Focus X Rangefinder Review

Focus Rangefinder Review

Focus X Rangefinder
Manufacturer’s Website
Grade: A
Teacher’s Comments: A smartly priced rangefinder with a lot of nice features.

I’m old enough to remember when a bare bones rangefinder was a large, clunky unit that cost $800. Fast forward twenty years and you can get a compact rangefinder packed full of features for a quarter of that price.

Zoom Golf’s Focus X is a $229 rangefinder that doesn’t skimp on features. The rangefinder is under $200 at Costco.

The first thing I noticed about the Focus X is its size. The rangefinder fits very nicely in my hand, and tucks away neatly in a jacket or even a pants pocket.

The Focus X has a nice ergonomic curve, making it comfortable to hold in the palm and fingers.

Construction and build seem sturdy.

Locking onto a target with the Focus X is quick and easy. The golf rangefinder has a 6x magnification and works out to 600 meters (around 650 yards). The lens is clear and has an adjustable diopter (allowing the user to customize the view to correct for vision). I prefer to use my laser rangefinders (and my DSLR) without my glasses, so this is an important feature for me.

Once locked, the Focus X offers a noticeable, but slightly weak vibration.

The Focus X also offers a continuous scanning mode, which is useful if you want to sweep the landscape and see the distance to several spots.

For those who demand the ultimate in accuracy, the Focus X has a slope function, which adjusts the distance to compensate for elevation changes to the flag. As you can see in the eyepiece view above, the straight-line distance to the flag is 174.5 yards, but with a 14.8 degree slope, it plays like 182.5.

The Focus X’s accuracy is right in line with another rangefinder that used as a control.

I have to be honest, though: I am not a good enough player to take advantage of knowing whether the flag is 174 or 177 yards out. I just want to hit the green. Therefore, the distances that matter most to me are to the front and back of the green. I want to know how far is enough, and how far is too much. Anything in between is fine.

Finally, I liked the fact that the Focus X has a rechargeable battery. I’ve got USB ports in my car, so it’s easy to plug it in after a round to charge on the drive home to ensure I’ve always got enough juice to play.

My original Bushnell laser rangefinder was a 9 volt battery hog and would suddenly go out in the middle of the round without warning. More recent models I’ve tested have had long lasting lithium photo batteries. The rechargeable function is next level.

If you’re looking for a nice rangefinder at a good price, give the Focus X a look.