Everything you list to love about the Eclipse I agree with. It really ought to be a great compass....but I am on my 4th capsule (last one replaced about 2 years ago) and will NEVER trust this compass as my only compass. A bubble can render it completely useless. Brunton assured me that they had fixed the bubble issue every time I got a new capsule....

I have just stopped taking it along anymore to save myself the trouble of returing it for a capsule. I go to Montana and find myself at 10,000' outside of Yellowstone....not once has the Eclipse worked at that altitude. I had earlier trouble at 4,000'. So nice as the compass is....just beware that I don't think it is suitable as an all around compass. For low elevation gains/losses I expect it will be fine...but I would always carry a decent needle type compass as backup.

The lensatic type is an OK compass in my view too, but lack of declination limits it to a novelety compass for me.