Manual vs auto adjustment red dot design

[GJM]

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?

[YVK]

You know what's mine.


I think that everyone's eyes are different, everyone's environments are different, everyone's diligence in figuring out the dot/lighting conditions interactions are different. Some say that ACRO on 7 is just enough. Some say they have to run it on 10. Some never shot at a bright reflective target in a full sun. Some never shot indoors. Some don't even know how to set it in auto mode. Etc.

I currently own four different optics that have auto adjust. Naturally, I only tried it on carry guns, so that means RMRs. For my eyes and my range of lighting conditions, I've never liked their auto adjust. It is usually too dim for my preferences. When I take out my type 2 and point it at the opposite sides of the room, 180 degrees from the same spot, the intensity changes as if it flickers and that's a distraction for me. I strongly prefer manual control. To avoid what you had happened today, I set my default brightness at a daytime levels. Worst that can happen is dot too bright at night. The second bad thing that happens is that famed RMR battery life is now about 4-5 months. I can live with that until they release a top-loaded RMR.

[Maca]

I tried running my RMR in manual mode, but found that going in and out of buildings throughout the day meant that the dot was too bright indoors when set for adequate outdoor brightness, and vice versa. I can probably get accustomed to the high brightness, but the benefits didn’t seem to outweigh the challenges. The bottom line is that I find the RMR auto adjust settings to work well enough for everyday carry.

Having said that, I set the brightness manually when training indoors or outside to be optimum for the environment.

[GJM]

I find that auto works better for me on both the type 2 RMR and RMSc with the larger moa dot size — probably because the larger dot size makes it easier to see the dot in varying light conditions at varying intensity. When I ran smaller dot sizes, I ended up blooming the intensity to make the dot appear larger.

PS, the auto function on the SRO doesn’t seem to work as well for me as on the RMR type 2, especially on light colored backgrounds like a white wall. Outside, the SRO auto is acceptable.

[TCB]

I work a Swing shift (1400-2400) and use a 4 MOA Aimpoint H-1 on my rifle (not a pistol RDS but the dot intensity management is the same process). It is set to 10 when I pull it from the armory (depending on weather conditions I could put it at 9 or even get away with 8 but it gets set to 10) 10 works for me indoors and outdoors against any background. When the sun starts going down I reach over and change it to 8 (this provides easy dot acquisition at any distance in conjunction with my 1500 lumen SF Fury DF against any background, if I’m way out in the field where long shots over wide open spaces may happen 7 is a bit more pleasing to my eye but I leave it on 8).

From my experimentation with dot management on a handgun I see no difference from what I’ve been doing with a rifle dot daily for the past 7 plus years. I just find 2 settings, daylight in full value sunlight and dark with a WML on on a light background at 2-3 yards. It takes a bit of experimentation to see what setting will work but once you figure it out it’s a fairly simple process to manage. Will the dot be just exactly perfect not too bright not too dim, not too hot not too cold, not too hard not too soft in every lighting condition? No, get over it make the shot and drive on.

[Olim9]

I wish Trijicon made a system that lets you manually lock out certain settings. I don't run night vision and I use high output lights for defensive use that can wash a dim dot out, I have no need for settings 0-4. It would be nice to have your optic go to say 7 when you're outside during the day and then maybe 5 or even 6 during darkness. fwiw, I use 6.5 MOA dots.

[bravo7]

Browe, the guy that left Trijicon, produced an ACOG that would auto adjust based on the lighting conditions of the target. Not sure why this can’t be implemented in other optics.

[Wise_A]

[QUOTE=GJM;974078PS, the auto function on the SRO doesn’t seem to work as well for me as on the RMR type 2, especially on light colored backgrounds like a white wall. Outside, the SRO auto is acceptable.[/QUOTE]

My FastFire3--I know, different price point--does the same thing. If I'm shooting at night, with an illuminated target but an unlit backstop, auto-brightness dials all the way down. And since the FF3 only has three manual brightness settings, I'm kinda SOL. I've been fine with it, because it's done quite well for the money otherwise, and I only use it for funtimes, and not carry or competition.

Dad's Vortex Venom, which is in a similar price range, seems to focus its light readings on the target, so it's maybe a little brighter than necessary but very acceptable. And of course, it has way more manual settings.

I'm actually kind've surprised there are no programmable micro-dots on the market.

[Lon]

My work gun has a 507c on it. I was using my type 1 RMR, but had too many issues when I put my WML on it for SWAT missions. The auto adjust just won’t compensate for the WML and it washes out the dot. My off duty guns (which are also my game guns) have auto adjust dots on them (Shield RMSc and RMR).

[mrozowjj]

I've notice that every maker also has decided whether to favor slightly dimmer or slightly brighter when doing the auto adjust settings and each of these options carries pros and cons; mainly that brighter seems to be better for outdoors shooting while dimmer seems to be better for indoors ranges.

I've noticed that Trijicon and Vortex models tend to favor a little brighter but Holosun and Buris go a favor dimmer.

I suspect the reasons for this is how they are sampling the light; some have a sensor that is aimed out the front and some (like the Holosun) have a sensor that is aimed above or to the side of the sight.

I've also found that the more brightness settings/levels a red dot has the better it is at finding a good brightness level IMO. I noticed that the Vortex and Buris are almost always not the setting I'd want while the Trijicon and Holosuns have been very close to ideal even though one favors a dimmer setting and the other favors a brighter setting.

The only time that the auto-adjust has done poorly is in the case of the red dots that favor the dimmer setting when shooting from a dim environment to a bright target. I.e. the range I use is covered so if I'm standing in the hut and it's a sunny day the auto-adjustment favoring dimmer is too low for my taste.