29 replies to this topic

[dr.planet]

For those who own or have tried the different Maven B.5s, which do you prefer and why?  I have a B.6 10x50 which is great, and was thinking of adding another higher-mag bino from the B.5 series to use on a tripod.  They'd mainly be used in my yard in suburban Tucson, with occasional trips to darker areas. 

[Fiske]

Go with the 15x56. 

 

I own three Maven b.5s and they are all great -- 10x56, 12x56, and 15x56. But the 15x56 goes deeper and puts up surprisingly bright views for a 56mm aperture binocular. Honestly, you have to look hard to see the difference (fainter stars) when comparing views with other 15x and 16x binoculars in the 70mm range, including Oberwerk 15x70 Deluxe and Ultra, and APM 16x70 ED MS. (All of which I own.) The Maven b.5 15x view seems just as bright despite the additional aperture of the x70s. And optically the Maven b.5 15x56 is the stronger performer, which it ought to be given the price point. With a 10x50 already in hand, the 15x will give you a bigger step up in what can be seen than a 12x will provide.

Edited by Fiske, 22 May 2023 - 07:38 PM.

[dr.planet]

Thanks for the input!  One of my concerns was the smaller exit pupil of the 15x56 affecting the brightness, but it sounds like that’s not really an issue.  

[aznuge]

I like the 15x56 B.5, probably because I have owned it the longest and used it the most.  But I also have the 10x56 and 12x56.  They are great for solar as well as the night sky.  There was a certain sparkle in the stars that I'll never forget using the 15x56 for the first time at a dark site.  When I think of the 15x, I remember fondly a four to five month period of fairly intense solar system observations that I think of as my "fool on the hill" period - plotting and filming/sketching sunsets, comets, and planets from a local hill looking into the West.  Packing the Maven B5 along with a tripod about a mile up to the hill once or twice a week for observing sessions, became a fun and enjoyable routine.

 

I can recommend all the binos in the B5 line.  But since you already have a Maven 10x50, I think the 15x56 will serve you well.  Yes you'll need a tripod

 

[JimV]

I don't understand mid-sized binos on a tripod.

Why not go to a 20x80 and be done with it?

 

I bought APM 12x56 ED because limit of handheld.

[Fiske]

Thanks for the input!  One of my concerns was the smaller exit pupil of the 15x56 affecting the brightness, but it sounds like that’s not really an issue.  

No, it is not. 

 

And to put some perspective on this, I am sensitive to what is often termed "sparkle" in binocular astronomy views. I find 10x50 binoculars far preferable for astronomy compared with 10x42 instruments, which seem dull and lackluster to me. Based on a series of comparisons with a variety of 10x42 and x50 instruments for years. Including such vaunted 10x42 binoculars as the Nikon 10x42 Monarch HG and the Canon 10x42L IS (both of which are in my collection).

 

I hesitated at first to try the Maven b.5 15x56 for the same exit pupil concern you express, but Maven has a 2-week trial period arrangement so an instrument can be returned (in like-new condition) for up to two weeks for any reason. So I did try it and was immediately captivated by the views. Maybe it is the Abbe Koenig prisms, or the additional magnification, but for whatever reason the 15x56 is plenty bright for my eyes and I am picky about that. 

 

It is one of my all-time favorite astronomy binoculars.  Easily makes my Top 10 list (out of about 50 instruments in my collection). 

[Cestus]

I have the Vortex DB 15x56 and it's great. I wish I had the Maven one (sigh). It is my second most used binocular.

[Scott99]

If there's any light pollution the 15x56 will do better.  From my light polluted yard, 12x40 gives better views of DSO's than 10x42 or 8x42.  The smaller exit pupil is an advantage not a problem IMO.  Only for handheld use would I want the 12x.

[Fiske]

If there's any light pollution the 15x56 will do better.  From my light polluted yard, 12x40 gives better views of DSO's than 10x42 or 8x42.  The smaller exit pupil is an advantage not a problem IMO.  Only for handheld use would I want the 12x.

I am guessing it is the extra magnification with the 12x, not the smaller exit pupil, that makes the difference.  Have you tried comparing a 12x50 or x56 with the 12x40? 

[Scott99]

I am guessing it is the extra magnification with the 12x, not the smaller exit pupil, that makes the difference.  Have you tried comparing a 12x50 or x56 with the 12x40? 

yes, it's the higher magnification of 12x40 that darkens the background sky vs. 10x42...smaller exit pupil is just a different way of saying that (the birders seem to think in terms of exit pupil). 

