This Rangefinder is Unique!

There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.

What we tried:

The Canon Powershot Rangefinder. We’ve tested plenty of Nikon rangefinders so it was finally time to add another famous name to the mix.

Who tried it:

Connor. Director of Content and resident sneakerhead. We shoot on Canon cameras at the office so when I found out Canon had a rangefinder, I had to give it a whirl. Hopefully, it can make my game look better than it actually is (that’s what a camera is good for, right?)

What makes the Powershot unique?

I’ve tested more than 25 rangefinders and the Canon Powershot has one trick no other can match: it can capture photo and video. Fitting, coming from a camera company. I’ve yet to see another rangefinder that offers this functionality.

Even with the added functionality, the rangefinder must still function as a solid rangefinder in order to make my bag. How did the Powershot fare?

Portability

Perhaps my favorite thing about the Canon Powershot is its size. This thing is tiny. It can easily be slipped into a pocket when not in use, which is my preferred storage method. I’d rather not have to snag my rangefinder off of the cart each time I need it. Having it close at hand is a godsend, especially on days that are cart path only.

This mini rangefinder also fits well in my medium-sized hands. That’s another bonus. Some other devices are a little too #thicc. It’s nice to use a rangefinder that isn’t so “chonky.”

Digital display

The Canon Powershot has a digital display. It takes some getting used to but it provides a very clear field of view. It was easy to scan the course for potential hazards before you eventually end up in them anyway. If you’ve used the Garmin Approach Z82, you’ll find the display and optics to be very similar.

Speed and accuracy

A good rangefinder must be able to lock onto the flag quickly and efficiently every time. The Canon Powershot boasts stabilization (duh, Canon is a camera company) but I didn’t fit it as stable as competitor offerings from Nikon. The stabilization worked sometimes but at other times I had a hard time locking onto the flag.

Perhaps I was a little dehydrated but once my hands got a little shaky it was harder than it needed to be. Luckily, when you hit the flag the accuracy is solid,and it didn’t struggle too much with picking up objects behind the pin instead of the pin itself.

Camera quality

The question you’ve all been waiting for: How do the photos and video look? Actually, pretty darn good. See for yourself.

It’s a hard sell, considering that nearly every human has a fantastic camera in their pocket at this point. But the two-in-one nature of this rangefinder/camera combo is a compelling feature that, especially at this price, is fairly tempting.

I’m a sucker for fun technology so I had a blast snapping photos and video with this little guy in between driving the green on a short par-4 and subsequently three-putting for par.

The verdict

Is the Canon Powershot kicking my current rangefinder out of the bag? Not quite. I love the price, the size and the display. But the shaky stabilization was enough to keep me from absolutely loving my time with the Powershot.

Let’s put it into perspective. For $350, you’re getting a decent camera and decent rangefinder. It doesn’t excel at either nor is it bad at either. The Canon Powershot is a passable budget rangefinder with a fancy trick that no other current rangefinder can match.

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