Compared directly to Brunton and Cammenga...
In the process of purchasing holiday gifts for the family, and gear for myself, I bought this Scout lensatic from Cooper's Bay as well as a Cammenga lensatic from Cammenga and a Brunton lensatic from Brunton, all of the same design. Compared side by side, I prefer the Scout lensatic over the slightly more expensive Brunton and much more expensive military issue Cammenga tritium model. Most noticeably to my middle-aged eyes, the Scout compass is much brighter in darkness when the phosphorous is charged-- MUCH brighter, and the markings are lighted where it counts. You can easily make out your heading on the dial hovering above the backlit rectangle through the lens compared to the Cammenga (which I cannot see at all, unless I relocate my eye directly over the tritium rectangle) and the Brunton, which is completely lacking this area entirely, in fact the Brunton's dial and other phosphorous features are hard to make out at all, rendering it almost useless in the dark other than to know which general directly you are pointed. I bought the Scout for a son who is an Afghanistan combat veteran, disabled in the conflict, and the Brunton for another son, planning to keep the Cammenga for myself, but after comparing them side by side, decided my veteran son "deserved" the Cammenga (haha). He's grateful; it's what he used and he is proud to have it, and I'm pleased to keep the Scout for myself. I won't go into all the pluses of the Scout--like the liquid filled capsule (may be a selling feature for the Cammenga since the induction-dampened needle cannot develop a bubble), the strong needle attraction to north of the Scout, and the superior night visibility, but I also find the magnifying lens on the Scout is superior as well. It comes to focus right where you want it. The Cammenga lens that I expected to be superior arrived with light scuffs on it and is plastic too and in no way superior or even better plastic than the Scout. I paid $112 for the Cammenga and if it weren't for my appreciative veteran son, would have returned it and bought another Scout, which I plan to purchase at least one more of as a backup and probably more as gifts. I wasn't going to write a review, but it would be a disservice not to report my findings, so here I am. Let me also say that the build quality of the Scout is very similar to the Cammenga and both are superior to the Brunton. I just hope Cooper's Bay will continue their competitive pricing of around $24.00 for this fine product so more people who want one can own one. A+++. Recommended. P.S. I was going to upload three photos showing these compasses side by side, but the review only allows video, so sorry about that. Maybe someone from Cooper's Bay can reach out with instructions on uploading photos. Hopefully they will. Thank you Cooper's Bay.
