3D Scanner Comparison

FARO Orbis vs Leica BLK2GO: Hybrid vs Ultra-Portable

An expert comparison to help you choose the right equipment for your project.

Feature	FARO Orbis	Leica BLK2GO
Range	120 m	0.5–25 m
Point Rate	640,000 pts/s	420,000 pts/s
Accuracy / Precision	5 mm mobile / 2 mm Flash (1σ)	6–15 mm relative / 20 mm absolute indoor
Weight	Scanner 2.10 kg (+0.95 kg logger, +0.55 kg battery)	775 g incl. battery
Battery Life	~3 hours	45–50 min
Camera	30 MP pano (Premium) / 8 MP (base)	12 MP + 3× 4.8 MP pano

Pricing shown reflects average US rates — indicative ranges, not a quote. Actual costs vary by location based on local market conditions, regulations, and project logistics — both within the US and internationally. Get a custom quote

Option A FARO

FARO Orbis

Hybrid Mobile + Flash Scanner

FARO's hybrid SLAM scanner (base and Premium variants) combines walk-through mobile capture with stationary Flash scans at 2 mm precision. We don't operate the Orbis — this comparison shows how it stacks against the BLK2GO we use.

Pros

120 m range
640k pts/s
Stationary Flash mode at 2 mm precision
3-hour battery
512 GB / 50 h storage
Open exports: E57, LAS, LAZ, PLY

Cons

3.6 kg total carried kit
Body dimensions unpublished
IP54 stated only for the Premium, in prose

Best For

Mixed mobile + stationary workflowsLarger outdoor scenesFARO Connect/SCENE pipelines

Option B Leica

Leica BLK2GO

Ultra-Portable Handheld Scanner

Leica's 775-gram handheld SLAM scanner — the tool we use for confined spaces, tight corridors and rapid walk-through capture.

Pros

775 g — one-hand operation
Fits genuinely confined spaces
Vision + LiDAR + IMU SLAM fusion
Fast deployment

Cons

25 m range ceiling
45–50 min per battery
Narrow +5 to +40 °C operating window
No stationary high-precision mode

Best For

Confined and complex interiorsRapid as-built walk-throughsStairwells, tunnels, tight corridors

Our Expert Verdict

Depends on Your Needs

The Orbis is the bigger instrument: 5× the range, more points per second, a 2 mm stationary Flash mode and 3-hour endurance — carried as a 3.6 kg kit. The BLK2GO is a 775 g handheld that goes where larger scanners cannot.

Choose FARO Orbis if...

Choose the Orbis pattern for mixed indoor/outdoor sites needing longer range and stationary-grade precision in one mobile workflow.

Choose Leica BLK2GO if...

Choose the BLK2GO for speed and access — it is what we deploy for confined interiors and rapid documentation.

Download the Spec Sheets

Original manufacturer documents, free with no email required — verified against each manufacturer's live copy.

FARO Orbis / Orbis Premium

Spec sheet — CMO12127, rev 06/10/2025 (PDF) · 1.6 MB
Brochure — CMO5126, rev 7/16/2024 (PDF) · 4.1 MB

Source: FARO Technologies ↗

Leica BLK2GO

Source: shop.leica-geosystems.com ↗

Browse the full library: Equipment Spec Sheets & Downloads →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Leica BLK2GO specification applies?

Leica currently publishes two BLK2GO sheets; the 2025 shop sheet states 6–15 mm relative accuracy, the 05/2021 datasheet ±10 mm indoor. The figures quoted here are from the currently published shop sheet.

Which BLK2GO sheet do these figures come from?

From Leica's BLK2GO shop sheet labelled September 2025, which states relative accuracy of 6–15 mm, absolute indoor accuracy of 20 mm, and a +5 to +40 °C operating range. Leica also keeps a 05/2021 BLK2GO datasheet live on its own domain, stating ±3 mm range noise, ±10 mm indoor accuracy and a 0 to +40 °C operating range. Both sheets are currently published, so we quote the shop sheet and flag the difference rather than asserting which one supersedes the other.

Where do these specifications come from?

From FARO's official Orbis brochure (July 2024) and Orbis Premium tech sheet (June 2025), and Leica's current BLK2GO spec sheet (September 2025) — all three are free downloads in our spec-sheet library, byte-verified against the manufacturers' live copies in August 2026. The 30 MP camera figure belongs to the Orbis Premium; the base Orbis publishes 8 MP panoramas.

Equipment Used

Professional Equipment In This Comparison

The professional equipment in this comparison, compared spec by spec. Specifications shown are the manufacturers' published figures. Models THE FUTURE 3D operates are identified on their own pages.

Leica

Current

Leica