Customer Reviews

Night Owl NOCC3 Cyclops Compact Vision Monocular

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This device enables you to see quite well at night, and costs a lot less than other options. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with it. That said, there are a couple of things you should know if you're going to buy one.

First, the optics are pretty poor. The objective lens (the one on the front) causes significant pincushion distortion, and focus is poor toward the edge of the field of view. I've actually never seen worse optics on anything that wasn't sold as a toy. The ocular lens (on the back) focuses on an electronic display element that looks dirty even when it's not. Although it's not intended for taking photographs, a better display would be nice.

Secondly, if your shipment arrives during the day your first inclination will be to try it out just to make sure it works. The manual, which you are unlikely to read, warns that turning the device on with the lens cap removed during the day can permanently damage the sensor and invalidate the warranty. Putting a warning on the lens cap would be a better idea.

Lastly, an "automatic off" feature would be nice. I just know I'm going to kill the batteries by forgetting to turn it off.

Generally, a thumbs up! I'm surprised at how small and light it is. Easily fits in your hand, and the behind-the-hand strap is ideal. For right handers only. On this model, the buttons should be back further, for use with index/middle. Too hard to press with little finger - you end up using your other hand to turn the illuminator and unit on/off. It's only 15,000 light amp. - sufficient, but at times I'm wishing for _a little_ more. But, for around ..., all the little things are easily forgivable. Caution: The infrared illuminator IS NOT invisible, as claimed! They say "invisible beam" - indeed, the BEAM is invisible. But, if you aim it at someone, they will see a VERY bright red light! You are not invisible with the illuminator ON! Tip: While your hand is there, you can partially cover the illuminator with your finger, controlling its light output. Handy for when you need just a little boost.

Well, do you get what you pay for?!

Nah, this product much is better than the price you pay!! Just compare it with other products in the market. (I did a lot of searching for a starter NV system and the NightOwl Cyclops seemed the most logical).

The pluses are the unbeatable price, performance, compactness, use of 1.5 AA batteries (handy), good optics and overall construction. With the IR-on it feels almost like day-light in pitch darkness (no problem lighting up your backyard - and your neighbour's too!). With the IR-off you can still see well with the 15,000x amplification with available moonlight. The padded case is compact and useful.

The minuses include poor manual (there's just a fold-out card) and average exterior finish (the battery compartment is a little flimsy and power buttons are not convenient).

Overall I would highly recommend it. You really don't lose much and you've a lot to gain!

I think that the scope worked well for what you pay for it. While it might not be as fancy as the higher priced scopes, it still allows you to experience night vision at an affordable price. The scope allows hours of fun and can make you feel like a secret agent:-)

It is all here. The low power (3.1) is a real help and gives the 15000 amplification more clout on the screen. A hidden benefit is the use of AA batteries(Quick: betcha you've got two to use rigbt now if needed) as opposed to some ohscure and expensive photo shop type. The gain in, say, a large dark room with the IR generator is all but explosive. Spherical distortion is all but non-existant. The "user manual" is a joke, but that is just fine since you put in your AAs at dark and just go experiment. Simple to use and in ten minutes you should be expert. With just a little ambient light I was very happily surprised at the detail of the images.All in all, a VERY GOOD BUY.

If you're shopping for a night vision binoculars and don't have that much money, then this is a really good bet. This monocular used infared vision so you can see clearly in the dark. They work really in the light and dark. Good buy for the price.

The unit works well... The infrared night light is a real plus. The infrared light surprised me as far as distance and uniform lighting. The unit is compact, and easy to use.

The best feature for me is the wide field of view.

Solid feeling unit. Battery compartment could be designed better. Buttons for power and IR are mounted in a silly spot, so using them takes two hands. Use of double AAs makes a lot of sense and they seem to last.
These units work well in most conditions. Getting proper focus takes a bit of time, but I found that I could focus closer than specs indicated, from about 4 feet to infinity. On the water on a dark night in Long Island I was able to see boats and moorings. There is some image distortion at the edges and a bit of "dirt" in the view, but overall the Night Owl will impress, especially at the price. Note the IR illuminator is not invisible to others. Red dot is visible! These things are great for sailing.

Compact size and quality! Like the other users on this page, I was surprised by the power of this unit. Totally worth the the price , which was very reasonable ....Night vision feature, plus
built in IR feature present an excellent value. And it's powered
by 2 AA batteries.
A+

I bought this for my husband. We waited until dark and then tried it out. He stood outside about 10 feet from me and I looked at him through the scope. I could make out a bright figure in his shape but could not see any features. Peripheral objects had slightly better clarity. I'll wait until the technology gets better for the home consumer and buy again. This one is going back.