No issues Justchel, happy to help if I can.
The Maven and Cronus have the similar themes of being a great value for the money but at very different price points. They both offer incredibly high-performing optics in their price range.
Very happy to hear you’re enjoying the Cronus G2. It is a superb sub-$500 binocular. I wasn’t really expecting alot but their optical performance really surprised me. The view is brighter and crisper than anything else I’ve seen at that price. It is not flat-field and has a very little bit of edge distortion, and just a touch of CA under the brightest sky if one really looks for it. Overall the view is very detailed with good colors and CF resolution. I recently used it for a day on the Jersey coast and it performed very well. One thing I recently noticed on that trip was the Cronus G2 housing is not a very good insulator and gets quite cold to the touch.
The Mavens - to keep it simple both the B1.2 and B6 are a step up in performance from the B1 and B2; and IMO are among the current top performers at the ~$1k and under price. They share the same basic design platform and optical system. Personally, I prefer the view of the B6 vs the B1.2 - to me, it is a smidge more crisply detailed and yet an overall easier view. Think it may be due to the B1.2 trying to pack the low-distortion, high-transmission, wide-FOV into the B1.2’s short focal length - as that does tend to tease the laws of physics. Not taking a shot at the B1.2 as it is a fine binocular, just explaining why I prefer the B6.
Comparing the Cronus G2 10x42 to the Mavens. Either Maven is a noticeably more refined optical device as they should be for double the price.
Mechanically:
- Maven has more eye relief and is less subject to blackouts
- Maven armor feels much better to the touch & a better insulator
- Maven focuser is much smoother and feels more refined
- Maven diopter adjustment is much more robust - set it/forget it
- Both Cronus and Maven appear to be ruggedly built/durable
- B6 & G2 are similar size/weight but Maven is better balanced and feels lighter in the hand - its ergos and handling are a a bit nicer
Optically:
- Both G2 and Mavens have very crisp center-field resolution, which is really surprising at the G2 price
- Maven has less distortion and better CA control
- Neither is flat-field but Maven has a very wide sweet-spot and very limited pincushion distortion, which reduces globe effect
- Maven is clearly brighter, did a low-light test and the B6 10x50 easily outperformed my SLC and SF 42mms, and it was nip and tuck with my 10x56 FLs
- Optically, I found the B6 10x50 the crispest and most detailed/saturated image of the 3
In your situation, using a binocular for a combination of hunting and nature viewing, with a special focus on astronomy I’m very confident you’ll get a better view and more enjoyment from the B6 10x50 vs the G2. It is also the most compact / best handling 10x50 that I know of. The 50mm B6 is also clearly a better choice for viewing the night sky than the B1.2 or G2 42mms.