Laser Rangefinders with or without Prisms on Flag

[tbarlow11]

So I'm looking into purchasing a rangefinder. I've used a GPS for the past few years. But I find myself wanting to know distances to the pin rather than to the front/center/back of the green.

 

My question is, are there any rangefinders that absolutely require prisms on the flags? My home course has prisms, but some courses I play a lot don't.

 

I don't want to purchase a rangefinder that isn't capable of shooting flags without prisms for that reason and I'm also interested in shooting bunkers, trees, hazards, etc.

 

Also does anyone have any recommendations? A lot of people at my club are using LaserLink and of course I've heard a lot about Bushnell.

[avgjoe]

[quote name='tbarlow11' timestamp='1340571584' post='5159534']
My question is, are there any rangefinders that absolutely require prisms on the flags?
[/quote]



not anymore... at least not by the most popular brands, i.e., leupold and bushnell

[Bodee]

[quote name='avgjoe' timestamp='1340587129' post='5160780']
[quote name='tbarlow11' timestamp='1340571584' post='5159534']
My question is, are there any rangefinders that absolutely require prisms on the flags?
[/quote]



not anymore... at least not by the most popular brands, i.e., leupold and bushnell
[/quote]

+1...Love my Bushnell V2....Can't go wrong with a Leupold either.

[greglarson2]

Like what was posted earlier. Any newer popular brand (Bushnell, Leupold, Nikon/Callaway, Laserlink, etc) should have no problem getting you a yardage without a prism. Prisms just make it easier to get a reading.

I have a Bushnell 1600 and don't have problems hitting a normal flag from 250+ yards.

[sompin2do]

I picked up the Callaway Diablo Octane on sale about a month ago and use it with my SkyCaddie SGX. Have no problems picking up flags with no prism.

[lost&found]

[quote name='tbarlow11' timestamp='1340571584' post='5159534']
So I'm looking into purchasing a rangefinder. I've used a GPS for the past few years. But I find myself wanting to know distances to the pin rather than to the front/center/back of the green.

My question is, are there any rangefinders that absolutely require prisms on the flags? My home course has prisms, but some courses I play a lot don't.

I don't want to purchase a rangefinder that isn't capable of shooting flags without prisms for that reason and I'm also interested in shooting bunkers, trees, hazards, etc.

Also does anyone have any recommendations? A lot of people at my club are using LaserLink and of course I've heard a lot about Bushnell.
[/quote]

I use the Bushnell Tour Z6. It will pick up the distance to anything that will reflect a laser. I've played approximately 20 different public courses this summer and have had no trouble picking up flagsticks. As far as I know, none of the courses I play have prisms on the flagsticks.

[sheppy335]

I have a Bushnell and i have trouble without the prism of getting a perfect distance to a flag stick. It could be me seriously since i am a challenged with it. GPS just makes it easier for me!

[greglarson2]

[quote name='sheppy335' timestamp='1340810437' post='5177446']
I have a Bushnell and i have trouble without the prism of getting a perfect distance to a flag stick. It could be me seriously since i am a challenged with it. GPS just makes it easier for me!
[/quote]

It could also be the unit, depending on which model you have. I know there have been many reports of 1500's with problems. I had one recently that could pick up normal flags to about 125 yards or so, anything longer and it was a no-go. However with a prism I could pick up flags to about 200 yards.

[ew25950]

I have a new Leupold GX-3i and I've only used it 4 times. 3 courses without and 1 with a prism. It's definitely a ton easier with the prism. Without the prism I've noticed I can't trust the initial reading (pin/flag only). Within a few seconds I'll get a second reading and take the lower number if they are different. There has been a learning curve for me and each time I use it I like it more.

I've also noticed that with a laser I'm able to refine my club distances more effectively. Previously with my Skycaddie SGX, if I was long or short I always assumed I didn't move the pointer exactly where the pin was or the pin sheet was wrong.

Good luck to you in your decision.

[DaveLeeNC]

[quote name='greglarson2' timestamp='1340638776' post='5163668']
Like what was posted earlier. Any newer popular brand (Bushnell, Leupold, Nikon/Callaway, Laserlink, etc) should have no problem getting you a yardage without a prism. Prisms just make it easier to get a reading.

I have a Bushnell 1600 and don't have problems hitting a normal flag from 250+ yards.
[/quote]


A word of caution here.

1) Some of the Laserlink models absolutely require (by design) a flag with a prism.

2) I have read multiple reports of one (or more) of the Leupold models having problems (for whatever reason) with flags with prisms.

dave

[kbuilt]

+1 with the Bushnells. Never had a problem tagging with or without prisms. Works great on trees and fairway markers too.

[OSKARJONES]

I have a Bushnell 1600 TE. I can shoot anything I can see. Shot a flag at 478 yards today with no prism...shot it 3 times with no problem.

[OldGolfer87]

I must of missed something in the fine print on how to use , i had a Bushnell and Leopold and had a devil of a time getting a consistent yardage every time , i found them mostly useless as they focused on everything but the pin also we had no prisms on the flag sticks, so i went back to GPS

[golfdad907]

For the cash, the Nikon made Callways are awesome and waterproof.

I haven't had any issue hitting flagsticks without prisms on some very wooded courses, a nice upgrade from my previous Bushnell v2.

The closest target mode is awesome, I too had issues hitting pins with Bushnell, unless had a prism got to be a PITA, which is why I swtiched and use SG5 along with laser.

[blink3665]

Leupold GX3 is in my bag and I love it. Works with both prisms and no prisms. No problems getting yardages for pins out to 260. After that it gets shaky. The good news is that I don't need a rangefinder to find a pin at that distance... because I can't accurately hit it that far I can get distances to hazards from 300+ out though.

I've heard great things about the Bushnells too...