I use a Recon 5+ for scouting new areas and it's been a very handy tool to have in locating weed edges and pockets, especially when setting up for spearing where one doesn't exactly "hole hop" to get on fish. IMHO, the clarity of the camera and screen is quite good with the distance the camera can "see" very much relative to the water conditions. In a heavy algae bloom on an overcast day I was still able to see weeds, but probably 6" to 12" at best, where as in gin clear water during a bright sunny day we could spot fish coming/going easily 20 feet or more. Cable management is probably the biggest knock I have against the one I have - having to deploy/retract the camera cable by hand off the storage keeper is somewhat cumbersome and slow, but very doable. I picked this camera up for the primary reason of scouting and verifying spots to set up - it has worked well for that purpose with it's size, functionality, and price point.