50 Words or Less
The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II incorporates some great features including slope, pin recognition, and scanning. Strong built-in magnet. Solid construction. Impressive warranty.
Introduction
Although the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i GII is a second generation rangefinder, it’s a new model to the Plugged In Golf crew. Frequent readers know I’ve been gaming COOLSHOT PRO STABILIZED models since it debuted over five years ago – and just put the COOLSHOT PROIII STABILIZED [review HERE] in my bag this spring. The 50i GII and PROIII STABILIZED share many features, but the Nikon 50i GII has one major addition – a built-in magnet.
Setup & Ease of Use
The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II comes in the fairly nondescript box that also includes a case, CR2 battery, and Quick Start Guide. Battery installation is straightforward via the port under the viewfinder. The COOLSHOT 50i II default settings should be perfect for most golfers, delivering distance measurement with a simple push of the PWR ON button closest to your eye and under your index finger.
The default settings are slope adjusted distance (what Nikon calls Golf Mode), brightness level at 5, and yards as the distance unit. Making changes to the three modes isn’t exactly intuitive, and it’s worth downloading the Instruction Manual from the Nikon website to save time stumbling around. But since finding the Instruction Manual is also tedious, I’ll give you the quick rundown.
Briefly pressing the MODE button toggles between Golf Mode and actual distance mode (for tournament play). When the 50i II is in the actual distance mode a flashing green light on the front left of the unit offers visual confirmation to officials and other players that slope is off. Pressing and holding the MODE button brings up two additional modes, arrived at by toggling the PWR button, as follows:
F2 is Internal Display Luminance. Here you can change brightness levels from 1 to 5. The display brightness adjusts as you toggle through the numbers – a cool feature. I’m a huge fan of red graphics and the default 5 being the brightest was perfect for my eyes.
F3 simply switches between yards and meters.
Accuracy & Features
As I expected from a Nikon laser rangefinder, the accuracy of the COOLSHOT 50i II was excellent. There was never more than a yard difference when compared to other name brand, well regarded laser rangefinders as well as the COOLSHOT PROIII STABILIZED. Speed was quick, but not nearly as fast as the PROIII and its HYPER READ technology. Yardage is displayed with one decimal point, which to me as an engineer just screams precision. And for those readers into specs, the 50i II’s range is an impressive 1200 yards – hopefully never needed on the golf course.
As for features, the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II has several worth highlighting. First is the DUAL LOCKED ON QUAKE, which provides both a small circle at the crosshairs and gentle vibration to confirm the flagstick has been detected. Next up is First Target Priority, which is just as it sounds – displaying the distance to the closest object. If you frequently get outrageously long distances with other rangefinders, you’ll love this feature. Another great feature is the scanning function. Pressing and holding the power button, distances are continuously displayed for up to 8 seconds. I found this useful for general familiarization on holes with a lot going on near the green.
As I mentioned in the Introduction, one intriguing feature of the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II for me is the built-in magnet. As a frequent golf cart user, being able to securely attach a laser rangerfinder to the cart is a nice feature – one I don’t have with the COOLSHOT PROIII STABILIZED. For those wondering, that’s by design – a magnet can interfere with the stabilization mechanism of the PROIII.
Value
With a retail price of $300, the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II is $200 less than the Nikon flagship COOLSHOT PROIII STABILIZED. Consider supporting Plugged In Golf by buying it HERE.
Granted there are additional settings and the namesake stabilization with the PROIII, but that’s a significant price difference and many buyers will find that the 50i II will more than fulfill their needs. The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II is a great buy compared to other brands at that price point. The rangefinder market is very crowded, and it’s hard to compare apples to apples, but a quality unit with slope, red display, and a magnet could easily cost another $100. It’s also worth noting the COOLSHOT 50i II comes with a 5-year warranty – more than double that offered by Bushnell.
Conclusion
The Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II is a really nice, easy to use laser rangefinder. With 6X magnification and red graphics, reading the display was quick and easy. Not surprising for a Nikon product, the optics are crystal clear. The 50i II feels solid and the magnet strong enough that I don’t worry about the unit falling off the cart even with spine jarring bumps.
I’ve grown too accustomed to stabilization to give up my PROIII, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II to non-competitive golfers. That last qualifier is due to the simplicity of turning slope on and off – it might be too simple. I’d hate to see a golfer get disqualified for accidently pressing the mode button during an official competition.
Buy the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i II Rangefinder HERE
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One Comment
Just ordered mine after leaving my trusty proii in a cart at the course and basically donating it to a dishonest golfer that didn’t turn it in to the pro shop. I will miss the stability of the proii but this seemed like a good replacement at the price point and features it has. Time will tell.