I’m delighted to announce that a good friend of the magazine and a genius in the world of optics and telescopes, Alan R. Hale, has just published a new book that will be valuable for many amateur astronomers. For years, Alan was president and CEO of Celestron and has been retired for a number of years. His unique experience in the optical field led to the publication of SPORT OPTICS: Binoculars, Spotting Scopes & Rifle Scopes (182 pp., paper, Hale Optics, Rolling Hills Estates, California, 2013, $24.95, ISBN 978–0–9897916–0–1).
The book contains voluminous information about using optics for sport — for astronomy, birdwatching, sports viewing, hunting, and other activities. The book is beautifully illustrated with a huge number of photos and well-executed diagrams. All designs and manufacturers are covered and included.
The book’s coverage includes the basics of binoculars, spotting scopes, and riflescopes, including criteria for choosing the right optics, how the optical systems work, and the basics of all the optical components. The book also describes in detail aberrations in optics, controls on optical products, details for decision making on purchases, cleaning and repair, and manufacturers. Many appendices offer handy reference tables of all sorts.
This is an invaluable book for anyone who wants binoculars or a spotting scope or who already owns them. My own blurb for the book reads as follows: “Alan Hale’s Sport Optics is a great and essential book for amateur astronomers, birding enthusiasts, hunters, and outdoor lovers. It presents a uniquely valuable overview of binoculars, spotting scopes, and rifle scopes, and delivers everything you need to know to choose and use the best optical gear for your outdoor activities. A winner!”
You’ll find other glowing accounts of the book on the endpapers from the likes of Al Nagler, Fred Bieler, Paul Yoder, Pete Dunne, Bill Cook, Dennis di Cicco, Jason Mulek, and others.
For more on the book and to order copies, you can go here.