First of all, I ordered the Lucid HD7 from WebyShops, through Amazon. I was notified that would be delivered a day or two after Christmas. It arrived the day before! A good omen. It was properly packaged, and the HD7 appeared to be of sturdy construction. The reticle selector felt a little mushy, but the reticles themselves stayed steady. This is the Gen III model, with the small elevation/windage adjustments and covers. The edges of the screw slot on the windage adjustment has some rough edges, as if someone had try to set it using an improperly sized screwdriver, but no matter - I was ready to try this thing out!Mounted to my Smith M&P15 patrol rifle, I headed to the range. Zeroing was no problem; at 50 yards, it was just a few inches low and left. Several clicks later, it was as close as I could get it without a proper benchrest (mine is a bag of kitty litter). I still got better groups than I was getting with my MagPul BUIS "iron" sights. It co-witnessed beautifully; interestingly, I learned that the positioning of the Lucid was at a height that was very comfortable and made acquiring the sight much easier than with the iron sights. (I suppose that is the point, after all.)The auto-brightness worked adequately. Inside, it adjusted quickly from darkened rooms to bright light. However, I did find that the reticle remained a little too bright while outside at the range with overcast skies. This was quickly remedied by going to manual mode; the buttons are on the side where I prefer them, and they are intuitive.My only complaint has to do with the operating instructions. While I am familiar with bullet drop compensation, the delta-dot reticle is somewhat of a mystery. The instructions show the MOA of parts of the reticle, but they don't explain how to use the image itself. I can only surmise that base of the delta (at 24 MOA) is the width of a man's shoulders at 100 yards, thus giving you an idea of the range; the dots are then your BDC. Some clarification is in order here.I've done considerable research on red dot / holographic sights over the last couple of months. For a while, it was toss-up between EoTech and AimPoint, but the high cost was a concern. Both had their advocates and detractors. And of course, I ruled out virtually every other sub-$300 sight after reading reviews running the gamut of "waste of money" to "greatest Chinese scope under $20!". I took a chance on the Lucid after reading and watching great reviews, especially where the designer himself, Jason Wilson, weighed in. Well, we'll see. I'll be back after a few hundred more rounds and after it gets knocked around in a patrol car truck for a while, and I'll let you know. But for right now, this is money well-spent!Update- I've added Butler Creek lens covers (#23 and #5), which work very well. They were recommended by the Lucid website, and for good reason.Butler Creek 23 Objective Flip Open Scope Cover Butler Creek 05 Objective Flip Open Scope CoverUpdate July 24, 2013- Still pretty enthusiastic about the HD7. Just checked the zero from a bench rest, and it's still right on the money. I still marvel at the quick target acquisition with the red dot, especially on moving targets (not just with the Lucid, but all top-quality red dots).Customer service from Lucid has been first-rate. They answered my questions concerning the chevron reticle: The dot under the chevron is your zero. If you zeroed at 100 yards, the tip of the chevron would be point of aim at 50 yards. The spread between the arms of the chevron is 25 MOA, which is just over shoulder-width, or about 2.5 feet at 100 yards. This can aid you in determining range.So, still loving the Lucid, and finding the Butler Creek lens covers a welcome addition. I have had to incorporate their use into my procedure for deploying my AR from the patrol car. Once out of the car, watching the target/suspect, I close the bolt with my trigger finger. Simultaneously, with my left hand, I thumb the red cap release to open the rear cover, turn on the unit and pop open the front cover in a single fluid motion. I can be out of the car, behind cover and on target within five seconds. It does take practice. (Of course, if I have less time, my sidearm is much quicker.) I should also point out that if you leave the front lens cover closed, you can still use the sight- you just keep both eyes open, which I do anyway, and the dot will still appear at your point of aim.I can now omit "so far" from the title of my review, and say that the HD7 is Everything I Expected.