When it comes to golf watches, launch monitors, rangefinders—really all manner of golf gadgets and gear—Gabe from Let's Play Thru is our go-to guy.
Full disclosure, we do sponsor many of his videos and he is one of our affiliate partners. But as you can see for yourself, he is not a promotional puppet for our products. He gives his honest opinions along with those special touches of insights only an experienced golfer and product reviewer can offer.
And we think his video production is pretty freaking solid, as well!
So why do we value his opinion?
Golf is obviously life for this guy. He lives in Florida and plays year round. But he travels all around the world, playing golf and creating insightful videos for everyday golfers. Plus, he's built a pretty cool golf simulator in his home.
Finally, he's a down-to-earth dude, a family guy, who adds a relateable personal touch to his videos. Whether you're watching him review a rangefinder or surprise his dad on Father's Day, Gabe's the real deal. We love him and we think you will, too!
The Nikon COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED offers plenty of high-end reasons to grab it before you approach you next swing on the course.
Made by the brand that's been making and perfecting optics for over a century, you know you're going to get a bright and crisp visual once your eye meets the veiwfinder.
But did you know about their golf tech? Here's what else this Nikon rangefinder can do:
Keep reading to get a golfer's analysis of these features in action.
Nikon COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED Price: $449.95
At $150 less, Nikon's mid-range golf rangefinder offering—the COOLSHOT 50i—still has a lot of the high-end model's features.
And something the COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED doesn't—a magnet mount. (Unfortunately a magnet would interfere with the top model's stabilization technology.)
You won't get the stabilization tech or the HYPER READ technology in this golf rangefinder. Instead of a third of a second, it'll take a couple of seconds to get your distances.
But you will get the handy, stick-tight magnet, which golfers have grown to covet in these devices. Plus these features:
Read on to find out what our golf partner, Gabe, thought of this Nikon rangefinder's performance on the course.
Nikon COOLSHOT 50i Price: $299.95
"If you're not the steadies gun in the West, you will actually love this thing."
Out of the gate, Gabe really likes the stabilization technology on this Nikon rangefinder. He looks through the viewfinder and reports "no jitter, no shake" thanks to Nikon's camera optics they've perfected for years and have now added to this golf laser rangefinder.
He recommends it for seniors and really just anyone less than a surgeon.
The other thing he loves is that it is extremely fast—0.3 seconds—which in reality, he says, feels like the blink of an eye.
He also notes that this golf rangefinder stands out with its audible chirp feedback to let you know you've hit your target.
Also, it's super accurate. More on that below.
According to Gabe, the biggest benefit to the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i is the magnet.
If you're playing in a cart like he is in his video review, he shows you how you can just stick it to the cart and go. It makes a nice firm contact, is easy to remove, and he drove it all around, up and down hills, and the mount was super stable.
Like the COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED, Gabe says the COOLSHOT 50i has wonderful erganomics and build-quality. In his experience, Nikon rangefinders are built to last, and he admits he's not easy on his golf devices.
He actually says that he prefers the finish on the COOLSHOT 50i with the matte metalic feel, rather than the more glossy plastic feel of the more expensive unit.
He also found this device to have very similar accuracy in actual and slope-adjusted distances compared to the higher-end model.
Gabe found both of the Nikon COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED and COOLSHOT 50i to be "spot on" for accuracy.
"I've used the Nikon personally as my rangefinder for many, many years. In fact, we use it as the benchmark that all the rangefinders on this show are measured against."
Gabe admits there's something about camera-quality optics that inspires confidence.
For him, both of these Nikon golf laser rangefinders continue the tradition of that quality and precison when it comes to getting accurate distances.
"Form-factor on these things is great. It actually sits really nice there in my thumb."
In Gabe's experience with testing golf devices (and he has a lot!), you can generally tell the quality of a rangefinder by how heavy and robust it feels—the quality of the materials is very obvious.
For him, both the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i and COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED have excellent ergonomics and the kind of build quality that will last for years.
He has proof, afterall, since he is still using a Nikon rangefinder from over 5 years ago. Testament indeed!
"When you look through the veiwfinder, both of these devices are absolutely crystal clear."
In his review video, Gabe sticks each rangefinder up to the camera so that you can get an idea of the distances read out. Obviously, on camera, it's not quite as clear as in real life.
Both of the devices offer a gentle buzz to confirm when you have locked on to your target. Additionally, the COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED offers audible feedback as well.
Check out the video to see what it's like to look through each veiwfinder and even how the continuous measurement mode works.
"It wouldn't be a proper review without a couple of gripes."
Gabe's gripe with the Nikon COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED is that the white area on the device is a little plasticy feeling. He prefers the matte metalic finish on the mid-range COOLSHOT 50i.
With the 50i, he did not care for the soft case that came with it, prefering the hard case that comes with the higher end model. He also experienced some slope distances that were slightly different on this model—but never more than a yard, so not really a big issue for him.
In his review, Gabe breaks down who he thinks each of these rangefinders is for.
According to him, the Nikon COOLSHOT 50i is for someone who wants something that is really good quality, has great optics, is willing to pay a little bit more than that budget range, and who wants their golf laser rangefinder to last longer in exchange for that price.
Who is the Nikon COOLSHOT PROII STABILIZED is marketed for? Gabe says this is a great rangefinder for someone who has trouble with shaky hands and who values the top of the line and wants something that is going to give instantaneous feedback—a device that is all around more robust.
