Best sonar

Looking to spend up to $1200. 7" screen at a min. I have a lowrance right now. And older combo X27c. Its ok. Im not leaning towards any particular brand. I do have a new motorguide that could link up with a lowrance but I dont think i would use that much. Looking for the best unit for the price of $1200. DI, SI, GPS, etc. The lowrance claim that you can see the screen perfect in sunglass appeals to me as i have rx sunglasses and they dont come off. Just not sure if all the screens are like that now. I was leaning towards the hds live 7" but garmin was just put into my mind by a guide i know. Losing my mind, please help!!

I will say that hummingbird has better definition. However if you are not tech savy the Hook2 series by lowrance is the best plug and play fish finder you can get. you can get a 12 inch hook2 with si and di for about 1300 bucks if you shop around.

A few more,....

Desk top 3-D Imagery from sonar recordings of Depth,& bottom hardness of mid lake structures I fish in Ontario Canada.

A few more 3-D sonar images for some of those who liked.

Fishhook's got the right idea. Buy a unit you can afford then use the heck out of it, learning it's features as you go. Nice mapping set up to get that kind of detail on a hump.

Here is a few shots of my geeky sonar recording/map making skills,lol.

”with the old Doctor Depth software using Lowrance”.

Doctor Depth sold out to Humminbird,the rest is history.

A few SI screen shots I have.

Best sonar?

tough question,all in the eye of the beholder.

I was a Lowrance guy,turned Humminbird guy.

reason being,the quality of side imaging back then.

so,2/9/11,I installed a HB998csi on my boat.

fast forward to last week,I am getting my boat rigged up with the new HBhelix10,& a Minnkota Uterra. The old HB998 will go to the bow.

I bought the Helix10 for obvious reasons,but most interesting to me,at this time,is making contour mappings of my Canadian shield fishing spots right from my boat,as there is no lakemaster contour map of the water I fish up there.

btw,as you can tell from the picture. I’m still a partime Lowrance guy,lol.

Myself I am a Humminbird guy. Presently I have the Helix 10 mega SI DI GPS at the console and ethernet it to a Helix 9 GPS at the bow. Humminbird has great customer service. I never owned a Lowrance but know people with them and they love them. Right now I am sticking with the bird. #Navionics

I run Humminbirds.  I have an older one right now with side imaging, down imaging...etc.  I've never used down imagine, but that side imaging feature is flat out amazing.

I'm upgrading to a new Helix with Mega Side imaging.  As good as the old side imaging was, MEGA is even better.

If you are getting a new one, that is the one feature I'd be looking at.  It may cost a little more, but dang, it is worth it.  You can clearly see fish and even identify them.

Got a few muskies this fall from watching side imaging and getting suckers over their heads.  It's almost unfair.

Was up on the Chip, had a musky chase a sucker around the boat, then it went away.  We saw it on side imaging, picked the sucker up, tossed it where we knew it was and it ate it right after it hit the water.  Fat 45 incher.  Never would have known where that fish was without side imaging.

I've been a Lowrance guy since I owned my first boat. This winter I bought the Helix Ice G2N so I figured I could try it on the boat too so I bought a new Helix G3N with Mega DI and installed them this weekend. I was presently surprised with the ease of networking and the menu's are so easy once you use them for a few minutes.

So far I'm impressed and look forward to trying them on the water!

I am a Hummninbird guy.  My suggestion is if you have a Motorguide that will hook to your locator Lowrance, go that route.  You may not think you will use that functionality, but once you try it you will love it.

Thanks guys. Definitely leaning towards lowrance. A guide friend i was out with reminded how bad their customer service is. Also mentioned they are a year behind garmin due to a non compete of some sort. But when it comes to technology side (software, hardware, processors, etc.) I am lost. Counter guy at basspro claims lowrance processor the best. Not sure i trust his knowledge. 

Honestly I think the big names will all be good.  If you have a Motorguide already I'd probably go Lowrance just in case you ever want to link them, unless you are 100% certain it will never happen.

For me I had Minn Kota so I went with the Humminbird Helix so that I could link those up.  Haven't used it though, installing it and waiting on a few things to come in the mail.  I like the idea of setting a path or contour and letting the trolling motor do the steering.

If you have the MG Xi5, I would look at the Lowrance units. I connected mine a couple years ago and use it fairly often. Being able to make a quick route you want to fish on the screen and then telling it to follow that line at a set speed is a nice feature. I am working with a 9” HDS gen 2 touch at the helm and gen 3 7” on the front. I jut added side scan last year and am still trying to work that into my knowledge base. If connecting them is really not something you will do, disregard all of the above, I am sure others will chime in with comparisons.