Vortex Optics Rangefinders - 2024 Forum Member Review

[Hosel_Rockets]

On 6/24/2024 at 2:47 PM, Hosel_Rockets said:

Hello fellow spies, and everyone following along!

First things first, thank you to the MGS team and @Vortex Golf for giving us the opportunity to test out your products. I’m thrilled to be part of the test group, and can’t wait to dive in and seeing what the Vortex Blade is capable of!

So, a bit about myself:

My name is Dan, I’m 34 years old and a Talent Acquisition professional who’s been living in Columbus, Ohio for the past two years with my wife, Caitlyn and our two German Shorthaired Pointers. Prior to Columbus, we spent time in Hershey, PA, and Dayton, Ohio. I also spent about a year in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic prior to meeting her.

Outside of golf and work, I am an avid sports fan (Go Buckeyes, Guardians, and Packers!), and enjoy running, biking, and hiking.

 

 As for my golf game, I started playing around 2017, but haven’t really taken the game seriously until the last few seasons. I’m currently a 13.7 handicap thanks to a couple of career best rounds so far this year, but depending on the day I could shoot anywhere from 82-92. My strengths are my short game and putting, though my irons have improved drastically this year, and I tend to struggle a bit from the tee with driver. I play my best on links style courses, or courses where hitting an iron from the tee doesn't hurt you.

 Here in the Columbus area, I feel like I’m spoiled for choice when it comes to courses. My “go-to” courses are Westchester GC in Canal Winchester, and The Links of Groveport, but my favorite Ohio course is Pipestone in Miamisburg, OH.

My nickname, Hosel_Rockets, is derived from a particularly rough stretch of golf I had a few years back. Due to an over the top, ugly baseball swing, I had a proclivity to hit the ball off the hosel, and that paired with a decently high swing speed led to three separate snapped shafts at the clubhead in the span of a couple of months. Thankfully, it’s been nearly two years (knock on wood) since I’ve managed to snap a shaft.

For this test, I have a few ideas below on how I’ll test it, and will compare it’s accuracy and usability to my current rangefinder (CaddyTek V2), and my Garmin watch. I would also love to hear from the community if there is anything you would like me to test throughout this process – feel free to reach out and share your ideas!

• Accuracy – I think a good initial test would be to shoot flag distances at my local range, where it’s flat and open. How does it compare to my current rangefinder?
• On Course Accuracy – how does it perform on different types of holes, including elevated tee boxes or greens?
• Situational Accuracy – how does it perform in “unsual” situations, such as shooting a body of water, bunker, or landmark on a dogleg?
• Usability – how’s the stability? Does it lock onto the flag quickly and seamlessly? How clear and easy to read is the distance once displayed?

In closing, thanks again to @GolfSpy_KFT, @GolfSpy_APH, and the MGS team for taking a chance on a new member of the community! I’m excited to get started, and hope I am able to clearly articulate how the Vortex Rangefinder performs for my fellow spies!

My intro is up!

[Shrek74]

Waiting for my Anarch ....

Just got my UPS tracking number!!

Edited July 2 by Shrek74

[sirchunksalot]

I'm starting to get excited for this test since like @Shrek74I received my tracking number and know it'll be here soon. 

I did have a bit of a panic this morning checking on the delivery information and saw the destination state was OH instead of TN. I reached out to @GolfSpy_KFT who got in touch with Vortex to check on it. No longer than it took to brew six cups of coffee, they got back with Jason and said they were working on it. That's some world class customer service right there and this will also get some recognition in my final review. 

I'm thinking it might get delayed but I can live with that as opposed to going to the wrong place. 

 

[Shrek74]

19 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

I'm starting to get excited for this test since like @Shrek74I received my tracking number and know it'll be here soon. 

I did have a bit of a panic this morning checking on the delivery information and saw the destination state was OH instead of TN. I reached out to @GolfSpy_KFT who got in touch with Vortex to check on it. No longer than it took to brew six cups of coffee, they got back with Jason and said they were working on it. That's some world class customer service right there and this will also get some recognition in my final review. 

I'm thinking it might get delayed but I can live with that as opposed to going to the wrong place. 

