Lucid HD7 is an affordable reflex sight with 4 selectable reticle patterns under $200 which, even though not a SHTF red dot where you can depend your family and your life on, but could serve you well on range guns or hunting guns where stakes aren’t as high and budget is more of a focus.
But is HD7 the best deal in its class or is there a better red dot? Worry not, I’ll tell you all there is to know about this optics so you can make informed decision whether Lucid HD7 is the right optic for you.
Quick summary
Lucid HD7, Vortex Strikefire 2 and Primary Arms MD-ADS have similar dot and glass quality. It’s a choice between 2 MOA red dot with 4 reticle patterns, 4 MOA red/green dot or a 2 MOA dot.
Vortex Strikefire 2 has mount with more flexible height options. Vortex and Primary arms have better lifetime warranty and customer service. Plust they are both cheaper than Lucid HD7 at the time of this writing.
Due to recent improvements in optics manufacturing technology, firearms optics have become easier and cheaper to produce. Many overseas factories are learning the know-how of making quality optics at reasonable price. It’s very likely that prices for these optics will continue to drop while qualities and capabilities will continue to rise. Such a great time to be gun owners!
Furthermore, optics sold in the US has pretty much the best warranties available. You can see many big brand names offering fully transferable lifetime warranty which even “death won’t do us part”. Very few other industries offer this type of coverage on their products.
Table of Contents
PROS and CONS of Lucid HD7
Pros
- 4 selectable reticle patterns
- Hold zero well
- Daylight bright red dot
- Use AAA batteries which is very easy to acquire
- Auto brightness feature
- Limited lifetime warranty
Cons
- Not SHTF rugged
- Heavy and bulky
- Less battery life than peers
Current Lucid HD7 is the Gen III version
In the past, Gen I and II Lucid HD7 have semi target turrets, which isn’t super useful since you aren’t going to adjust your turrets “on the fly” anyway. With the Gen III version you get properly capped turrets.
Furthermore, Gen III also recessed its lens a bit further in, adding space to attach a kill flash. With these upgrades Lucid HD7 proceeded on to become one of the popular red dot sight with overwhelming positive reviews.
Best for : Shooters who want affordable red for with varying reticle patterns.
| Reticle & Glass | 4/5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.5/5 |
| Weight and Size | 4/5 |
| Durability | 3.8/5 |
| Value | 4/5 |
The Whole Story of Lucid HD7
Since no optics nor products exists in isolation. And words such as “crisp” and “great” dot don’t really mean much when you have no benchmarks. I’ll be comparing the HD7 with other red dot sights in similar price range, so you know what’s the best option for your money.
Read on to find out why the HD7, even though impressive, isn’t a perfect red dot sight.
Meet the Benchmarks
Lucid HD7 costs about $200 (at the time of this writing). And I’ll be comparing it with :
| Vortex Strikefire 2 | Primary Arms MD-ADS |
|---|---|
  |
  |
- Vortex Strikefire 2 – 4 MOA, $170 (at the time of this writing)
- Primary Arms MD-ADS – 2 MOA, $170 (at the time of this writing)
These are 2 popular options in the market with similar price point and should give you a realistic feel of how good Lucid HD7 really is.
Lucid HD7 : On par glass with Vortex Strikefire 2 and Primary Arms MD-ADS, Has switchable reticle
Before getting to the comparison part, let’s familiarize ourselves with Lucid HD7 first. The HD7 has 34mm objective lens, 7 brightness settings and 4 switchable reticle patterns. Reticles to choose from are :
| Reticle | Image |
|---|---|
| 2 MOA dot and a circle |
 |
| 2 MOA dot with a Chevron |
 |
| (3) 2 MOA dots |
 |
| 2 MOA dot |
 |
Note that you don’t lose zero while switching between these reticles.
Next, to determine the HD7’s performance, I lined it up alongside Vortex Strikefire 2 and Primary Arms MD-ADS.
Comparing head to head, I found no perceivable difference between the three in terms of reticle clarity, reticle sharpness, glass and lens coatings. All 3 optics reticle is bright enough for sunny day outdoor uses.
So it’s mostly up to your reticle preference at this point.
Vortex Strikefire 2 has 4 MOA red/green dot which is better suited for short range work. Primary Arms MD-ADS has plain 2 MOA red dot.
