Table of Contents
People often ask, why do some rangefinders have two lenses while others have three?
Let’s find out!
Why Do Some Rangefinders Have Two Lenses While Others Have Three?
The answer is simple the more lenses, the better. The three-lens design of the Bushnell Elite Xtreme HD and the four-lens design of our top pick, the Garmin Virb Ultra 30, are both excellent choices for hunters who want to see everything in their field of view at once.
How Accurate Are Optical Rangefinders?
Optical rangefinders are fairly accurate at short ranges, but they’re not perfect. They tend to be less accurate farther away, but if you’re close enough to see the flag clearly, they should give you a good idea of where it is.
Optical rangefinders are the least precise option for measuring distances. However, they’re not bad at all. A new device known as the ShotScope V3 uses dual GPS technologies to provide an accuracy of up to 3 cm (1.2 inches).
Are Optical Golf Rangefinders Still Available And Used Today?
Optical rangefinder prices have dropped significantly in recent years, making them harder to find than they used to be. However, optical golf rangefinders are still available and used today. They can help you improve your game by helping you measure distances more accurately.
Advantages
There are always pros and cons when using any type of equipment for sports. Here are some pros and cons of optical rangefinders.
Price
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on an optical rangefinder. If you can get hold of one cheap enough, then great!
Relatively Accurate
They’re pretty good at estimating distance when they’re close to their target.
No Batteries Needed
They’re probably the most reliable and because they don’t need batteries or external GPS sources they won’t ever let you down.
Avoiding the pitfalls of modern laser rangefinders
When using modern laser rangefinders, they can sometimes measure the tree behind where you’re shooting instead of the pin itself. If this occurs, the device becomes useless.
Optical rangefinders will struggle in fog, but if you can see where the target is, even in fog, you will be able to pinpoint its exact location.
Why Do Some Rangefinders Have Two Lenses While Others Have Three?
Disadvantages
Outdated
Fortunately, technological advancements have made laser and GPS rangefinders even more accurate than they were when they first came out. As time goes by, these technologies become less expensive and more accessible to average golfers.
Need A Steady Hand
An optical rangefinder won’t be useful if you struggle with shaky hands. You need to focus the triangle in your range finder precisely on the hole. Shaking hands might also be an issue for laser rangefinders but there are rangefinders designed specifically for shaky hands too.
Only Works When You Can See The Target
Optical and laser rangefinder devices will not provide accurate distances for objects you cannot see. If you’re playing on a hill or finding yourself on a dog-legged hole, you won’t be able to measure the distance to the green unless you can clearly see it.
Accuracy
Accuracy is one of the advantages of these devices, but they still may not be able to provide accurate results at distances greater than 100 feet.
Alternatives to The Optical Rangefinder
The Laser Rangefinder
A good quality rangefinder is probably the best way to measure distances accurately. It uses lasers to bounce light off objects and measures the time it takes for the light to return to its source.
Laser rangefinders cover a wide variety of prices and feature sets. Some even include extra features like vibration, steady hand mode, etc.
The GPS Rangefinder
A range finder that uses satellite technology to show you the distance to any point on the golfing route on a user interface. They’re usually sold as a laser range finder and GPS range finder in one and are the most expensive option available.
The GPS Watch
You could use a device that tracks your position using satellites to calculate the distance from you to the flags. These devices start at about $100 and go all up to $500 depending on what kind of features you want.
The GPS Device
Like the watch except this will be clipped onto your belt, bag, golf cart, or just goes into your pockets. These can either have color touchscreen displays or just black and white screen displays with distances to the front, middle, and back of the hole depending on the price range you’re willing to spend.
Your Smart Phone Or Smart Watch
Nowadays, you can even get free and paid apps for both your phone and watch. These apps keep getting better and offer more features every single day.
Conclusion
Knowing the distances you hit each club and where you stand relative to the fairway or green helps improve your golf game.
Optical rangefinders aren’t completely obsolete, but they’re not necessary either. You can use apps on your smartphone to measure distance accurately enough.
We hope that this post has been useful. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comment section below.
