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Maven 7x28 review (1 Viewer)

Blue72

Well-known member
my travel pocket binoculars were stolen and very Very few manufacturers make 7x binoculars anymore so I thought I try the maven 7x28. So far I’m impressed


-These have a feel of really well built binoculars and I owned a lot of binoculars over the years.
  • these are very comfortable to look through. So comfortable I never felt tired looking through them handheld, they felt like a natural part of my vision. I contribute this to the 7x magnification which are more stable then 8x and the 4 mm exit pupil which is rare to see in pocket binoculars
  • These binoculars are compact enough to fit in my pockets. Yes they fill the pocket but they lay flat and don’t hamper my mobility. I like the flat design over trifold pocket binoculars which cause a uncomfortable bulge in your pocket
  • The optics are sharp and the colors are very neutral. Which many like. I normally prefer the warm saturated colors you see through Nikons, but the mavens are more true to real life. Although the Nikon feel slightly more three dimensional. The main reason I prefer the maven is the stable view of 7x. I can’t stress enough how much better 7x is compared to 8x for long term handholding
  • Overlooking my beach I could easily see people and dogs over a mile away. While image scale is smaller then my 10x binoculars. The stable views make it easier to observe them
  • These will primarily be my travel binoculars. With the 7x28 only costing $200. I won’t cry as much if they get stolen, like my last pocket binoculars that was swiped from me.
  • Even though these are pocket binoculars, they perform way better in the dark compared to other 8x25 binoculars I’ve tried
  • Focus wheel is a pleasure to use, a little to quick. But you adjust to the speed over time. Plus with 7x, depth of field is greater so less adjustment is needed after you set it.
  • I believe Maven is very conservative on field of view because they seem wider then other binoculars I have with the same advertised field of view
  • Putting these binoculars on a monopod and you swear they are on a tripod, another benefit of 7x.
  • There is some distortion in the lens, but center is sharp and ÇA is low.
 
Thanks for the detailed review, this is great. Maven is not that popular on this side of the Pond, and as you say, a light 7x is a great idea. I see the weight is listed at 350 g, compared to 435 g for the Nikon M7 8x30 I think it must be noticeable. I'm curious about how these compare size-wise with the Nikon M7 or one of its siblings (including the Maven B3 8x30). I can read the size in mm, but it's really hard to tell. I wish someone could come up with a nice picture comparing the 7x28 to any of the breed of current lightweight 8x30 that share very similar dimensions.

The price of the 7x28 is also really attractive and makes me wonder about how these Maven compare against other binoculars of different price points. I don't know if you have used the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 or can comment on their relative performance. Thanks again.
 
Thanks for the detailed review, this is great. Maven is not that popular on this side of the Pond, and as you say, a light 7x is a great idea. I see the weight is listed at 350 g, compared to 435 g for the Nikon M7 8x30 I think it must be noticeable. I'm curious about how these compare size-wise with the Nikon M7 or one of its siblings (including the Maven B3 8x30). I can read the size in mm, but it's really hard to tell. I wish someone could come up with a nice picture comparing the 7x28 to any of the breed of current lightweight 8x30 that share very similar dimensions.

The price of the 7x28 is also really attractive and makes me wonder about how these Maven compare against other binoculars of different price points. I don't know if you have used the Nikon Monarch 7 8x30 or can comment on their relative performance. Thanks again.

I am a big Nikon fan. The Nikon glass is definitely better with its saturated colors, more 3D image, and less distortion in the outer edge

but what these maven offer is a more dramatically comfortable view due to 7x magnification and 4mm exit pupil

which is a very hard combination to find in pocket binoculars. Matter of fact I don’t know any other brand that offer this
 
but what these maven offer is a more dramatically comfortable view due to 7x magnification and 4mm exit pupil

which is a very hard combination to find in pocket binoculars. Matter of fact I don’t know any other brand that offer this
Thanks for the reply. Yes, you ate right, there are not that many small 7x.
I had the Steiner 7x30 Navigator, but found the optics really disappointing. And then there's the Minox 7x28, but that's IF, and that kind of rules it out, plus if I remember well they were missing something in the optical department, I'm not 100 % sure, but maybe they didn't have phase coating.

According to the specs, these little Maven not only boast ED glass (whatever that means nowadays), but they also have dielectric coating, I don't know if I should assume this means they are phase coated.

Funny you should find the view through the 8x30 more 3D, I usually find the view through 7x binoculars has more depth, an enhanced sense of space that usually makes for an improved feeling of 3D (well, definitely not like a big Porro, obviously).

Thanks again, your comments have spurred my interest in the little 7x28 even more 😊 Please do add more comments and observations as you use it more thoroughly.
 
Thanks for the reply. Yes, you ate right, there are not that many small 7x.
I had the Steiner 7x30 Navigator, but found the optics really disappointing. And then there's the Minox 7x28, but that's IF, and that kind of rules it out, plus if I remember well they were missing something in the optical department, I'm not 100 % sure, but maybe they didn't have phase coating.

