Steve C
Well-known member
Review: Maven B2 7x45 and B 3 6x30
I have had these two binoculars for long enough to feel comfortable with offering the following. As with any review I do, I do it with a single question foremost in my mind. That question is this. If I was in the market for a binocular for my personal use would this one work? Not just work, but work well.
It should be no secret at this point that I am most favorably impressed with the entire Maven binocular line. I own the B1 in 10x42, the B2 in 9x45 and the B3 in 8x30. I find them to be completely satisfactory in all aspects of optical performance, ergonomics, and apparent build quality. They all offer a whole package that is comparable to any binocular at any price level. It was solely the performance offered by the entire package of these binoculars that won my support.
Reviews of the B2 9x45 and B 3 8x30 are present in the forums, so I will separate out the two newest Maven offerings, the 7x45 B2 and the 6x30 B3. The reviews samples were agreed upon during direct conversations with two of the Maven owners at the Central Oregon Outdoor Expo. I posted some preliminary observations from that first view of these two binoculars, so I'll expand the scope into a review level offering here.
Maven B2 7x45:
I was somewhat surprised to hear that they were offering a full size 7x binocular. It used to be everyone had 7x as an optical standard, but marketing has pushed 8x into the optical standard. Seems to be the 8x has been sold on the idea of more magnification is better, such truth has largely relegated 7x to the status of poor stepchild in the optics world. So it was with some anticipation I settled back to await the release. I was initially somewhat surprised when I saw the first set of specifications listing the fov of this 7x45 binocular as 389'. That gives an angular fov of 7.4* and an apparent field of some 52*. My initial thought was that this was going to pose some problems as that is not much wider that the narrow fov of a typical 7x50. I did ask Maven if the fov specification was correct and they said it was. On e thing to remember is that the afov value is controlled to a large extent by magnification. You can increase afov by increasing magnification. You decrease afov by decreasing magnification. If the goal is to decrease magnification and increase the afov, you get into optical design limitations. To get a true wide field fov from a 7x binocular, the angle of the view has to increase. That is an eye piece function and while the limitations may well be overcome, it requires a more expensive eye piece design. That may well require a complete binocular overhaul, and we may be unwilling to pay the freight for the end result. However with that said, I was initially hoping for something close to the 450' fov of the Zeiss FL 7x42.
That wish for a wider fov seemed soundly echoed in my original impressions post. There were multiple comments about that 389' fov being simply too restrictive. I was prepared to see a somewhat restricted fov when I looked through the 7x45 for the first time. The very first and very obvious first impression this binocular created was that it was far from seeming restricted. It was also apparent after some viewing that it was not as apparently as wide as the 9x45 either. That discussion went around and around the Mulberry bush in that post. On one hand there was me saying “hold on folks, this is not as restrictive as the spec sheet would lead one to believe”, while on the other hand there were multiple musings that a fov that narrow just had to be unacceptable.
So rest assured that the very first thing I did with the 7x45 was to check the fov. I use a tape measure tacked on a wall and set the binocular securely mounted on a tripod with the center of the tripod as close to exactly 30' from the tape as I can measure it. I have come to use the center of the tripod because I think it is easiest to measure. Variations from placing the objectives at the 30' mark are not noticeable. I carefully center the horizontal tape and measure the amount of tape visible across the field. The 7x45 Maven B2 has for all intents and purposes a 420' fov. This is 8* angular field or a 56* afov. Not quite the 60* wide angle banner, but pretty close. That is the same fov of most contemporary high quality 7x offerings. It is a bit narrower that the Zeiss 7x42 FL, but it has a lot better sweet spot than the FL so there is not a lot of “grab your attention” difference between the two. It is however noticeably narrower than my ZEN ED 2 7x36 which has a 486' fov. It is also sharper than the ZEN and again, has better edge performance than the ZEN.
Comparing the field width of the Maven to some other on hand 7x glass I have in my collection:
My 7x50 Bushnell Navigator with a stated, and confirmed on my tripod, fov of 7.5* or 393' , the Maven is “poke you in the eye” obviously wider and far less restrictive. That difference is even more apparent comparing to a typical 376' fov of a few vintage porros.
