Field Tested: Leica Geovid Pro 32

When bowhunting, it’s not uncommon to have to flip between your binoculars and rangefinder while sizing up and preparing to take a shot at an animal. And, sometimes, you only have a few seconds to do it.

Well, with Leica’s new Geovid Pro 32 laser-rangefinding binoculars, you can have the best of both worlds at your fingertips, helping streamline the process and saving you valuable time as a fast-moving buck or bull approaches.

Billed as the first-ever compact premium rangefinding binoculars, the Geovid Pro 32 combines exceptional optics and precision rangefinding capabilities in a lightweight, compact design, making them perfect for Western hunts and wide-open spaces. Of course, they’ll also come in handy in the whitetail woods, especially when you have a big buck show up at a moment’s notice and quickly move into shooting range.

Available in 8x32 and 10x32 (shown above) models, the Geovid Pro 32 provides the exact distance to any nonreflective target up to 2,500 yards away simply by pushing a button. The distance can be displayed in either yards or meters, plus there’s a scanning mode so you can range continuously if an animal is on the move or you’re glassing the terrain.

Setting up the Geovid 32 is simple, with the two buttons atop the housing responsible for turning the unit on and navigating the menu. Downloading the Leica Ballistics App — available for both iPhone and Android — then allows you to pair and calibrate the binos in just a few minutes, unlocking a multitude of rangefinding features.

It goes without saying that when you’re bowhunting, especially when it comes to longer shots, having pinpoint readings to your target is crucial. To this end, the Geovid Pro 32 promises incredible accuracy — to within less than a foot on distances out to 200 yards.

One of the Geovid Pro 32’s highlights is the ability to create and store ballistic profiles (including for crossbows) in the app, and working with the unit’s on-board Applied Ballistics software and atmospheric sensor to generate important real-time data such as wind speed and direction and offer ballistics solutions. The rangefinder factors in environmental conditions such as air pressure, temperature and shot angle, to provide precise “simple range” and “equivalent horizontal distance” readings. Gun hunters who are shooting longer distances will, of course, find these technologies and features extremely helpful, but archery hunters will benefit too, primarily on Western and mountain hunts where steeper uphill and downhill shots are more common and arrow flight has the potential to be impacted by ambient conditions.

Another feature bowhunters will really appreciate is the advanced GPS tracking via Leica ProTrack (LPT). Once you locate your target, the app syncs with Google Maps, Garmin devices or BaseMap software, allowing you to mark the spot of that target. For example, if you see an elk or mule deer hundreds of yards away but need to navigate across rugged or mountainous terrain to get close, this function can help you with your approach to the area where you last saw the animal. Of course, the same principle can be applied to tracking game after the shot, helping in the recovery process. The best part? It can all be done without a cell signal.

As for the optics, the Geovid Pro 32 binos come with the renowned Leica clarity and precision sharpness. The Perger-Porro Prisms and HD lenses result in exceptional image quality, color contrast and light transmission, even in poor or low-light conditions. And, as mentioned, the unit is compact and lightweight.

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Both the 10x32s and 8x32s are only 6 inches long and 5.1 inches wide and weigh less than 2 pounds. That’s pretty important, especially when you’re on daylong hunts or lengthy treks hauling gear. The binos are waterproof to a depth of 16 feet, which means they will remain fogproof at high altitudes, and they come in a sturdy, shockproof housing to help withstand wear and tear in the field.

When you think about the cost of a high-end laser rangefinder, coupled with the price of high-quality binoculars, Leica’s Geovid Pro 32 is an excellent value, especially when you consider all the features the Applied Ballistics software offers and how these optics can aid in the field. Simply put, this is one pair of binos worth its weight in gold. — Associate Editor Mark Demko