Vortex Anarch Rangefinder Review

The image stabilization would be a huge plus for us....<ahem> more "seasoned" golfers whose hands might not be so steady anymore. In addition to making it easier to lock on, does it also make the image you're seeing through the eyepiece clearer/more stable?
In my experience, that would be a resounding "yes".
 
The image stabilization would be a huge plus for us....<ahem> more "seasoned" golfers whose hands might not be so steady anymore. In addition to making it easier to lock on, does it also make the image you're seeing through the eyepiece clearer/more stable?
Yeah, definitely. Once it locks on, the image is steady and clear. There were a few times we had some wind gusts come through and it was surprisingly steady through those.

It’s the small things that make the whole experience just feel smoother.
 
So with fall here and winter quickly approaching I will give you my season long review.
Pros.
Magnet is exceptional. Not once did it fall off of the cart window post or even wobble.
Optics are clear. The optics are what I expect from Vortex with very nice adjustments for the internal LED brightness.
Well built unit. Sturdy, compact, great color combo.

Cons.
Range finding. I cannot trust this thing for anything. We have white flags without a reflector. I have to range the flag 5-7 times each time before it will get me a correct distance.
Pin Lock. Forget it, It will not lock on a pin EVER. The only time I get a lock is on an object 100's of yards behind the pin.
No spot to write a permanent name on the device, or a built in airtag holder would be amazing.

I cannot and do not recommend this product to my fellow golf buddies. I will be sending the unit back for repair or replacement. Such a shame as I am a total Vortex fan boy with multiple hunting scopes, binoculars, and lots of vortex clothing.
 
The image stabilization would be a huge plus for us....<ahem> more "seasoned" golfers whose hands might not be so steady anymore. In addition to making it easier to lock on, does it also make the image you're seeing through the eyepiece clearer/more stable?
Image stabilization is nothing I had previously thought about when I thought "rangefinder" but I am loving that feature in my Anarch. I have found that it has made a massive difference in my ability to quickly get distance, regardless of wind/temp/fatigue. I never felt that my hands were all that unsteady, but I have immediately noticed a difference upon putting the Anarch into play. I know we all experience things differently, but for me the addition of image stabilization has 100% made the image visibly more stable and easier to lock on to my target.
 
I’m curious, does anyone have any specific features or details they miss with their old rangefinder that they wish their Vortex would have?
 
I’m curious, does anyone have any specific features or details they miss with their old rangefinder that they wish their Vortex would have?
Thus far, no. Albeit with only a small sample size, but I have been very happy with the Anarch through the first several rounds and don't feel like there has been anything missing. What about you?
 
Thus far, no. Albeit with only a small sample size, but I have been very happy with the Anarch through the first several rounds and don't feel like there has been anything missing. What about you?
Same. However, I’ve only ever owned the NX7 so I don’t really have much to compare it to.
 
Switched out from another rangefinder to put the Anarch in the bag for this weekend.

Pulled it out of the case and forgot how much this feels like a well built product.

Side note: After clipping on the bag I remember how much I disliked the carrying case.
 
Last night I got home after work and decided to go outside and mess with the Anarch a bit, just to confirm that I was seeing consistent yardages across multiple times shooting a target. As the sun was going down I found myself enjoying the bright red display and the image stabilization, but I also appreciated having the ability to change the reticle on the rangefinder. This isn't something I'd really given any thought to until I switched from the tiny circle (only) to try out the circle + crosshairs and crosshairs (only). The combination of the bright red display, the image stabilization, and the circle + crosshairs reticle made measuring distances to a few t-posts across the street pretty simple, even in the low-light.
 
They couldn’t repair mine so I got a new one via UPS today. That’s impressive service.
Called a VIP warranty for a reason!
 
Got a round scheduled for this afternoon, going to let a few playing buddies try out the Anarch to see if they also fall in love with it.
 
Got a round scheduled for this afternoon, going to let a few playing buddies try out the Anarch to see if they also fall in love with it.
Get a quote from each of them
 
So I used the magnet today during my round and happy to say zero movement from the Anarch! I had a few people during yesterday’s scramble test it out. We were way up on a ridge and picked out a huge tree way back towards the club house. The range was 1114 yards and it picked it up in a second. Everyone was loving the Anarch as they didn’t know Vortex made golf rangefinders.
 