Against my 7x35 Bushnell Custom porro with a stated and confirmed 8*, 420' fov, the apparent width advantage goes to the Maven. They both however measure just the same.
All of my Maven binoculars measure wider than stated specifications. The only other contemporary roof that measures wider than specified is my 8x42 Kruger Caldera. It is listed as 438' but measures 460'. There is some variation in a few of my older vintage glass. On the whole my method seems to equate pretty closely with the specifications.
I set up a 100 yard fov measurement setup and the 8* fov of the 7x45 was repeated. A quick check at a mile distance was true to the 8* initial measurement as well. So I believe there is the reason for my initial impression of a wider than stated fov. I feel confident in saying you are not likely to feel restricted by the B2 unless you have an affinity for the older vintage porros with 10-11* fov.
I have yet to hear from Maven on this issue. However I think what we see is The OEM taking a conservative stance. Nobody will complain if the tested fov is wider than the listed fov, while a tested fov that is narrower than specification will draw some flack. Personally I think the conservative listing will hamper sales irrespective of what the fov is.
Maven B3 6x30
After the fov discovery of the 7x45 I measured the 6x30 B3. It is listed as 420', but measures 460'. All with the same setups I used with the 7x45. Against the popular Leupold Yosemite 6x30 which has a listed 420', and which matches my test results, the Maven is again “poke you in the eye” apparently wider. The difference is patently obvious. Same with the listed 420' fov of the eagle Optics 6.5x32. The fov difference with the Vortex 6.5x32 Fury, listed at 445', is less obvious and it and the Maven are too close together to tell apart without actual measurement.
Optical performance
The day I received these two binoculars was the day before what I refer to as the “Great Goose Scram”. This area has literally millions of the Greater White Fronted Goose here in the spring Migration. The official name is to me patently ridiculous. Those Geese have lots of white, but it is not on their front end. The more commonly used local name is the Specklebelly Goose or just plain Speck. At any rate they show up sometime in early February and leave about mid April. You get a few early leavers and a few later stragglers, but the main great scram happens in about two to three days. The binoculars got here one late afternoon. The next morning I took them out to begin wringing them out. Just about the first thing I saw was a large flock of Specks V'ed out and headed north. Biologists tell us they fly non stop from here to their breeding grounds in the vicinity of the Arctic Circle. This flock was about a half mile long and on a typical outward route about four miles east of me and at this point about 7,000' in elevation. As I watched to the south there were literally more of the large flocks that kept coming into view one after the other than I could keep count of. The little 6x30 showed up the distant Specks quite well and I really did not wish for much more. Ditto the 7x45. The 9x45 did not give any better detail.. Not much to be gained from a medium sized goose at four miles. I watched this for well over an hour and they were still forming up and headed north.
These flocks were between me and the sun and CA was not an issue with either binocular. Neither binocular uses field flatteners, both having some curvature toward the outer edge and minimally noticeable edge distortion. The terrestrial sweet spots are apparently quite large. The Astronomical sweet spots are somewhat smaller. Using the gradations on the tape in the fov tests, The distortion begins to be noticeable at about 75- 80% of the way to the edge.
Both binoculars are bright and razor sharp, with a slight edge to the 7x45. Colors are bright and true to their natural state. The have excellent contrast, with the edge to the 7x45. They both have a very easy on the eye, relaxed view, both being a pleasure to use.
So what do they compare to:
This is the ubiquitous question. Let's do the 7x45 first. Leaving the stated fov specification aside, the real (as measured), fov seems on par with most of the quality 7x binoculars available today. The 420' fov compares favorably with Swarovski, Leica, Meopta, and Nikon offerings. The Zeiss 7x42 FL is a bit wider, but the B2 has a lot better edge performance, so the real difference will be solely a personal matter of preference. The B2 is by some means the largest of the lot, but has the AK prism transmission advantage and slightly larger exit pupils. As I have mentioned previously in the 9x45 review the wider ocular placement of the B2's AK design seems to create an enhanced 3-D effect. This seems particularly noticeable when coupled with the increase dof of the 7x magnification.