 

No doubt a 12x50 or 56 would show more than the 12x40.  The 10x56 are much better.  But, because of light pollution, the old 12x40 porros show more of faint DSO's than my modern 8x42, because they darken the background sky more.   Even though the 8x42 have higher transmission.  I would choose the 8x42 for a dark-sky trip.

 

Unless someone drops a pair of new 12x50 EL's on my doorstep I'll be sticking with the 12x40's for now   I haven't invested too much into 12x or 15x because I have no mount for them at this point.  The 12x40 are Nikon E"s from the 80's, the transmission is probably in the 80's but they do surpringly well - I was able to see M101 from my light-polluted yard.  The views are shaky, I like to use them for birds at places like blinds where there's a railing to rest my elbows on, or a car roof, etc.

 

btw we're all going to be looking for that M101 supernova this month right??

Edited by Scott99, 23 May 2023 - 05:24 PM.

[tmichaelbanks]

Interesting. I had at one point the OB 15x70 Ultra and the Vortex DB 15x56. Under my red-to-white transition zone night skies I can say that the 15x70 put up more aesthetically appealing views, although in the end the convenience of not having to mount the 15x56s for similar but somewhat dimmer views won out. If Mr. Fiske says the B.5 15x56s give mostly equivalent views to a good quality 15x70, I have to believe him but I am a bit surprised. The smaller exit pupil definitely does make for darker background skies of course and perhaps the much better quality of the Maven optics is bringing some of the sparkle back into the view.

I took advantage of Maven’s demo program, where for the cost of return postage (typically under $20) you can try any of their models for two weeks. They told me that they are not overly strict about the item having to be returned in EXACTLY two weeks, as long as you aren’t unreasonable about it. Why not try a 15x56 out and see what you think before you buy?

[dr.planet]

I will likely try and demo the Mavens.  I actually have a demo pair of their B.3 8x30 on the way to me now.

Edited by dr.planet, 23 May 2023 - 11:21 PM.

[Fiske]

I will likely try and demo the Mavens.  I actually have a demo pair of their B.3 8x30 on the at to me now.

Demoing a binocular for yourself is the only sure way to know if it will suit you. 

[dr.planet]

Just to follow up on this old thread, I finally got around to demoing the 15x56 Mavens and they are great! I have a feeling I’ll be placing an order sooner or later.  Probably sooner…

[dr.planet]

Follow up…

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[MT4]

Congrats on your new Maven B.5 15x56!      

 

I have it and as Fiske once said it is not afraid to step into the ring with the venerable Swaro SLC 15x56.   They're neck and neck to my eyes with the Maven having a slight advantage on central sharpness whereas the SLC is slightly ahead on edge sharpness.

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Edited by MT4, 18 September 2023 - 08:22 PM.

[binocular]

No, it is not. 

 

And to put some perspective on this, I am sensitive to what is often termed "sparkle" in binocular astronomy views. I find 10x50 binoculars far preferable for astronomy compared with 10x42 instruments, which seem dull and lackluster to me. Based on a series of comparisons with a variety of 10x42 and x50 instruments for years. Including such vaunted 10x42 binoculars as the Nikon 10x42 Monarch HG and the Canon 10x42L IS (both of which are in my collection).

 

I hesitated at first to try the Maven b.5 15x56 for the same exit pupil concern you express, but Maven has a 2-week trial period arrangement so an instrument can be returned (in like-new condition) for up to two weeks for any reason. So I did try it and was immediately captivated by the views. Maybe it is the Abbe Koenig prisms, or the additional magnification, but for whatever reason the 15x56 is plenty bright for my eyes and I am picky about that. 

 

It is one of my all-time favorite astronomy binoculars.  Easily makes my Top 10 list (out of about 50 instruments in my collection). 

I feel the 10x42's images are a little dull too but are you saying the brightness of the b.5 15x56 is more in line with the brightness of a good 8x42?

[PatientObserver]

This forum is dangerous to my bank account. Now I want binoculars from Nikon, Oberwerk, and Maven.

[Fiske]

I feel the 10x42's images are a little dull too but are you saying the brightness of the b.5 15x56 is more in line with the brightness of a good 8x42?

