Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Optics Maven B2 9x45 binocular

I have found you can’t post an optics review here without making somebody mad, and that is likely to happen here. But this is a binocular, that in my opinion is so good anybody interested in optics needs to have a look at it. The $1k binocular game has just changed.

This is a new company, but they seem poised to make some noise. Located in Lander, Wyoming they are offering a line of binoculars in collaboration with the world renowned Japanese firm of Kamakura. Kamakura has a reputation of being one of the best binocular producers. They formed just after WW II and have been a consistent OEM producer of optics.

They have three model lines, the B1, a typical Schmidt-Pechan 42 mm glass in 8 and 10x, the B2 which is an Abbe-Koenig prism with larger objectives to take advantage of the increased potential in light transmission, and offer it in 9x45 and 11x45. The slight bump in magnification is intended to use the light transmission and larger objectives. The B3 is offered in 8x and 10x30. The base B1 is $900, the base B2 is $1,000, and the B3 is $500.

Maven is taking several unique approaches. The first one is they are selling direct to the customer. Without assuming the burden of supplying the typical factory, Maven, wholesaler, dealer customer routes and going direct to the customer, savings can be substantial. They offer a full unconditional lifetime warranty. If you want to try before you buy you have two weeks to return the binocular. Repair work when needed is done by Kamakura’s USA facility.

A warranty question I was discussing with them developed into the Zeiss Conquest HD torture test video. They said they are considering something like that. They also told me, flat out that if I repeated the torture test video myself, their warranty would either fix or replace the binocular. I said, “wait a minute, you are telling me some nut could drag your binocular down the road, shoot the thing off a stump with a 12 gauge, not once, but twice, video the event, post it on You Tube, then you would still honor the warranty?” The answer was yes.

Each one of the binoculars sold goes over the collimation table, has performance standards for both barrels done, and given a multi-step inspection before going into the box for delivery. That is done by Maven at Lander in their optics lab.
Another unique feature is their offering of exterior customizations. Stock black or gray can be replaces with one of five camo finishes. There are multiple color choices for focus wheel and trimmings, ocular rings, objective rings and a couple of others. So you can do stock conservative, stealthy camo of your choice, or go for the gusto with pink, red, orange, blue, green, white, or gray.

I used the demo/return policy and ordered a stock gray armor with black trim. The base cost for the 9x45 like I bought is $1,000. I made the initial mistake of assuming I was going to be getting the typical $1,000 glass. That is not what this binocular is. I spent the money and kept mine. I really was not expecting to, but I did. Anybody serious about good optics needs to see this. This is the answer to the best binocular for the money without sacrificing anything to any other binocular out there. I do not intend to make an unequivocal statement about pure alpha grade equality. What I’m saying that these are good enough that even a serious alpha owner, who retains any objective ability to analyze optics, will have their own eyes pushed to the limit in making their own comparison.

Those last sentences took some time for the reality to settle in. I finally arranged some time with a new Swarovision EL 10x42 from a local dealer. After it became apparent that I had a lot better than the typical $1,000 binocular in hand, I felt I had no choice but to get a serious top end glass to do some comparisons with. More on that later.

The Maven is a big, solid binocular. Get it out of the box and it pretty much gives the impression it is here, and ready for whatever you have in mind. Based on the Abbe-Koenig roof prism system, it is 7.5” long eye cups extended with guards in place. The bare binocular is 33 oz., with the lens guards it is 34.5, and with a Rick Young harness on top of that, it is 35.5 oz. Big, yes. However the size and weight are really attributes. This is the best feeling binocular I personally have had in hand. The more I use it the better I like it. It has room enough for all four fingers around the barrel in front of the hinge. The soft tactile rubber will not slip when you grab it, anyway you might have to grab it. It balances beautifully and no matter how you do grab it, you can hold it.

The light transmission is listed at 93.7%. After looking, and comparing there is nothing that leads me to doubt that claim. It is bright and excels in low light resolution of detail at distance. Dead heat with the SV… a dead heat. Yeah that surprised me too. Color balance is absolutely neutral and the contrast pops things out of any viewing situation.

It is a wide field binocular. It has a 377’fov. The objectives are offset 20 mm greater than the oculars, so with that 3-D offset, the light transmission, and the long length, the image really stands out. Past 100 yards it is just about focus free. It is a pretty quick focus, so you never need to move the wheel much. The movement is absolutely slack free, equal tension both directions, no rough spots. It is smooth, but not so greasy slick it will move around on its own. It needs user input to move.

