Nikon Coolshot 20i Golf Laser Rangefinder (Slope Version) , Black, Small

My first impressions: This rangefinder is FREAKISHLY FAST!Over the many years I have purchased more rangefinders than I will admit to my wife, also two golf watches and a handheld golf GPS. This goes along with the myriad of clubs purchased over the years – all in a quest to best my sons and now my golf buddies. I have settled on the rangefinder exclusively as I can measure to anything: the group ahead of us, the markers cemented into the practice facility, to the restroom, and of course to the flag.Besides a Bushnell Tour V4 Slope, I also own a Nikon COOLSHOT 80iVR – which is the most amazing and advanced rangefinder I have ever used, mostly because of Nikon’s exclusive stabilization technology and how well it is built.However I often walk a course, and occasionally play executive par-3 courses (walking) and for those times I use a minimalist bag (Jones Sports Original Carry Bag) and size of everything is an issue.As of the time I write this, I could not do much research on this Nikon 20i because it appears to only be sold by Amazon, therefore I hope that this review will be helpful to those who find it.I did look at the non-slope version: the Nikon COOLSHOT 20, and was impressed by the reviews, both on Amazon and elsewhere. According to the Amazon ranking (see product details), it is either the number 2 or 3 most popular golf rangefinder on Amazon. Over the couple of days I researched it, it changed from 2 to 3 and back again. (Apparently there is a magnetic strap for rangefinders that it keeps swapping places with.)Since the top three brand-name golf rangefinders (Bushnell, Nikon, Leupold) generally cost about $70 to $100 more for the slope function (Bushnell V4 Slope - $350 to $400 / Leupold GX-2i3 - $340 to $350 / Leupold GX-4i3 - $490) I was not willing to spend $350+ for a second rangefinder to have in the carry bag.So Memorial Day was my first time playing with the COOLSHOT 20i, and I am soooo impressed. It is freakishly fast and amazingly compact and light-weight.COOLSHOT 20iPROs- Incredibly fast – there is almost zero delay as it calculates the slope adjusted playing distance.- Very small and lightweight. Truly pocketable.- Super sharp optics and adjustable focus eyepiece.- Amazing battery life – rated at 8,000 usages (according to the owner’s manual).- Appears to be equally as accurate as the other rangefinders costing as much as 2x, at least inside of ~ 250 yards.- It offers both single-shot and continuous measurement. If you HOLD down the button, it will measure everything you put the cross-hairs on, for up to 8 seconds.o Nikon’s calls their pin finding technology “First Target Priority” which is probably also from their hunting rangefinders. It identifies the flagstick from the trees in the background, and reports to the flagstick instead of the background.o However if you want to know for sure, use the continuous measurement and you can measure to the flag, the trees in the back ground, the bunker, the flagstick again, etc, and you’ll know for sure your target hitting distance, all in a few seconds.- Easy to turn the slope function on or off to qualify for tournament play.CONs- Only reports one distance.o If you have slope on – it will indicate “ANG” in the viewfinder and the distance it provides is the play-as, or slope adjusted distance.o The Bushnell Tour V4 Slope and the Nikon Coolshot 80iVR, as well as the other more expensive units, display both adjusted and non-adjusted distances – if you care to look around the viewfinder at both.- The included case is kind of minimal – but it makes the overall carry size smaller. No included carabineer but one could easily be added through the belt loop.I just broke out the owner’s manual for my Bushnell V4 Slope to compare, which comparison is highlighted below (along with the attached photos).Advantages of the Nikon COOLSHOT 20i over the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope:- The 20i is smaller and lighter.- The 20i is SIGNIFICANTLY faster in reporting the slope adjusted yardage. The Bushnell manual explains that you must hold the rangefinder steady on the flagstick for approximately 2 seconds, after you get the straight-line yardage, for it to calculate the slope adjusted yardage. This is very difficult to do from 150+ yards out. The Nikon slope adjusted yardage is reported nearly instantly.- The 20i has a larger exit pupil (5.0mm vs 4.0mm) – easier and faster to find the image when you bring it to your eye.- The 20i has longer eye relief (20.3mm vs 17mm) – easier and faster to find the image when you are using sunglasses or eyeglasses.- The 20i would appear to have longer battery life – at 8,000 usages. Bushnell does not specify the battery life, but those of us who own one know that this has historically been a big problem.- The V4 costs approximately 50% more than the 20i. (1.5x)Advantages of the Bushnell Tour V4 Slope over the Nikon COOLSHOT 20i- TheV4 has a longer laser at 1,000 yards verses 550 yards in the 20i.- The V4 is accurate to 1 yard, whereas the 20i is accurate to 1 yard inside of 100 yards, and accurate to 2 yards beyond 100 yards.- The V4 has a 5x viewfinder verses a 4x viewfinder in the 20i.Both have a 2-year warranty.I hope that this helps! Hit ’m straight!

The Coolshot 20i is the perfect rangefinder for golf. It is sleek, versatile, and very easy to use. I love the small ergonomic design that allows it to fit right into the palm of my hand. It can be carried in my pocket or fits in any pocket on my golf bag. I really like the slope vs actual distance feature and it is easy to change between the two modes. I have purchased a lot of rangefinders over the years and this one by far beats the competition. I would compare this rangefinder to my Zeiss rangefinder that I use for hunting. It is very accurate and easily picks up the targets. Even though the distance is not as long as the Zeiss it is very precise and clear and the best part it is 1/3 the price of my Zeiss. As my headline states this is a FANTASTIC rangefinder and you will not be disappointed.

