Don’t be deceived.
Just because Maven has redesigned their packaging with an unattractive, brown box, it doesn’t mean that it houses an unattractive binocular – far from it.
The new design behind the box provides a very snug, fitted form to protect the binocular during shipping even if it is a plain and brown.
Upon box opening, you’ll find an upgraded binocular to replace the B.1.
The B1.2 is the new binocular line to stage the platform of what Maven is now making the standard of quality for the B series. Improved specs and less weight provide stronger performance in real-life performance be it for hunting, birdwatching, law enforcement, and all forms of recreational use.
Don’t judge the box by its cover as a gem hides within. The B1.2 has the potential to spoil you with what could now be your new standard of quality and performance.
Quick Overview...
What We Like: Upgrade to the B.1
What We Don’t Like: New tripod cap
Best Uses: Hunting, Tactical Use, Birdwatching, Wildlife Glassing, Events, Backpacking, Hiking, Recreational Use, Some Target Range Use
- Magnification: 10x
- Objective Diameter: 42mm
- Coatings: FMC
- FOV: 362 ft/1000 yds
- Eye Relief: 17.8mm
- Dimensions: 5.7x 5.2 x 2.2”/26.8 oz
Our Verdict: The new Maven binocular line is designed to provide improved, high-end, all-purpose performance. As such and proven through hands-on field testing, the B1.2 binocular is a worthy investment for those who demand the best from their optics.
Why Trust Me?
After hundreds of hours of hand-testing binoculars in the field and on the hunt, and thousands more hours researching, writing, photographing and creating videos about them, I feel I have earned the title of expert when it comes to optics!
Optics are not just my passion, but also my full-time job!
I get my hands on as many of the optics I test as possible (through buying, borrowing or begging!) and run them through their paces to make sure they will perform out in field.
Check out our optics testing process here.
Over a decade of experience hiking, glassing wildlife and recreational use has been integral in putting together this Maven B1.2 10x42 review.
How Does the Maven B1.2 10X42 Perform?
Overall, the optical performance of the Maven B1.2 binoculars is mind blowing. The imaging performance is an inherent reflection of its glass quality, and the inclusion of specialized optical components parallels the price point for the B1.2 line.
One of the hardest things to acquire is enough brightness and clarity at low light during hunting season. From my field-testing experience with the Maven B1.2 10x42 binoculars, I was able to clearly spot elk beyond 1000 yards even after legal light.
While I wasn’t hunting, hunters know that anything can happen right up to last legal light, and with the brightness of the B1.2, you can still fill your tag at the last second. This fact makes it apparently obvious that you must have an equally good scope to make it a success. First, to even get you to that point – you can count on the Maven bino.
There was no discernable difference between naked eye vision and looking through the binoculars. Marginal edge softening was visible only if you’re looking for it, but significantly lower than any other binocular I’ve ever looked through.
There is no question to the B1.2’s optical quality. If you want the best out of a hunting binocular for under $1000, I give my highest recommendation to the Maven B1.2 line.
Who is the Maven B1.2 10X42 Best Suited to?
The overall quality and performance of the Maven B1.2 10x42 binocular will benefit the avid outdoorsman, hunter, and tactician. The build quality is rugged, tough, and can withstand the harsh conditions you dare put it through. The optical performance is unparalleled at this price point.
While beginner’s may be discouraged by the cost, the B1.2 has the makings to last for a long time and will see them through experiences where it will remain a strong performing binocular in veteran hands.
Hardcore outdoorsmen looking for premium grade without spending Swarovski or Zeiss costs can look to the B1.2 for all-purpose use from this high-end binocular.
Features & Benefits
Upgrade to the B.1
The Maven B1.2 line brings new and improved and features. At its price point, the upgrades have made the B.1 line obsolete given the value and performance of the new line.
Optical redesigns have directly improved specs such as FOV, light transmission, eye relief, and near focus distance. While build materials remain the same with a magnesium chassis, it comes in lighter and shorter with a new mold that proves to be for the better.
The focus knob and diopter also feature a new, grippy texture that makes grabbing them extremely easy especially for those who wear gloves. While the diopter remains stiff, the texture provides ease of use, so the stiffness proves to be a benefit as it prevents accidental movement.
Set at the same price point as the discontinued B.1 line, Maven continues to keep their promise of providing rival-worthy, high-grade optics but at half the cost.
Wide-Angle Prisms
Wide-angle Schmidt-Pechan prisms is one of the new features that the B1.2 binoculars have over the other B series binoculars. Schmidt-Pechan prisms are more compact than their Abbe-Koenig cousins as seen in the B.2, B.4, and B.5 lines.
The new line offers a wider FOV than its predecessor had. The 10x42 model has a 6.6-degree angular FOV, or in other words, 362 feet at 1000 yards. This is the widest FOV that Maven offers from a 10x binocular in their entire inventory to date.
