Maven B1 10x42mm Review
Ten years ago, “quality budget binoculars” would have been an oxymoron. Maven’s unique blend of materials and direct to consumer business model means you can get a quality set of optics under $1000.
Let’s take a look at what makes the B1 10x42mm so great for outdoor activities and why you might want to reconsider your opinion of budget optics. Here’s what you need to know about this Maven binocular model.
About Maven
Maven has emerged as a mid-priced powerhouse, designing binoculars with high-quality features and blending budget materials with higher-end ones to create a wonderful series of binoculars designed to provide outstanding performance without sacrificing your wallet.
Maven offers a variety of accessories and customizations, should you need to upgrade some components or if you need a different filter.
Introducing the Maven B1 10x42mm
The Maven B1 is the company’s standard-sized binoculars. It’s available in orange, silver, or black and feature a combination of materials and design that reduces distortion and creates a wonderfully clear picture.
This model has a minimum focus of six feet and a field of view of 341 feet. They weigh around 30 ounces and offer a 16mm eye relief. It’s designed to be a more affordable high-end optic system with lens groups and elements that work together to create an ultra-clear and accurate view.
The Housing
The binoculars use a magnesium alloy chassis and are waterproof and pressure tested to IPx7 standards (up to one meter for 30 minutes). A sturdy rubber casing ensures a proper grip and helps reduce impact during a drop.
Both barrels are threaded for adding filters, a convenient thing for hunters or fishing enthusiasts. Even bird watchers can take advantage of this feature. The eyecups feature the same rubber as the housing for comfort and protection.
Lens and Prism
B1 uses a hydrophobic coating and nitrogen fill to prevent water and condensation from clouding your view. Extra-low dispersion glass helps correct any chromatic fringing. Scratch and oil-resistant coatings further protect these delicate components and help ensure that your binoculars don’t need to be babied.
The B1 uses a Schmidt-Pechan roof prism, a high-quality component known for clear views and high light transmission. You get low light clarity and edge to edge transmission that prevents weird color aberrations. It’s also shorter and more compact than other types of prisms (although these will still be a hefty pair of binoculars).
Performance
The B1 offers excellent clarity. The field of view is excellent and offers true color representations that allow you to spot even camouflaged animals in their natural habitat. There’s little jumpiness or issue with focus, and the adjustable eye relief makes them comfortable even if you use corrective lenses of some kind.
The dielectric coatings ensure maximum light transmission, giving you good low light performance. And because of the durable housing and dust and oil-resistant coatings, you can take them out with you even in humid conditions or during extreme activities. They’ll last pretty well in a variety of situations.
View
The B1 does have slight color aberrations compared to truly high-end binoculars, but unless you’ve handled models that cost twice to three times as much, you may not notice. However, you will notice Relief Pools and how much better these handle is in low light conditions compared to similar but cheaper models.
Color fringing is kept to a minimum despite the brightness of the image. Overall, the view is excellent for mid-range binoculars and offers a significant step up from cheaper models available elsewhere.
The Pros
- Dielectric coatings improve light transmission
- Low color fringing
- Durable Magnesium alloy housing
- Waterproof and pressure tested
- Direct to consumer business model helps you cut down on costs
The Cons
- While the weight is on par with similar binocular models, they’re still heavy.
- Color fringing is still present, although resolved with better success than some comparable models.
- Direct to consumer model can make Maven tough to find except for the internet.
The Verdict: Excellent Choice for Mid-Tier Binoculars
Overall, Maven’s performance is wonderful. It brings excellent color clarity and field of view that much higher-end binoculars normally possess. Because Maven sells directly to the public, you can pick up the B1 for less than those other high-end models without sacrificing clarity.
It’s optimized for low light performance, a key component for outdoor activities and especially hunters, who frequently must go out before dawn or at twilight. While color fringing still happens, it resolves better than comparable models. You’d have to invest in a much more expensive pair to see better resolution in this case.
