Near & Far
Working notes on optics, materials and the way things are made.
Why 6x
Higher magnification is not better magnification. Why 6x is the most usable power for handheld observation.
ALUMINUM AS A MATERIAL
You can't judge optics through a screen. But you can judge the housing. Machined aluminum, hard anodizing, and why they predict how the view holds up over a decade.
Packaging Design
The best optic is the one you actually have with you. A short note on the tyranny of the gear bag.
Six days in France
Notes from a slow trip through Paris and the Dordogne with one small binocular in a jacket pocket.
Local birding in Southern California
Coastal sage scrub, canyon edges, and estuaries — how a 6x binocular performs on the birds within twenty minutes of home.
FIELD TESTING IN CA
How the 6×16 handles coastal observation, moving wildlife, and low-contrast mountain light.
Observing from a moving window
Trains, ferries and back seats — how to actually see something from a vehicle that will not hold still.
Collimation, and why it matters
What happens inside a binocular when the two optical axes stop agreeing — and why you feel it before you see it.
NOTES ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING BINOCULARS
Exit pupil, prism glass, coatings, eye relief — what every spec on a binocular box actually does to the view, written for people who aren't optical engineers.
Designing for a decade
Serviceability, spare parts, and the unglamorous decisions that determine whether an object survives its warranty.
Redefining what a Compact Binocular is
The best compact binoculars aren't actually compact. Most of the category weighs 400 grams. Here's how we'd shop it, and why the Double Lion 6x16 is 77 mm and 145 g.