 

[Shrek74]

I'm not saying I will be standing at my front door looking through the window during that 2 hour time frame. But I'm also not saying I won't.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

7 minutes ago, Shrek74 said:

I'm not saying I will be standing at my front door looking through the window during that 2 hour time frame. But I'm also not saying I won't.

[sirchunksalot]

The Anarch has made it's way to my hometown and looks like it'll be arriving tomorrow. 

[Hosel_Rockets]

Woke up to a notification from UPS that my package is arriving today, and currently out for delivery!

• Scheduled Delivery Time - 3:45 PM - 6:45 PM
• Afternoon Tee Time - 4:00 PM 

Here's to hoping my UPS driver is running fast today and can get my package here a bit earlier!

[Shrek74]

And we're waiting, and we're waiting, and we're .....

[sirchunksalot]

19 minutes ago, Hosel_Rockets said:

Woke up to a notification from UPS that my package is arriving today, and currently out for delivery!

• Scheduled Delivery Time - 3:45 PM - 6:45 PM
• Afternoon Tee Time - 4:00 PM 

Here's to hoping my UPS driver is running fast today and can get my package here a bit earlier!

I've got an expected delivery time between 1:45-4:45. I'm hoping it'll get here in the earlier timeframe because I'll be out of the house later. 

[sirchunksalot]

I'm now to the point of watching the progress of the delivery driver on the UPS app and telling him to hurry. The wife and I are planning to go to town in a bit and I was hoping it would arrive before we left. 

[Shrek74]

[Shrek74]

It's here!!

Although I wish they'd knock or ring or something and not just "sneak" in and out.

[GolfSpy_KFT]

The arrivals begin! Can’t wait to see the unboxings!

[sirchunksalot]

I hate hearing myself talk (don't we all) and I'm not the greatest at doing unboxing videos, but I got one. 

I will say I'm extremely impressed with the quality of the Anarch build and optics. I have taken it out and ranged a few things in my neighborhood and was impressed with the clarity of the lens even on a day where it was muggy outside and caused both my glasses and the lens to get a tad foggy. 

The personal letter was a quality touch and I love seeing that level of customer service. 

Thanks again to Vortex and the forum staff for this opportunity!

 

[PrismFlopper]

Few delays in tracking on UPS side… I am impressed by how fast Vortex had it packed and shipped from the item delivery info to the time I got a tracking number. Delays in mechanical functions according to UPS. Been out playing a few rounds this week and been getting a lot of ideas on how to bring a top notch review for all you guys! So excited that I’ve been watching videos and reading up all about these rangefinders and can’t wait till you can see them in our hands and unboxed.

got an update from UPS. Will be arriving Monday at some point! All these arrivals were leaving me jealous but look so good i cant wait to get my hands on it!

okay okay ill be a man to admit that UPS has made good on their delivery and emailed me this morning to apologize for the delay due to vehicle malfunctions and pit a rush on it and now i received an updated delivery date this morning stating it should be here today at some time! I have the worst luck with shipping and this is a huge win for me! 

Edited July 6 by PrismFlopper

[sirchunksalot]

I also took a couple of photos of the extra items that Vortex was very kind to send along with the rangefinder. 

• custom logo golf balls

• a divot tool with a ball mark

• 3 ball markers (I especially love the Vortex bet on it one) 

• a hat that fits extremely well on my head

• a towel

They went above and beyond on this and I just want to say thank you to the team at Vortex.

I also did a weight comparison between my current rangefinder and the Anarch. 

There's a 3.6 oz difference in the two which to me is negligible. To be honest, I think the weight of the Anarch was mentioned on a community call and I was expecting it to be heavier than what it is. 

[TJ Hall]

Awesome to see arriving…enjoy the testing process!

[Shrek74]

Unboxing & Initial Impressions
-----------------------------------

Obviously from my "waiting" posts, I was more than a little excited to get the Anarch in hand. My impatience was rewarded at 1:36pm CDT when UPS stealthily dropped the brown non-descript box on my front porch.

As you can probably guess, I didn't waste much time getting it opened. Work? Ain't no one working today.

The boxes came well packaged with some filler paper to keep everything from moving all over during shipping. I wasn't expecting such a large initial box, but when I saw the extra box inside I found out why.