Today's round went well, it was a rather long course so the Anarch got a workout. Again, I'm going praise the clarity. It was a late afternoon round so by the time we finished up it was starting to get dark. The auto brightness feature came in clutch, the bright red towards the end of the day made things super easy to read. I let my buddies test it out a couple times and they were impressed. Funny enough, one of them already knew about Vortex, as they are a big hunter, but somehow didn't know they were in the golf game.

Both of them use older rangefinders, so I was really curious to hear what they thought. The first words said were.. "wow, this is crisp!" They both enjoyed it and commented a lot on the picture and the speed.

So far this thing has been great.
 
Today's round went well, it was a rather long course so the Anarch got a workout. Again, I'm going praise the clarity. It was a late afternoon round so by the time we finished up it was starting to get dark. The auto brightness feature came in clutch, the bright red towards the end of the day made things super easy to read. I let my buddies test it out a couple times and they were impressed. Funny enough, one of them already knew about Vortex, as they are a big hunter, but somehow didn't know they were in the golf game.

Both of them use older rangefinders, so I was really curious to hear what they thought. The first words said were.. "wow, this is crisp!" They both enjoyed it and commented a lot on the picture and the speed.

So far this thing has been great.
The auto brightness is a great feature, that would come in so handy in troublesome light conditions. The Anarch is really loaded with nice options.
 
Everyone was loving the Anarch as they didn’t know Vortex made golf rangefinders.
That's been something I wasn't necessarily expecting, but probably should have been. I'm not a hunter and never grew up around it, but I forget that the (seemingly) vast majority of folks around these parts are as all-in on hunting as I am on golf. I've yet to have the Anarch on course and not get at least one, "Hey! Is that the same Vortex...? I didn't know they made golf rangefinders! Let me check that out." I may not have had much previous knowledge of what Vortex brought to the table in regards to clarity of optics, but the Anarch has thus far exceeded any expectations I had coming in.
 
The auto brightness is a great feature, that would come in so handy in troublesome light conditions. The Anarch is really loaded with nice options.
It really is. I've yet to play a round with the Anarch on the bag that started and ended in the same lighting conditions, but I haven't had to worry about adjusting the brightness one time. Seems like a simple feature, but one that I am really appreciating having.
 
That's been something I wasn't necessarily expecting, but probably should have been. I'm not a hunter and never grew up around it, but I forget that the (seemingly) vast majority of folks around these parts are as all-in on hunting as I am on golf. I've yet to have the Anarch on course and not get at least one, "Hey! Is that the same Vortex...? I didn't know they made golf rangefinders! Let me check that out." I may not have had much previous knowledge of what Vortex brought to the table in regards to clarity of optics, but the Anarch has thus far exceeded any expectations I had coming in.
Everyone who mentions @Vortex_Golf also has nothing but positive things to say about them as a company. It is reassuring to her that when buying a high end range finder you know they have your back.
 
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Everyone who mentions @Vortex_Golf also has nothing but positive things to say about them as a company. It is reassuring to her that when buying a high end range finder you know they have your back.
Absolutely agree, fully. Dollars are precious and it's difficult to think about dropping $599.99 on anything that isn't a "need", but those apprehensions are helped tremendously by the knowledge that Vortex stands behind their products and to what extent they do so. I don't expect/need a product to be 100% perfect, even one at a premium price-point, as long as the company is willing to stand behind their products, make "wrongs" right, and strive to learn from it all to continue raising the bar. I have been unbelievably impressed by how committed to excellence Vortex seems to be and I will always choose to spend my dollars with companies that operate in this manner.
 
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Everyone who mentions @Vortex_Golf also has nothing but positive things to say about them as a company. It is reassuring to her that when buying a high end range finder you know they have your back.
Edited to tag the proper Vortex
 
Having a caddie this past weekend I didn't use the Anarch as much as I would normally. I forgot how different image stablization is compared to ones without.
 
Having a caddie this past weekend I didn't use the Anarch as much as I would normally. I forgot how different image stablization is compared to ones without.
Right? I had never used a rangefinder with image stabilization before this, but had used camera bodies and lenses that had image stabilization so it was at least somewhat familiar to me. I honestly think I might "struggle" a bit if I were to go back to using a rangefinder without the feature after getting used to having it on the Anarch.
 
Right? I had never used a rangefinder with image stabilization before this, but had used camera bodies and lenses that had image stabilization so it was at least somewhat familiar to me. I honestly think I might "struggle" a bit if I were to go back to using a rangefinder without the feature after getting used to having it on the Anarch.
Good test for the week?
 
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