Topcon vs Nikon vs Leica

JBN ARK, post: 433726, member: 11757 wrote: [MEDIA=youtube]ijZsqOho3JY[/MEDIA]

I am trying to decide which to purchase between these three. Would appreciate any review you have of them. I like the size of the nivo but I have heard calibration doesn't hold up well.

Leica x10

These instrument comparisons are meaningless as they are usually done by dealers of a particular brand. In this case it looks like they are a Topcon dealer. I saw one recently on Linkedin were the dealer was comparing Sokkia and Leica (the dealer was a Leica dealer). Surprise surprise the Leica was way better. The test consisted of basically "we all thought the Leica was great so Leica is better". While the Leica may have been better it was a pointless exercise.

I'd go Leica. The Nivo can't handle the the lateral tension of the non-locking tangent screws. And the reflectorless couldn't shoot wires from less than 100' away.

Leica blue-tooths great, has decent reflectorless, and holds zero better than any other gun I've used. And I was a Nikon man up till a few years ago.

But I haven't touched a Topcon in over 20 years.

Leica. Period.

I would love to have a gun the size of the Nivo or smaller. The reasons above are why I never bought one, but the size is really impressive.

We have Spectra Focus guns, which are the same thing as the Nevo. The size is great, and I haven't really had problems with the angular measurement or the accuracy. But the reflectorless is terrible. As noted above, they can't shoot power lines nearly as well as other guns I've used. And the spot size must get real big real quick - either that or the beam doesn't hold it's alignment with the optics.

Leica by a mile.
Last year I switched from a Leica based company to a Topcon based company. What a letdown. The Leicas are far superior shooting topo in the woods. The ES-103 requires a lot more visible glass to get a shot, where the Leica only requires a hint of glass to get a shot. I also couldn't believe Topcon didn't have the infinite range tangent screws. Running out of horizontal adjustment is really a time killer during location and topoing.
They also had a Nivo. It stayed in the shop. Mainly due to the electronics freezing up.

What Leica gun were you using?

JBN ARK, post: 433906, member: 11757 wrote: What Leica gun were you using?

The TS06 is very hard to beat for the money. Highly recommend.

Given the choice of those three I would go with Leica.

I saw that video a couple of years ago and my reaction was, what a crock. Plus I had always assumed that direct product naming comparisons are libelous. Anyway, there's another video in that series that has I think a Trimble instrument in the comparison and someone tellingly commented:

"Obviously a salesmen. No professional would constantly paw the tripod like that for no apparent reason. Take up smoking."

JBN ARK, post: 433906, member: 11757 wrote: What Leica gun were you using?

TCR803 ULTRA
I was roughly 10 years old.