It's not a reasonable comparison because the contrast of the 15x56 is way higher than the 8x as a consequence of the additional magnification. Stars will appear brighter in the 15x because the background sky will be darker. Particularly in light polluted environments, there is no comparison. FAR more can be seen with the 15x56 than an 8x42. It will still out perform an 8x42 at darker locations, but the difference will be less dramatic. And anyway, for me, the instruments serve different purposes. The 8x is for wider fields, mostly hand held. The 15x is for more detail and always(!! in my case) mounted.

 

Exit pupil does not matter for star brightness. It matters for extended objects not for point sources (stars). Star brightness is determined by aperture. Contrast with the background sky is determined by magnification (and okay, also exit pupil because the background sky is an extended object). There is so much confusion and misinformation about this, it's endless. 

Edited by Fiske, 19 September 2023 - 10:07 AM.

[binocular]

It's not a reasonable comparison because the contrast of the 15x56 is way higher than the 8x as a consequence of the additional magnification. Stars will appear brighter in the 15x because the background sky will be darker. Particularly in light polluted environments, there is no comparison. FAR more can be seen with the 15x56 than an 8x42. It will still out perform an 8x42 at darker locations, but the difference will be less dramatic. And anyway, for me, the instruments serve different purposes. The 8x is for wider fields, mostly hand held. The 15x is for more detail and always(!! in my case) mounted.

 

Exit pupil does not matter for star brightness. It matters for extended objects not for point sources (stars). Star brightness is determined by aperture. Contrast with the background sky is determined by magnification (and okay, also exit pupil because the background sky is an extended object). There is so much confusion and misinformation about this, it's endless. 

I forgot to mention for "terrestrial" viewing, sorry about that as I've not dived into the stars as of yet.  So, there's no way image brightness of the b.5 15x56 for daytime use would be close to a decent 8x42, is that correct?

[Fiske]

The b.5 15x56 is a superb daytime binocular, and it's plenty bright. You would not use it like an 8x binocular. They serve different purposes. 

Edited by Fiske, 19 September 2023 - 09:44 PM.

[Bkoh]

I forgot to mention for "terrestrial" viewing, sorry about that as I've not dived into the stars as of yet. So, there's no way image brightness of the b.5 15x56 for daytime use would be close to a decent 8x42, is that correct?

During the day your pupil is constricted, in bright sunshine it may be 2mm or less, in which case the relative brightness of 2 binoculars (whose exit pupils exceed 2mm) depends on relative transmission and not exit pupil.

In the shade or indoors your pupil will expand, however as the 15x56 has a 3.7mm exit pupil this is probably still enough to fully illuminate the eye. Only at night, when the pupil expands to 5mm (or more), will the 8x42 be noticeably brighter.

[binocular]

During the day your pupil is constricted, in bright sunshine it may be 2mm or less, in which case the relative brightness of 2 binoculars (whose exit pupils exceed 2mm) depends on relative transmission and not exit pupil.

In the shade or indoors your pupil will expand, however as the 15x56 has a 3.7mm exit pupil this is probably still enough to fully illuminate the eye. Only at night, when the pupil expands to 5mm (or more), will the 8x42 be noticeably brighter.

 

I guess optics such as coatings and such must come into play as well at least with my eyes because there is a significant difference in bright daylight even between my 10x42 vs 8x42 roof prism binoculars. The 8x42 is quite a bit brighter.  My family sees the same difference I do too and always asks me why the 8x42 is so much brighter!

Edited by binocular, 19 September 2023 - 11:10 PM.

[binocular]

The b.5 15x56 is a superb daytime binocular, and it's plenty bright. You would not use it like an 8x binocular. They serve different purposes. 

Would be nice if Maven had a demo program that would work for Canada but I understand why they wouldn't really be interested.

Edited by binocular, 19 September 2023 - 11:14 PM.

[MT4]

Would be nice if Maven had a demo program that would work for Canada but I understand why they wouldn't really be interested.

 

I have both the Maven B.5 15x56 and the Swarovski SLC 15x56.  Both are plenty bright for me, day or night.   

 

Both should be brighter than your newly-purchased Nikon M5 16x56 thanks to a larger exit pupil (3.73mm vs. 3.5mm) and (possibly) better transmission.

 

Are you thinking of trying out the Maven B.5 15x56?  So soon after getting your Nikon M5 16x56?