Hi all, I'm wondering what kind of fish finder is currently best value for money in the ~$1000-$2000 ball park. Use will be in 10m-50m water around Canterbury, and 100m-300m+ off Kaikoura at least a few times a year. I'm thinking a Furuno FCV-628 which takes a P66, or maybe a 588 with a 1kw transducer. 

I'm brand agnostic. But it seems to me that the main benefits of Lowrance, Garmin etc in that range are all sorts of gizmos:shallow water structure scanning, chirp, side view, chartplotting...

What about if I settle for finding fish in 250m? I assume side scan would be useful for scooting up and down the bays and harbours around Banks peninsula. Is there a unit that does it all well, or do I need to compromise on price or buy two units: one for deeper stuff and one for side scan/plotting etc?

I've only had the one Lowrance unit and wasn't impressed. Of course it was 6 years ago and was a budget $150 job with the standard tranny. It would find bottom past 60m out Raglan, but I don't think I ever had it paint a fish for me that was actually there. Obviously not really valid if I'm going up budget and a newer model. 

Yes this is beginning to make a bit of sense to me now. It seems that I will need to compromise on something, either price or features. 

There have been numerous discussions on this site regarding the pros and cons of various  brands of sounders and transducers.  One post in particular that comes to mind was from AlanL if I recall correctly.  He posted up some sounder pics using a P66 transducer.  They were quite remarkable, he was picking up bottom in 600m+ or thereabouts as I recall.  I guess the point I'm making is that performance is based on selecting the right settings and really fine tuning the unit.

I have a Garmin 7412 with a 600W GT51 transducer that punches well above its weight both in the shallows and deep water. I have found fish at 430m and have no problems at all at 300m.

Here are Puka, Bass, Bluenose & Gemfish all caught at 369m

  

Joker wrote: I have a Garmin 7412 with a 600W GT51 transducer that punches well above its weight both in the shallows and deep water. I have found fish at 430m and have no problems at all at 300m. Here are Puka, Bass, Bluenose & Gemfish all caught at 369m

I'm wondering about that. Easier to spend up while I'm building the boat and keep it as is for ten years rather than go spending after I've called it finished. 

I've been looking at thru hulls where I'd drill a hole. I don't think that they do side view with my deadrise. I prefer them to inhulls (where I need to remove the wooden core, fit a pure glass patch and place the transducer inside the solid glass.) Thru hulls also do temperature.