I had bright, clear seeing through the entire FOV even as light was quickly fading. The high light transmission rate could be largely in part thanks to the dielectric coatings on the prism surfaces.
With extra-low dispersion glass, phase-correction coatings, and complex, compact, and high-performing roof prisms, the B1.2 is a binocular that will not fail you.
All-Purpose Binocular
With 10x42 specs, the B1.2 binocular is ideal for all sorts of general observation activities. While outstanding for backpacking and sightseeing, it will be a strong player in the birdwatching and hunting fields. In fact, these are one of my favorite 10x42 binoculars out of all the various brands I have owned so far.
I was able to spot a herd of elk at 1400 yards and beyond, and while the 10x magnification can be seen as limiting compared to more powerful binos, the optical performance allowed for the highest quality of glassing performance you can ask for.
From handling the Maven B1.2 binoculars in the field, I feel like it is a game changer for hunters who want the best from a binocular for under $1000. The sharpness and brightness that I acquired at low light was phenomenally impressive.
It works great for birdwatching, waterfowl hunting, and tactical use. From my hands-on experience, I can assure you that it’s an excellent hunting binocular to spot and track your potential trophy tags.
Accessories Included
Maven includes accessories with their binoculars. The B1.2 10x42 comes with what we have considered as the standard for Maven and that is the storage bag, neck strap, lens cloth, and necessary caps.
The one-piece rainguard for the eyepieces fit well and snug as they flex with movement while attached to the binocular. The objective lens caps are tethered, and the new strap loops are bigger to allow easier threading of the included neck strap.
The included microfiber drawstring bag doubles as a storage bag and cleaning cloth although a small lens cloth is included.
The Maven-branded neck strap is a comfortable neoprene strap that comes with buckles as the securing mechanism. Secure and convenient, the binocular will remain close to your chest for instant use when needed.
Maven B2 VS B1.2
Overall, between the B1.2 10x42 and B.2 11x45 binoculars, I couldn’t really discern much of a difference in optical quality at all. They both do an excellent job at chromatic aberration control, and to my eyes, any real resolution difference was imperceivable.
In this case, the wide-angle SP prisms with the dielectric coating and ED glass is able to keep up with the Abbe-Koenig prisms also with ED glass. The B2s might technically have the advantage, but this goes to show that the slim margins between the actual specs are difficult to notice with the human eyes.
With handling in mind, the B1.2 binos are easier to handle given their lighter weight and smaller size. These are binoculars that are primarily used as a handheld unit. The B2s, while I field-tested them as a handheld most of the time, the larger size and heavier weight is ideal for the tripod. But because I can get a pretty steady image without it, the B2 binos were a non-issue for me in the hand and in the harness.
If you had to choose between them, when it comes to the optics, I’d say it’s a wash. It really will come down to that extra 1x power of the B2s or if you prefer the lighter weight, smaller size, and wider FOV of the B1.2s.
Limitations
New Tripod Cap
The new tripod cap has been redesigned to be smaller and less conspicuous. Unfortunately, I don’t like it as it’s hard to grip compared to the caps on the rest of the Maven binoculars.
The older caps were larger and have a sort of edge-cut design that made it easier to grab. The new ones are smaller with smooth edges that my fingers have a hard enough time with, so larger hands might struggle with them.
Popular Questions
The B1.2 line have replaced the B.1 line of Maven binoculars. Primary differences include the wide-angle Schmidt-Pechan prisms, a new mold with a compact build, and improved optical specs across the board.
Maven binoculars have exceptional quality that is comparable to authoritative manufacturers known worldwide. Optical and physical quality are its most obvious, advantageous traits alongside the cost savings benefits of the company’s direct-to-consumer business strategy.
The Maven B1.2 binoculars are excellent for lowlight use. While they may only have 42 mm apertures, the brightness and light transmission effectiveness is more than enough to hunt and see with at lowlight.
Maven binoculars, including the new B1.2 and B.6 lines, are assembled in the USA with materials sourced from Japan. This is only true of the B series binoculars as the C series are made in the Philippines with materials sourced from both Japan and China.
The B1.2 binoculars will be skin, engraving, and bezel customizable soon as Maven makes that feature available. Currently, the B1.2 binoculars can come with a Grey/Orange or Black/Grey color scheme as the base standard.
Conclusion
This new standard of quality and performance provided by Maven Optics doesn’t come cheap. The B1.2 costs almost a $1000. To be fair, it’s half the price of what you would pay for another brand with competitive quality.
To add to that, the Maven binocular comes with an unconditional warranty that lasts for a lifetime – regardless of whether you’re the original owner.
Is the Maven B1.2 10x42 binocular worth it?
If you have the coin to spend and are determined to get as much quality out of your buy as you can, the B1.2 is worth it for all types of uses.
Who cares about the brown box in the end, eh? It’s what’s on the inside that counts!
Further Reading
