Glasses, glass or plastic??

Some of the contributors here are particular about German vs Canadian glass on their lenses. How particular are you about the glasses you wear?

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Your glasses are your primary optics for viewing all pictures, scenes and life in general. I have had one pair of plastic lenses in 30 years, and never again. The definition and color are "terrible". Have any others on this forum noticed a difference?

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What differences besides weight?

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;)

I've had a pair of Zeiss glass once. In a word, great. But as my eye

sight deteriorates the glass got heavy and that gives me severe

discomfort, so i opted for plastics nowadays. Need to be comfortable

before i can even function, much less take photographs:) Interesting

thread.

Here's a post from Richard Clompus OD who posted it to the LUG. It's

a bit off topic but interesting.

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"As in camera optics, much as changed with the optics used in

spectacle lenses. When you reach age 40 or more, the eyes have lost

some of their ability to focus close. Its as if we are all born with

built in "macro lenses" that become more like "non-macro lenses"

after age 40.

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Bifocals (lens with distance and near optics) have been available

since Benjamin Franklin. He actually invented them. The problem is

our lifestyle and visual requirements have continued to change. We

need help in focusing at distance, intermediate (arms length) and at

near for reading. A trifocal lens can be used for this but is often

heavier and you now have three segements to deal with.

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A progressive lens is more like a zoom lens that focusses smoothly

from distance to near by lifting your chin so that you view through

lower areas of the lens. The optics have improved considerably in

the past five years.

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In optics there is no free lunch. The lens designer has to provide a

wide enough channel to view at the intermediate and near distances.

Aberrations are pushed peripherally - that include induced

astigmatism. Fortunately, the eight pound mass that sits on our

shoulders (brain) has a trmendous ability to process visual

information. Almost a third of it is dedicated for this purpose.

The brain uses the information and tends to suppress the

distortion. After a week, many patients don't notice any peripheral

distortion.

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Each lens company believes they have made the best choices and

compromises in their progressive design. Zeiss makes a Gradal

progressive lens from Germany. Varilux makes a Comfort progressive

lens from France. It was actually the French who came up with this

design concept in the 1960's.

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Most modern progressives work very well. Coupled with a UV 400

blocker and a five layer super anti-reflecive coating, they are

marvels of optical design.

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Some people can't adjust to progressives or even bifocals. I am

sympathetic to them. Using these lenses is a great convenience. Most

people do well when prescribed and fitted well. When measuring a

patient for progressive lenses, you have a tolerance of only 0.5mm to

line them up in the frame.

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Finally, the size of the frame is often linked to fashion trends.

Kind of reminds me of how men's ties go wide and then narrow and then

wide again.

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In optics, smaller is almost always better. The larger you go, the

thicker the lens becomes and the more peripheral distortion you

create. Smaller is thinnner, lighter and fewer distortions. You

must have a minimal size for the optics to fit but Europe leads the

way over America for optical design. Smaller is in for the moment.

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Talk to your doctor and make sure if you don't adapt for any reason,

they offer to remake your lenses into a visible bifocal at no

additional charge."

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Happy shooting,

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Richard

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

Richard Clompus, OD

West Chester, PA, USA

If I was in an accident with glass glasses and they shattered,

blinding me, my career would be over. I'll take plastic, thanks, in

spite of the definition and color (which I don't see, by the way--

maybe you should replace them more often than every 30 years.)

I have used plastic progressive lenses for 8 years (varilux, I

think) and find that my visual accuity with them is excellent. I have

not tried glass, but given my presription I would probably always

be falling on my face from the weight of the lenses.

I have no problem with plastic lenses, per se. I have had two pairs

of glasses that gave me some problems with color and acuity. The

first pair was made from flint glass, rather than crown, to cut down

on the thickness of the lenses. I saw color fringing, mostly yellow;

and things only looked sharp if I looked directly at them.

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A pair made from polycarbonate (lexan) plastic was somewhat similar.

I don't remember much of a problem with color fringing. They were

just, well, hard to look through. Not comfortable. It was like the

difference between looking through an $8.00 plastic loupe vs. a

Schneider. Never went for them again.

I used to have a Zeiss glass glasses but have in recent years changed

to a progressive focus Hoya multic-coated plastic glasses. I can feel

the difference, I can see things much better with the Zeiss glasses

but the Hoya weights much less and progressive focus is more

convenience. I have just ordered a progressive focus Zeiss glass

glasses, not cheap though, cost me US$350. The sales person said a

Zeiss progessive plastic glass weight much less and optically close

the glass glass but cost US$450. I prefer to leave more money on the

Leica lens.

I had plastic lenses (Pentax) and after a couple of years they became

so scratched and the coating wore off so much that I went back to

glass which are sparklingly clear. The M3 metal eyepiece does not help

as far as scratches are concerned - worse on plastic than glass. I

still use plastic with clip-on sunglasses for playing tennis though,

have another pair of plastic prescription sunglasses, and a

prescription pair of goggles for swimming.

I have used both glass and plastic and prefer glass. However, glass

breaks and that's just what happened to my Zeiss lenses--dropped

onto my concrete garage floor. Zeiss lenses are expensive, about

$350 for the lenses. IR for these lenses is 1.8, very high for

glasses, but the result is that they are very thin. (I had to sign a

safety waiver to purchase them.)

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I have Titanium Calvin Kline frames for another $300, or $650 total,

not including the exam.