The focus mechanism on the B2 is as good as any to be found. As with the 9x45, I can focus on my toes. If you have a 7x full sized alpha you are satisfied with, then the B2 may not have a lot of interest. But if you are a fan of the 7x magnification and the $1,000 of the B2 suits your wallet, then rest assured your B2 will be all of the binocular you will need. Maybe more than you need, realizing it is not a small binocular. However, the balance of this thing is terrific and it does not seem nearly as heavy as one would think.
There are also not a lot of competitors in the 6x magnification range either. The B3 is clearly brighter and sharper than the Yosemite, Kingbird and Fury. It is in many ways similar to the Vortex Viper HD 6x30, but the field advantage is in the Maven's favor here.
I have reached the conclusion that there is really little to be gained by upgrading binoculars. For my view, the difference in image quality between any of the Maven binoculars and any of the top tier Alpha binoculars is pretty minimal. I am not going to say that there is no difference in the view, as some binoculars at this level do some things better than others. At any level they all have faults. With the Maven I really have to stop an think...“just what was it I liked better about (insert name here)”. When the difference is not large enough to leave a distinct, lasting impression, then for me, the difference is moot. The real key to a users satisfaction with a binocular is with the user's ability to just use the binocular and enjoy it for what it is, not to detract based on what it is not. The little voice we have telling us there has to be something better seems to be a human trait. Neither good nor bad, just a trait. Some can quell the little voices with less money than others, who may require the expenditure of top tier price that gives them their required satisfaction level.
My preferences in magnification seem to be changing somewhat as I get older. For whatever reasons, I seem to prefer a bit more magnification now than I did a couple of years ago. For that reason I am sticking with my current choice of the 9x45 B2 and 8x30 B3 as my main binocular combo. While the 3-D and dof of the 7x45 is compelling, it does not have the extraordinarily wide feel of the 9x sibling. The same is true for the 6xvs the 8x30, for my tastes.
The Maven binoculars, while some will always place a notch below the top tier glass simply because of what they are not, are seriously good optical instruments. They are good enough to have caused me to spend my money on them, and I do not hesitate to recommend them. If you are really interested in a seriously good full size binocular with a large EP, then the 7x45 is certainly worth the effort to get some time with. If you need a small glass and would like a 6x specimen, ditto the 6x30.
I could add more, but this is enough for now.
I have had these two binoculars for long enough to feel comfortable with offering the following. As with any review I do, I do it with a single question foremost in my mind. That question is this. If I was in the market for a binocular for my personal use would this one work? Not just work, but work well.
It should be no secret at this point that I am most favorably impressed with the entire Maven binocular line. I own the B1 in 10x42, the B2 in 9x45 and the B3 in 8x30. I find them to be completely satisfactory in all aspects of optical performance, ergonomics, and apparent build quality. They all offer a whole package that is comparable to any binocular at any price level. It was solely the performance offered by the entire package of these binoculars that won my support.
Reviews of the B2 9x45 and B 3 8x30 are present in the forums, so I will separate out the two newest Maven offerings, the 7x45 B2 and the 6x30 B3. The reviews samples were agreed upon during direct conversations with two of the Maven owners at the Central Oregon Outdoor Expo. I posted some preliminary observations from that first view of these two binoculars, so I'll expand the scope into a review level offering here.
Maven B2 7x45:
I was somewhat surprised to hear that they were offering a full size 7x binocular. It used to be everyone had 7x as an optical standard, but marketing has pushed 8x into the optical standard. Seems to be the 8x has been sold on the idea of more magnification is better, such truth has largely relegated 7x to the status of poor stepchild in the optics world. So it was with some anticipation I settled back to await the release. I was initially somewhat surprised when I saw the first set of specifications listing the fov of this 7x45 binocular as 389'. That gives an angular fov of 7.4* and an apparent field of some 52*. My initial thought was that this was going to pose some problems as that is not much wider that the narrow fov of a typical 7x50. I did ask Maven if the fov specification was correct and they said it was. On e thing to remember is that the afov value is controlled to a large extent by magnification. You can increase afov by increasing magnification. You decrease afov by decreasing magnification. If the goal is to decrease magnification and increase the afov, you get into optical design limitations. To get a true wide field fov from a 7x binocular, the angle of the view has to increase. That is an eye piece function and while the limitations may well be overcome, it requires a more expensive eye piece design. That may well require a complete binocular overhaul, and we may be unwilling to pay the freight for the end result. However with that said, I was initially hoping for something close to the 450' fov of the Zeiss FL 7x42.
