Cheap pocket scopes go dim and murky the moment light drops. The Hawkeye's oversized 56mm objective with fully multi-coated BAK4 optics transmits up to 99.5% of available light — so the image stays bright and crisp at dawn, dusk, and gray overcast days. Exactly when wildlife moves, and exactly when cheap glass gives up.
This endoscope is fantastic — especially at this price. I had purchased a different one several years ago that connected to my phone, and this device is leaps and bounds better than that thing.
For starters, this endoscope has an attached screen that provides great image quality. Figuring out how to use it is easy. Battery life is excellent, and the camera is very high definition and has lights whose intensity can be adjusted at the screen/control piece.
Last, the focal length on this endoscope is set in such a way that allows you to see an object from a little further away and then the object is still in focus as you get closer to it. This is NOT the case with a lot of endoscopes, where you can only see something when you are super close. It is a very valuable feature.
UPDATE ONE YEAR IN...
I thought I would use this device once or twice a year. In reality, it is nearly indispensable. I have used it to find dropped tools and fasteners while working on vehicles, to find and eliminate access for rodents and just today used this tool to inspect a plumbing drain that I thought was clogged (it was not, and the endoscope saved me at least an hour of trying to run a drain-cleaning device through a drain pipe).
As I mentioned in my first review (above), battery life is excellent. I can get several hours from this device before needing to recharge, and even after sitting for months at a time the battery has held its charge. This is in sharp contrast to the model that feeds the image through your phone. I was lucky to get 5 minutes of use at a time with that one.
What was an especially useful feature (besides being waterproof) is a camera that doesn't just focus a few inches in front of the lens. Because this allows me to see further out, I could more easily aim the camera while looking for those fasteners or tools, and I could see that the entire stretch of drain pipe was clear.
I have recommended this thing to any of my friends that work on their own homes, cars, etc. If it ever fails, I will definitely get another one.
- Ronald F.