<PAGE>


         As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1, 1996
                                                 Registration No.
                                                                   ------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                       FORM S-8
                                REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                                    COHERENT, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


              Delaware                           94-1622541
              --------                           ----------
    (State or other jurisdiction of              (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)            Identification Number)


                               5100 Patrick Henry Drive
                            Santa Clara, California 95056
                            ------------------------------
 (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of
  registrant's principal executive offices)

                          1990 DIRECTORS' STOCK OPTION PLAN
                                   1995 STOCK PLAN
                              (Full title of the plans)

                                 Robert J. Quillinan
                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                                    Coherent, Inc.
                               5100 Patrick Henry Drive
                            Santa Clara, California 95056
                                    (408) 764-4000
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
  of agent for service)

                                       Copy to:
                               JUDITH M. O'BRIEN, ESQ.
                          WILSON, SONSINI, GOODRICH & ROSATI
                               Professional Corporation
                                  650 Page Mill Road
                           Palo Alto, California 94304-1050

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                      Proposed       Proposed
                                       Maximum        Maximum
                        Amount        Offering      Aggregate       Amount of
Title of Securities     to be           Price        Offering     Registration
to be Registered     Registered (1)   Per Share       Price           Fee
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                  <C>            <C>          <C>               <C>
Common Stock,
$.01 par value        1,300,000      $52.75 (2)   $68,575,000.00    $23,646.55
</TABLE>


(1) Pursuant to Rule 420 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Act"),
    the prospectus contained herein with respect to the 1990 Directors' Stock
    Option Plan also relates to shares registered under the Form S-8
    Registration Statement No. 33-35609.

(2) Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) and (h) under the Act solely for
    the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based on the average of
    the high and low price of the Registrant's Common Stock as reported by
    Nasdaq NMS on April 29, 1996.

<PAGE>

                                    COHERENT, INC.
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

                                       PART II

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         There are hereby incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement the following documents and information heretofore filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by the Registrant:

    (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
         September 30, 1995, filed pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities
         Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act");

    (b)  Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
         ended December 31, 1995, filed pursuant to Section 13(a) of the
         Exchange Act; and

    (c)  Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 No. 33-35609, filed
         with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the purpose of
         registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shares of
         the Registrant's Common Stock reserved for issuance under its 1990
         Directors' Stock Option Plan.

         All documents filed by Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date hereof, and prior to the filing
of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereunder have been sold or which de-registers all securities then remaining
unsold under this registration statement, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         The validity of the issuance of shares of Common Stock offered hereby
will be passed upon for the Registrant by Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati,
P.C., Palo Alto, California.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporations Law authorizes a
court to award, or a corporation's Board of Directors to grant, indemnification
to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Act.  The Registrant's
Bylaws provides for the mandatory indemnification of its directors and officers
and permissible indemnification of employees and other agents to the maximum
extent permitted by Delaware General Corporation Law.  Registrant has entered
into an indemnification agreement with

                                          2

<PAGE>

each of its officers and directors which provide the Registrant's officers and
directors with indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law.  In addition, the Registrant's Certificate of
Incorporation provides that, pursuant to Delaware law, its directors shall not
be liable for monetary damages for a breach of the directors' fiduciary duty as
a director to Registrant and its stockholders, provided that such liability does
not arise from certain proscribed conduct.  Registrant also currently maintains
officer and director liability insurance.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  INDEX TO EXHIBITS.

Exhibit
 Number                     Description of Document
- --------    ---------------------------------------------------------

   5.1      Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities being registered.

  10.1      1990 Directors' Stock Option Plan, as amended, and form of option
            agreement thereunder.

  10.2      1995 Stock Plan and form of option agreement thereunder.

  23.1      Consent of Independent Auditors.

  23.2      Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1      Power of Attorney (see page 6).

                                          3

<PAGE>

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (a)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.  That, for the purpose of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective
amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. To remove from
registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being
registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

         (b)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant
to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report
pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant's Certificate of
Incorporation, Bylaws, indemnification agreements or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.

                                          4

<PAGE>

                                      SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Santa Clara, State of California, on this 30th day of
April, 1996.


                               COHERENT, INC.


