Swarovski quality at 2/3 the price

[Ben the Ignorant]

http://www.binomania.it/recensione-del-binocolo-maven-b4-15x56-hd-cielo-e-natura-in-hd/

Sorry if you don't read italian, this is the most complete and accurate review I found so it's the one I present here. Maybe I already heard of Maven a couple years ago and forgot, but now I'm not about to forget any more. It is a business from Wyoming, USA, a state where hunting is almost as common as owning a car, so it naturally gave birth to a firm dealing in riflescopes and binoculars.

Maven optics cannot be found in any stores, and that's an interesting part of their business model because the absence of middlemen allows them to sell their stuff at a much more moderate (but not cheap at all) price than other high-end makers and/or retailers.

The main point in the review is that this Maven 15x56 matches the quality of the Swarovski SLC 15x56 at 2/3 the price, the only exception to their equality being a barely noticeable amount of extra chromatic aberration in the Maven.

66° eyepieces fortunately, that was one of the first features I checked; binocs boasting very sharp lateral images by sacrificing field always disappoint me. That corresponds to a rich-field 4.4° swath of sky or landscape, very generous. Transparency is said to be an astonishing 94%, prisms are phase-coated, obviously, and the price is 1400€. As expected it is waterproof and nitrogen-purged, this will soon be a useless info since no maker of serious binoculars will issue one that can be drowned or fogged up.

 

 

What has the Binomania guy found in his detailed examination?

The objectives have four lenses, and at least one is made of ED glass, a must in high-end optics these days. He believes it's impossible to find better objectives at any price anywhere, contrast and sharpness are at the top level.

The eyepieces have 18mm eye relief, in the ideal 14mm to 19mm range. From what I've tried 14mm to 17mm is excellent for me but I don't wear glasses, so the extra millimeters should benefit nicely those who do. The exit pupil is perfectly round and evenly illuminated.

Coatings: multi-layer, of course, but designed so the external layer is hard to better resist scratching, as well as stain- and water-repellent.

 

Now the imperfections; all optics have them, but to what degree?

Chromatism is better than in some high-end Nikon and Fujinon binocs, and only very slightly more present than in a 2140€ Swarovski 15x56.

Lareral color: totally negligible, what little can be seen starts only 75% from the center.

Field curvature: extremely reduced, better than some Vortex and Zeiss models, definitely a flat-field instrument like the very best from Nikon and Swarovski.

Angular distortion (crescent-shaped): minimal.

Astigmatism: unlike many general-use binocular reviewers like BBR or some YouTubers, Binomania always tests binoculars on the night sky after the birdwatching and landscape evaluations, the surest way to reveal astigmatism since the deformation of a star dot is obvious in its shape and extent. The Maven is splendid to the edge. Salimbeni (a regular contributor in Cloudy Nights) usually grants three ratings for each bino, percentage of sharp field, percentage of usable field, and percentage of unusable field. Well, this time he had to grant only two because there is no unusable field! Sharp portion covers 90%, and only 10% are slightly less sharp. I don't think he ever reviewed a 100% bino.

Resolution is on par with a 20x or 22x spotting scope thanks to the use of both eyes, and brightness compares to a 65mm or 70mm monocular scope. According to him the Swarovski wins only by way of somewhat narrower eyepieces for the comfort of people with a wider nose, and a little less weight. However he insists that the advantage in the Swarovski is not at all proportionate to its higher price.

 

All in all the Maven is a much better value. It's made from Japanese parts (assembled in the USA), finish and construction are flawless, and you can customize many external components for a little extra cash.

https://mavenbuilt.com/b-series-binoculars/

 

These are way too expensive for me, so why did I take the time to write this? I'm impressed. I like how Maven cares for the customer's wallet, and allows factory direct buying to cut a big chunk off the usual cost of top-class optics. I want to know what is made, how it's made (I have no interest in promoting Maven, I'm not a shareholder or whatnot), and also how it is marketed . Here I got only satisfying answers. Those of you who can afford binoculars costing in excess of 1000€ can surely appreciate, too.

[Ruud]

Thanks, Ben, these binoculars certainly sound interesting! I'm going to study them long and carefully. 

Little chance that I'll buy them though. With their bulk, weight and magnification they can't be of much use for me without a tripod, which would limit their use to me. Also, under less than bright conditions their exit pupil is on the small side for terrestrial observations.

Still, they are fascinating binoculars and they seem a much more attractive deal than the Swarovski.

[Ben the Ignorant]

Then maybe their 9x45?

[Ben the Ignorant]

I didn't know the Maven brand or I overlooked it for many years when browsing the internet, not sure for a line that's not in stores, so I researched it after reading the shiny review of the 15x56. Turns out Best Binoculars Reviews declared the Maven 11x45 best binocular of the year 2018. Wow.

Edit: I stupidly forgot to add the link:

https://www.bestbinocularsreviews.com/MavenB211x45BinocularsReview-179.htm