50 Words or Less
The Eagle Eye Gen 5 rangefinder removes battery anxiety with a dual-power system. Accurate distances and slope adjustment. One of the slower lasers I’ve tested.
Introduction
A lot of the new features that we see in rangefinders can be a little too fancy for the average player. The new Eagle Eye Gen 5 rangefinder focuses its novel ability on something much more practical: battery life. If you want to say, “Goodbye forever” to the idea of a dead rangefinder, read on.
Set Up & Ease of Use
The Eagle Eye Gen 5 rangefinder operates the same way as most rangefinders. Pushing the Power button turns the unit on; a second push gets your distance. Pushing the Mode button toggles the slope adjustment on and off. A red light appears on the top of the rangefinder when the slope adjustment is activated.
Holding the Mode button allows you to change between yards and meters. There aren’t any other options to set on this rangefinder, but that simplicity can be a virtue for a lot of people. Only one other control exists on the Eagle Eye Gen 5: a slider labeled “USB-C/CR2” which I’ll discuss next.
Accuracy & Features
When I unboxed the Eagle Eye Gen 5 rangefinder my kids asked a pertinent question, “How is this one any different than all the others?” With so many on the market, a rangefinder needs a unique feature to stand out. The Eagle Eye Gen 5 has one in its dual power source. As shown above, there’s a switch that lets you flip between the rechargeable USB battery and the conventional CR2 battery. For players with battery anxiety, this is great. Ideally, you’ll keep the Eagle Eye Gen 5 charged, but, if you forget, you’re good to go. A battery life indicator on the screen lets you know when it’s time to switch.
Shifting to the basics, the Eagle Eye Gen 5 has 800 yards of range and 6X magnification. Comparing it to other trusted rangefinders, it produces accurate distances, and the slope adjustments are consistent. It does not have a built-in magnet, but it does have a vibration alert when you lock onto the flag.
The only significant knock on the Eagle Eye Gen 5 is the speed. I tested it with both power sources and found it to be among the slowest rangefinders I’ve tested in the last several years. To be clear, you will still get your distance in about a second – this unit is not to be blamed for slow play. That said, it’s a stark difference when compared to lasers like the Voice Caddie TL1 [review HERE].
Finally, the Eagle Eye Gen 5 is average in size and weight. I found it to be a very comfortable fit for my hand, and it’s light enough to throw in your pocket for a short time. The construction is superior to some of the budget rangefinders I’ve come across but falls a bit short of the top of the line rangefinders from the biggest names.
Value
The Eagle Eye Gen 5 rangefinder retails for $150 HERE. I think this is a reasonable price for the features that this unit has. The dual-power set up is novel, and this laser is sound in its fundamentals.
Conclusion
Golfers looking to spend less than $200 on a rangefinder no longer need to feel like they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. Whether it’s the dual-power of the Eagle Eye Gen 5 rangefinder or the Ball-to-Pin mode on the Voice Caddie Laser FIT [review HERE], you can get excellent features and solid build quality without spending a fortune.
Buy the Eagle Eye Gen 5 Rangefinder HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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