Maven B.2 11x45 vs Maven B.5 18x56
Quick take: The Maven B.2 11x45 costs $475 less; the Maven B.5 18x56 reaches farther (18x vs 11x); the Maven B.2 11x45 has a wider field of view (314 vs 194 ft @ 1000 yds).
Field of view, to scale
Top-down view · drawn to true scale — no exaggeration
Which one to buy
Where will the binocular sit while you use it? Answer that and this pair is decided. The Maven B.5 18x56 weighs 45 oz and owners call it a tripod instrument, full stop: handholding 18x for more than a few seconds is futile. In return it reaches into spotting-scope territory, with testers reading license plates at 200 meters, and its fluorite objectives keep color fringing close to zero with sharpness holding nearly to the edge. Owners buy it to replace hours of squinting through a scope with two-eyed glassing, and some point it at the moon.
The Maven B.2 11x45 is the one you can still carry and use by hand. At 33.25 oz it is no lightweight, but owners say short freehand sessions work fine, and it becomes a strong tripod glass when you need one. Its 4.1mm exit pupil against the B.5's 3.1mm means a brighter image as light fades, and owners rate its brightness close to alpha 8x42s until the very end of the day. The 314 ft field also makes finding a moving animal far easier than the B.5's keyhole 194 ft.
Cost runs beyond the $475 gap: the B.5 ships without a tripod adapter or hard case, so budget for an adapter, and owners of both complain about generic lens covers. For a hunter's main binocular, the B.2 is the right buy. The B.5 makes sense as a second, dedicated glassing binocular for someone who already owns a good 8x or 10x and sits on ridgelines counting antler points across drainages, and its owners steer first-time big-binocular buyers toward 15x rather than 18x.
Maven B.2 11x45
For a single hunting binocular that works by hand and on a tripod, with better dusk brightness and a wider view, this is the sensible Maven.
Maven B.5 18x56
Skip it unless you already own an everyday binocular and want dedicated tripod glass for long sits or the night sky.
| Spec | Maven B.2 11x45 | Maven B.5 18x56 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$1,375 | ~$1,850 |
| Use case | Hunting | Astronomy |
| Magnification | 11x | 18x |
| Objective | 45mm | 56mm |
| Exit pupil | 4.1mm | 3.1mm |
| Field of view | 314 ft @ 1000 yds | 194 ft @ 1000 yds |
| Eye relief | 16.7mm | 18mm |
| Close focus | 4.9 ft | 9.8 ft |
| Prism | Roof | Roof |
| Glass | ED | FL |
| Coating | Fully Multi-Coated | Fully Multi-Coated |
| Weight | 33.25 oz | 45 oz |
| Dimensions | 7.1 x 5.7 in | 7.8 x 5.6 in |
| Warranty | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Feature comparison
Maven B.2 11x45
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✗Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✓Magnesium Body
- ✗Locking Diopter
Maven B.5 18x56
- ✓ED Glass
- ✓Phase-Corrected
- ✓Dielectric Coating
- ✓Waterproof
- ✓Fogproof
- ✗Image Stabilized
- ✓Tripod Adaptable
- ✗Magnesium Body
- ✓Locking Diopter
What birders say
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.5 18x56
- ✓Fluorite ED objectives correct chromatic aberration to essentially zero - a level of false-color control reviewers say is rare anywhere near this price
- ✓Image stays sharp from center nearly to the edge, unusual for a high-magnification binocular
- ✓18x magnification resolves detail testers describe as spotting-scope territory - reading license plates at 200 meters and picking apart shaded timber a mile out
- ✓Two-eyed glassing at 18x causes far less fatigue than an equivalent spotting scope during hours-long sits, which is exactly why western hunters buy it
- ✓18mm of eye relief keeps the full field usable for eyeglass wearers, uncommon among big-eye binoculars
- ✓Magnesium chassis with a deeply etched metal focus wheel that reviewers call one of the real highlights of the build
- ✓Held its own in a head-to-head field test against the Vortex Kaibab HD 18x56, Sig Zulu9 15x56, and Swarovski SLC 15x56 while costing much less than the Swarovski
- ✓Standard 1/4-inch tripod thread with plenty of clearance between the barrels makes mounting simple, and Maven's unconditional lifetime warranty covers it for life
- ✗At roughly 45 ounces it's a tripod instrument, full stop - handholding 18x for more than a few seconds is futile and fatiguing
- ✗The 3.1mm exit pupil dims faster at dusk than 15x56 or 12x56 alternatives, costing you the last minutes of prime glassing light
- ✗Narrow field of view inherent to 18x makes finding and following moving animals harder - several owners suggest the 15x56 as the more versatile pick
- ✗No tripod adapter included despite being a tripod-first optic - it's an extra purchase
- ✗Ships with a drawstring bag instead of a protective hard case
- ✗Diopter doesn't lock
- ✗The reticle version's rifle-style layout strikes reviewers as poorly suited to observation work - a grid design would be more useful, and most recommend saving money with the non-reticle model
- ✗Generic lens covers and near-zero chance of trying a pair in person before ordering
Maven B.2 11x45 vs Maven B.5 18x56: common questions
Can the Maven B.5 18x56 replace the B.2 11x45 as an everyday hunting binocular?▾
Not well. Owners describe the B.5 as unusable by hand for more than brief glances at 45 oz and 18x, and its 194 ft field makes following moving animals hard. It works best as a second, tripod-mounted binocular alongside something like the B.2.
Which is better at last light, the Maven B.2 11x45 or the B.5 18x56?▾
The B.2. Its 4.1mm exit pupil beats the B.5's 3.1mm, and B.5 owners report it dimming faster at dusk than lower-power 56mm binoculars. B.2 owners say it matches alpha-grade 8x42s for brightness until the final minutes of light.
What extra gear does the Maven B.5 18x56 need that the B.2 11x45 does not?▾
A tripod and a tripod adapter, which owners point out is not included even though the binocular is built to be mounted. The B.2 is also tripod adaptable, but owners say it works well enough freehand for short looks that the tripod is optional.