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Message: <blockquote data-quote="birdrousta" data-source="post: 3336029" data-attributes="member: 129957">I apologize, I mentioned it but didn't say much more.  Check with Maven - you'll need to phone in to order the modification.  When I had my 8x30s made, the cost was projected to be 200 dollars additional.  I mentioned this in a thread specifically about the modification, but I got very good pricing as I was the one who pestered them to pester the folks they purchase their parts from about how difficult it would be to offer the change.  From what I remember, the cost would be the same if you were buying any of the binoculars they sell.  Before you order a pair, take a look at the Swaro 8x30s.  Once the price of the B3 is 700, it's worth a look through them, and here is why:the 8x30s from Maven are my first pair of binoculars of that size.  Some of the limitations on them seem to be a function of that size range - very finnicky eye placement - and some relate to the oculars which are prone to be impacted by off-axis light sources and, due to the particular alignment of my face and the oculars when held in viewing position, reflection from my cheeks as well  (my pair will probably go to Maven in the next few months to find out if they can improve the off-axis flaring in the oculars.)The reason I suggest a look through the Swaros is that they had sufficient focus past infinity for me, which was a surprise.  I was also impressed by how much more generous they seemed as far as flexible eye placement in the 8x30 or 32 pair I looked at briefly.  Here's the thing:  I already owned the Mavens at that point, so I wanted to avoid extreme buyers' remorse, and didn't take careful notes.  I think, based on what I remember, that the ones I looked through were the SVs in 8x32 - which clearly don't compare to the Maven pricing - but I would want a look through the CLs as well - if they offer relaxed eye placement and enough overfocus, the additional 300 dollars might be worth it.  All that said, the Mavens are very, very good.  Not as good at bringing out color contrast as the Nikon SE 10x40s that my partner got for Christmas but a lovely view once you get the hang of looking through them.  For example:  a leaf gall on a leaf - yes, you see it with the Mavens, but through the Nikons it grabs your attention as being important to that leaf.  I don't think this is mostly the slightly larger image;  the texture of the gall is more distinct in the Nikons, probably due to both the improved 3D from the parallax and the subtly better color delivery, above and beyond the higher magnification.  Excepting the SEs, once the Maven's are on a tripod they're easily the best view in the house for most things, and that does include the 102 mm Mak scope configured as a spotter with a bright, 40x eyepiece (effective mag is about 30 diameters.)  It's very silly to be putting an 8x30 on a tripod, though, so I'm learning to do without.They smoke the Monarch 7s in 8x42 - except for the ergonomics.  When I first got them, I was not able to look through them quickly, and I missed seeing things I'd have seen if I was using the Monarchs.  As I say, my impression is that that is a common issue with learning to use a smaller binocular.  As I get used to them, I get considerably more out of them.  I use them regularly to look at (for example) shore birds and the nebulae in Orion's sword.  They give very nice views for each of those, with or without eyeglasses, which is very important for me.  A few mornings ago, I tried looking for Jupiter's moons;  I was not able to see them with the Mavens but I also couldn't see them with the SEs or the Monarchs, though I'd expected both would work well for that, which implies that the conditions rather than the mavens were subpar.  And because they're wide field and then some, they also make very nice looking at landscape binoculars.  But the eye placement takes enough getting used to that when we were out last weekend with the relatives, it was the SEs that were getting the spontaneous "ooooh, these are NICE" response.  I can't use a 10x well, and the SEs don't come near to accomodating my eyes, so I'm happy that I have the better binoculars for me.</blockquote>

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