Maven S1.2A 25-50×80 Spotting Scope Hands On Review

Last updated on November 14th, 2024

The Maven S1.2A 25-50×80 is the latest premium spotting scope to hit the market. There’s one major factor here that makes the Maven standout and its the reason I added it to my range bag. The new S1.2A comes with interchangeable eye pieces. Regular readers will know I consider myself one of Australia’s biggest Maven fans. I am continually impressed with their optics and especially the value for money they provide. Their ability to combine a solid build with stunning clarity and colour fidelity in their glass keeps me coming back. I am happy to say the S1.2A is no exception, offering the same high quality performance with versatility thanks to its neat interchangeable eyepieces. 

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At a maximum magnification of 50x, the Maven offers a good magnification range comparable to Leica’s APO but is slightly less than the Vortex Razor and Zeiss Conquest at 60x reach. However, the 25-50 range of the Maven is the perfect range for my needs on the range and in the mountains. When I was weighting up my options against the competition, the S1.2A stood out as a value packed contender against the pricey Swarovski and Leica options.

Maven’s Unconditional Lifetime Warranty easily surpasses the limited warranty periods on some of these other models, another factor that helped sway my choice. The Maven S1.2A holds its own at a notably lower price point, the absolute pinnacle of what makes Maven’s direct to consumer model great. Unlike the competition theirs no middle man on Maven gear, so you don’t have a retail markup.

Design & Build Quality

At 14.9 inches / 39cm in length and weighing 65.1 ounces / 1.8kg, the S1.2A has a solid build, striking a good balance of both durability and ergonomic features that feel solid without unnecessary bulk. The polymer housing reduces some of the weight while keeping the durability. On the bottom of the spotting scope is an Arca Swiss compatible tripod foot for quick attachment. Like the rest of the scope its high quality and attaches easily.

The focus collar on the Maven S1.2A is large and designed with a great knurled texture, it’s the same texturing they use on their scope turrets and it makes it easy to grip, even with gloves on. The focus collar is extremely smooth and it’s one of my favorite features of the spotter that feels precise and quickly reminds you that this is not your average spotting scope.

The integrated extendable sunshade is a welcome feature, especially here in Australia when dealing with glare throughout the day. And even when your not dealing with the bright midday son, the sunshade also protects the objective lens from rain​. For bad weather which you are sure to encounter at some stage, the scope’s body is purged with nitrogen. This makes it both fog and waterproof. For the price point you expect performance in bad weather and the Maven S1.2A is certified to withstand immersion in water up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. That says to me its up to the task of working in the rain without any problems and even if I accidentally drop it in the stream during a crossing.

The eye piece houses the magnification wheel, twist up eye cup and the locking mechanism. The magnification wheel is smooth and has the same knurling as the focus collar. Adjusting the magnification is easy and it gives you the same satisfying feel as when using the focus wheel.

The twist up eye cup is there to cater to those who wear glasses and those who prefer to get as close to the lens as possible. The locking mechanism is a small ring that twists on the eyepiece. When moved to the unlock position you can remove the eyepiece to swap it over to the reticle eye piece.

Unlike some spotters where a light touch can shift your magnification, the Maven’s collar requires a deliberate turn and provides an ideal amount of tension for me. This prevents any unintentional changes from bumps that can happen in the field.

Optics

Maven’s use of pure fluorite glass in the S1.2A lens setup gives this scope some of the finest edge to edge clarity available in a spotting scope today. Fluorite glass minimises chromatic aberration and distortion seen at higher magnifications. The end result are vibrant and accurate colors across the entire magnification range. This glass quality, combined with the multi coated lenses and dielectric prism coatings, allows the S1.2A to excel in low light, providing a quality you really want in a spotting scope.​

At 25-50x magnification, the scope provides a good field of view ranging from 115.2 to 83.8 feet at 1000 yards. This allows you to scan large areas quickly or zoom in to find the finer details. This flexibility is complemented by Maven’s interchangeable eyepiece system. This is my favorite feature and the reason I picked up this spotting scope.

Shown above are the two eye pieces available for this spotter. I spend alot of time at the range long distance shooting and I also hunt trophy animals in New Zealand. The Maven S1.2A allows me to switch between a standard 25-50x zoom eyepiece for hunting and a fixed 30x eyepiece with a MOA or MRAD reticle for the range. The latter is invaluable for long range shooting, provides great hashmarks for correction and distance estimation. The interchangeable eye pieces on the S1.2A make it a very versatile tool for both hunting and target shooting.​

In the Field

Since it arrived in the mail around two months ago I have been testing it out across different lighting and conditions. So far the scope’s wide angle magnification and sharp focus adjustment have been great to use. The high resolution glass has allowed me to pick up the smallest of impacts at the range. The Arca Swiss rail slides on well and locks into place on my Slik tripod and Sirui video head setup.

Aside from the impressive image quality, the focus wheel is great to use for quickly adjusting between distances, and the collar allows for smooth transitions. Making a significant investment in the scope, I can appreciate the scopes ability to find small details that some optics can miss, and I am sure this will translate into my next hunting trip to New Zealand when I am scanning for slight animal movements at dawn and even small color changes in terrains​.

Final Verdict

Retailing around 2200 USD with the zoom eyepiece, the Maven S1.2A does come at a premium price point. However I can confidently say that it holds its own against high end competitors like Swarovski and Zeiss. Maven’s direct to consumer model is where the value is on show. This bypasses the traditional retail markup and delivers high performance at a great price. This is why so many of my rifles have Maven scopes.

Maven also have a no questions asked lifetime warranty similar to that of Vortex and ZeroTech. I haven’t had to use it even after many years using Maven gear, the warranty offers great peace of mind when investing in a scope intended for some pretty wild outdoor use.

Overall the Maven S1.2A is a high performance piece of kit that easily justifies its price tag. The world class optical clarity, durability, and user friendly design leave me satisfied every time I use this scope. The fluorite glass and field of view deliver a great viewing experience with high contrast color accuracy.  From making adjustments for shot placements, or scanning terrain from a distance, the Maven S1.2A is proving to be a reliable tool wherever I take it. Check back as I will update the review after my next hunting trip in the mountains of New Zealand.

Maven S1.2A 25-50×80

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