Laser Rangefinder Review

Cumulative Review Score:
The Leupold GX-3 is new to the popular GX golf rangefinder series.

Owner's Manual:

Reading the owner's manual makes the Leupold GX-3 sound like an expense GX-1. The features are pretty comparable, i.e. fog mode, prism lock, however, the GX-3 only has 3 aiming reticle options while the GX-1 has 7. Oh yeah the other difference is that the GX-3 weight about an ounce more than the GX-1. Okay so the GX-1 is lighter has more reticle options so why is it more money? Oddly enough, the answers are hard to find looking through the combined GX-3 and GX_4 owner's manual, which looks suspiciously like a cut and paste of the GX 1 & 2 manual with appropriate changes made were necessary. The GX-3 golf rangefinder really does have some unique qualities not obvioulsy stated in the manual. First, it uses a OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display as compared to the GX-1 LCD (liquid crystal display) screen. The OLED screen shows the display red (as per Leupold's website, although not found in the manual) which makes the displayed yardage numbers easier to read against a dark background. Next, and also not found in the manual, the Leupold GX 3 is made from aluminum not plastic, which accounts for the increase in weight and should make it more durable. Also, and this was in the manual, the GX-3 is a little taller than the GX-1 but is shorter and thinner making it and ultra compact golf rangefinder. Finally, and this is an educated guess only, do to its increased ranging capability it probably has a slightly better laser than the GX-1.

Click Here for Comparison Charts of Tournament Legal Golf Rangefinders

Notes:
The GX-3 is similar in capability to the GX-1 in many ways. It might range a little further and the OLED might help you see the target and ranges a little better but is it worth the extra money?The Leupold GX-3 is a quality rangefinder, from its metal construction, to the OLED screen, not to mention that the GX-3 just plain looks cool. This unit is probably most at home on someone's belt that wants a quality, durable, compact rangefinder that will make other rangefinders look like they belong in a toy box.

Click Here for Current Pricing on the Leupold GX-3i at Amazon.com