That wish for a wider fov seemed soundly echoed in my original impressions post. There were multiple comments about that 389' fov being simply too restrictive. I was prepared to see a somewhat restricted fov when I looked through the 7x45 for the first time. The very first and very obvious first impression this binocular created was that it was far from seeming restricted. It was also apparent after some viewing that it was not as apparently as wide as the 9x45 either. That discussion went around and around the Mulberry bush in that post. On one hand there was me saying “hold on folks, this is not as restrictive as the spec sheet would lead one to believe”, while on the other hand there were multiple musings that a fov that narrow just had to be unacceptable.
So rest assured that the very first thing I did with the 7x45 was to check the fov. I use a tape measure tacked on a wall and set the binocular securely mounted on a tripod with the center of the tripod as close to exactly 30' from the tape as I can measure it. I have come to use the center of the tripod because I think it is easiest to measure. Variations from placing the objectives at the 30' mark are not noticeable. I carefully center the horizontal tape and measure the amount of tape visible across the field. The 7x45 Maven B2 has for all intents and purposes a 420' fov. This is 8* angular field or a 56* afov. Not quite the 60* wide angle banner, but pretty close. That is the same fov of most contemporary high quality 7x offerings. It is a bit narrower that the Zeiss 7x42 FL, but it has a lot better sweet spot than the FL so there is not a lot of “grab your attention” difference between the two. It is however noticeably narrower than my ZEN ED 2 7x36 which has a 486' fov. It is also sharper than the ZEN and again, has better edge performance than the ZEN.
Comparing the field width of the Maven to some other on hand 7x glass I have in my collection:
My 7x50 Bushnell Navigator with a stated, and confirmed on my tripod, fov of 7.5* or 393' , the Maven is “poke you in the eye” obviously wider and far less restrictive. That difference is even more apparent comparing to a typical 376' fov of a few vintage porros.
Against my 7x35 Bushnell Custom porro with a stated and confirmed 8*, 420' fov, the apparent width advantage goes to the Maven. They both however measure just the same.
All of my Maven binoculars measure wider than stated specifications. The only other contemporary roof that measures wider than specified is my 8x42 Kruger Caldera. It is listed as 438' but measures 460'. There is some variation in a few of my older vintage glass. On the whole my method seems to equate pretty closely with the specifications.
I set up a 100 yard fov measurement setup and the 8* fov of the 7x45 was repeated. A quick check at a mile distance was true to the 8* initial measurement as well. So I believe there is the reason for my initial impression of a wider than stated fov. I feel confident in saying you are not likely to feel restricted by the B2 unless you have an affinity for the older vintage porros with 10-11* fov.
I have yet to hear from Maven on this issue. However I think what we see is The OEM taking a conservative stance. Nobody will complain if the tested fov is wider than the listed fov, while a tested fov that is narrower than specification will draw some flack. Personally I think the conservative listing will hamper sales irrespective of what the fov is.
Maven B3 6x30
After the fov discovery of the 7x45 I measured the 6x30 B3. It is listed as 420', but measures 460'. All with the same setups I used with the 7x45. Against the popular Leupold Yosemite 6x30 which has a listed 420', and which matches my test results, the Maven is again “poke you in the eye” apparently wider. The difference is patently obvious. Same with the listed 420' fov of the eagle Optics 6.5x32. The fov difference with the Vortex 6.5x32 Fury, listed at 445', is less obvious and it and the Maven are too close together to tell apart without actual measurement.
Optical performance
The day I received these two binoculars was the day before what I refer to as the “Great Goose Scram”. This area has literally millions of the Greater White Fronted Goose here in the spring Migration. The official name is to me patently ridiculous. Those Geese have lots of white, but it is not on their front end. The more commonly used local name is the Specklebelly Goose or just plain Speck. At any rate they show up sometime in early February and leave about mid April. You get a few early leavers and a few later stragglers, but the main great scram happens in about two to three days. The binoculars got here one late afternoon. The next morning I took them out to begin wringing them out. Just about the first thing I saw was a large flock of Specks V'ed out and headed north. Biologists tell us they fly non stop from here to their breeding grounds in the vicinity of the Arctic Circle. This flock was about a half mile long and on a typical outward route about four miles east of me and at this point about 7,000' in elevation. As I watched to the south there were literally more of the large flocks that kept coming into view one after the other than I could keep count of. The little 6x30 showed up the distant Specks quite well and I really did not wish for much more. Ditto the 7x45. The 9x45 did not give any better detail.. Not much to be gained from a medium sized goose at four miles. I watched this for well over an hour and they were still forming up and headed north.
