Jun 11

Jun 11 Maven B2 Binocular Review

Maven B2 Binocular Review

By Josh Boyd, Rokslide Prostaff

View Original at Rokslide

This winter I was asked if I’d be willing to set aside my expensive European glass for a season and try out a Maven binocular of my choice. At first, I was hesitant. I’ve been a user of Leica glass for close to twenty years and don’t like to gamble my time afield with products I am not familiar with. But after chatting with the owners and asking a few friends who are experienced with the brand, I jumped onboard for a spring season test.

I ordered the Maven B.2 model in the 11×45 configuration. This model uses an Abbe-Koenig prism to rectify the image which I assume is making the slight bend in the barrels of the optic. The size and shape of the B.2 is similar to the Leica Geovid HD-B and will fit into the regular-sized Sitka Bino Bivy. The total weight is 33 ounces which is an ounce heavier than my older Leica Trinovids and one ounce lighter than the Geovids I currently own. The glass is Extra-low Dispersion to minimize color fringing also known as chromatic aberration which is the slight purple or red glow around objects over a light background. The complete list of specifications can be found at Maven.

The ergonomics of the binocular are great. The barrels are slim enough to get a solid hand wrap around them. The eye cups twist out with positive stops in three positions and don’t move on their own. The focus wheel is smooth but firm allowing the optic to stay focused while riding in the binocular harness.

The glass on the B.2 is exceptional. I used these while shed hunting, spot-and-stalk bear hunting, and bird watching. The image coming through the optics is as clear as anything I own. They allowed me to see the fine details at distances I’ve become accustomed to. The edge-to-edge clarity of the image is great and on par with my other optics. There is a barely perceptible chromatic aberration when looking at a contrasting dark foreground over a white background. However, I specifically looked for this and it wasn’t bothersome in the least.

Low light performance is exceptional with a 4.1 mm exit pupil and is on par with a 10 x 42 binocular with a 4.2 mm exit pupil. They maintained brightness and clarity right up to the brink of legal shooting light. One quirk I noticed with the B.2s was the shallow depth of focus. It made for more frequent focusing than other optics I’m used to. It was something I became accustomed to with use and was soon a non-issue.

Overall this is an amazing binocular. A hunter would have to spend far more money for a very small increase in optical quality. Not only are they clear but they are also robust, ergonomic, and great low-light performers. In my mind Maven is making an amazing binocular. I am no longer hesitant to grab these over anything else I own when headed to the mountains.