As I took out the filler paper and the two boxes, I noticed a very nice note included.
"Jason!
Enjoy your new Anarch rangefinder! We hope you love it as much as we do. Good luck on the course and thanks for being a part of Vortex Nation!
- Team Vortex"

I love how more and more companies are doing this. Not sure if they heard all about how Sub70 has been doing this from day 1 (I'm guessing the OG of the handwritten note), but I've been seeing it occur more and more, and I love it.

As I looked the Anarch box, I found something I wasn't expecting. The box had already been opened. The little seal tape had already been cut. So I began to wonder if it had been opened at the warehouse and someone had taken it out to look at it or whatever, and they just reboxed it to send to me. So that wasn't the best impression, which was sad since they had gotten off to a great start before that.

Everything did look to be in the box when I opened it. The Anarch was in a plastic bag inside the case. The battery, carabiner, cleaning cloth, and instructions were included.

Now that the rangefinder and it's parts were all there, I was super curious as to what might be in the other box. As you might have guessed, it was some awesome extra goodies provided by Vortex Golf.

I love all the imagery in the boxes, especially the mountains in the background of the larger box (I do love me some gorgeous mountains). Included in the larger box was a black Vortex hat, very hefty pitchfork, extra ball markers (love the "Bet On It" one), custom tees, Taylormade Tour Response balls with the Vortex logo, and a really nice towel with a carabiner. I like how they took the pattern from the rangefinder and put it on the towel. Not exactly sure where they got the inspiration for the "linear camo" from, but I live how they carried it over. It's also on the ball marker that's attached to the rangefinder case.

One additional note was included in the extra box. It was a super cool note as it was signed by the Vortex Golf crew. Love that.

Now that I had it all unboxed, it was time to give it a quick test. So I unscrewed the battery compartment, popped it in, and screwed it back on. Something I noticed was that the little "handle" of the battery compartment top did not "sit flat" after I pushed it back down. It didn't have a lip or anything for it to snap into to keep it flat. As I type this, it's been a couple of hours and it's still sticking up like it did originally. It might not matter when I go to use it, but for the cost of the unit, I'd expect it to have that little "snap" action for the handle to attach itself down to the top.

I did a quick comparison of the weight and feel of the Anarch to my Pro L2. As you see, their weight is very close - 9.3oz vs 7.6oz. It's pretty much nothing in the grand scheme of things. What's strange is that when I hold them, the Anarch just feels like it has much more heft. Maybe it's the material it's made from just feels more solid and protective than the Pro L2. I can't explain it, but to me and in my hand the Anarch just feels more ... solid.

A couple quick profile pics for you to see the rangefinder to round out my unboxing and initial thoughts.

You can see the "linear camo" on both sides of the unit, plus the magnet on the left side. Magnet feels pretty good, as the unit is currently clinging to my fridge.

Overall, my initial impressions are very positive. There was 1 box issue and the one design "flaw" around the battery top handle, but overall I'm very impressed with the rangefinder and it's overall presentation.

A little tease for you all, but when I turned it on and looked through the lens, I noticed something super cool as I transitioned between light and dark surfaces. More to come on that later.

Edited July 6 by Shrek74

[sirchunksalot]

I got my first round in with the Anarch today and have to say it performed miles better than I did out on the course. 

I compared it to my Bushnell V4 and only saw small differences of a yard or two between the two units. The main difference I saw was how much quicker the V4 was locking on to pins compared to the Anarch. This might be user error since I'm used to holding the button in on the Bushnell and might be putting the Anarch in an mode. I'll definitely try to break that habit and more testing is required to accomplish that. 

As far as optics go, the Anarch wins in a landslide. It's just so clear and the photos I've taken through the unit don't do it justice. I will admit that the Bushnell has some sunspots but if you overlook that, it's still not as clear as the Vortex. I'm blown away with the quality view I get looking through this rangefinder. 

The magnet held on to the cart like a champ! I wasn't rough on it since the front is relatively flat, I tried finding some bumps and just couldn't. I do wish the magnet was placed on the right hand side so when I grabbed it off as the driver of the cart it would have the buttons facing in a way I could grab and shoot without having to maneuver it in my hand. I work in automotive assembly and "one touch, one motion" is a tenant I live by. I'm saying that but if I'm riding, it would be perfect. 

