While hiking with my Acro today, I pulled it out of my holster, and while the dot was set perfectly for indoors and overnight, it was so dim as to be unusable in the only semi bright SW sun we had today. I had to turn it up to max intensity, which on the Acro feels like the red dot equivalent of going into the afterburner. (I wish the Acro had two more higher intensity settings but that is a topic for another day.)
That got me thinking about the different approaches to controlling pistol red dot intensity — using manual control like the Acro, or having intensity adjust automatically like the Shield/RMR. I think manual control is ideal for a competition red dot, since you are using the pistol in a relatively short period of time, and you have a chance to adjust your dot during “make ready.” With manual control on an EDC red dot, you need to continually adjust dot intensity as lighting conditions change, lest you be too bright or too dim.
The advantage of auto intensity is the dot dims and brightens automatically, saving you from having to do that. With a system like on the RMR type 2, you have manual over ride for the times you want to adjust what auto selected, or to override auto in case you are using a white light. Auto also conserves power since the dot dims whenever it is dark or covered.
What is your thinking on manual vs auto on a pistol optic?