Pros…Small and light.Good resolution (allows for useful digital zooming and PIP).Good dynamic range.Adjustable reticle (can be used with an AR both directly or as a clip-on).Flexible power options including CR123/RCR123 and 18650.Extra features like compass and PIP zoom.Accessories to enable various mounting options.Cons…Tunnel vision effect.Polymer chassis instead of metal.Eyecup comes off too easily.Slight image blur when panning.Significant vignetting when viewing the sky.Battery extender for 18650 has very fine threads that feel easily stripped.Screen text color is light cyan and not adjustable.No ability to save images or export them (although an analog video signal can be exported via a USB cable).No ability to update firmware.Overall, the StingIR is a great thermal—a jack of all trades, master of none. It can be used hand-held, helmet-mounted or as a weapon scope (within certain recoil limits). And because the unit is so small and light, it does OK in all these roles. You are not shoe-horning a thermal into a role that is unrealistic, such as mounting a three-pound thermal to your helmet.My #1 issue with the StingIR is its tunnel vision field of view (FOV). To understand this, take a roll of bathroom tissue (aka toilet paper), hold it up to your eye, and look through it. Now imagine your view is further constrained by a rectangle within the circle at the end of the tube. That’s what you see. While all scopes of any kind limit FOV, I simply feel that the StingIR is worse than other thermals I have used. The somewhat outdated FLIR Breach, for example, has an FOV of 24×19 versus the 16×12 of the StingIR—a 30% increase.Would I recommend the StingIR? Yes—especially now that it can be had closer to $3k than $4k. There really aren’t any competing scopes at this price point that do everything the StingIR does while addressing the limited FOV and other issues. The N-Vision Optics NOX-18, for example, is a significantly better scope, but at a significantly greater cost. The Armasight Sidekick 640 has a better FOV but lacks a reticle and the ability to use 18650 batteries. Every scope is a tradeoff.I would choose the Sidekick over the StingIR if you’re primarily interested in a hand-held or helmet-mounted spotting scope, and are willing to give up the reticle and 18650 battery option.