Canon - PowerShot GOLF Digital Laser Rangefinder - Black

My experience with the rangefinder has been very positive as I had tested it on a golf course. Being a long time Canon camera user, I can see that the rangefinder embodies the design philosophy of Canon’s Powershot cameras: compact, powerful and easy to use. There’s a lot of Canon’s techs being employed in this well-built golf rangefinder. The product is so compact that it is way smaller than some of the popular brands of rangefinder on the market. The rangefinder employs OLED screen so image quality is good for this kind of product. Image is clear and the resolution is detailed enough even during harsh lighting conditions on the golf course. The rangefinder is designed to measure range at 7-800 yards with an accuracy of about 2 yards at maximum distance. It has an IPX 4 water resistant rating so it’s field ready even when little rain starts to pour. It has built-in battery and a micro-SD memory card slot to store images and videos. There’s a USB-C port for charging the battery. The stars of the show are actually the optical image stabilization, and the 12 times zoom. Target acquisition is much easier because the 12 times zoom helped a lot and it amplifies confidence on the accuracy. The optical image stabilization works well, though that you still need to have steady hands to hold the rangefinder. There’s a diopter adjustment on the eye piece, however, it’s not effective for those with high myopic prescriptions. The rangefinder is still comfortable to use even when golfing with prescription glasses or sunglasses. The proximity sensor ensures that the rangefinder is automatically turned off when not being used. Distance and slope information appear in an instant at the press of a button. Both information can be shown in either yard or meter. A short vibration and the flag symbol appear to mark successful target acquisition. The laser feature can be turned off by a physical switch. It does take a second or two to turn on the screen after pressing the power on/ photo button. With the picture and video recording capabilities, this compact rangefinder opens for other use cases, as well. It is pretty much a mini monocular that you can carry around when going to a concert, do outdoor activities, etc. The 12 times magnification is better than it would be in a compact binocular. While the rangefinder can record video in MP4 format and it has a stereo microphone to record the audio, it is only able to record at Full HD resolution. Effective still image resolution is also only at 11 megapixels. They’re fun for snapping pictures and recording something at 12 times zoom, but the quality is unremarkable when you compare it with the latest high-end smartphones. Also, the rangefinder comes with a pouch that has a belt loop. It doesn’t have magnet to attach it to the golf cart. The best way to carry it on the golf course is by using the pouch and loop it with your belt and I can understand if some people don’t like it that way. If magnet is your way, you can get a magnetic strip to attach it on the side of the rangefinder. Overall, this is a great rangefinder that suits my golfing needs really well. Like: Optical stabilization and 12 times zoom work well Fast target acquisition OLED image quality Compact and easy to carry around in a pouch Not just for golfing Don’t like: No magnetic attachment

