The best replacement for theodolite is transit.

The best alternatives to theodolite are rated as following:
★★★★★  transit
★★★  total station
★★  spyglass

Your alternative for theodolite is not listed? Suggest!
Speaking about theodolite, one probably shouldn't forget about edm.

Other search terms related to theodolite and their ratings are:
★★★★★ edm
You have in mind a companion for theodolite and it is not yet here? Propose!



Google Trends

Scale is based on the average worldwide traffic of theodolite in all years. Click on graph for more.
theodolite
transit
total station