Lucid’s M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight promises parallax-free function (something usually only reserved for holo-sights) and tough construction. Does this red dot sight live up to its promises? I was very pleased to find out that it does indeed. Out of the box, the Lucid M7 felt very durable thanks to its cast aluminum frame. The optic has a good bit of heft to it for such a small form factor and I was pleased with its overall look. Designed to be in the same optic category as the venerable T1/H1, the Lucid M7 offers comparable performance at a much less expensive price point. Please keep in mind, I am reviewing this for use in an airsoft setting. The demands for airsoft use are obviously not as high as real steel usage. Even so, an airsoft optic has to be tough as many big airsoft games are played in pretty rough terrain. Additionally, being struck by a BB can cause serious damage to optics, so sight durability is a high priority for players.
[box type=”info”] Please note that the initial version of this review mentioned the optic being capable of a green dot sight. This is incorrect and has been fixed in this draft of the article.[/box]
Airsoft players will be happy to hear that you can get an optional riser mount for the Lucid M7 which will bring the optic up so be able to co-witness an M4/AR-15 style front post sight in its lower 1/3 field of view. If you don’t have a front post sight on your AR-15/M4 style airsoft rifle, you can still get the riser to better use your airsoft rifle while wearing a thick mask which might not allow for a tight cheek weld – the choice is yours. Please note that some Lucid M7 images in this article show the optic with and without the optional riser.
Additionally, zeroing an airsoft rifle with an optic like this can be tricky business as, unlike real steel weapons, zeroing an airsoft gun has the additional element of a hop-up unit to work into the equation. A hop-up unit, for those of you who don’t know, is a device which puts backspin on an airsoft BB. This creates a lifting effect on the BB while in-flight, allowing it to stay on a more horizontal trajectory longer. So, when zeroing you optic on the airsoft rifle, you need to keep hop-up in mind as well moving the Lucid M7’s windage and elevation dials. Speaking of dials and controls, the Lucid M7 comes with the traditional windage and elevation adjustment knobs, nicely protected under screw-off caps. It also has a nifty control array on the shooter’s left side of the optic. The control array features three buttons: one for power and two brightness adjustments – sneakily, that’s not all they do. This is where a lot of the real magic happens as the Lucid M7 has some great features you don’t normally find on an optic you are going to use for airsoft play.
Turning the optic’s red dot on is as simple as pushing the power button. However, if you press the button once again, it engages the auto-brightness mode. This feature is the optic’s ability to auto-adjust the brightness of its reticle based on ambient lighting. The brighter the conditions, the brighter the reticle becomes. If you press the power button again, you will disable the auto-brightness feature and can manually control it with the two brightness setting buttons. This feature makes moving in and out of dark buildings or structures a breeze as you never have to mess with the brightness once it is enabled. The red laser reticle is very crisp and the unlimited eye relief was welcome – especially on the IWI Tavor 21 style airsoft rifle I was installing it on.
Now for the best part of the Lucid M7 Microdot: Its parallax-free promise. Amazingly, this is pretty much true for use on the airsoft field. I have heard that, in real steel shooting, there can be some small variation depending on how the red dot is initially zeroed in relation to the bore of the rifle. However, this is third-party hearsay, and doesn’t have a bearing on my review of its airsoft usage. Remember, as I previously stated, zeroing an airsoft gun can be tricky (actually a little trickier than zeroing a real rifle thanks to the hop-up). What I care about most is that, once that zeroing process is completed, the airsoft BBs hit where I am aiming as best as they can. No airsoft rifle is 100% accurate and they will not be until they figure out a way to change the BB “round” into a conical shape and rifle the inner barrels. At that point, though, we would be playing with some really dangerous replicas and I would hate to see the injuries that would be inflicted on other players.
Overall, the Lucid M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight is a terrific airsoft game option. By all accounts, it would also seem to be a terrific real steel option, but don’t quote me on that as I did not put it through that kind of testing. At $229, it is on the high end of price points for an optic to use in your airsoft play but you won’t second guess yourself once you experience it on the field. Just be sure to get the optional kill-flash or an external, rail-mounted lens protector. You DO NOT want to get the front lens of this optic shot out by a BB. The extra $30 dollars is worth protecting your Lucid M7 Microdot investment.
The Lucid M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight is available now with an MSRP of $229 dollars. You can find it at various online retailers as well as Lucid’s official website.
[easyreview title=”LUCID M7 Microdot Red Dot Sight Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]
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