OKM 3D scanners compared: Rover C4, eXp 7000, GeoSeeker
OKM is the German manufacturer people usually mean when they talk about 3D ground scanning, and the range confuses buyers because the models look similar and are not doing the same job. A Rover C4 images buried structures. A GeoSeeker looks for water. An eXp 7000 is a different class of instrument again. Buying the wrong one is an expensive mistake, so here is what separates them.
Rover C4 — the working 3D scanner
The Rover C4 is the model most of our customers end up with. It is a 3D ground scanner and metal detector in a 1.5 kg unit, with a touchscreen, hardware buttons as a backup, and multilevel LED lighting for working after dark. It runs four operating modes: 3D Ground Scan, Pinpointer, Mineral Scan and Magnetometer.
It ships with two exchangeable probes. The Standard Probe covers 3D Ground Scan and Magnetometer; the Super Sensor works across all four modes and returns higher-resolution 3D images. Both carry an LED Orbit that signals targets during the scan itself, colouring metals and voids differently as you walk, so you are not waiting until you get back to a screen to know whether the pass was worth anything.
Scan data transfers to OKM's Visualizer 3D Studio software, which is where the actual interpretation happens. This is the part buyers underestimate: the scanner collects measurements, and reading those measurements is a skill. Budget time for learning it. At USD 34,000 the Rover C4 is a serious purchase and it repays operators who put the hours in.
Rover UC — the same idea, folded into a walking pole
The Rover UC does 3D ground scanning in a 500 g package that folds down into what looks like a walking pole. At USD 33,800 it is priced beside the C4, and the choice between them is about how you work rather than capability tiers. If you travel to sites, cross borders, or want equipment that does not announce itself, the UC is the practical answer. If you scan the same ground repeatedly and want the larger interface and probe options, take the C4.
eXp 7000 Professional Plus — the flagship
The eXp 7000 Professional Plus is a different level of instrument: seven sensor pairs, eight operating modes, and OKM's top German-built 3D platform. At USD 119,960 it is bought by survey operations and well-funded exploration teams rather than individual prospectors, and it is quoted and configured per order rather than sold off a shelf. If your work justifies it you will already know; if you are unsure, it is almost certainly not the machine you need.
GeoSeeker — not a metal detector at all
The GeoSeeker is the model most often misunderstood, so it is worth being explicit: it is a geoelectric resistivity instrument, not a metal detector. It uses a four-electrode Schlumberger array to measure how current passes through soil and rock, which is how you map water-bearing layers and decide where to sink a borehole. It will not find gold, and it is not trying to.
- GeoSeeker — USD 25,000. Four-electrode geoelectric sounding for groundwater and borehole siting.
- GeoSeeker Mini — USD 34,400. Geoelectric water survey to a stated 100 m, aimed at reading the ground before you commit a drilling rig.
For anyone drilling wells across the Sahel, East Africa or MENA, this is the equipment that decides whether a borehole hits water or costs you a dry hole. That is a different business from prospecting, and a different conversation — but it is one we have often.
Which one, in one line each
- Imaging buried structures, caches and voids, working regularly on known ground — Rover C4.
- The same job, but you travel and want it compact and discreet — Rover UC.
- Funded survey work where the instrument is a line item, not a personal purchase — eXp 7000 Professional Plus.
- Finding water and siting boreholes — GeoSeeker or GeoSeeker Mini. Not a detector.
The Rover images ground. The GeoSeeker reads water. They are not alternatives to each other.
What to plan for before you order
Two things decide whether an OKM purchase works out. The first is the learning curve — scan data needs interpreting, and operators who skip that step blame the machine for their own reading. The second is scan discipline: consistent line spacing and walking speed produce usable images, and rushed scans produce noise. Neither is a reason not to buy; both are reasons to plan for training time.
Buying, warranty and delivery
We are a Dubai-based authorised dealer, and every OKM unit is brand-new, sealed and covered by the manufacturer's warranty, with a commercial invoice and export paperwork on every shipment. There is no online card checkout. Message us on WhatsApp in French, Arabic or English with the work you actually need to do — imaging, prospecting or water — and we will tell you which of these fits and confirm price and delivery to your country. You are also welcome to see the units at our shop on Baniyas Road in Deira.
