Humminbird vs Garmin Livescope

Every so often, a company that is renowned for its fish finders will come up with some new and innovative technology that will simply take the market by storm and usher in a whole new era of competition and new market innovations as competitors struggle to catch up.

Garmin’s Panoptix LiveScope is one such technology, eschewing the traditional, subpar upgrades that you typically get from device to device, in favor of a whopping brainstorm of consumer electronics bliss. 

As is usual with these things, competitors have been quick to rush out their own innovations to match Garmin’s, and the closest rival arrived in the form of Humminbird’s MEGA 360 and the separating factor is just the kind of thing to make customers pull a squirrel in the middle of a highway as a car approaches. 

What is Garmin Panoptix LiveScope?

Basically, the Panoptix LiveScope is essentially an underwater camera that utilizes sonar technology rather than film. Everything is revealed in real-time and in high definition for one of the clearest and most open imagery on the market.

The biggest question—post-release—was whether or not the advantages offered by the LiveScope are worth the exorbitant price point. Adding the Panoptix LiveScope costs anywhere between $1,500 and $2,000, which is a pretty hefty sum for what amounts to a single feature. 

It’s a single, incredible feature, but a single feature nonetheless. Fortunately, for those who took the bait and purchased one, there are a lot of things that this “single” feature does and it may be enough to pull in the most skeptical angler. 

What is the Humminbird MEGA 360?

The MEGA 360 is the best competitive device that Humminbird could have possibly offered precisely because it does exactly what the Panoptix LiveScope does, which means that it gives you a real-time view of everything, in clear, high-definition. However, it’s not as “Live” as you would probably expect.

The MEGA 360 gives you 150’ of imaging, including down and up, with precise and decipherable imagery including your fish lure, structures, bottom contours, baitfish, and game fish. 

Like the Garmin LiveScope, you’re going to pay a premium if you want to get your hands on one of these. The price range between the two competitors is almost exactly the same, with the 360 ranging from $1,500 to $2,000.

Garmin Panoptix LiveScope Features

When the LiveScope was released, it created quite a bit of controversy, despite its immense popularity. Many anglers complained that it essentially amounted to cheating, with the opposing side wondering why anything outside of dynamiting the water would be considered as such. 

What it all means, is that the LiveScope is so incredibly good at what it does, that it left some anglers feeling as if an unfair advantage had come around that would change the marine fishing industry, both as a competitive sport and as a hobby, forever.

Whether you agree or not with either side, there’s no doubting the technological prowess of the Garmin Panoptix LiveScope, and here’s why:

• Long-range and 360° scanning
• Real-time imaging
• Amazing level of detail and imagery
• Works while still or moving
• Watch your lure and fish reactions to it
• Works great in combination with waypoints
• Precision accuracy

It used to be that you had to troll up and down in rows in order to get a full and detailed scan of everything beneath your boat. It was time-consuming and, since it wasn’t live, everything that you just scanned was subject to change. 

With Panoptix LiveScope, that’s no longer an issue. Simply point the device in any direction that you want to scan and get real-time imagery and data back simultaneously. It’s as simple as pointing a camera while it’s recording. 

One of the biggest “wow” factors, when it comes to the Panoptix LiveScope, is the sheer level of detail and high-resolution imagery that it produces. The detail is so precise, that it’s almost as if you are viewing it through a high-definition camera. 

Unlike many features in modern transducers, the Garmin LiveScope continues operating whether you are sitting still or tearing out across the water at maximum speed. Regardless of your situation, you will always be able to see what is going on below.

The level of precision and detail is so focused, that you can target your lure and watch its position under the water. As fish move throughout the area, you can see them in detail and watch hope they react to your lure.

If there’s anything that’s better than actually being able to see the fish, the bait, the place, and connecting all of them together through the use of Waypoints, a separate Garmin feature that’s one of the most popular innovations on their fish finders. 

