Re: leica crf 1600
Yeah,
I checked out the Fusion Binocs and they were heavy and I didn't like the glass.
The Bushnell 1600 Elite ARC MONOCULAR has better glass and I've been able to range up to just shy of 1600 yards with it.
(On a 90+ degree day with about 75% humidity...)
The Leica, as we've all discussed (1600 Rangemaster) I had was probably defective. I could not range a yellow crossing sign that I was perpendicular to from 40 yards or so in daylight.
The Bushnell crushed it. (The monocular... not the binocs)
My opinion on the Swaroski, which I just picked up is still out. However, I will say that all these wonderful ranges over 1500 meters I'm not seeing. ...but it's 100F out, 90+% humidity, and so on.
Pros:
Bushnell - Price / performance (it can't be beat), fairly easy to configure, lots of options (target mode, brush mode, standard mode), built in 1/4 inch treading for tripod. Uses CR123a battery. Elite units have lifetime warranty.
Leica - easy to use, buttons in good locations, easy to configure, GREAT reticle, GREAT glass, decent options. Very compact. Uses CR123a battery.
Swaroski - Easy to use and stabile, simple to operate, GREAT glass, supposed to be the best distancing LRF. Units have lifetime calibration warranty. Uses CR2 battery, which it turns out that rechargable versions are volts and mAh compatible with store bought non-rechargibles. (sp)
Cons:
Bushnell - Minimum 4 week turn around time on broken units. Lots of items showing up in the reticle simultaniously (sp). Made in CHINA (as opposed to Japan, like the Fusion Binocs). Suspect that they are limited via software to 1600 yards (have yet to get it to range over 1600 yards...)
Leica - Bad run of inital units. Hard to stabilize for distance ranging; typical of a small unit. No integrated tripod mount (you need to get one separately for about $100.00).
Swaroski - Uses CR2 battery. (These are harder find in stores.) Reticle brightness is not great. Difficult to take readings through other objects [e.g. shooting through two trees to get to a tower results in the range to the trees, not the tower. Especially true in situations where larger distance is involved. Suspect larger beam size that other two units, but have yet to veryfy this.