Some other things I really appreciate about the Anarch are slope mode and the image stabilization. They made club choices and shooting long distances easier. 

There's still more to come and I'm looking forward to using the Anarch. 

 

[Josh Parker]

22 hours ago, Shrek74 said:

Unboxing & Initial Impressions
-----------------------------------

Obviously from my "waiting" posts, I was more than a little excited to get the Anarch in hand. My impatience was rewarded at 1:36pm CDT when UPS stealthily dropped the brown non-descript box on my front porch.

As you can probably guess, I didn't waste much time getting it opened. Work? Ain't no one working today.

The boxes came well packaged with some filler paper to keep everything from moving all over during shipping. I wasn't expecting such a large initial box, but when I saw the extra box inside I found out why.

As I took out the filler paper and the two boxes, I noticed a very nice note included.
"Jason!
Enjoy your new Anarch rangefinder! We hope you love it as much as we do. Good luck on the course and thanks for being a part of Vortex Nation!
- Team Vortex"

I love how more and more companies are doing this. Not sure if they heard all about how Sub70 has been doing this from day 1 (I'm guessing the OG of the handwritten note), but I've been seeing it occur more and more, and I love it.

As I looked the Anarch box, I found something I wasn't expecting. The box had already been opened. The little seal tape had already been cut. So I began to wonder if it had been opened at the warehouse and someone had taken it out to look at it or whatever, and they just reboxed it to send to me. So that wasn't the best impression, which was sad since they had gotten off to a great start before that.

Everything did look to be in the box when I opened it. The Anarch was in a plastic bag inside the case. The battery, carabiner, cleaning cloth, and instructions were included.

Now that the rangefinder and it's parts were all there, I was super curious as to what might be in the other box. As you might have guessed, it was some awesome extra goodies provided by Vortex Golf.

I love all the imagery in the boxes, especially the mountains in the background of the larger box (I do love me some gorgeous mountains). Included in the larger box was a black Vortex hat, very hefty pitchfork, extra ball markers (love the "Bet On It" one), custom tees, Taylormade Tour Response balls with the Vortex logo, and a really nice towel with a carabiner. I like how they took the pattern from the rangefinder and put it on the towel. Not exactly sure where they got the inspiration for the "linear camo" from, but I live how they carried it over. It's also on the ball marker that's attached to the rangefinder case.

One additional note was included in the extra box. It was a super cool note as it was signed by the Vortex Golf crew. Love that.

Now that I had it all unboxed, it was time to give it a quick test. So I unscrewed the battery compartment, popped it in, and screwed it back on. Something I noticed was that the little "handle" of the battery compartment top did not "sit flat" after I pushed it back down. It didn't have a lip or anything for it to snap into to keep it flat. As I type this, it's been a couple of hours and it's still sticking up like it did originally. It might not matter when I go to use it, but for the cost of the unit, I'd expect it to have that little "snap" action for the handle to attach itself down to the top.

I did a quick comparison of the weight and feel of the Anarch to my Pro L2. As you see, their weight is very close - 9.3oz vs 7.6oz. It's pretty much nothing in the grand scheme of things. What's strange is that when I hold them, the Anarch just feels like it has much more heft. Maybe it's the material it's made from just feels more solid and protective than the Pro L2. I can't explain it, but to me and in my hand the Anarch just feels more ... solid.

A couple quick profile pics for you to see the rangefinder to round out my unboxing and initial thoughts.

You can see the "linear camo" on both sides of the unit, plus the magnet on the left side. Magnet feels pretty good, as the unit is currently clinging to my fridge.

Overall, my initial impressions are very positive. There was 1 box issue and the one design "flaw" around the battery top handle, but overall I'm very impressed with the rangefinder and it's overall presentation.

A little tease for you all, but when I turned it on and looked through the lens, I noticed something super cool as I transitioned between light and dark surfaces. More to come on that later.

 

14 minutes ago, sirchunksalot said:

I got my first round in with the Anarch today and have to say it performed miles better than I did out on the course. 

