 

[Steve C]

:t:

No hurry... I have about three I'm considering...one of the Maven's or Questa/Cronus.

OK, here is a photo of the B2 and B1 side by side.

If you are expecting the Maven's to compare to the Questa or Kronus you have an apples vs oranges notion set up in your mind. In spite of Jan's claim of 1,000 Leica's the Maven is a whole lot closer to that level than the Questa or Kronus.

I don't expect everyone to agree, but I'd not trade either of the Maven's in the picture for any Leica. or a Swarovski, dunno about Zeiss just yet. Not quite saying the Maven is a better glass, just the others are not obviously better enough to even tempt the trade button in me.

 

[jan van daalen]

OK, here is a photo of the B2 and B1 side by side.

If you are expecting the Maven's to compare to the Questa or Kronus you have an apples vs oranges notion set up in your mind. In spite of Jan's claim of 1,000 Leica's the Maven is a whole lot closer to that level than the Questa or Kronus.

I don't expect everyone to agree, but I'd not trade either of the Maven's in the picture for any Leica. or a Swarovski, dunno about Zeiss just yet. Not quite saying the Maven is a better glass, just the others are not obviously better enough to even tempt the trade button in me.

Steve,

Look at the Leica Ultravid safari edition thread and you'll understand

Jan

 

[Steve C]

Steve,

Look at the Leica Ultravid safari edition thread and you'll understand

Jan

OK I get it .

 

[chill6x6]

OK, here is a photo of the B2 and B1 side by side.

If you are expecting the Maven's to compare to the Questa or Kronus you have an apples vs oranges notion set up in your mind. In spite of Jan's claim of 1,000 Leica's the Maven is a whole lot closer to that level than the Questa or Kronus.

I don't expect everyone to agree, but I'd not trade either of the Maven's in the picture for any Leica. or a Swarovski, dunno about Zeiss just yet. Not quite saying the Maven is a better glass, just the others are not obviously better enough to even tempt the trade button in me.

Thanks Steve for the picture....

I really wasn't suggesting that those three were a apples to apples comparison optically or otherwise. I am just getting ready to sell a binocular or two and I'll probably try something new in it's place. The ones I listed are some that interest me.

The B1 size wise seems very much what I'm used to with a 42mm binocular. I'm not really sure I could swing the larger stature of the B2 even though I'm sure I'd appreciate its optical benefits....

 

[Steve C]

Thanks Steve for the picture....

I really wasn't suggesting that those three were a apples to apples comparison optically or otherwise. I am just getting ready to sell a binocular or two and I'll probably try something new in it's place. The ones I listed are some that interest me.

The B1 size wise seems very much what I'm used to with a 42mm binocular. I'm not really sure I could swing the larger stature of the B2 even though I'm sure I'd appreciate its optical benefits....

Yeah...the B1 is pretty typical of the majority of the 42 mm class glass, maybe toward the larger end of the spectrum.

In spite of the ...what ought to be overwhelming size differences, the B2 feels no heavier (even though it is) and due to the increased space between barrels is a whole lot easier to handle, The main thing is the size of the footprint against your chest after a long day in the harness. Kind of depends on how much other gear you need to manage on any particular outing. The users personal size is a factor too, especially hand size. Mine are 9 inches (spread, thumb to little finger).

I wasn't sure where you were headed with the Questa and Kronus comment...

 

[chartwell99]

I don't expect everyone to agree, but I'd not trade either of the Maven's in the picture for any Leica. or a Swarovski, dunno about Zeiss just yet. Not quite saying the Maven is a better glass, just the others are not obviously better enough to even tempt the trade button in me.

Steve has heard me say this before, but the Maven 9 x 45 B2 is the most consistently satisfying and enjoyable binocular I have ever owned (and, to my wife's occasional dismay, I've mostly owned 'em all). I can state without hesitation that there are other Alpha binoculars that do certain things better than the Maven, but as a complete package, the Maven is remarkable and always amazes. Disclaimer: binoculars are a personal thing and, what works for me may not work for others.

 

[Steve C]

Steve has heard me say this before, but the Maven 9 x 45 B2 is the most consistently satisfying and enjoyable binocular I have ever owned (and, to my wife's occasional dismay, I've mostly owned 'em all). I can state without hesitation that there are other Alpha binoculars that do certain things better than the Maven, but as a complete package, the Maven is remarkable and always amazes. Disclaimer: binoculars are a personal thing and, what works for me may not work for others.

That is my take here too. As a total package nothing beats the B2...for me.

Swarovski SV...great binocular, but RB kills me.
Swarovski SLC...great binocular, but I like the B2 handling better
Leica UV HD+...great binocular, nice focus, but not enough eye cup extension

Everything has something, it is how the whole package comes together for a particular user B

 

[jan van daalen]

That is my take here too. As a total package nothing beats the B2...for me.

Swarovski SV...great binocular, but RB kills me.
Swarovski SLC...great binocular, but I like the B2 handling better
Leica UV HD+...great binocular, nice focus, but not enough eye cup extension

Everything has something, it is how the whole package comes together for a particular user B

And your votes for the Conquest, HT and SF?

 

[Steve C]

And your votes for the Conquest, HT and SF?

