Originally Posted by
BackPacker
Which of the two is going to give me the best information, to make a split-second decision whether to go around or not?
It's not a split second decision, you're not listening to the controller and doing mental arithmetic when you're so near the ground that a split second matters!
However when you're being tossed around at a few hundred feet it can be encouraging when the controller tells you that it's a lot better lower down. (You'll make your own mind up whether you believe him when you get down there, of course.)