                               By: /s/  Robert J. Quillinan
                                   ------------------------
                                   Robert J. Quillinan
                                   Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

                                          5

<PAGE>

                                  POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Robert J. Quillinan and Scott Miller
jointly and severally, his or her attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of
substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this
Registration Statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorney-in-
fact, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

     Signatures                          Title                       Date
- ------------------------   ----------------------------------   --------------

/s/ JAMES L. HOBART        Chairman of the Board and Chief      April 30, 1996
- ------------------------   Executive Officer (Principal
James L. Hobart            Executive Officer)

/s/ HENRY E. GAUTHIER      President, Chief Operating Officer   April 30, 1996
- ------------------------   and Director
Henry E. Gauthier

/s/ ROBERT J. QUILLINAN    Vice President and Chief Financial   April 30, 1996
- ------------------------   Officer (Principal Financial and
Robert J. Quillinan        Accounting Officer)

/s/ THOMAS SLOAN NELSEN    Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Thomas Sloan Nelsen

/s/ FRANK P. CARRUBBA      Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Frank P. Carrubba

/s/ CHARLES W. CANTONI     Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Charles W. Cantoni

/s/ JERRY E. ROBERTSON     Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Jerry E. Robertson

                                          6

<PAGE>

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                                Washington, D.C. 20549


                ------------------------------------------------------
                ------------------------------------------------------

                                       EXHIBITS

                ------------------------------------------------------
                ------------------------------------------------------


                          Registration Statement on Form S-8

                                    COHERENT, INC.

                                    April 30, 1996

<PAGE>

                                  INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit                                                                   Page
Number                                                                     No.
- -------                                                                   ----

   5.1      Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities being registered.

  10.1      1990 Directors' Stock Option Plan, as amended,  and form of option
            agreement thereunder.

  10.2      1995 Stock Plan and form of option agreement thereunder.

  23.1      Consent of Independent Auditors.

  23.2      Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1      Power of Attorney (see page 6).
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 14788}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "COHERENT INC", "cik": "0000021510", "assigned-sic": "3821", "irs-number": "941622541", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-03035", "film-number": "96554596"}, "business-address": {"street1": "5100 PATRICK HENRY DR", "city": "SANTA CLARA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95054", "phone": "4087644000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "5100 PATRICK HENRY DRIVE", "street2": "MAIL STOP P38", "city": "SANTA CLARA", "state": "CA", "zip": "95054"}, "former-company": {"former-conformed-name": "COHERENT RADIATION", "date-changed": "19770604"}}
As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 1, 1996
                                                 Registration No.
                                                                   ------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                               WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

                                       FORM S-8
                                REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                        UNDER
                              THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                    COHERENT, INC.
                (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

              Delaware                           94-1622541
              --------                           ----------
    (State or other jurisdiction of              (I.R.S. Employer
     incorporation or organization)            Identification Number)

                               5100 Patrick Henry Drive
                            Santa Clara, California 95056
                            ------------------------------
 (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of
  registrant's principal executive offices)

                          1990 DIRECTORS' STOCK OPTION PLAN
                                   1995 STOCK PLAN
                              (Full title of the plans)

                                 Robert J. Quillinan
                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
                                    Coherent, Inc.
                               5100 Patrick Henry Drive
                            Santa Clara, California 95056
                                    (408) 764-4000
 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code,
  of agent for service)

                                       Copy to:
                               JUDITH M. O'BRIEN, ESQ.
                          WILSON, SONSINI, GOODRICH & ROSATI
                               Professional Corporation
                                  650 Page Mill Road
                           Palo Alto, California 94304-1050

                           CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed       Proposed
                                       Maximum        Maximum
                        Amount        Offering      Aggregate       Amount of
Title of Securities     to be           Price        Offering     Registration
to be Registered     Registered (1)   Per Share       Price           Fee
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock,
$.01 par value        1,300,000      $52.75 (2)   $68,575,000.00    $23,646.55
(1) Pursuant to Rule 420 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Act"),
    the prospectus contained herein with respect to the 1990 Directors' Stock
    Option Plan also relates to shares registered under the Form S-8
    Registration Statement No. 33-35609.

(2) Estimated in accordance with Rule 457(c) and (h) under the Act solely for
    the purpose of calculating the registration fee, based on the average of
    the high and low price of the Registrant's Common Stock as reported by
    Nasdaq NMS on April 29, 1996.
COHERENT, INC.
                          REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-8

                                       PART II

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         There are hereby incorporated by reference into this Registration
Statement the following documents and information heretofore filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") by the Registrant:

    (a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
         September 30, 1995, filed pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Securities
         Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act");

    (b)  Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
         ended December 31, 1995, filed pursuant to Section 13(a) of the
         Exchange Act; and

    (c)  Registrant's Registration Statement on Form S-8 No. 33-35609, filed
         with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the purpose of
         registering under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shares of
         the Registrant's Common Stock reserved for issuance under its 1990
         Directors' Stock Option Plan.