I've used ranged finders for several years now, and although this Nikon is made and works well, it's not thought out for use as a golfer. I would not recommend saving the $100 to buy this Nikon over it's main competitor Bushnell, who's extra features are clearly designed with a golfer in mind.Pros: To be fair, the Nikon does a few things really well:1) it is very quick to give a measurement2) its measurements are accurate3) it's a nice compact size and weightCons:1) Unfortunately, in it's first strength lies its downfall. Because it's so quick to measure, it's quite hard to get a measurement on the flag. It constantly updates the measurement, so if you can't hold your hand *very* still, the numbers jump around between the flag and the background. In comparison, the Bushnell waits a second or so more, and then locks in a measurement on the flag.2) The Bushnell is also much better at shooting a distance to a hillside, or edge of fairway, the Nikon struggles to measure anything that isn't fairly vertical, like a tree. If you're trying to get a measurement to the other side of a fairway for a punch out, or to the end of the fairway for a layup shot, this is annoying.3) The Nikon also struggles to get measurements on flags more than about 200 yards away. From that distance it almost always gives distances to the background objects if anything. So if you're playing a par 5, and want to know the total distance to calculate a layup shot, you're out of luck.4) The 6x zoom factor of the Bushnell (vs 5x on the Nikon) really makes a difference if you're not 20 years old with perfect eyes. The extra zoom is very nice for seeing (and locking in on) the flag from a distance.All in all, I bought this Nikon because it was $100 cheaper than the Bushnell, but I wish I had spent the extra money. It's a well made product, but not well thought out for use as a golfer.

Received this rangefinder one day ahead of the shipping schedule. Pretty satisfied with the speed of shipment. Used it for one full golf round in a cloudy drizzling weather. No problem getting the right distance. The rangefinder is small but I find it okay and easy to put in my back pocket. I have been using bushnell with the Jolt function. With this Nikon rangefinder which doesn’t vibrate when locking in a flag position, I have get used to it but the continuous measurement function works well. So far so good with the product. At this price point, I have no complaint and happy with it. Will have to see how long the product lasts.

I've been looking at getting a rangefinder for quite some time to help improve my accuracy and shave some strokes off my game. Shipped super fast ( got it the next day). I Didn't want to get one that was way out of my price range. This was sold at a great price point, and is VERY fast and accurate at giving me a reading. Would HIGHLY recommend to anyone that is in the market for a good quality, name brand rangefinder. Excited about getting a lower score in my upcoming rounds!

I have nothing but good things to say about this rangefinder. The 20i Coolshot is a compact unit that is at work within one second after being taken out of the case. As it is lightweight, it took me a few tries to get the focus part right. But once I got it, finding the distance to the pin became a breeze (hint: target the flag, not the pin). The slope-adjusted distance is accurate to within +/- 1 yard which is more than enough precision for me. My regular golf friends now “demand” that I use this rangefinder for their shots even though they are using much more expensive rangefinders (with no slope adjustment) themselves. I estimate that this rangefinder has shaved 3-4 shots off my score. I hit my irons with a much higher confidence.To summarize: 20i is a great product, easy to use and very accurate. And it comes at a a very competitive price.

As a long-time Nikon camera user, I have always been intrigued by Nikon rangefinders. Yet reviews and recommendations have always steered me to Bushnell. I've had three or four since the devices were first introduced to the golf world.The Nikon 20i is my first with the brand. It is very good rangefinder and offered solid value. I assume all of the leading rangefinders offer accurate distance measurements, so it is other features that determine the best product.Positives:+ very light; fits well in your hand, with appropriately textured surface for good grip, even in damp conditions+ bright, clear optics+ easy to use+ solid value; the best price-value combination with slope adjustment from a leading brand when I was shoppingComparative Negatives (vs leading Bushnell products):- the Bushnell system to inform you that you have locked-on target offers better visual and tactile (feel) feedback- switching off slope compensation is a few steps more challenging than with the bushnell- field of view magnification isn't quite as good as Bushnell's leading offeringsThe final moderately negative aspect of the Nikon when compared to the Bushnell isn't the rangefiner itself, but the case it comes in. The Bushnell case is simply better-made and more functional. The Nikon case is adequate. It has a velcro strap to attach to your golf bag. The Bushnell has a much more confidence inspiring aluminum carabiner. More important is the top flap closure. The Nikon case has a small snap. The Bushnell uses the combination of a zipper and an elastic hook. The Nikon closure system is not confidence inspiring, and it is fussy to close. The Bushnell closure system is more secure (when you use both zipper and loop) and quicker access if you use just the strong elastic loop.I'm pleased with the Nikon and for the relative price advantage for similar features and brand-quality reputation would recommend it. If you want the best system on the market, go with the latest Bushnell.

This is a great product. Works good and is easy to use. Appears to be very accurate.

This product feels like it’s from the Dollar-Store, very cheap.It doesn’t lock onto the flag so it’s hard to really be sure of the distance.

The Nikon is so small and easy to use.