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Nikon COOLSHOT 20 Laser Rangefinder - THP Review Thread

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Jman

Jman

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In for review is the COOLSHOT 20 rangefinder from Nikon, and extremely compact and lightweight unit that also doesn't break the bank as much as some others with a price-tag of $199.95. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles we are seeing now, but for many a straight-forward laser is all they want/need. Will be fun to test its speed and accuracy.

Information on the COOLSHOT 20 from Nikon:

  • Measurement range: 5-500m/6-550 yds.
  • First Target Priority mode is employed.
  • When measuring overlapping subjects, the distance of the closest subject is displayed — useful when golfing for measuring the distance to a flagstick on a green with woods in the background.
  • A single press of the POWER button provides 8-second continuous measurement, which enables measurement even with slight hand movement
  • Compact, lightweight (approx. 125g) and ergonomic design
  • Distance measurement display step is 1m/yd.
  • High-quality 6x monocular with multilayer coating for bright, clear images
  • Long eye relief design affords eyeglass wearers easy viewing
  • Dioptre adjustment function
  • Rainproof — JIS/IEC protection class 4 (IPX4) equivalent (under our testing conditions)
  • Wide temperature tolerance: -10°C to +50°C

Internal Display:

  • 1. Distance
  • 2. Unit of measure (m/yd.)
  • 3. Target mark (-+-)
  • 4. Laser irradiation (X)
  • 5. Battery condition
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In Hand Images:

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Looking forward to your thoughts James as I'm in the market for a rangefinder. I personally don't want to shell out $300-400 on a rangefinder so this one has some interest. I use to own a Nikon rangefinder years and years ago when I think they had something with Callaway and enjoyed that unit.

That unit appears super small in the hand! Interesting. Also interested in the battery life but you might not get that far in your testing.
 
Excellent price. Seems bare bones but that isn't a bad thing.
 
Love the price point on this and if it works might be a good buy. Been looking at getting one of these for so long.
 
That thing is tiny, love it! I view my Z6 as a fairly straightforward device (only exception being red display I think) and this for $199 is a bargain IMO if it works well.
 
Great price point, looks nice, and Nikon is always quality for optics (though not quite like some other companies). Is this a golf-intended rangefinder, or is it general use? Not that it matters, mostly curious how they are marketing it.
 
I like the price relative to other models! I have been on the fence about ordering a Kick Butt Laser rangefinder (I think it was running around $160), so this is close to the same price & the fact that it's Nikon makes me feel more confident. I'm subscribed & ready to follow along!
 
Looks really compact and at the price i think it'll appeal to many
 
I owned a Callaway branded Nikon rangefinder for a long time and enjoyed the simplicity of it. Straightforward read outs and battery life was awesome (replaced it twice in 4 years). The only reason I moved on was because I wanted the "jolt" feature of the Bushnell.

At this price point it should sell pretty good.
 
Looking forward to your thoughts James. Especially interested in how well it locks onto the intended target.
 
#Cookie said:
That thing is tiny, love it! I view my Z6 as a fairly straightforward device (only exception being red display I think) and this for $199 is a bargain IMO if it works well.
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I know I have some big ole hands, but yeah, its a little dude. It took me aback honestly. I'll get some side by sides with my V3 up soon.

SkiBumGolfer said:
Great price point, looks nice, and Nikon is always quality for optics (though not quite like some other companies). Is this a golf-intended rangefinder, or is it general use? Not that it matters, mostly curious how they are marketing it.
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Based on the info from the company I put into the first post from their site, its a golf rangefinder.

Grins said:
I like the price relative to other models! I have been on the fence about ordering a Kick Butt Laser rangefinder (I think it was running around $160), so this is close to the same price & the fact that it's Nikon makes me feel more confident. I'm subscribed & ready to follow along!
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LOL, yeah, the name "Nikon" brings just about a billion times more trust than "Kick Butt" to me. :alien:

Canadan said:
I like the inclusion of the case. Very very useful addition right there!
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Its nice, I will say I wish they'd used a carabiner setup instead of the double overlap velcro. Its sturdy as heck on my bag, but for the price of a rangefinder (even a more affordable one like this) I want to never ever think twice about how its attached to the bag.

DufferToo said:
Looking forward to your thoughts James. Especially interested in how well it locks onto the intended target.
Click to expand...

I've actually had it out a couple times the last couple days, its not the faster laser, but it didn't leave me wanting. Locked on pretty solidly, no real issues there, numbers are +/- 1 yard from my V3 so far. The big thing is getting used to the size coming from the V3, this thing is TINY in comparison.
 
Seems like a nice compact shape/size.
 
Been on the fence about replacing my SGXw. I haven't wanted to spend a lot on a new one. I echo what everyone is already saying, good price point, size, etc. I will def follow along.
 
What a great price. If this performs well, I could definitely see myself finally taking the plunge on a rangefinder.
 
I like the size of it, would be good in my smaller hands. Just curious how any of you guys get on that have shaky hands? Do you rest on something or do these rangefinders help with it?
I would like to get one myself but paying over $300 just isn't going to happen, so this one could be nice.
 
Jman said:
Its nice, I will say I wish they'd used a carabiner setup instead of the double overlap velcro. Its sturdy as heck on my bag, but for the price of a rangefinder (even a more affordable one like this) I want to never ever think twice about how its attached to the bag.
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A fair point. Something that surprised me about the CoolShot AS after the fact that it didn't come with a case of any kind.
 
That's a pretty nice looking rangefinder JMan. Looking forward to it, especially for that price.
 
lopsta5 said:
I like the size of it, would be good in my smaller hands. Just curious how any of you guys get on that have shaky hands? Do you rest on something or do these rangefinders help with it?
I would like to get one myself but paying over $300 just isn't going to happen, so this one could be nice.
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It will probably be at least $300 for us I'd say
 
I have this rangefinder. I've used it for about a month now, no issues whatsoever and picks up quickly what I'm aiming at. I fits well in my hand (8.25" wrist-to-tip) and I wear extra large gloves. I'm glad I bought it. In my opinion I finally found the technology I wanted at the price I needed.
 
Nice that there is a battery meter there. I am always left guessing how much juice I have left in my Bushnell.
 
I have a Callaway XHot rangefinder that's made by Nikon - the display looks similar, and it works great. No bells and whistles, but it does its job well, and I'm still going on my first battery. This seems like it might be the next in that line w/o the Cally branding - it looks like they were able to get it smaller as well.
 
captaincaution said:
Nice that there is a battery meter there. I am always left guessing how much juice I have left in my Bushnell.
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Big issue with me but when your battery is gone in less than 2 rounds of golf then I guess a battery meter isn't really needed at that point. :at-wits-end:
 
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