I compared it to my Bushnell V4 and only saw small differences of a yard or two between the two units. The main difference I saw was how much quicker the V4 was locking on to pins compared to the Anarch. This might be user error since I'm used to holding the button in on the Bushnell and might be putting the Anarch in an mode. I'll definitely try to break that habit and more testing is required to accomplish that. 

As far as optics go, the Anarch wins in a landslide. It's just so clear and the photos I've taken through the unit don't do it justice. I will admit that the Bushnell has some sunspots but if you overlook that, it's still not as clear as the Vortex. I'm blown away with the quality view I get looking through this rangefinder. 

The magnet held on to the cart like a champ! I wasn't rough on it since the front is relatively flat, I tried finding some bumps and just couldn't. I do wish the magnet was placed on the right hand side so when I grabbed it off as the driver of the cart it would have the buttons facing in a way I could grab and shoot without having to maneuver it in my hand. I work in automotive assembly and "one touch, one motion" is a tenant I live by. I'm saying that but if I'm riding, it would be perfect. 

Some other things I really appreciate about the Anarch are slope mode and the image stabilization. They made club choices and shooting long distances easier. 

There's still more to come and I'm looking forward to using the Anarch. 

 

Great info so far!  Keeping a close eye on how these perform. 

[sirchunksalot]

1 minute ago, Josh Parker said:

 

Great info so far!  Keeping a close eye on how these perform. 

I appreciate it! I'm really impressed so far with the quality and ease of use. For a company new to golf rangefinders, Vortex has put together a great unit. I know they've been around a long time in the hunting space, it's just great to see how they have transitioned into golf. 

[Hosel_Rockets]

Unboxing and First Impression - Vortex Blade:

First things first, if you don't have a ton of time, I recorded an unboxing video (below), and shared my initial thoughts there as well! (apologies for the portrait mode video, I didn't realize my camera-man was in portrait until I'd already started opening everything up )

I'll happily admit that this is not my forte, I do a much better job expressing my thoughts in writing, but I wanted to share my initial, unfiltered impression with everyone!

Just as expected, my Vortex Blade was delivered right within the anticipated window - and just as I tee'd off for a Friday afternoon round! While the timing was unfortunate, everything was delivered quickly and as expected. Though I could hardly contain my excitement, I decided to wait until Saturday to complete a proper unboxing, after I had some time to sleep off a few after round beverages.

The box was wrapped very neatly and securely, and upon opening I was surprised and excited to discover two separate packages had arrived from the awesome folks at @Vortex Golf! The first, of course, was the Vortex Blade rangefinder, which came in it's own small box and included the rangefinder, case, battery, ball marker, and a handwritten thank you note from the team - a great, personal touch!

My initial impression - this is a very nice rangefinder! The case feels sturdy and secure, and the Blade looks as good as it feels. While the rangefinder I've had in the bag for the past few seasons (CaddyTek V2) is not top of the line by any stretch, it's overall aesthetic and feel does not hold a candle to the Blade. The case is something I would be glad to attach to my bag.

I toyed around with it a bit, as much as I could without being on the course, and it just increased my excitement to get out and start testing! The picture appears to be extremely clear, and it picked up on everything I was locking onto very quickly. Of course the real test will be how it performs when locking onto a flag stick, but if my initial tests were any indication, I would be shocked if it doesn't perform very well.

I also tested the magnet - I wasn't able to compare it to my current (previous?) rangefinder, since it isn't magnetized, so I decided to test it against my Bushnell Wingman speaker. It did great on my fridge, and compared very strongly to the magnet on the Wingman, but again - we will see how it does on a moving golf cart when I am able to get out onto the course!

Next up, it was time to move on to the other box. I couldn't wait to see what they sent over, and it did not disappoint!

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was a hat. I'm a big "rope hat" guy, so it's right up my alley. Along with the hat, they sent over a towel, box of golf balls, tees, divot tool, and ball marker, all of which had the vortex logo. I'm particularly fond of the divot tool, as I like to collect divot tools and ball markers at different courses - the tool and mountain range ball marker will get almost as much use as the range finder! Along with the box of goodies, the team at Vortex shared ANOTHER handwritten note, signed by members of the team. (A++ for personalization!)

