Maven B.1.2 10x42 vs Maven B.2 11x45
Quick take: The Maven B.1.2 10x42 costs $225 less; the Maven B.2 11x45 reaches farther (11x vs 10x); the Maven B.1.2 10x42 has a wider field of view (347 vs 314 ft @ 1000 yds).
Field of view, to scale
Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration
Which one to buy
Carry decides this before optics do. The Maven B.2 11x45 is 33.25 oz and 7.1 inches long; the Maven B.1.2 10x42 is 26.8 oz and 5.5 inches. Those extra ounces and inches come from the B.2's Abbe-Koenig prisms, which owners credit with brightness that holds up against alpha-grade 8x42s in forest shade and at sunset, until the very last minutes of light. They also make it a binocular you wear in a chest harness or set on a tripod, not one you swing around a neck all day.
For $225 more, the B.2 gives you 11x reach that owners say pulls apart distant hillsides in a way a 10x42 cannot, plus color fringing long-term owners call as low as anything they have seen. Its complaints are about comfort and fittings: thin, hard eyecup rubber on long sits, a diopter ring with no lock and no markings, external objective covers and only a soft bag. The 314 ft field is merely average for the class.
The B.1.2 is the more versatile binocular. Its field of view is wider, its 17.8mm eye relief and four-position eyecups suit glasses wearers better, and its diopter locks. Owners rate the knurled metal focus wheel highly and put the image close to European alphas in daylight. Its weak points are similar small things: a soft bag, a slim single-hinge bridge that wants some care, and eyecups some owners say loosen over time. Exit pupils are nearly identical at 4.2mm and 4.1mm, so neither has a real twilight advantage on paper.
For birding, hiking hunts and general use, the B.1.2 is the better choice and costs less. The B.2 11x45 is the specialist for western hunters who glass long distances from a tripod or a fixed spot and want the brightest Maven view at 11x.
Maven B.1.2 10x42
For birders, hikers and anyone wearing glasses, it's the lighter, wider, more comfortable Maven for the money.
Maven B.2 11x45
Worth the extra $225 if you glass distant basins from a tripod and value reach and brightness over ounces.
| Spec | Maven B.1.2 10x42 | Maven B.2 11x45 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$1,150 | ~$1,375 |
| Use case | Birding | Hunting |
| Magnification | 10x | 11x |
| Objective | 42mm | 45mm |
| Exit pupil | 4.2mm | 4.1mm |
| Field of view | 347 ft @ 1000 yds | 314 ft @ 1000 yds |
| Eye relief | 17.8mm | 16.7mm |
| Close focus | 4.9 ft | 4.9 ft |
| Prism | Roof | Roof |
| Glass | FL | ED |
| Coating | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Weight | 26.8 oz | 33.25 oz |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 4.9 in | 7.1 x 5.7 in |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Feature comparison
Maven B.1.2 10x42
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✓Magnesium Body
- ✓Locking Diopter
Maven B.2 11x45
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✗Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✓Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
What birders say
Maven B.1.2 10x42
- ✓Scored 88% and won a 'Best Binocular Under $1000' award from BestBinocularsReviews, which called the image 'truly superb'
- ✓Reviewers who tested it against European alphas estimate it delivers roughly 95% of the performance of $2,000+ glass at half the price or less
- ✓Exceptionally wide 341 ft field of view for a 10x42 - wider than many 10x rivals costing far more
- ✓Japanese glass with US assembly, a magnesium chassis, and metal eyepiece housings - the build tier above Maven's own C-series
- ✓Deeply knurled metal focus wheel that reviewers rank above the plastic wheels typical even at this price
- ✓17.8mm eye relief with four-position eyecups makes it unusually comfortable for eyeglass wearers in a 10x
- ✓Class-leading 4.9-5 ft close focus doubles it as a butterfly and feeder-watching glass
- ✓Brightness and color accuracy in low light judged comparable to alpha-level instruments, with minimal color fringing from the ED/fluorite-class elements