         All documents filed by Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c),
14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date hereof, and prior to the filing
of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereunder have been sold or which de-registers all securities then remaining
unsold under this registration statement, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such
documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         The validity of the issuance of shares of Common Stock offered hereby
will be passed upon for the Registrant by Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati,
P.C., Palo Alto, California.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

         Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporations Law authorizes a
court to award, or a corporation's Board of Directors to grant, indemnification
to directors and officers in terms sufficiently broad to permit such
indemnification under certain circumstances for liabilities (including
reimbursement for expenses incurred) arising under the Act.  The Registrant's
Bylaws provides for the mandatory indemnification of its directors and officers
and permissible indemnification of employees and other agents to the maximum
extent permitted by Delaware General Corporation Law.  Registrant has entered
into an indemnification agreement with

                                          2
each of its officers and directors which provide the Registrant's officers and
directors with indemnification to the maximum extent permitted by the Delaware
General Corporation Law.  In addition, the Registrant's Certificate of
Incorporation provides that, pursuant to Delaware law, its directors shall not
be liable for monetary damages for a breach of the directors' fiduciary duty as
a director to Registrant and its stockholders, provided that such liability does
not arise from certain proscribed conduct.  Registrant also currently maintains
officer and director liability insurance.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.

         Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  INDEX TO EXHIBITS.

Exhibit
 Number                     Description of Document
- --------    ---------------------------------------------------------

   5.1      Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities being registered.

  10.1      1990 Directors' Stock Option Plan, as amended, and form of option
            agreement thereunder.

  10.2      1995 Stock Plan and form of option agreement thereunder.

  23.1      Consent of Independent Auditors.

  23.2      Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1      Power of Attorney (see page 6).

                                          3
ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (a)  To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement to include any
material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously
disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such
information in the registration statement.  That, for the purpose of determining
any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective
amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. To remove from
registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being
registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

         (b)  That, for purposes of determining any liability under the
Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Registrant's annual report pursuant
to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and,
where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report
pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is
incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a
new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

         (c)  Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling
persons of the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant's Certificate of
Incorporation, Bylaws, indemnification agreements or otherwise, the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is,
therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against
such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred
or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.

                                          4
SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the
Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all
of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration
Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Santa Clara, State of California, on this 30th day of
April, 1996.

                               COHERENT, INC.

                               By: /s/  Robert J. Quillinan
                                   ------------------------
                                   Robert J. Quillinan
                                   Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

                                          5
POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Robert J. Quillinan and Scott Miller
jointly and severally, his or her attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of
substitution, for him in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this
Registration Statement on Form S-8 and to file the same, with exhibits thereto
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorney-in-
fact, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by
virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and on the dates indicated.

     Signatures                          Title                       Date
- ------------------------   ----------------------------------   --------------

/s/ JAMES L. HOBART        Chairman of the Board and Chief      April 30, 1996
- ------------------------   Executive Officer (Principal
James L. Hobart            Executive Officer)

/s/ HENRY E. GAUTHIER      President, Chief Operating Officer   April 30, 1996
- ------------------------   and Director
Henry E. Gauthier

/s/ ROBERT J. QUILLINAN    Vice President and Chief Financial   April 30, 1996
- ------------------------   Officer (Principal Financial and
Robert J. Quillinan        Accounting Officer)

/s/ THOMAS SLOAN NELSEN    Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Thomas Sloan Nelsen

/s/ FRANK P. CARRUBBA      Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Frank P. Carrubba

/s/ CHARLES W. CANTONI     Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Charles W. Cantoni

/s/ JERRY E. ROBERTSON     Director                             April 30, 1996
- ------------------------
Jerry E. Robertson

                                          6
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                                Washington, D.C. 20549

                ------------------------------------------------------
                ------------------------------------------------------

                                       EXHIBITS

                ------------------------------------------------------
                ------------------------------------------------------

                          Registration Statement on Form S-8

                                    COHERENT, INC.

                                    April 30, 1996
INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit                                                                   Page
Number                                                                     No.
- -------                                                                   ----

   5.1      Opinion of Counsel as to legality of securities being registered.

  10.1      1990 Directors' Stock Option Plan, as amended,  and form of option
            agreement thereunder.

  10.2      1995 Stock Plan and form of option agreement thereunder.

  23.1      Consent of Independent Auditors.

  23.2      Consent of Counsel (contained in Exhibit 5.1).

  24.1      Power of Attorney (see page 6).