I’m a casual golfer who’s never owned a rangefinder before. I found this Canon rangefinder to be pretty easy to use, small size, with great quality optics. It also has the ability to take pictures. And while I won’t be using this to take family portraits, the camera quality was pretty decent - with adequate lighting. Inside the box you’ll find the rangefinder and a case. There’s also an instruction manual that like most Canon products, is of little help (IMO). But luckily, rangefinders are relatively simple to use, so there’s not much of a learning curve other than just using it. It charges via USB-C which is accessible under a flap that also has space for a microSD card. This is obviously for storage of photos. I’m not certain how many golfers will want to take a picture at the course with this, primarily because there’s no screen to view your photos on site. But the feature is there. And I’m sure in some circumstances, you might be able to make use of it. While not necessary for its intended purpose, I guess I’d say it’s nice to have. I should also add that it records videos as well. It’s smartly designed and looks like most rangefinders I’ve seen, so no complaints there. While I appreciate its compact size, I wouldn’t have been opposed to it being a tad bit larger given my hand size. But I had no issues handling it. On the side is a conspicuous switch to turn on and off the laser - I’m assuming if you just wanted to view and/or take photos without the distraction of the distances in your picture. On the top is the Menu button, Power On/Photo button, and on the back, underneath the viewfinder you’ll find a Zoom button and red recording button (for videos). It has approximately 700-800 yard range with digital magnification. Obviously it uses a laser to measure distance. It also has a built-in slope compensation to account for distances based on the elevation of the course. It has 2-axis image stabilization which works pretty well. You’ll notice the stabilization as it helps minimize micro movements and steady the image. It also has a flagpole lock function; you’ll hear it beep when it locks on the flag pole and you’ll see a flagpole icon appear in the viewfinder when it locks in. The electronic viewfinder is extremely clear in daylight. On a sunny day at the golf course it looks crystal clear. But in low light settings, the image gets extremely fuzzy. But this isn’t much of an issue given its purpose of measuring distances. It still works well measuring distances in low light situations where the image in the viewfinder gets fuzzy. The menu system is a bit clunky, only because of the lack of buttons. The menu is designed like any other Canon camera if you’re familiar with it. But you use the record and zoom button in the back to navigate between the options. Luckily, other than adjusting the date and time during the initial setup, maybe looking at a photo through the viewfinder you won’t want to or need to access the menus. There’s some basic recording settings you could change, format the SD card, reset settings, etc. But again, I wouldn’t think most people would access the menus much. It’s tough to say how accurate the rangefinder is, without having something to compare to. But anecdotally, I found it to be pretty spot on based on the information available at the golf course where I used it. In terms of ease of use, it’s pretty straight forward, although at times it would lock onto the flagpole and give me bizarre distances. It locks onto the flagpole most of the time, but if you don’t have the reticle at the base of the pin at the hole, I found it to give me incorrect readings. Some of it was user error as I got accustomed to using it. I couldn’t see a formal power on and off button. It seems to go in what I would describe as a “rest” mode. You simply hit the power button and it turns on and it simply goes to sleep a few minutes after use. I couldn’t get a sense of the battery life as I’ve only played golf with it once, but I’ve had it for a little while now and played around with it and the battery life is at full power. I would imagine it would last a while and so long as you don’t go a year in between uses without charging it, it shouldn’t die on you. The slope feature was a big benefit. The display will give you the direct distance and beneath it, the distance in yellow to signal the true distance when accounting for elevation. Again, anecdotally I found it to be pretty accurate. The biggest issue with the rangefinder is the price. It’s pretty expensive for its limited use case, but if you’re in the market for one, I would definitely recommend it based on its accuracy, ease of use, and the slope compensation. The fact that it takes pictures is nice, and I do like using it as a monocular as it’s fun to use.

The Canon Powershot Golf rangefinder comes in a nice small package. The unit itself is very small at just over 3 inches in length. In the package you have the rangefinder, a case and a Quick Start guide. You may want to download the Advanced User Guide from the canon website. I did. I received a MicroSD card with my shipment to help me test the features. I am not sure if one comes in a retail package. The unit supports MicroSD / MicroSDHC / MicroSDXC memory cards that are UHS-1 compatible. If you do not have one, I recommend you get one to use all the features of this rangefinder. You do not need one if you do not want to take pictures and video. The unit needed charging when I received it. You will need a USB-C cable and AC/DC plug as these did not come with it. I have many of these so it was not a big deal. It may be a big deal for you if you do not have these. Once charged up, I turned it on. The first thing you need to do is set the date and time. You do not need to do anything else. It is ready to use. Here are some notes on the options in the Range menu: Mode: The default is Range + Photo. I changed this to RANGE as I found I took many pictures by accident. If you long press the Power button, it will take a picture. It is easy to delete these pictures. Slope: The default is ON. Some tournaments do not allow the use of SLOPE and you would turn it OFF here. I was very impressed by the small unit and ease of use. The rangefinder will fit in your pocket. I have used other rangefinders where you need to be extremely still to lock on the flag. The Powershot Golf has great stabilization and locking onto the flag is very easy. The reading of the range with slope and no slope is very easy to see and accurate. There is a ZOOM button to magnify the image 6x or 12x if the target is far away. This is very helpful. The image through the viewfinder is crystal clear. I had others comment on how clear the view was. You can adjust the focus of the viewfinder. There is a Laser On/Off lever on the side of the rangefinder. The rangefinder vibrates when you lock on the pin. You also will see a flag icon in the viewfinder. Pros: Small Light Easy to use Accurate Battery life. I have used this unit for two rounds of golf. There is still a half charge left. Vibrates when the pin is locked. Option for pictures and video with SD card. Slope On or Off. A light is displayed on the side near the laser switch if the Slope is Off. Cons: No magnetic mount. There is the ability to attach it to your belt. No USB-C cable or AC/DC plug. On the pricier side but in line with other full featured rangefinders. In summary the Canon Powershot rangefinder is an amazing unit. It is very small and accurate. With the added option of pictures and video, I see great value for your money. I rate the Canon Powershot GOLF Digital Laser Rangefinder 5 out of 5 stars. I truly enjoy using this rangefinder. I believe you will also.

