Kowa vs Maven in a 8x30 ish

[RussDXT]

Looking at the Kowa BD II XD 8x32mm Roof Prism Wide-Angel Binoculars vs the Maven B3 for dark timber elk and NC tree stand whitetail hunting.

The Kowas are priced a little better, but I get that you get what you pay for.

I already have a set of 10x42’s so these would be something I would use on a limited basis.

Thoughts?

 

[gr8fuldoug]

The Kowa is an excellent binocular and has an amazing 8.8* FOV giving 462 feet at 1000 yard

 

[Xlr8n]

The Mavens are smaller and lighter at 16.25 oz. vs the Kowa's at 19 oz. but keep in mind you are comparing a 30mm to a 32mm here.

The Maven B3's are very well constructed and have top tier glass. I have them in 6x30 as well. They are at least on par with Nikon MHG 8x30's and Conquest 8x32's, both of which are twice the price, but are still a shade below Alpha's such as Swaro EL's in 8x32. That being said, Swaro's are 4 x the price. I've owned all four of these models. For the small difference in price over the Kowa, I'd go with the Maven's.

 

[TexaninSconny]

Pair those B3s with the Rick Young Outdoors harness and neoprene cover and you have a great weapon for the woods that you hardly notice is there at all.

Would love to compare them to the Kowa’s at some point. But I have the B3s and the B2 9x45s. The glass from the B3s compares well even with the B2s…surprised the heck out of me how great they were for the price.


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[Boreal]

I have a KOWA spotter that I really like, and a pair of the Maven B.2 9x45 that I got to gather more light. Since you say these are for dark timber and treestand hunting, I would really consider a larger objective to gather more light. I know the cost difference is substantial, but the 9x45 are spectacular in low light situations.

 

[RussDXT]

I had swaro 10x42’s that should work for low light. I’m thinking more for walking and looking.

 

[Blue72]

I have both

the mavens are better edge to edge wise, the Kowa are sharper, brighter, and bigger FOV

the real gem is the Kowa 6.5x32…..I can see the North American nebula in those things which I cannot in the mavens. Plus the lowlight performance is excellent

 

[RussDXT]

So having 10-42 you would recommend the 6.5s over the 8’s?

Haden’s really thought of that but it makes sense.

 

[Blue72]

So having 10-42 you would recommend the 6.5s over the 8’s?

Haden’s really thought of that but it makes sense.

definitely!!!

it will be way more comfortable to use even when your heart rate is up or the wind is blowing you around. In addition to the benefits I listed earlier. Plus the 6.5x is closer to my 7x binoculars rather then my 6x Binoculars

buy both and try it out for yourself

 

[Q child]

the real gem is the Kowa 6.5x32…..I can see the North American nebula in those things which I cannot in the mavens. Plus the lowlight performance is excellent

Man, those 6.5s have always really appealed to me. Pretty refreshing to see a reputable company come out with a product that different.

 

[shedfinder7]

The maven b3 8x30 and 6x30 for my eyes were alot better then the Kowas. The weight and warranty makes it a no brainer to go with mavens also.

 

[Spiral Horn]

Personally would not go below a 32mm objective in an 8x glass for hunting. That’s really getting into a compressed exit pupil and doesn’t generally offer enough light transmission for heavy canopy and ”dark timber“ kind of environments - and one will really notice it at first and last light.

 

[OspreyZB]

I would go maven 6x30. I had them side by side with the Kowa 6.5x32 and kept the mavens. Both good binos, but for my eyes the mavens slightly edged out the kowas in every aspect except field of view. Build quality is the main reason I kept the mavens. It's apparent when holding the 2 binoculars which one is made in Japan (Maven) and which is made in China (Kowa). Don't know how soon you need them, but I remember reading over on birdforum that maven is working on an updated b3 series, similar to how they just revamped the b1's... Might be worth waiting for.

 

[ChrisAU]

I searched hard for an 8x30/32 to displace my Kowa 6.5x32's and couldn't find anything that could displace them.

 

[RussDXT]

I’m thinking about ordering the kowa 6.5’s and looking into the Mavens when the updated version of the b3 is released.

 

[Newtosavage]

I've owned both and now use the Zeiss Conquest HD 8x32's for everything. Both the Kowas and the Mavens have edge distortion that is very disturbing to my eyes. This is typical in Chinese-made optics in my experience although I'm not sure where the Mavens are made.

Don't overlook the Nikon M7's in that class. They are quite good and you can often find them used for just a couple hundred bucks.

If you don't want to pay the $ for Conquests, then look for a clean used pair of Swaro SLC's in the 8x30. They have the weird front hinge focus but if you can get used to that they are optically excellent. Just a hair behind my Conquest HD's in brightness but they are sharp edge to edge. Usually you can get an old pair of Swaro SLC 8x30's for about $550-600.

Good luck with your choice.

 

[eaglemountainman]

They're a big step up in price from the Chinese BD II XDs, but the Kowa Genesis 8X33s are a spectacular optic, made in Japan....as are all the Genesis line.

For your intended use, if you're not stuck on 8X, I would look hard at the B.3 6X30s. With an exit pupil of 5, they should gather plenty of light, even in dark timber. And with their size and weight at 16.25 oz, they should be very handy for freehanding, around your neck or in a coat pocket. They should compliment your 10X42s nicely. I have no personal experience, but I have not seen one negative review.

I think the B.3 6X30s will be high on my next bino purchase list, provided I can some time behind them....unless Kowa were to add a 6X30 to the Genesis line.

 

[Blue72]

I think anyone considering the Maven or the Kowa 6.5x, should order both. They both offer something different not offered in the other. So it will be up to an individuals taste.

the monarch 7 mentioned above are awesome too. But not as comfortable or ease of view that the Maven and Kowa offer.

I think any optic lover should have at least one superwide (9 degrees or higher) binocular in their collection. It tells so much more of the story. Instead of just seeing a boat by the beach, you also see the fisherman on the shore and the dog running down the coast

 

[Xlr8n]

A couple more thoughts:

-As I stated earlier, I recently picked up some Maven 6x30's for bow hunting and they are truly top notch both optically and build quality. They are all Japanese components (Kamakura) assembled in U.S. The glass is reported to be their premium line. I'm very impressed for a 30mm glass.

-Kowa BDII's are made in China.

-Monarch 7's are also China made bins. I had a set and the armor got loose right off the bat and they had bad glare problems. I can't recommend these.

-The Conquests in 8x32 are truly great bins (I've had these also), but they are more like a full size bin with short barrels than a compact. 22 oz. vs 16 for the Mavens. They do offer nearly full-size optical quality. Also Kamakura glass. I'd definitely own these again if I run across a deal.

-A bonus of a 6x vs the 8x is the terrific depth of field that the 6x's seem to give. Very immersive viewing. I tend to switch between 8x and 6x for archery hunting depending on where I'm going.

 

[craigrh13]

The B3’s are very very impressive. They surprised the hell out of me on just how well they work in low light conditions. Very bright. Very sharp. I absolutely loved them. I cannot speak for the Kowas but the B3’s are very impressive and don’t let the 30mm objective fool you or scare you away.