Which Maven?

AnnualRye

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 28, 2021
Messages
127
Wanting to upgrade current binoculars and have narrowed my search down to Mavens. Have a pair of 10x42 Leupold Mojave that have been serviceable hunting various terrain over the past decade. Looking primarily for binos to use on tripod but also not too big that I can't use comfortably in-hand. Will be using mostly for open terrain, mule deer and antelope hunting. I have a Kowa spotter so 15 or 18x are not necessary as I would have it with me most of the time.

Looking at the B.6 and B.2 series. Not sure on magnification vs. objective, field of view, low light capability, etc. Trying to decide on 9x45, 11x45 or 12x50 binos in those series.

Would like to hear recommendations and get a good consensus of what you'd pick out of these options for those of you who have time behind them.

Thanks for your responses.
 
Joined
Dec 21, 2019
Messages
2,058
The 9x45 is optically the best imo. Their b1.2 in 10x is excellent also. I wasn’t as impressed with the 12’s or the 11’s. I’d definitely get the 9x. Always see used ones in classifieds also
 

Agross

WKR
Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Messages
1,678
Location
Michigan
I recently picked up a set of the 9’s and love em. They are the nicest glass I will own. I just cant justify needing anymore or spending any more for what I use em for. I picked em up used/basically new on here For a nice discount. There have been a few pairs recently on here for sale.
 

Blue72

WKR
Joined
Nov 2, 2018
Messages
511
Location
Long Island, ny
If your looking at open terrain and have a tripod….go for 12x. They are still handholdable, same size as smaller magnification and not as bulky as 15’s, you can see for several miles on a tripod, and they compete so close to 20x on your spotting scope due to “effective aperture” and bino vision that you might leave the spotter home on some days

but at the end of the day, only you can determine which flavor ice cream you like best. So you really need to try them all for yourself
 
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Boreal

WKR
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
356
Location
Anchorage, AK
I own the B2 9x45 and they are perfect for how I use them. I struggled with low light with my 20+ year old Zeiss 10x40. The slightly lower magnification and larger objective bring in a ton of light. I can see much more in the darker woods in AK and my eyes are much less fatigued. They are larger, and not as portable than my 10x40, but in a good chest holder without the weight on my neck they are hardly noticeable when hiking. For my money, the perfect set of binoculars.
 

Gini54

FNG
Joined
Dec 28, 2020
Messages
13
I demo'd the B2 9x45 to take to Yellowstone. They were amazing and everyone only wanted to use that pair of binoculars the entire trip.
 

strand

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 10, 2015
Messages
176
Location
North Dakota
Another vote for the 9x B2's. I've been running them since 2016 with no complaints and haven't felt the need to upgrade yet. FOV and low light performance are great. FOV was noticeably better than others in a similar price range when I was shopping around in 2016.
 
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