Hi everyone.
My name is Oliver Tinley, and first of all I wanted to thank you for stopping by Optical Mechanics.
I don’t have some crazy story about how I got into this, I just wanted to create a resource to help people learn about telescopes, binoculars and all things optical equipment.
While I’m not an expert in everything there is to know, the team here at Optical Mechanics are.
Our editorial team is made up of some of the best in their respected fields, from die hard enthusiasts to experienced professionals and published authors.
The team at Optical Mechanics will always put our readers first when it comes to how we do business and the content that we produce and thats something that we put our name to.
I’d like to thank you again for stopping by, please take a minute to check out the profiles of the rest of the team and find out what makes us tick.
Meet the Team
Below we have sorted our Posts by Author, so if you like a particular style, they should be easier to find.
Posts from Oliver
Calibrating Microscopes with Stage Micrometers & Reticles
Learn to calibrate microscope measurements using stage micrometers and eyepiece reticles. Build accurate scale bars, cut error, and choose the right accessories.
Light Pollution and the Bortle Scale: A Practical Guide
Understand light pollution, the 9-class Bortle Scale, sky brightness measurement, and practical dark-sky lighting to protect astronomy and ecosystems.
Numerical Aperture, Resolution, and Depth of Field
Understand numerical aperture, resolution limits, and depth of field in optical microscopy. Learn NA physics, Abbe/Rayleigh criteria, sampling, and trade-offs.
Posts from Richard
Posts from Zane
Best Telescopes under $1000
Are you ready to take your astronomy hobby up to the next level equipment-wise? Maybe you’ve learned the ropes on a small telescope and want to try your hand at locating deep-sky objects. Maybe you want to explore astrophotography. Whatever the reason, if your budget tops out at four figures, you need to read our
Meade ETX-90: A Classic, But Don’t Buy the Wrong One!
Meade’s ETX-90 was a flagship of the company’s product line for decades. Offering high-quality Maksutov-Cassegrain optics in a portable and affordable package, the ETX-90 was originally designed to compete with the Questar, a widely revered premium telescope that continues to cost over $5,000 USD new. The Questar debuted in 1958 and has remained unchanged since.
Phone Astrophotography: Gorgeous Images on the Go
The very word ‘astrophotography’ sounds like something difficult and complicated. And sure, it can be; there is virtually no upper limit to how much time and money you can spend on capturing the night sky on camera. But that smartphone in your pocket – already carrying out dozens of functions other than making phone calls –