Divot tool, ball markers, tee:

To summarize, the Vortex team went above and beyond to really make me feel like part of the team. The rangefinder looks and feels spectacular, the extra items included are very cool, and the handwritten notes are a great, personalized touch. I can't wait to get this out on the golf course, and really put it to the test.

Below are some additional photos. I'll take some more as soon as I'm able to get out on the course!

 

[sirchunksalot]

14 hours ago, Hosel_Rockets said:

Unboxing and First Impression - Vortex Blade:

First things first, if you don't have a ton of time, I recorded an unboxing video (below), and shared my initial thoughts there as well! (apologies for the portrait mode video, I didn't realize my camera-man was in portrait until I'd already started opening everything up )

I'll happily admit that this is not my forte, I do a much better job expressing my thoughts in writing, but I wanted to share my initial, unfiltered impression with everyone!

Just as expected, my Vortex Blade was delivered right within the anticipated window - and just as I tee'd off for a Friday afternoon round! While the timing was unfortunate, everything was delivered quickly and as expected. Though I could hardly contain my excitement, I decided to wait until Saturday to complete a proper unboxing, after I had some time to sleep off a few after round beverages.

The box was wrapped very neatly and securely, and upon opening I was surprised and excited to discover two separate packages had arrived from the awesome folks at @Vortex Golf! The first, of course, was the Vortex Blade rangefinder, which came in it's own small box and included the rangefinder, case, battery, ball marker, and a handwritten thank you note from the team - a great, personal touch!

My initial impression - this is a very nice rangefinder! The case feels sturdy and secure, and the Blade looks as good as it feels. While the rangefinder I've had in the bag for the past few seasons (CaddyTek V2) is not top of the line by any stretch, it's overall aesthetic and feel does not hold a candle to the Blade. The case is something I would be glad to attach to my bag.

I toyed around with it a bit, as much as I could without being on the course, and it just increased my excitement to get out and start testing! The picture appears to be extremely clear, and it picked up on everything I was locking onto very quickly. Of course the real test will be how it performs when locking onto a flag stick, but if my initial tests were any indication, I would be shocked if it doesn't perform very well.

I also tested the magnet - I wasn't able to compare it to my current (previous?) rangefinder, since it isn't magnetized, so I decided to test it against my Bushnell Wingman speaker. It did great on my fridge, and compared very strongly to the magnet on the Wingman, but again - we will see how it does on a moving golf cart when I am able to get out onto the course!

Next up, it was time to move on to the other box. I couldn't wait to see what they sent over, and it did not disappoint!

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was a hat. I'm a big "rope hat" guy, so it's right up my alley. Along with the hat, they sent over a towel, box of golf balls, tees, divot tool, and ball marker, all of which had the vortex logo. I'm particularly fond of the divot tool, as I like to collect divot tools and ball markers at different courses - the tool and mountain range ball marker will get almost as much use as the range finder! Along with the box of goodies, the team at Vortex shared ANOTHER handwritten note, signed by members of the team. (A++ for personalization!)

Divot tool, ball markers, tee:

To summarize, the Vortex team went above and beyond to really make me feel like part of the team. The rangefinder looks and feels spectacular, the extra items included are very cool, and the handwritten notes are a great, personalized touch. I can't wait to get this out on the golf course, and really put it to the test.

Below are some additional photos. I'll take some more as soon as I'm able to get out on the course!

 

Great unboxing and first impressions @Hosel_Rockets! I'm really curious to see how the Blade and Blade Slope perform. 

[Shrek74]

Ok, got my first round with the Anarch this morning. I didn't get a bunch of photos (just these 2 :-(), but I'll be sure to do that next time I'm out with it.

First off, the optics are fantastic. When I'm ranging something or just looking through the view finder, it's crystal clear. Exactly what I expected from Vortex's background in world class shooting optics. Once I dialed in the picture, it was absolutely crystal clear. I love the red display! Outside in the bright sunlight, that red just pops off the screen.

