Mavin CS.1 SPOTTING SCOPE - thoughts on value

[jlpoe]

Am very interested in a quality sub$1000 spotting scope and don’t see a lot of reviews on this one.

Any thoughts?

appreciate you guys

JLP

 

[gr8fuldoug]

May I suggest looking at the Athlon Ares Spotters

 

[jlpoe]

Thnx Doug, it’s been in my research list for the past few days

Are you available for maybe a quick convo?

Thnx

 

[gr8fuldoug]

Thnx Doug, it’s been in my research list for the past few days

Are you available for maybe a quick convo?

Thnx

Absolutely

 

[Forkieslayer]

My ares 65 came in a few days ago. So far im very impressed. I have also been very curious about the cs1 and may still end up ordering one since i can do the demo program so i can compare the two. I will say the maven is 10 ounces lighter if I remember right. But the ares feels like you could run it over with a truck.

 

[Jaden Bales]

My ares 65 came in a few days ago. So far im very impressed. I have also been very curious about the cs1 and may still end up ordering one since i can do the demo program so i can compare the two. I will say the maven is 10 ounces lighter if I remember right. But the ares feels like you could run it over with a truck.

You may be able to run over the Maven with a truck as well. Lol. I beat up one for a little bit but returned it the Maven squad since I am just friends with them in town and wanted to take it for a spin. I really liked it and if you're using it as a confirmation tool, I think it's great! Like, spot a buck or bull in binos then make sure he's what you want.

 

[jlpoe]

Thnx all, I’ve gotten great info today!

Decided on the Ares with help from Doug and took advantage of their Moms day sale along with a killer deal on a carbon fiber tripod

Thnx again Doug!!!

I’ll try and give a good review when it comes in.

Joseph

 

[Forkieslayer]

Has anyone really compared the ares and CS1 side by side? One thing i noticed with my ares is being able to actually use the highest power. Of course you can tell it does become darker at max but when it’s completely daylight its still surprisingly clear.

 

[magnum]

I have used a Maven CS.1 since they were first released. I bought it on a Black Friday sale in 2020. Here is my review:

Things I like:

1. The size. It fits in a pack nicely. I never weighed it on a scale but the weight feels accurate to Maven’s specs.
2. Build, fit, and finish. It is a beautifully engineered scope. The shape and overall design is close to perfect for my taste. Nothing felt cheap. The eyepiece is really big. The eye cup extends and retracts very nice. The zoom dial and the focus ring feel great as you’re adjusting them. The rubber coating looks and feels nice. The lens caps fit really well.

Things I do not like:

1. FOCUSING. Two things about the focus ring - 1. There was backlash. 2. As you zoom in and out you have to refocus. The combination of these two effects is terribly frustrating.
2. Optical clarity. The glass just really isn’t that special. It got the job done but the image was not very clear. Also I could never look through it for more than five minutes or so before my eye really started to strain.

Size: 5/5
Design: 4/5 (I really prefer a course and fine focus wheel similar to the old Vortex Razor. Not a fan of the body focus wheel.)
Fit and Finish: 5/5
Mechanical operation: 2/5 (Backlash in the focus ring. Yes it was that bad.)
Optical clarity: 3/5
Overall rating: 3/5

I ended up selling the Maven very recently. I hope to try a Swarovski ATS or Kowa as my next scope.

 

[cornfedkiller]

Has anyone really compared the ares and CS1 side by side? One thing i noticed with my ares is being able to actually use the highest power. Of course you can tell it does become darker at max but when it’s completely daylight its still surprisingly clear.

I have the same question.

I had an Ares, used it for a year or two and liked it, and then Maven released the CS.1 and being impressed with Maven's other optics, I decided to give it a try so I bought one. I compared them side by side just in my living room and back deck several times and couldn't tell any difference, but my sample size was severely limited. After a week or two, I decided that if there was any difference optically, the weight savings of the Maven made up for it so I sold the Ares.

I hunted with the Maven last year and had a couple instances where I was getting some bad glare and just not able to see what I was hoping to see (my buddy's Razor HD did just fine, but I'd consider that a different class), but I have no idea if the Ares would have been the same in that situation or not..

I wouldn't be opposed to selling the Maven and getting the Ares again, but I haven't found any definitive answers on whether one is better than the other (I realize that its a fairly subjective question).

My experience with the Maven is slightly different than @magnum above.. While I agree that I don't love the body focus wheel, the mechanism itself has no issues on my scope. I also assumed all scopes needed to re-focus when zooming in and out, but maybe not?

 

[jlpoe]

I have the same question.

I had an Ares, used it for a year or two and liked it, and then Maven released the CS.1 and being impressed with Maven's other optics, I decided to give it a try so I bought one. I compared them side by side just in my living room and back deck several times and couldn't tell any difference, but my sample size was severely limited. After a week or two, I decided that if there was any difference optically, the weight savings of the Maven made up for it so I sold the Ares.

I hunted with the Maven last year and had a couple instances where I was getting some bad glare and just not able to see what I was hoping to see (my buddy's Razor HD did just fine, but I'd consider that a different class), but I have no idea if the Ares would have been the same in that situation or not..

I wouldn't be opposed to selling the Maven and getting the Ares again, but I haven't found any definitive answers on whether one is better than the other (I realize that its a fairly subjective question).

My experience with the Maven is slightly different than @magnum above.. While I agree that I don't love the body focus wheel, the mechanism itself has no issues on my scope. I also assumed all scopes needed to re-focus when zooming in and out, but maybe not?

 

[jlpoe]

Great info everyone, thnx!

Sounds like I made a good decision with the Ares

So grateful for Rokslide and everyone’s help!

JP

 

[Honyock]

I think that the Athlon Ares is a better value and better quality than the CS-1. Got mine from Doug @ Camera Land and have been very pleased.