I like the Conquest...quite a bit. If I did not have the B1 it and a Trinovid HD would be on the radar.

Just brief in store side by side with the B2 and HT. Not enough time (or proper conditions) to evaluate them. A full evaluation would likely see them very close. First impression is the HT might be a bit brighter, but again not enough time to say much more. I think the B2 is better than the FL.

Zero experience with the SF.

 

[Woodbadger]

On the strength of all that has been written here, and the fact that I bought my first decent binos (ZR ED) on the basis of reviews by Steve, I went ahead and ordered myself a birthday B2 9x45. Shipped today so the should be here in time for a couple of weeks heavy use right at the beginning of migration down here in the Rio Grande Valley! Can't wait!!

 

[chartwell99]

On the strength of all that has been written here, and the fact that I bought my first decent binos (ZR ED) on the basis of reviews by Steve, I went ahead and ordered myself a birthday B2 9x45. Shipped today so the should be here in time for a couple of weeks heavy use right at the beginning of migration down here in the Rio Grande Valley! Can't wait!!

You won't be disappointed. One small suggestion: I could never get the supplied strap to work with the rainguard and scrapped it in favor of a Vero Vellini strap. If you don't care about the rainguard, the supplied strap is actually very a good one. Steve, as I remember, is a harness man. The ZR ED is a very nice binocular (yep, got one of those as well) but you will be blown away by the Maven.

 

[Woodbadger]

You won't be disappointed. One small suggestion: I could never get the supplied strap to work with the rainguard and scrapped it in favor of a Vero Vellini strap. If you don't care about the rainguard, the supplied strap is actually very a good one. Steve, as I remember, is a harness man. The ZR ED is a very nice binocular (yep, got one of those as well) but you will be blown away by the Maven.

Good to know. I already have a Vero Vellini on the Zen-Ray. Just bought a Rick Young Optics UltraLight bino harness to try out. Mavens arrive on Wednesday - day after birthday, but close enough!

 

[Steve C]

Good to know. I already have a Vero Vellini on the Zen-Ray. Just bought a Rick Young Optics UltraLight bino harness to try out. Mavens arrive on Wednesday - day after birthday, but close enough!

I use the Rick Young harness on mine. Switch hitter that it is, it is both a harness and a strap. Actually works six ways. As a strap, with both arms through it is a harness, with the right arm through it sits on the right side of the chest, with the left arm through it is on the left side of your chest, or it can be used as a bandolier style under the arm either right or left.

Let it be known what you think. I'll be mighty surprised if you don't like it a lot.

With the Maven label up, flip the right edge of the box up and out, then lift. It is a hinged affair, not a standard box with a lid.

 

[birdrousta]

Very quick impressions on the Maven B3 in 6x30, which I asked to borrow while my 8x30 are being serviced:

- the new, lower focuser resistance is very nice. Over the weekend, watching a red tail on a ridge, very fast to reach focus, faster than before
- eye relief is good enough that I can use my glasses with these somewhat. Problem being that as my glasses ride down my nose, I'm too likely to use the ocular to ride them back up again and I worry about messing up the glasses
- diopter adjustment is limited, but not tested extensively as I'm mostly forced to use eyeglasses with these.
- the image looks nice enough. I can't judge image quality if my eyeglasses are in play, because there's a ton of stray light. Example: as we left the ridge we saw a few crows chasing something. Could have been one another, could have been the red tail. Between the distance, the lower magnification, the gap between the oculars and my eyes and the direction I was facing, I wasn't getting good enough contrast to be sure who was being chased into the low angle against an overcast sky. The oculars were just too flooded out.

The biggest surprise so far is that eye placement, on close targets with glasses off, is as picky with the 6x30 as it is with the 8x30 for me.

I'd expected that the jump from a 3.75 mm exit pupil to a 5 mm exit pupil would improve eye placement a great deal, but it really doesn't. Apparently I just like a great big chunk of ocular to jam into my face.

My 8x are out getting the adhesive checked at maven, and I sent them withe field optics eyecups and an explation of my theory on why those are so helpful to me - that by increasing the circumference of the oculars, they help to give me a predictable stop at the correct distance from my eyes. There may be a way to incorporate different cup padding diameters as an order choice, but I don't know how popular it would be.

I had no problem getting the loaner pair sent out ahead of sending in the 8x, perhaps because Maven's in the habit of sending demo glass to people already.

 

[chartwell99]

The biggest surprise so far is that eye placement, on close targets with glasses off, is as picky with the 6x30 as it is with the 8x30 for me.

I'd expected that the jump from a 3.75 mm exit pupil to a 5 mm exit pupil would improve eye placement a great deal, but it really doesn't. Apparently I just like a great big chunk of ocular to jam into my face.

My 8x are out getting the adhesive checked at maven, and I sent them withe field optics eyecups and an explanation of my theory on why those are so helpful to me - that by increasing the circumference of the oculars, they help to give me a predictable stop at the correct distance from my eyes. .

My theory for the cause of blackouts isn't eye placement, but rather too much eye relief. I, too, have turned to field optics eye shields for my binoculars with blackout issues and I have found them to be helpful both in blocking lateral stray light and also for increasing the ocular distance. Not a perfect solution, but helpful. Interestingly, I have no blackout issues with the Maven 9 x 45 B2.