Most golfers I know tend to prefer range finders over GPS as ranger finders give that edge of complete accuracy and they are very easy to use. The new Canon Powershot Golf Rangefinder takes that to a while new level and immediately becomes the top pick in my mind to get! PROS: - When you open this up, outside of admiring the nice case, I was taken back by how small this is. Just a really nice size yet a great design with a stylish look. Makes it very easy to travel with and carry on the course! - There is a small insert for an SD card as well as a USB-C cable which is both great to have! I am glad they were forward thinking with the USB C. - The SD Card slot is there for a cool reason, it has a photo / video camera built into it! A really super cool feature to have as you can use it to capture your golf experience or views of the course to share later on. It's been something I have used a lot more than I expected as it's nice to have an all in one device that captures it all. - Of course the bread and butter of this is the range finder, and this is super accurate! It actually comes with a digital zoom built in so you can zoom in on your target before getting the range. On top of that, when it finds the flag / pin, it will actually vibrate to let you know it's locked in! - It is also IPX4 water resistant which is great for use in the rain when out golfing in some different types of weather. CONS: - It does not come with a charger. On one hand, I do not need another USB-C cable so it's fine. But on the other hand, feels weird that it does not come with a charging cable. BOTTOM LINE: - The Canon PowerShot Rangefinder is loaded with so many features, you will really enjoy using this! it has a super accurate range finder, build in features like zoom and vibrate for pin, can take photos and videos with the SD card slot, and is so lightweight and compact you will be shocked it can do all that. This is a do it all range finder and the new go to choice for a lot of golfers!

SIZE/QUALITY 10/10: The first thing I noticed about this is how small and compact it is. Probably being around 25 – 50% smaller than others I’ve tried. It has a little tiny sleeve it fits into with a velcro strap to put on your belt, but no magnet. I’ve got an average large adult male hand, and it engulfs most of it. At first trying to get the correct grip to press all the settings was difficult due to the small size. But that resolved quickly with some use. Making it very comfortable, and perhaps more importantly steady to hold due to that grip. Overall build quality is great. Plastic build. But no creaking. Everything including the buttons feels solid. RECORDING FEATURE 7/10: A unique feature is this comes with a microSD card (that I don’t think is included?) which allows you to take pictures and video on the golf course. Which is an interesting choice… and makes me wonder if they added this feature to make it more expensive, or because it already had the features and they thought why not? If it is the latter sign me up, if not I would prefer to not see that in the next iteration and save some money. As it isn’t a feature that I’m interested in on the golf course. But holds a lot more value if you were to go to a concert, nature walk, hiking, etc in which case may be an excellent addition. PERFORMANCE 8/10: As most notably this has optical image stabilization and 12x zoom (6x stock, with 2x digital zoom, for a total of 12x). From memory, and perhaps incorrect, I think the average tends to be 4x. The piece you look into is not a lens, but instead an OLED screen. Which is crisp. Turning it on takes about a second or two, then it will be dark and get very bright and crisp when it is done calculating. But in lower lighting scenarios (which you shouldn’t be running into except for maybe dusk) you can see the pixelization that occurs from the sensor not getting enough light. If you know cameras then you’ll understand what I mean. If not, it isn’t a big deal. Like other upper end range finders it shows actual distance and slope adjusted distance. Time it takes for that is very quick. Short vibration when you lock onto a target. Can turn on/off laser feature by flicking the switch on the left side (which feels great). In case you are doing a tournament (or don’t want it), and with the switch being on the outside, the officials would be able to see it being switched off. The accuracy seems good. Matches up with my clubs, the markings on the ground, and others in the groups range finders. Improving my score as it makes my shots a lot more accurate from a distance perspective. FEATURES 7/10: It has an IPX4 rating. Does not have magnets so you can’t attach it to the side of the golf cart. But again, with the small compact size it easily fits in a pocket, cup holder, or belt. Built-in USB-C rechargeable battery (but doesn’t come with a USB-C cord to charge, another interesting choice). It does have a proximity sensor turning off the rangefinder after 5ish seconds when not used. Helping with battery life. As there is no manual off button that I’m aware of. I was able to get through about 36 holes with 50% battery left. SETTINGS 3/10: Settings are pretty standard and run of the mill. You can select 1080p, 30 fps, or 24 fps. Navigating through the four physical buttons. Which takes a little getting used to. If you’ve used a Canon camera before menu is similar to those. Overall, very nice range finder with a lot to like. But seems very expensive for what you get. Which is why I removed a star. If I could do a half star I would for that.