Maven B2 vs Nikon Prostaff 7s (1 Viewer)

[ceasar]

When you tell me you are not buying what I'm saying, and then tell me what I should do, and then come back around with this response, still without the courtesy of a PM, I am disappointed.

You are apparently emotionally invested in Maven to a point that this seemed ordinary and reasonable to you. My concern is about the effect that can have on frank discussion. It certainly makes me shy away from it.

I have asked the moderators to delete my account and all posts associated with it. Since I won't be here to discuss them further, it seems wrong to leave them up.

Steve owns a number of Mavens. Why wouldn't he be concerned?

Nothing here gave me the impression that you were making this up. If I owned a B2 Maven I would have contacted the manufacturer too about what you wrote about.

Bob

 

[Proselytize]

Okay, I've allowed the off topic arguing to continue for long enough now. Probably too long. This appears to be a common theme of this forum. Someone will start a thread asking a question and it will quickly devolve into a few select members conducting petty arguments involving nitpicking and preferences.

Back to my original question, are The Mavens worth spending the extra money(~$800) on? For my occasional use but discriminating eye would I be better off getting the best I can afford (Maven) and being done with it for life? How strong is their lifetime warranty, being a new company? I worry about that.

If I do go budget is there anything I've overlooked? Many say the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD is the best under $500 or so.

By the way, thank you for all the replies. It is definitely possible that the indoor environment was skewing my perception of the binoculars. It was also brief viewing for each pair. I still stand by how underwhelmed I was by the Zeiss Terra and how I think the Pro Staff 7s look just as good or better and the terra are certainly not worth hundreds more. I was also able to easily see that the Zeiss Victory HT were one of the best pairs of binoculars they had, I think I preferred them to the Swarovski SLC. The Victory HT and Swarovski SLC were clearly in a different league than anything else I tried. I think that's the level of binoculars I'd like to own, and that's what led me to Maven. I'm just not sure I can easily justify spending that much when I'm not a birder. It will just be for occasional use, but I want to have the absolute best view when I do use them. I've never liked compromising when purchasing a tool.

One last question:
I just found the top of the line Opticron and I'm reading really good things. Does anyone know how these compare to the Maven B2s?

 

[chill6x6]

Okay, I've allowed the off topic arguing to continue for long enough now. Probably too long. This appears to be a common theme of this forum. Someone will start a thread asking a question and it will quickly devolve into a few select members conducting petty arguments involving nitpicking and preferences.

Back to my original question, are The Mavens worth spending the extra money(~$800) on? For my occasional use but discriminating eye would I be better off getting the best I can afford (Maven) and being done with it for life? How strong is their lifetime warranty, being a new company? I worry about that.

If I do go budget is there anything I've overlooked? Many say the Bushnell Legend Ultra HD is the best under $500 or so.

By the way, thank you for all the replies. It is definitely possible that the indoor environment was skewing my perception of the binoculars. It was also brief viewing for each pair. I still stand by how underwhelmed I was by the Zeiss Terra and how I think the Pro Staff 7s look just as good or better and the terra are certainly not worth hundreds more. I was also able to easily see that the Zeiss Victory HT were one of the best pairs of binoculars they had, I think I preferred them to the Swarovski SLC. The Victory HT and Swarovski SLC were clearly in a different league than anything else I tried. I think that's the level of binoculars I'd like to own, and that's what led me to Maven. I'm just not sure I can easily justify spending that much when I'm not a birder. It will just be for occasional use, but I want to have the absolute best view when I do use them. I've never liked compromising when purchasing a tool.

One last question:
I just found the top of the line Opticron and I'm reading really good things. Does anyone know how these compare to the Maven B2s?

Ok I'll put myself in your shoes 100%...here goes.

I'll assume you have around $900-$1000 or MAX to spend. You can get a good binocular for that...don't worry. Also...I have absolutely no preference as to brand....I currently own Fujinon, Vortex, Zeiss, Swarovski, Maven, Vanguard, Steiner, and Leica binoculars.

I've owned several binoculars in that price range you are looking at...still own several. In MY experience it would easily come down to TWO.... Leica Trinovid(not HD) 8X42 and Maven B.2 9X45...and it would come down to personal preference...

Are optics the PRIMARY concern? Get the Maven.
Are the binoculars going to be frequently used by more than one person? If so, get the Trinovid...best diopter adjustment and eye cup adjustment on the market.
Are you going to do any TRAVELING with said binocular? If so, get the Trinovid. Less space and less weight.

If I were YOU...I'd probably lean Trinovid as more of a general purpose, all around binocular.

http://www.eurooptic.com/leica-trinovid-8x42-black-armored-binocular-40008.aspx

 

[perterra]

When you tell me you are not buying what I'm saying, and then tell me what I should do, and then come back around with this response, still without the courtesy of a PM, I am disappointed.

You are apparently emotionally invested in Maven to a point that this seemed ordinary and reasonable to you. My concern is about the effect that can have on frank discussion. It certainly makes me shy away from it.

I have asked the moderators to delete my account and all posts associated with it. Since I won't be here to discuss them further, it seems wrong to leave them up.

See you around

 

[NDhunter]

If I were you I would get the Nikon Prostaff 7, since your first impression was so good.

When these first came out, I posted on here, about how I found them a good choice in that
price level.

Someday you can upgrade to another binocular once you get more experience handling others
in a large shop.

Good luck.

Jerry

 

[A2GG]

I'm trying to determine if the Mavens are worth $850 more than the Nikon Prostaff 7s. The bins will be for general use, no specific focus on birding. I have a feeling that the prostaff 7s (if CA is decently controlled outdoors) might be all that I need, but I can't seem to shake this feeling that I should go with the mavens, the best I can afford, and have a quality bin for life. It's tough to justify the cost for just occasional use, however.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Only you can decide ultimately, but here's my 2 cents:

I think that an excellent mid-priced bino will be more than good enough for your uses which you stated will only be occasional.
If you take care of the bino it can last a very long time. Something for $500 or a little more will get you very good build quality and optics.
Personally, I wouldn't spend any more than that for occasional use.

Maybe you can get your hands on a demo Conquest HD for a good price or go with a top Opticron or Vortex.

 

[Gijs van Ginkel]

Proselytize,
I recently investigated one of the top models of Opticron (the Aurora 10x42BGA) and we were rather disappointed by it. For a lower price you can buy a Meopta Meostar B1 8x42 or 10x42, which does a better job.
Gijs van Ginkel

 

[Proselytize]

Proselytize,
I recently investigated one of the top models of Opticron (the Aurora 10x42BGA) and we were rather disappointed by it. For a lower price you can buy a Meopta Meostar B1 8x42 or 10x42, which does a better job.
Gijs van Ginkel

Thank you for the reply. This is the model I was trying to compare to the Maven B2s:
http://www.opticronusa.com/Pages/dba_vhd.html

 

[Proselytize]

I ordered the B2 9x45 demo last night. I will report back with my impressions!

 

[chartwell99]

I ordered the B2 9x45 demo last night. I will report back with my impressions!

I love mine, and I'll bet you will too. Best binocular purchase I've made in the last 20 years!

 

[chill6x6]

I ordered the B2 9x45 demo last night. I will report back with my impressions!

Looking forward to hearing what you think!

 

[Proselytize]

I purchased and rerturned the following bins:

Nikon Prostaff 7s - FOV too narrow
Nikon Monarch 7 - Edge sharpness could be improved
Maven B2 - Gave me eye strain... perhaps slight collimation issue? Sharpest of the group, best colors and contrast. My favorite