- ✗Ships with a soft carry bag and generic lens covers rather than the hard case and fitted accessories typical at $1,000
- ✗The single-hinge bridge is slimmer than double-hinge designs, and reviewers flag it as theoretically more vulnerable to knocks
- ✗Some owners report eyecup stability issues over time
- ✗Reviewers testing against European alphas still give the Euro glass a slight edge in extreme low light
- ✗At $1,000+ it competes with used and closeout alpha binoculars, including discounted Vortex Razor HDs
- ✗Direct-to-consumer only - no store counter to compare it against a Conquest or Viper before buying
- ✗Maven's brand recognition and resale market remain thinner than Zeiss, Leica, or Swarovski at similar money
- ✗Slightly heavier than the svelte 10x42s in its bracket, a note that comes up in multi-model comparisons
Maven B.2 11x45
- ✓Scored 85% ('Outstanding') and won Binocular of the Year 2018 from BestBinocularsReviews, which called the optical performance 'superb'
- ✓Abbe-Koenig prisms reflect 100% of internal light - in side-by-side testing the B.2 matched an alpha-grade 8x42 for brightness in daylight and low-light forest conditions
- ✓ED glass keeps color fringing 'as little as any I have ever seen' per long-term reviewers, with vibrant, natural color and excellent contrast
- ✓Reviewers repeatedly describe it as 'European-level optical performance at roughly half the price' of Swarovski and Zeiss equivalents
- ✓Magnesium alloy chassis and an all-metal, precisely geared focus wheel earn build-quality marks of 9/10 - materials and craftsmanship called 'truly superb'
- ✓11x magnification plus tripod adaptability pulls apart distant hillsides in a way 10x42s can't, which is why Western hunters on forums treat it as a glassing-tripod staple
- ✓Top-hinge single-bridge design leaves a large open barrel area for a steady, comfortable grip despite the higher magnification
- ✓Unconditional lifetime warranty with praised turnaround - owners report Maven running full optical tests and re-attaching worn armor and eyecups on used pairs at no charge
- ✗Heavy and long for the class - 33.25 oz and 7.1 inches, a direct consequence of the Abbe-Koenig prism design, so it's a poor fit for ounce-counting hikers
- ✗The 4.1mm exit pupil gives ground to big-exit-pupil alphas in the last minutes of extreme twilight
- ✗Diopter ring has no lock and no reference markings, so shared or bumped settings are annoying to restore
- ✗Eyecup rubber is thin and quite hard - comfort during marathon glassing sessions trails plusher competitors
- ✗Only a soft drawstring bag is included; Maven's fitted hard case is a separate purchase
- ✗Objective lens covers fit externally and look generic next to the otherwise premium fit and finish
- ✗314 ft field of view is merely average - noticeably narrower than the sibling 9x45's 377 ft, and some owners end up preferring the 9x for handheld use
- ✗Direct-to-consumer only, so you can't try before buying, and brand recognition and resale value still lag the European alphas
Maven B.1.2 10x42 vs Maven B.2 11x45: common questions
Is the Maven B.2 11x45 too heavy to carry compared with the B.1.2 10x42?▾
It depends on how you carry. At 33.25 oz against 26.8 oz, and 7.1 inches against 5.5, the B.2 is noticeably bigger. Owners say a chest harness makes it manageable for hunting, but they call it a poor fit for ounce-counting hikers, where the B.1.2 is the easier companion.
Can you hold the Maven B.2 11x45 steady by hand as well as the 10x42?▾
For short looks, yes. Owners say the weight damps hand shake and the open barrels give a full-hand grip. For long scans of a hillside they recommend a tripod, which is how most western hunters use it, while the B.1.2 10x42 is comfortable freehand.
Is the B.2 11x45 brighter than the Maven B.1.2 10x42 at dusk?▾
Owners praise the B.2's Abbe-Koenig prisms for low-light brightness, and B.1.2 owners also describe alpha-like brightness. On paper the exit pupils are nearly the same, 4.1mm and 4.2mm, so neither keeps a big margin in the last minutes of light.