Something I noticed the first night I had it and while playing with it - the display color changes automatically!! As I was looking around the house, at dark things or at light things, the display changed. It went from red to black and back, all on it's own as it sensed the area you were looking at. That's so awesome, and a feature I'd never had thought about nor thought I'd need. Now I'll be looking for that in every type of optic I ever buy!

Ranges were on point, from everything I used to compare it to (Pro L2, V5, in-cart gps). I found it to be more accurate than the Pro L2 by a few yards, both on regular and slope distance. For a 20 like me, it's not a big deal. But for many that might be a deal breaker if it's not accurate. I found it to be. The flag acquisition gives you a great buzz in your hands. It's really strong and you'd have no issues through a regular glove, rain glove, winter glove, or no glove knowing you're locked on. It gets trees, stakes, bunker lips, and any other items I needed numbers on without any complaining or reshooting. I do it a couple times myself, just because I'm like that. But no issues at all with the distances I needed.

One thing I found different (not sure if bad different or fine different) is that the magnet is on the other side of the unit than any other rangefinder I've had or used. I found it difficult to put it back or grab it off the post since it was essentially "backwards" to what I was expecting. I ended up putting it on the other side of the post and all was fine. If the windshield was up, that'd be a problem for me.

Speaking of the magnet, no issues staying "stuck" to the cart throughout the round. When I stick it to the cart, I don't get that super grabby sensation I do with the L2. You know, like me when someone hands me a chocolate chip cookie. I'm reaching out and locking on with all my might. The Anarch's magnet is plenty strong to stay up with all the bumps and stuff if faced today. Just a different "grab" than others.

So for round 1, expectations exceeded. More rounds ahead.

Hole 10 on the Brae here in Fairfield Glade. Lake Dartmoor in the distance by the hole.

Edited July 7 by Shrek74

[sirchunksalot]

I wanted to get a photo of the Vortex in action through the lens and although it's not perfect, I wanted to let you see what I see looking through it. 

I'm still working on being able to get better photos and hopefully will get better ones in the future. Today I used an 11/16 section of pool noodle along with sticking the Anarch to my smoker to stabilize it. I think it's picking up a tree further back than the grouping in the photo. 

I took another one of a neighbor's AC unit so you can see a little bit clearer. 

[KC Golf]

The initial reviews are great.

How is the stabilization on the Anarch?

Compared to a Bushnell with no stabilization, can you see or notice the Anarch work better with shakey hands or very windy / rainy days?

Edited July 8 by KC Golf

[sirchunksalot]

4 hours ago, KC Golf said:

This initial reviews are great.

How is the stabilization on the Anarch?

Compared to a Bushnell with no stabilization, can you see or notice the Anarch work better with shakey hands or very windy / rainy days?

I can definitely see a difference in stabilization between the Bushnell I've been using with no stabilization and the Anarch. It's a lot smoother and less jerky and I'm better able to shoot targets at a distance quicker with the Vortex. 

After the round was finished, I went to shoot the markers on the range and intentionally shook my arms and it performed well. It's my first time using a rangefinder with the feature so I can't compare to other models that have it, but I was impressed. 

[Shrek74]

8 hours ago, KC Golf said:

This initial reviews are great.

How is the stabilization on the Anarch?

Compared to a Bushnell with no stabilization, can you see or notice the Anarch work better with shakey hands or very windy / rainy days?

I have shaky hands these days and was really struggling with my Pro L2 unless I was sitting and/or braced against something. So far, I've found the stabilization on the Anarch to work well. It's not always on, so it activates when you fire a distance. You hear it "activate" and then immediately see the image stabilize. It's not like the cameras the guys are carrying while they walk the courses on the PGA Tour (but nothing will be), but it gets the job done well. I haven't put it to the test other than just using it with my shaky hands to this point. I'll have to add that to my list.

Edited July 8 by Shrek74

[PrismFlopper]

Arrived on Saturday afternoon! I was beyond excited I had to get it out of the package right away! And let me tell you Vortex went above and beyond with the shipping set up. Received 2 boxes: 1 one with the range finder itself and a 2nd with a whole bunch of free swag. 

 

 

 

This Blade slop is a beauty! I’ll be getting my further in depth assessment out tonight. Getting it out on the course to start really shaking it down this afternoon also.

Edited July 8 by PrismFlopper