According to the specs, these little Maven not only boast ED glass (whatever that means nowadays), but they also have dielectric coating, I don't know if I should assume this means they are phase coated.

Funny you should find the view through the 8x30 more 3D, I usually find the view through 7x binoculars has more depth, an enhanced sense of space that usually makes for an improved feeling of 3D (well, definitely not like a big Porro, obviously).

Thanks again, your comments have spurred my interest in the little 7x28 even more 😊 Please do add more comments and observations as you use it more thoroughly.
I am a 7x fan and normally they are more 3D. But not the case with these maven 7x28 when compared to the Nikon
 
Thanks for the review. I've always wanted to try the 7x28, but the low AFOV is a turn-off for someone who really values a wide view. 43.35° (ISO) vs. 60.27° for the M7 8x30 is a pretty big difference. It's comparable to the Vortex Diamondback 8x28 at 46.85°, or maybe the Zeiss Terra 8x25 at 48.86° though, and I can certainly understand the appeal. I would be interested if you made some rough measurements of the FOV since you think it's conservative in the specs.
 
UPDATE ON THE REVIEW

I landed up returning the Maven 7x28.

As much as I loved the mavens and all my bullet points still hold true. What started to bother me was the last bullet point. The distortion in the outer edges was to much compared to my nikons. Even the Nikon trailblazers had way less distortion and they had those beautiful saturated colors Nikon is known for.

I did contact Maven and they asked me to send them in for a warranty check. But I didn’t want to take the risk since my return period was expiring and didn’t want to get stuck with these binoculars if the manufacturer considered them normal.
 
I just picked up the 7x28's. I get the point about some edge distortion. However, the sweet spot seems large enough for me. I like the feel, the light weight, and the 7x power. It is easier for me to hold steady and that counts for a lot. The one thing I don't like is that there are no objective lens covers.
 
I just picked up the 7x28's. I get the point about some edge distortion. However, the sweet spot seems large enough for me. I like the feel, the light weight, and the 7x power. It is easier for me to hold steady and that counts for a lot. The one thing I don't like is that there are no objective lens covers.

I'm just going to jump in here and wish you a warm welcome to you from those of us on staff here at BirdForum (y)
We're glad you found us and please join in wherever you like ;)
 
I just picked up the 7x28's. I get the point about some edge distortion. However, the sweet spot seems large enough for me. I like the feel, the light weight, and the 7x power. It is easier for me to hold steady and that counts for a lot. The one thing I don't like is that there are no objective lens covers.
I found the distortion to be too close to the sweet spot. Do you find the same in yours?

otherwise I loved the binoculars and so did my son. I’m thinking about trying another pair to see if I had a bad sample or if I was overly critical. They are so much nicer to use then my Nikon 7x20 or 8x25 but the nikons didn’t have the distortion
 
I took them out yesterday for daytime viewing. There is some fading at the edges, but the main area in the center was clear and sharp. At night they worked decently for viewing the stars, but I didn't expect much from a 28 mm aperture. Nice views of the Milky Way though. I will put them through some more paces, but I haven't noticed any major issue. For the price point they are quite good. I wasn't expecting them to compare to a Swaro. I have the 7x45's and they are excellent.
 
Today I went for a hike and took them along. Saw a woodpecker, don't ask what species, and got an excellent view of it. I really like these, even more then my 8x32's. It is easier for me to hold a 7x more steady.
 
Today I went for a hike and took them along. Saw a woodpecker, don't ask what species, and got an excellent view of it. I really like these, even more then my 8x32's. It is easier for me to hold a 7x more steady.
I’m definitely going to pick another pair up eventually. My son and I miss them
 
I did look up the bird. It was a Hairy Woodpecker, a male. The bins gave a clear sharp view that allowed me to eventually identify it. I'm normally an astro guy, but I have been doing some birding during the day. The two hobbies are not mutually exclusive I am finding.
 
I think 7x28 is a very good configuration. Because why always sacrifice brightness with compacts? There are 7x42s and 7x50s but 7x20-25s are rare today. But: go from 8x25, increase the aperture just slightly while decrease the magnification 1x step and you have a still compact model with 4mm exit pupil.
Maven 7x28 looks very nice but it should have both wider FOV and longer ER. Only 16mm ER despite only 45,5deg AFOV is bad performance.
I would like to see a high grade 7x28!
 
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The fov is actually greater then advertised. I use them with and without glasses without difficulty, so the eye relief doesn't seem to be a problem.
 
I’m definitely going to pick another pair up eventually. My son and I miss them
Did you replace them yet? When you do I'll be interested in hearing if you thought you had a dud, were too picky, or had it right the first time. Something about a more compact 4mm exit and the lower magnification of the 7x definitely has my interest.
 
I find I miss the 7x28 mavens too. I'd really prefer a truly pocketable bino than mere compact ones (as these are single hinge) but they did have a nice quality build to them and a strong view. I'm curious what OP ended up doing as well.
 

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