Maven CM1 8X32 mm ED Monocular Gray/Orange

After couple months use, super handy optic to always have with you or in your vehicle.8x-32mm OBJ gets great low light performance. Small on size but huge on performance!Coated lens is very clear, surprisingly clear like a good Swarovski Optic is.EZ to adjust and focus if you extend eyepiece out one click/turn. Focus ring is stiff as it should be. Once set, not easy to move out of adjustment by mistake.

I am not a hunter or birder. I purchased it for mostly static subjects while traveling for touring vistas, architecture and animal viewing. (Cruising, hiking, safari, etc.)This is a meticulously constructed, rugged monocular. Nicely packaged, it comes with a microfiber storage bag (can double as a lens cloth), lens caps for both the eyepiece and the objective and a wrist strap. Personally, I wish it had included a neck lanyard instead.Quite reasonable size and weight for an 8 x 32 mm scope. I am not an expert by any means, but the optics are clear and bright and there is a very generous field of view. No significant spherical or chromatic aberration for the “average amateur” user. At least for my needs, the eight power magnification is more than sufficient and it is not difficult to stabilize with one hand. It has a moderately textured, rubberized feel. Very easy to grip and use whether you are right or left-handed.I agree with the criticisms of the overly tight focus ring. I wish it was somewhat looser and more aggressively textured. It does not feel like it will loosen significantly, but this remains to be seen. As others have reported, the focus ring is easier to grip with the eyecup extended. With great effort it can be incrementally focused with one hand but it’s a real challenge to maintain aim. This is not a major concern for my needs as I don’t need rapid focus capability. The eye cup is well constructed and provides a significant amount of adjustable eye relief. At least with my eyeglasses, there is a much wider “apparent” field of view if I use it without my glasses unless I press the eyeglass lenses firmly into my face with the monocular.My initial impressions are very favorable and I’m happy with the purchase. The quality is commensurate with the price point. When I’ve used it for a while I will update this review if I have anything to add or edit.

Been using it about a week. Wanted a compact optic to take when walking dogs, hiking etc. to look at birds and other nature things. It is a nice size to put in my pocket and take along. The views through it are what a ~$200 optic should provide, true color, decent field of view, bright (consistent with the aperture) and minimal warping of the image at the edges. It feels nice in my hand, however, as others have mentioned, the focus ring is very tight and unpleasant/difficult to use. To use this for birding, for example, you are continually modifying focus since birds are sometimes near and sometimes far. In addition, the eye relief adjustment is too loose relatively and is easily unintentionally modified... especially with its proximity to the too tight focus ring. Anyways, IMHO, it would be a joy to use (deserving a 5 star rating) with a significantly looser focus ring and a slightly tighter eye relief adjustment (the eye relief would not likely be an issue if the focus was looser). As it is, I feel charitable giving it 4 stars.

I bought this as a gift. I personally would be looking for a 6 power model because I cant hold 8 power still enough anymore. I was very careful with this when I took it outside to try it out. It is razor sharp with super high quality prisms, multi coatings and glass and is at least as good as 2 of the top European binoculars that I have tried. I have not tried the 3rd out in the field yet but I would still prefer my Maven 6X30s. I live in the pristine Southeast Alaska Rainforest with clean air and beautiful green forests. And wildlife people only dream of. So my gift person was not able to hold it still enough as well. I had to send it back, I love Amazon for being able to do that. The bottom line is I already own a pair of Maven binoculars, B.3, 6X30. I would have ordered a 6X Maven Monocular but i didn't see one available at the time. I would recommend any Maven product to a friend. And if I can find a 6X Maven Monocular I will buy it.If I lean against a tree or a building and hold this 8X32 still, the image is as sharp and bright and colorful as any picture in a National Geographic magazine and it will be closer than my 6 powers so I do recommend it!

I purchase another monocular for an upcoming trip, but I returned it when the clarity of the image was much poorer than promised in the description.I was reluctant to spend more money to purchase the Maven CM1, but I have been very pleasantly surprised.1) Most importantly, the view is very sharp, edge to edge, and it's easy to adjust with a stiff enough focus ring to hold your setting.2) I really didn't want to purchase an optical instrument without lens covers, and the description on Amazon did not indicate lens covers, but as you can see in the photo, there are attached covers - difficult to lose - and a wrist strap.3) in addition the bag for carrying the monocular is constructed of material that can be used to clean the lenses.The only negative I have is that, at 8X, it is a little difficult to hold steady, but what a nice surprise to find something better than its description!

Absolutely terrible focus ring. U must use two hands to use it. An otherwise outstanding product, very well made and made of quality materials, however the design (focus ring) REQUIRES perspective buyer to keep looking, as this item is NOT IT