BINOCULARS: Fallacy & Fact: The Instruments, The Industry and You

“Decades of experience concentrated into the highest possible SNR.”

— Stephen F. Tonkin, Author Binocular Astronomy

“Bill Cook is a seasoned optical professional who has perfected ‘everything binocular’ with his no nonsense approach to straightening the curves of understanding concerning them. With an unmatched writing style, his vignette on Collimation vs. Conditional Alignment is spot on!”

— Gail Fisher, Repair Manager, Swarovski Optik

“I have gone through your book and I am amazed — it should be printed asap! It was not only fun to read, but also highly educational and absolutely worth studying, even for the experienced binocular user.”

— Holger Merlitz, Professor of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics,

Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, PR China.

“This is an important book and one that should be read by engineers, binocular users, collectors, dealers, and manufacturers.”

— Paul R. Yoder, Fellow Member of SPIE and OSA,

Co-Author Field Guide to Binoculars and Scopes

Written for any serious user, “Binoculars: Fallacy & Fact” provides a fascinating look at the world of binoculars by someone who knows binoculars inside and out. And when I say inside, I mean truly inside as Bill Cook has spent his career adjusting and repairing binoculars. Bill knows his stuff and he is not afraid to clarify the facts and to share his honest opinions with us. The book comes across as a casual conversation making it an easy read but chock-full of information illuminated by personal anecdotes.

— John E. Greivenkamp, Professor, College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona

“Going through the US Navy Opticalman “A” School with Bill, serving with him aboard USS Grand Canyon, and later working with him at Captain’s Nautical Supplies in Seattle, I can attest that you’ll not find a man more passionate or knowledgeable about optics and binoculars. Any odd-ball questions asked by the novice or self-proclaimed expert are quickly answered in a straight-forward and accurate manner. This book goes well beyond the ever-regurgitated numbers and gets into the facts of how it all works.”

— Cory A. Suddarth, President, Suddarth Optical Repair

“When it comes to optics, think Bill Cook. I have known him for several decades and his credentials are as strong as they come. When a question arises that I am unsure of, he is one of the first to be called on among the dozen or so experts I trust.

Bill is not out to protect brands and factories when they continually mislead consumers about their products. Instead, he tells it like it is — straight and honest — even when manufacturers get upset when they hear the truth.

This book will not only be helpful for those thinking about purchasing a binocular, but also those who want to learn more about the instrument they have now.”

— Alan Hale has served as C.E.O. and President of Celestron and is currently Chairman Emeritus of the company. Alan is the author of “Sport Optics – Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, and Riflescopes”