These flocks were between me and the sun and CA was not an issue with either binocular. Neither binocular uses field flatteners, both having some curvature toward the outer edge and minimally noticeable edge distortion. The terrestrial sweet spots are apparently quite large. The Astronomical sweet spots are somewhat smaller. Using the gradations on the tape in the fov tests, The distortion begins to be noticeable at about 75- 80% of the way to the edge.
Both binoculars are bright and razor sharp, with a slight edge to the 7x45. Colors are bright and true to their natural state. The have excellent contrast, with the edge to the 7x45. They both have a very easy on the eye, relaxed view, both being a pleasure to use.
So what do they compare to:
This is the ubiquitous question. Let's do the 7x45 first. Leaving the stated fov specification aside, the real (as measured), fov seems on par with most of the quality 7x binoculars available today. The 420' fov compares favorably with Swarovski, Leica, Meopta, and Nikon offerings. The Zeiss 7x42 FL is a bit wider, but the B2 has a lot better edge performance, so the real difference will be solely a personal matter of preference. The B2 is by some means the largest of the lot, but has the AK prism transmission advantage and slightly larger exit pupils. As I have mentioned previously in the 9x45 review the wider ocular placement of the B2's AK design seems to create an enhanced 3-D effect. This seems particularly noticeable when coupled with the increase dof of the 7x magnification.
The focus mechanism on the B2 is as good as any to be found. As with the 9x45, I can focus on my toes. If you have a 7x full sized alpha you are satisfied with, then the B2 may not have a lot of interest. But if you are a fan of the 7x magnification and the $1,000 of the B2 suits your wallet, then rest assured your B2 will be all of the binocular you will need. Maybe more than you need, realizing it is not a small binocular. However, the balance of this thing is terrific and it does not seem nearly as heavy as one would think.
There are also not a lot of competitors in the 6x magnification range either. The B3 is clearly brighter and sharper than the Yosemite, Kingbird and Fury. It is in many ways similar to the Vortex Viper HD 6x30, but the field advantage is in the Maven's favor here.
I have reached the conclusion that there is really little to be gained by upgrading binoculars. For my view, the difference in image quality between any of the Maven binoculars and any of the top tier Alpha binoculars is pretty minimal. I am not going to say that there is no difference in the view, as some binoculars at this level do some things better than others. At any level they all have faults. With the Maven I really have to stop an think...“just what was it I liked better about (insert name here)”. When the difference is not large enough to leave a distinct, lasting impression, then for me, the difference is moot. The real key to a users satisfaction with a binocular is with the user's ability to just use the binocular and enjoy it for what it is, not to detract based on what it is not. The little voice we have telling us there has to be something better seems to be a human trait. Neither good nor bad, just a trait. Some can quell the little voices with less money than others, who may require the expenditure of top tier price that gives them their required satisfaction level.
My preferences in magnification seem to be changing somewhat as I get older. For whatever reasons, I seem to prefer a bit more magnification now than I did a couple of years ago. For that reason I am sticking with my current choice of the 9x45 B2 and 8x30 B3 as my main binocular combo. While the 3-D and dof of the 7x45 is compelling, it does not have the extraordinarily wide feel of the 9x sibling. The same is true for the 6xvs the 8x30, for my tastes.
The Maven binoculars, while some will always place a notch below the top tier glass simply because of what they are not, are seriously good optical instruments. They are good enough to have caused me to spend my money on them, and I do not hesitate to recommend them. If you are really interested in a seriously good full size binocular with a large EP, then the 7x45 is certainly worth the effort to get some time with. If you need a small glass and would like a 6x specimen, ditto the 6x30.
I could add more, but this is enough for now.
