Brightness in a scope is an indication of poor coating, I know this flies in the face of what everybody thinks, oh well, so what. It's really the coatings on the lens that make or break it for a scope. Why do I say this, because what the eye equates as clarity is really truer color rendition of Light hitting the viewed object.

A clear pop bottle has brightness when you look through it.

I concur about the S&B 1.5 x 6. If I was going to use a scope for low light DG it would be this one. However I do prefer open sights for up close and personnel.