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I’ve reviewed two other Cyelee red dots in the last year, the CAT0 and the WOLF0, and while both worked well, they were fairly plain red dots.
- Is the Cyelee CAT0 Worth $150?
- Cyelee WOLF0 Review: Is a $106 Pistol Red Dot Worth It?
They didn’t do anything fancy, but they were well-made, reliable, and affordable. The Cyelee Chameleon promised to do a few things differently. Namely, its claim to fame is its STIG-RS system.
Astigmatism and the Chameleon
The idea is that the combination of the emitter, reticle, and the glass helps folks with astigmatism see the red dot. Astigmatism is different for everyone, but in general, folks with astigmatism will see a star bursting dot, streaking dots, and multiple dots. The Chameleon can’t fix everyone’s astigmatism, but I took it to my resident astigmatism expert, my wife.
She can’t use red dots. They often bloom so much that the dot becomes useless. She’s stuck with iron sights or prism sights. After dumping the Chameleon on my Glock 17 Gen 6, I handed it to her. For the first time, she could see the dot, and it was one dot, and a dot that wasn’t blooming.
The Chameleon comes with two reticles, kind of. Cyelee doesn’t call it a multi-reticle system. We have 2- and 6-MOA reticles. Traditionally, folks with astigmatism see 4-6 MOA dots better than 2 MOA dots. With that said, the 6 MOA dot was the clearer option for her. For me, both dots appear to be clear and crisp. They are quite round, with very little streaking.
Personally, I found myself preferring the 6 MOA dot. It’s big, bright, and easy to see. The dot works well with the massive window of the Chameleon. It takes the Trijicon SRO influence by using a large round window. It’s 1.04 x .89 inches in size, and it’s the first big window optic I’ve used on a handgun for an extended period of time.
For astigmatism sufferers, the 6 MOA dot can have a lower brightness setting, which helps prevent streaking and blur.
More than the STIG-RS
The Chameleon offers eight daylight settings and two nightvision settings. The controls are made up of two buttons, a + and a -. They are quite large, rubberized, and easy to manipulate. The footprint is a standard RMR design, so it’s easy to mount to handguns, find taller mounts for rifles, or even offset mounts.
The battery is loaded from the top, making battery changes easy. Battery life is advertised at 50,000 hours, and I’ve learned a realistic figure is about half that at usable daylight settings. The Chameleon comes with shake awake technology, so it shuts off when left still and fires right back up when it detects movement.
The Chameleon is a big optic, it hangs over the Glock 17 slide a hair, and it weighs 1.4 ounces. The optic is made from 7075-T6 aluminum, and this particular model has a solar flare finish, but when it launches in April, it will have more subdued color options.
Specifications
- Window – 1.04″ x 0.89″
- Length x Width x Height – 2.1″ x 1.2″ x 1.5″
- Weight oz(g) – 1.4oz
- Illumination Settings – 10 Adjustable Settings (2 Nightvision, 8 Visible)
- Switch Type – 2 Push Buttons
- Housing Material – Aircraft Grade 7075-T6 Aluminium
- Adjustment – 1 MOA Adjustments
- Power Source – CR1632 Battery
To the Range With the Chameleon
This was my first long-term experience with a big window optic, and I had a great way to test it. I went to a class. Specifically, a class with Rick Hogg or War Hogg Tactical. It was a Rifle and Pistol CQB class that focused a fair bit on both, and focused a lot on transitioning from rifle to pistol.
The class ate up 500 rounds of 9mm over about 12 hours of live-fire training. The rest of the course was simmunitions in a shoot house, but we used rifles only for that portion. We shot in low-light morning, in the full force of the Florida sun, and then, because it’s Florida, rain.
The big 6 MOA round dot proved to be nice and visible in all lighting conditions. The open emitter design was challenged by the rain, which required me to do the thumb wipe trick a time or two to use the dot.
What I really loved was that big window. A bigger window made it super easy ot always find the dot, no matter what. Normally, when I hit the range with any dot, I have no problems finding it. It’s easy, right? In most range trips, yes, but after 12 hours in the Florida sun doing nothing but shooting, I was tired.
Even utterly exhausted, I had no problem finding the Chameleon’s dot, even when I miffed my draw a time or two while transitioning from rifle to pistol. We shot moving, and we transitioned from rifle to pistol while moving, but I never drew and didn’t instantly have the dot in my line of sight.
Ripping and Rolling
The big window of the optic also makes it easier for me to track the dot. As the dot streaks through the window its in the window longer because the window’s bigger. After each shot, it drops right back to where I wanted it. As a mediocre shooter, I love every little advantage I can get.
The Cyelee Chameleon never had an issue beyond rain getting between the emitter and the lens. It maintained zero, it didn’t stutter, it didn’t turn off, or fail in those five hundred rounds. The Chameleon kept going without a problem. I’m impressed, especially for a sub-250 dollar optic.
The Chameleon drops on April 14th, and if you have astigmatism, then it might be worth checking out. Of course, this isn’t the only dot Cyelee offers with STIG-RS, it’s just the latest. I’ve had my reservations about Cyelee optics. I’m normally cautious with new optics manufacturers, especially affordable ones.
I’ve had three and haven’t had an issue with any of them. The Chameleon might not be the best choice for a Tier 1 unit or a grunt invading Iran, but for competition and concealed carry, I have faith in the optic.
Interestingly enough, a Trijicon RMR Type 2 went down in class and required some rubber bands chopped up to make a good battery connection.
I’m looking forward to seeing Cyelee evolve a bit, and I appreciate a small company trying something a little new for those with astigmatism.
Star Ratings (Out of Five *s)
Overall – ****
The dot is crisp with minimal streak or bloom, the glass is also quite clear with just a little noticeable notch filter. The dot has most modern features shootings demand, with a design made to accommodate astigmatism. It’s a decent evolution for a budget brand.
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