I just ck'd these out after a friend loaned them to me and can say they're awesome! My friend told me they're every bit as good as his Swarovski 15x56 SLC's
I honestly can't tell a difference between the 2, either. I'm close to getting the Mavens. Not that I'm an expert or really know how to wring the last bit of performance from binos, but both views are jaw dropping.
I think you could but they would be a handful to use efficiently and smoothly. If you intended to use them primarily on a tripod I would suggest some hand held use is acceptable. But if you were looking to purchase these as primarily hand held binos I would suggest looking at a smaller pair, say the 9X45s or 10 or 12X50s. I hope that helps.
