This is the inaugural edition of our newest news service: The Optics Wire. As we’ve grown over the past 25 years, we’ve always tried to find areas where you’ve told us you want more information. And this is the latest area where you’ve said you want more.

My entire professional career has revolved around optics. From shooting and processing film in the 1960s, I’ve moved, reluctantly at times, to digital equipment. Recreationally, I’ve also migrated from iron sights to scopes on my rifles and optics on my handguns. At the same time my spotting scopes and binoculars have evolved to incorporate technology that was inconceivable to the hunters, shooters and wildlife watchers of my childhood.

Today’s gear is lighter, higher performing, more durable and available in more options than ever before.

But with options come questions. What’s enough magnification? What’s sufficient resolution?

What’s the best piece of gear I can afford with my personal financial situation?

We’ve all heard the admonition: buy once, cry once, but that’s not necessarily the best advice for everyone.

If you’re just getting started, solid and reliable might be smarter than buying the top of the line.

We’ll work to give you the information needed to make informed decisions. Sure, we’ll talk about the latest-and-greatest, but we’ll also look at how to choose gear that’s best for you.

We want to know what you want from this new service. So, I’m asking for your input.

Let us know what you’d like to see-and we’ll get to work. Send your input to editor@opticswire.com. After all, none of us is as smart as all of us.

Welcome to The Optics Wire.

—Jim Shepherd