Much poorer battery life
One major advantage of the HD7 is the fact that the optic is powered by a single AAA battery. AAA batteries are super easy to find compared to other popular battery type such as CR2032 or CR123A.
Summary of Batteries for each Mentioned Optics
| Lucid HD7 | Vortex Strikefire 2 | Primary Arms MD-ADS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery type | AAA | CR2 | CR2032 |
| Battery Life | 1,000 hours | 6,000 hours (red/green)
7,000 hours (bright red dot) |
50,000 hours |
| Auto-Off Feature | Automatic shut off after 2 hours | Automatic shut off after 12 hours | – |
Lucid HD7 battery life is significantly less than the other two red dots.
Has auto-brightness, No night vision
You control Lucid HD7’s brightness with its up and down buttons on the left hand side of the optic. Reticle adjustment is done on the left hand side dial knob located near brightness buttons.
Even though the HD7 doesn’t have night vision compatibility, the red dot comes with auto-brightness feature which adjust automatically to your environment. I personally feel that the auto-brightness is always a bit dim, but it works well nonetheless
The Strikefire 2 has 10 brightness settings, 2 of which are night vision compatible. You control its brightness with up and down button located on the left-rear side of the sight.
MD-ADS has 12 brightness settings, 2 of which are night vision compatible. You control its brightness with up and down button located on the top of the optic.
Accessories that is useful with Lucid HD7
Some of the popular accessories to go with the Lucid HD 7 are:
- 2x Screw-in magnifier
- Lucid Flash Filter
- Quick detach mount
Parallax Error is Minimal
Reflex sights are known for their ability to mitigate parallax errors, making it ideal for shots with of angle or very fast draw and target acquisition.
HD7 parallax error is larger than high quality models such as the Aimpoint Pro. But for the price, it’s a fine optic where you can fire relatively accurate without a perfect cheek weld.
But if you’re serious about parallax error, a holographic sight will do you good as it uses different underlying technology than reflex sights and give less parallax error.
Heavy and bulky compared to peers
I find the HD7 rather heavy and bulky. If you’re concerned about weight, you may have to consider other options.
| Lucid HD7 | Vortex StrikeFire 2 | Primary Arms MD-ADS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (oz) | 13 | 7.2 | 4.2 |
| Length (Inch) | 5.5 | 5.6 | 2.4 |
| Objective lens (mm) | 34 | 30 | 22 |
Moderate durability, Moderate warranty
Lucid HD7 is durable enough for non home-defense or occupational applications. Again, if you’re into serious use, consider getting a higher end red dot.
I personally have a great run with all 3 optics and have experienced no durability issue. But for red dots in this price range, it’s generally wise to look for warranties because these red dots will be less durable than high end optics.
Even though, Lucid offers limited Lifetime warranty, but Vortex and Primary Arms are considered more reliable as they have some of the best warranty and customer service in the industry.
Admittedly, the best warranties are the ones that you *don’t* ever have to use them. But at least you get a peace of mind that your optics will be taken care of for years to come.
My Verdict of Lucid HD7
All 3 optics, Lucid HD7, Vortex Strikefire 2 and Primary Arms MD-ADS have similar dot and glass quality. It’s a choice between 2 MOA red dot with 4 reticle patterns, 4 MOA red/green dot or a 2 MOA dot.
Vortex Strikefire 2 has mount with more flexible height options. Vortex and Primary arms have better lifetime warranty and customer service. Plust they are both cheaper than Lucid HD7 at the time of this writing.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ 4 selectable reticle patterns | ✗ Not SHTF rugged |
| ✓ Hold zero well | ✗ Heavy and bulky |
| ✓ Daylight bright red dot | ✗ Less battery life than peers |
| ✓ Use AAA batteries which is very easy to acquire | |
| ✓ Auto brightness feature | |
| ✓ Limited lifetime warranty |
Alternative options
1. Vortex Strikefire 2
- 4 MOA red/green dot for fast target acquisition
- Better battery life
- Lighter and more compact
- Better warranty and customer service
- Cheaper
2. Primary Arms MD-ADS
- 2 MOA dot only
- 50,000 hours battery life
- Lighter and more compact
- Better warranty and customer service
- Cheaper
