compact

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.

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+

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.