2 cons you must consider- dust & raindrops. However, the pros outweighs the cons. $80 is cheap. $90 is the best going price I have found for lenses, but they are worth it to me.
You will not be able to hunt the first or last 15 minutes of shooting light.
I might be able to send you one to try before you buy. What is the diameter you need?
You probably won't be happy with anything that costs less than $150
I have never had an issue with low light conditions. With the 4x I can see hair on animals and specific dots/marks on targets very clear.
I have 70 year old eyes that have had lasik surgery and cataract surgery. Absolutely no vision issues with the 4x magnifier on sight. I personally would not spend money on a 2x magnifier.
Mark
If you hunt open areas like antelope for example, you will have better luck. If you hunt timber, you will hate having a lens. We would have difficulty finding a spot on a 3D target in the timber at 2:00 in the afternoon. I can't imagine how hard it would be 15 minutes after sundown. You can't keep both eyes open without perfect light. Looking through the peep, it's hard to tell shoulder from but.
Personally ?I would never consider a lens for hunting if my eyes were even slightly better than bad.
I use the HHA brand lens
The combination of parts works exactly like a camera; the more powerful the lens, the smaller the peep hole required (aperture dia), which will reduce the light thru the system and create a greater depth of field. For a 20/20 person, a 2x lens (2.5 diopter) will probably clear with a .090 peep hole. For many, a 6x will require a 1/16" peep hole to clear and the light transmission is cut enough that in darker situations you can easily lose your aiming dot. The same conditions as a camera, aperture dia, and f-stop. The quality of lens also plays a part. You can test the physics by simply holding a lens at arms length then looking thru a hole made with the thumb and index finger. As the hole gets smaller, the target gets clearer.
On the other side of the spectrum, if your close vision has gone away, it can benefit your archery in that the target is clear without a peep. I have that "problem"; with a 5x lens and no peep, the target is as clear as looking thru binos. My dot has a slight blur but not enough to where I think about it. If you are worried about dot size, which I am, I use the Gunstar "crosshair" reticles as they allow me to see thru them.
Conditions for the lens use was no different than conditions on a field range or at a safari shoot like redding; Rain, sun, cloudy, etc and not a big deal but again, I've had a lens in my sight for the last 46 years.
Am sitting in dr offices today so have more time than normal to be on Bowsite.
With your experience, have you found any correlations of sight size (.019 , .029, etc.) and clarity in magnification strength of the lens, i.e. 2x vs 4x, etc.?
I can look through my $300 Sure-Loc Black Eagle 6X lens without a clarifier. I cannot see the target clearly enough without a clarifier through my $80 Feather Vision lens.
I do not know who makes the lens for SpotHog, but for $80 I would bet the 4X lens would need a clarifier if the peep is larger than 3/32". The 2X lens may work with an 1/8" peep, but is that really worth the trouble for anything other than target or 3D?
My next test is scheduled to be at night over bait with a reastat light. I hope to share my test findings and results later in the year.
I hope it works for you. Having all of these equipment choices makes it great.
Are you using a clarifier with your 6x lens?