The second day I had this glass I was looking over the spring waterfowl migration at the Lower Klamath Refuge. When I was there, a fellow pulled into the access point. We struck up a conversation. Turned out he had a Zeiss Victory FL 8x42. We wound up switching back and forth for a while. Even this serious birder Zeiss fan was impressed. We both thought the Maven was possessed of better edge performance and had better contrast. That contrast thing is likely due to the neutral color balance of the Maven vs the harsher, cool blue tint of the FL.

The next day, I arranged for some time with a Swarovision EL 10x42. Understand here I was fully prepared for the SV, at some level, no matter how small, to be able to separate itself from this Maven binocular. It didn’t happen. We get sort of a competition mentality in our view of shootout comparisons. Like the binocular version of March Madness. Place the bets, fill out the brackets, the winner will emerge with the trophy. Well maybe, but not here. What happened was a meeting of Japanese and Austrian designs someplace between the home offices on the tailgate of my pickup. Out in a sage-juniper canyon where I hunt from time to time. Several hours over a couple of days. Instead of a 15 round winner take all prize fight they pretty much had a discussion on 15 chapters in the newest optical textbook. I got the beating. One of these is not better than the other, at least not on a practical human eye discerning level. The light transmissions, the resolution specs, and the obvious build quality of both is apparent. Some will go Swarovski, no matter what, well because it is Swarovski. That is just fine by me, there is a reason Swarovski is so popular in high end glass.

For the record, I am not naming these alpha killers. I don’t want to poke that hornet’s nest with a stick. These are simply seriously good binoculars that can’t be ignored, yes they are that good. There will be a split decision here, because these are different from each other, not really one better or worse than the other. There is no trophy to pack off, no “my binocular is better than your binocular” affirmation. Frankly I had to give up. The Swarovski has a somewhat better edge performance, and I like the eyecup configuration and the twist up and down feel. The Swarovski is more compact and lighter. The Maven has a 20 mm objective/ocular lens offset (inherent in the AK design) that gives it a deeper field with a better 3-D effect. The apparent brightness, sharpness, contrast, color rendition, and color bias are a tossup. The foregoing is more neutral than typical Zeiss, but cooler than typical Leica, or Nikon EDG. This is one particular binocular design. And like any one particular design, it will not be for everyone. You don’t need to sell your alpha and hold a wake that is not the point. The point is the $1k binocular game now has a new answer to what is the best I can get for that money.

Do they have a hard road ahead, yeah they do. They are new and that will effect some decision making, which is understandable. But it seems to me they have their goal in mind and a plan in place. Before you drag out the rebrander line, consider this. If you want to go there, you go to Kunming China. You go to the back optics alleys and look for the guy saying…”psst, hey buddy, wanna buy some binoculars cheap?” You don’t get that from Kamakura. They are as proud of their ability, heritage, and history as Leica, Swarovski, or Zeiss is of theirs, and they won’t let you in their door. So you are getting a binocular that is likely worth considerably more than $1K. Maven buys a Japanese glass at Japanese labor costs, and sells direct to the customer. The savings add up quick.

What are your thoughts on using a 9x45 compared to the standard 10x42?

That depends on your view of optics and what magnification you prefer. You have the bigger exit pupil with the 9x45, so there is that. I was never real fond of 10x, but I personally wonder about the 10 x vs the 11xB2. As far as I can see the 9x can easily replace both an 8x or a 10x. I can see no difference in image size or detail with my B2 and any 10x. I am personally less sensitive to apparent magnifications than some are.

How does this bino compare to the Meostar? I am looking for new glass and would like to not pay for a Swarvo.

Hi Steve,

Per always, a great and thorough review.
Thank you for taking the time.

This and the Meostar HD should compare quite well. The Maven has better transmission and a bit tighter resolution specs, but overall they are the class of the $1k glass. I'm basing that on opinions of people whose views I trust who put the Meostar at essentially alpha level. The two guys I know best (from forums) both have Swarovski binoculars but hunt with the Meostar HD.

The B2 is both brighter and sharper than the Conquest HD, but the color balance is different, but I'd take the B2 any day over a Conquest. That's just me...YMMV.

Judging from the way this B2 stacked up against the Swarovision and the Victory FL, this is at least that good (Meostar good).

The thing will be decided by ergonomics. The Meopta is a smaller glass with a forward placed hinge. The B2 is a big open binocular that lets you glass comfortably no matter what your hand size or placement on the glass is. The B2 is heavier. The actual views should not be much different, either from each other or any alpha glass you want to pick. Again, I'm not calling alpha equality, but the difference is now too close to call with certainty, I think.