The best part of the Panoptix LiveScope is the level of precision and detail. It’s difficult to find another feature on another platform that can zero in that well and retain the high level of resolution and clarity that you get with the LiveScope. 

Humminbird MEGA 360 Features

Humminbird released their answer to the Panoptix LiveScope in early 2021, so the technology has been available for Humminbird enthusiasts for less than a year now. 

That being said, in order to find out whether or not there are major differences between the devices or to what level Humminbird attempts to transcend other iterations from Garmin and Lowrance, are few and far between.

Humminbird rarely produces a dud, however, and the word on the ground is that it is an outstanding device but does little to separate itself from Garmin’s LiveScope. The one major complaint with the Humminbird version is that it is more cumbersome when in use.

• High level of clarity and definition
• No Black box module
• Compatible with multiple Humminbird fish finders
• 150’ max range
• Mark and save waypoints
• Customize your sensitivity

Like the Garmin LiveScope, the level of resolution and clarity is truly incredible. You can get highly detailed images of structures, fish, baitfish, your lure, how the fish are reacting to your lure, and just about anything else that you can imagine going on below. 

You don’t need a black box module with the Humminbird MEGA 360 either. Imaging is deployed with the MEGA Live transducer and it plugs directly into the compatible display via ethernet and power. There’s no middle-man in between the two.

The 150’ maximum range is pretty standard across the board, so while it’s not a stand-out feature in terms of what Lowrance and Garmin can do, it’s notable because it’s comparable and not a feature that Garmin and Lowrance missed out on. 

Like the Garmin, you can customize your fish-finding ventures with your own waypoints. You can tie everything together as neatly as a bow. You can also customize the sensitivity levels (also known as “gain”).

It’s a nice, additional feature of the 360 since most anglers have gotten a little lazy with the automated sensitivity adjustments that are so prevalent. Turning it down filters out much of the clutter (returns), while turning up the sensitivity allows far more returns. 

Often, when it comes to newer technologies, it’s better to have a greater degree of control and that comes into play with the sensitivity functions. The imaging can also be adjusted from forward, down, and landscape modes by manually twisting the transducer.

Garmin LiveScope Vs Humminbird MEGA 360 Cost

In many cases, you’re going to find that the price points for either one are roughly the same. However, it’s always fun to track down deals and bundles. 

The Garmin Panoptix Livescope can easily be found at $1,500 and that comes with an LVS32 transducer, motor barrel mount, network, adapter, and power cables, transom mount, and the sonar black box.

The MEGA 360 costs around the same and comes with the MEGA 360 transducer with attached power and transducer cables, 10’ Solix transducer extension cable, 10’ Helix transducer extension cable adapter, aluminum mounting bracket, and retaining ring for the shaft.

Basically, what you’re getting from both is the transducer itself, along with all of the mounting hardware that goes along with it. One advantage that the Humminbird has, is that it is compatible with many devices within the Helix and Solix series of fish finders.

Humminbird also doesn’t require the black box that the Garmin Panoptix LiveScope requires, which means that the Humminbird version will definitely save you some room on the boat. If you opt for the Garmin version, you’re going to have to find some additional space for it.

Not to mention the fact that it’s just one more thing that you will have to connect together. Regardless of the additional equipment—or lack thereof—the price range is going to be roughly equivalent between the two.

All Things Considered

In terms of which version is better, it’s best to go directly to the source, which is comprised of the customers who have purchased the two variations. While Humminbird’s MEGA 360 is an outstanding piece of tech in its own right, it’s a little late to the showroom floor.

In the meantime, Garmin, releasing the LiveScope in 2018, had a major advantage, sweeping much of the customer base up with an incredibly enticing new technology. As far as operating ease-of-use, the Garmin is reportedly more functional, with the Humminbird being slightly more clunky.

At nearly the exact, same price point, however, it’s hard to argue one over the other. Garmin comes out slightly on top with the release advantage and its overall ease of use. 

Video Comparison: Humminbird vs Garmin Livescope