I want Swaro SLC -vs- I have Maven B1

[Medic77]

Is my want justified? 51 weeks out of the year I hunt whitetail/turkey/small game in Missouri. 10 days out of the year I hunt west somewhere.
I HAVE trophy aspirations but when it comes down to it, I will shoot most anything that is decent or legal (I am a traditional bowhunter and a rifle hunter when that doesn't work out).
I have never even held a pair of Swaros and never had a pair 10x42 but that is my want. Justified or no.

 

[Rob5589]

Better question; what does your back account have to say about it? Or your significant other?
Comparing my buddies Swaro to my old Diamondbacks, massive difference. His Swaro vs. my Meopro, no difference that I could see out in the woods. They'd likely do better on resolution charts but, I don't hunt charts. One thing for sure, you don't see people regretting getting top tier glass.

 

[bowhuntrben]

Yes. If you have the funds go for it. I just got SLCs and an ATX 95 and find I’m using them around home just watching the birds more than I ever have before. These are my first quality optics and it’s amazing how much fun good optics can be.

 

[SaltyUte]

I went from the Maven 9x45s to the SLC 10x42s this spring and it was a noticeable gain in performance. The ergonomics, better edge to edge clarity, and overall picture makes them more comfortable to use. I don't regret it and wish I had done it sooner.

 

[Medic77]

I think the bank account could swing it. I just sold a bow, so.....

10x42? Stick with 8x42?

 

[wannakillabigbull]

I spent 3rd season with a pair of B1s and SLCs borrowed from a member here. In terms of brightness and clarity in the center I didn't notice a difference between the two. The edge to edge was slightly better in the SLCs, and I definitely preferred the ergonomics and weight of the SLC. The focus wheel in the B1 was better IMO, but it had less DOF which is something that matters a good deal to me.

Overall I think the SLCs are definitely better but the B1s are nice binos. To me it would come down to whether I had anything else I really needed to spend that money on.

 

[wseidel]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago and bought 8x42 SLC's over the 10x42. I wanted to like the 8.5 EL's but the "rolling ball" effect was evident to my eyes so I went with the SLC. I use binoculars for a variety of purposes (hunting, birding, sports, etc.) and the larger field of view of the 8 power plus the ability to hold them steady was the difference maker for me. You can find some great used binoculars through this site (and Hunt Talk, among others) so don't think you have to purchase brand new. Mine were purchased via Craigslist and were like new at a substantial discount over brand new (plus no tax). Swarovski will also honor the lifetime warranty as I asked them before I made my purchase. Hope this helps.

 

[Medic77]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I absolutely may not see the difference in the two. I guess I could spend the extra money that the Swaros would cost and buy another used pair of Mavens in a higher power. Then I could have both.

I also get a substantial discount from vortex for being a first responder (really great of them to do that by the way). Maybe I should go that route for a higher power bino and keep the Mavens. There is always just that Swaro itch I can't ever seen to get rid of.

 

[D.Rose]

I have a set of Maven B2's 9x45. Even after I bought them I still wanted the swaros. So the past few archery tournaments I have been to I have looked through everyone else's pair of swaro's, GPO, Leica's and other high end bino's. After looking through several binocular's costing way more than my Mavens I could not be happier with my initial decision. To me the Maven's are an incredible value and upgrading to the other high end brands would be based only on ergonomics and weight. To me that doesn't justify the extra cost.

 

[NoWiser]

The Swaro itch won't go away if you already have it. Get it over with and get some 8x42 SLCs. Don't make the mistake I made and think 10x is an upgrade over 8x. I found it to be quite the opposite, especially for deer, turkey, and squirrel in MN. I'll never get rid of my 8x42 SLCs. In the future if you need higher power glass, you can get some 12s or 15s, but I guarantee those 8x will never leave your chest.

 

[KC in AZ]

My SLC 10's were stolen out of my truck and I replaced them with the 9x B.2's. As noted previously you can find some differences on the charts but I glass the same animals as my swaro carrying buddies. Originally paid 1300 for the SLC but now they're $1800. The extra $700 wasn't worth it.
Of course now I have the B.2's, B.4 15's and looking for an S.1A spotter

 

[NMhunter92]

Do it. You will never regret it. There are some nice 8's in the optics classifieds. Good luck.

 

[Lbayers91]

I've had the Maven B1 10x42s and currently have the Maven B2 9x45s, Swaro SLC 8x42s and Swaro EL 12x50s. The Maven B1s are great, but the B2s and Swaros are noticeably better and brighter. I am actually selling my Swaro SLC 8x42s in the classifieds ($1150) because I prefer the Mavens and want to try the Swaro EL 10x42s. I have really bad eyes, so more magnification is normally a better fit for me. 8x42s always leave me feeling like I wish I had a bit more reach.

I'm REALLY impressed by the Maven 9x45s, but the Swaros are definitely lighter weight and smaller. The Mavens for whatever reason fit my eyes better vs SLC 8x42s - but I think it's the extra +1 magnification.

I've also run the Maven B5 15x56s vs the Swaro SLC 15x56s. This was no contest - the Swaros crushed it.

I'm a big Maven fan and Swaro fan. For me, they both have their place. The Maven 9x45s are one of my favorite binos I've used and stack up very well against SLCs (really hard to beat at the $1000 price point), but the B1 series does not hold a candle to the B2s or Swaros (also consider Leica Noctovids, but not likely to find a deal). If I were you, I'd definitely go for a pair of Swaros over the Maven B1s. I would also use Maven's demo program to run some Maven B2 9x45s vs the Swaros - it'll only cost you shipping.