How the Leica RTC series scanners compare: RTC300, RTC500 and RTC700

Every Leica RTC series laser scanner delivers the same survey-grade point cloud with one trusted platform and the same field-to-cloud-to-office workflow. That means the real decision-maker isn't accuracy, but rather how much range, speed, resolution, and survey control your projects demand.

This guide compares the Leica RTC300, RTC500, and RTC700 so you can move past the spec sheet and choose the RTC scanner that best fits the work your team needs to deliver.

How the Leica RTC series scanners compare: RTC300, RTC500 and RTC700

The three models primarily differ in four areas: maximum measurement range, scanning speed, available scan resolutions, and level of surveying functionality.

Choosing the scanner that's right for you

But the fastest way to find your model is to start from the work, not the spec sheet. Each scanner is tuned for different kinds of projects (though there is significant overlap in certain cases), so let's take a look at those. 

Leica RTC300: a building-documentation workhorse

Choose the Leica RTC300 if you work with building documentation and you want a production-ready 3D laser scanner without paying for range you might not use (and keep in mind you can always upgrade later). Its 85-metre range and one-million-points-per-second rate suit interiors, facades, and standard scan-to-BIM jobs where spaces are enclosed and the scanner is rarely far from its target.

The RTC300 is well-positioned for AEC/BIM and small plant facilities applications. Picture an existing-building survey for a refurbishment: a crew captures floors, rooms, and structural elements at flagship point cloud accuracy, then takes that data straight into a BIM model. Because the RTC300 carries the same accuracy specification and the same imaging system as its siblings, deliverable quality is never compromised. This scanner is a formidable entry point to the platform, and its scalability means you can upgrade later without changing how your teams work.

Leica RTC500: the productivity all-rounder

Choose the Leica RTC500 when you need more productivity and more reach than the RTC300, but your projects do not call for the longest range or dedicated surveying tools. With two million points per second (double that of the RTC300) across a 130-metre range, it captures larger and more open spaces in fewer setups, which shortens time on site.

The RTC500 is built for AEC/BIM, industrial plants, and public safety. In an industrial plant, the extra range and speed earn their keep: you're scanning tall, cluttered, possibly pipe-dense environments where reaching across a wide bay in a single setup saves real hours. For public safety, that same speed means less time on a scene, allowing a site to be captured quickly and accurately when conditions are unstable and time is short.

It's the versatile middle of the range, built for teams that want higher throughput without added complexity.

Leica RTC700: the long-range survey instrument

Choose the Leica RTC700 when range, resolution, and surveying functionality are non-negotiable. It reaches up to 270 metres at two million points per second, captures full-dome resolutions down to 1.6 millimetres and area scans down to 0.8 millimetres at 10 metres, and includes advanced surveying workflows: setup over known points, resection, traverse, and dedicated target measurement to 75 metres.

The RTC700 is built for surveying, heavy construction, and infrastructure. On a railway or tunnel project, the long-range covers linear, hard-to-access corridors in fewer setups, while the denser resolutions resolve the fine detail that structural and clearance analysis depend on. It's also well-suited to stadiums and other large construction projects.

For a surveyor, the built-in georeferencing and registration workflows let the scanner fit straight into a controlled survey network rather than sitting outside it. This is the model for the most demanding projects, where the environment is challenging and the tolerance for gaps is low.

One workflow across the whole series

Whichever Leica RTC laser scanner you choose, the path from capture to deliverable is identical, and that is what makes a mixed fleet work efficiently. A team that starts on the RTC300 for building documentation can add an RTC700 for a long-range infrastructure contract without retraining, because the field and office workflow does not change. An RTC300 indoors, an RTC500 across a plant floor, and an RTC700 on the long exterior runs can all feed one project.

In the field, you capture and validate scans in Leica Cyclone FIELD 360, adding GeoTags and checking coverage before you leave the site. As each scan is taken, Livelink in Cyclone FIELD 360 synchronises preview data in real time through Hexagon GeoCloud, so an office coordinator can review coverage and begin early registration while the field crew is still working. Back in the office, the data is registered and prepared in Leica Cyclone REGISTER 360 PLUS, then carried through to deliverables in tools such as Leica Cyclone 3DR and Leica CloudWorx Ultimate.

The choice comes down to fit. Decide how much range, speed, resolution, and surveying capability your projects need, and the right Leica RTC model follows from that.

To compare full specifications and download the data sheet for each model, visit the Leica RTC series product page. If you want to see the scanners in action first, watch our on-demand RTC series webinar for a closer look at how the three models work in the field.