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You have to be pretty careful with these under virtually all

circumstances. But it's worth it. My current pair, plastic, made by

Hoya (IR=1.71) are lighter and nearly as thin and cheaper, but not

by much ($300). However, I sometimes feel like I'm looking through a

thin layer of milk. It's a lot like flare. I'm not sure if it's the

lens itself or the coating, but they are not as clear as Zeiss.

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By the way, I had my Zeiss for over two years without an incident.

But it only takes once.

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I had to consider what would have happened if my glasses broke while

I was wearing them. My eyes and ears are precious. My eyes for

photography and my ears for music. They are both critical for the

hobbies I dearly love. I buy the best glasses I can for my eyes and

keep safety in mind. I buy the most pleasing sounding music systems

for my ears and avoid excessive noise and distortion.

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Regards,

Fun question! I have Neostyle frames (German made excellent

frames), and Sola Vizio lenses, which are plastic but have been

optically computed to have virtually 0% distortion throughout the

viewing field. VERY thin and the whole glasses are featherweight

yet durable. Spring-loaded hinges too. Aintireflective coating,

and scratch proofing, etc. The antireflective add so much

saturation to viewing!

one of my best friends is a high end optitian, and he is always

amused by the people that insist on buying zeiss lenses... yes, you

should buy a good pair of lenses, but there is no difference between

zeiss and other brands (except in price and that feeling people get

oohhing and ahhing about their great lenses - kind of like leica

users do =)

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There are big differences in the coatings and frames though.

The lenses in my glasses (which I wear all day) were made by

Rodenstock in Regen (Southern Germany). They were the best quality and

highest-priced lenses I could find. Not going to change anything here.

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My older glasses' lenses were more plastic and softer and cheaper and

much easier to scratch. But the glass I have today has never gotten

any scratches, even when I smear my glasses up close along the

viewfinder eyepiece (which is, yes, surrounded by a rubber framing) or

up along my older 21A viewfinder eyepiece (which is, however, all

metal).

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Definition and color are absolutely neutral or "objective" here, much

better than plastic. Glass lenses almost all consist basically of the

same type of silica, whereas plastics vary much more considerably

among themselves. Also, the glass lenses being so hard and stable

means that they can also be made so much thinner than the older

plastic ones. Therefore much lighter. Thickness however also depends

on whether you need plus or minus dioptrine values.

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For me, lens hardness is the most important parameter. I love my TTL,

but it's not the only thing capable of scratching my glasses.

I am looking for new glasses too!

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I have asked at several optical stores, but nobody has the newest

multicoated Zeikon. They told me that I should wait for the

aspherical lenses with the APO option. No doubt they will allow my

eyes to see better. That means that I will understand what I see

better, right?!

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So, here is my question: Should I trade in all of my "old" autofocus

glasses for the newest "manual focus" Zeikon? Are the German made

lenses better than the older Canadian or Japanese versions? Will the

newest lenses work as well on older frames or should I trade in for

newer frames? I am undecided because I know that Canon is also

coming out with new lines.

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I am a beginner in this area and have a barrel full of money to spend

and you lot seem like you know what you are talking about.

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;-)

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Man, I thought that Leica versus Zeiss was a technical debate!

I have one pair Zeiss glasses with Dunhill frame, the Zeiss glasses

are heavy; I keep it home for reading. I bring along Fuji plastic

glasses

I've been wearing glasses for 35 years, and have yet to break glass

ones. I tried plastic a few years ago, and, despite the alleged

coatings etc, they quickly developed a nasty scratch haze right where

I bring my left eye to a camera viewfinder. Never again! But finding

glass is not easy, the McGlasses (as an ex-optometrist friend

calls 'em) chains don't do glass and even the few remaining real

opticians and optometrists are reluctant. With much hassle, I did

find glass, in bifocals, and settled for plastic "computer glasses"

as I'm not likely to do anything too destructive to them sitting in

front of the CRT. Bifocals plus computer glasses = nice way of saying

trifocals, ugh. My eyes were not made by Leitz....

Is anyone still on this thread?

(being as the last post was 2002?)

.....I'm so frustrated trying to get glasses I can see with

I'm considering Lasik....

at this point in my frustration I consider optometry to be a bogus

profession...."you'll get used to it"....

Wondering where to get glass progressives, and what the opinions are out there on the best configurations, mfrs.

We here in the U.S. suffer from the worst on the market.

I had some Hoya Summit Pro plastic lenses made for me in Thailand

that were a revelation after the intitial 2 week adjustment period,

but have found nothing comparable here stateside.

The plastics here scratch horribly within a month, let alone

finding an optician who understands they need to compensate by

3mm for my broken nose to get the optical centers correct.

I think ASMP needs to compile a list of competent eye doctors and

optomitrists for distribution to the membership.....

Ready to spend the 800.00 they want for hi index Essilor Physios

for a return ticket to Thailand. OK enough rant.

Who mfr's hi index glass progressives....I know how to handle glass,

not worried about breaking it?

Peter Stazione

Stazionephoto@hotmail.com

505-629-0767

I searched for Nikon Opthalmic in the USA but they have ceased operations there.

There is a Canadian Nikon lenswear site so I suppose that is a bit nearer 'home' for you.....

http://www.nikonlenswear.ca/en/lentilles/progressive.php

thanks for this link Trevor...

.....hopefully going back to Thailand.....

book of images from there published in about two weeks.

It was so painlessly easy getting great glasses there.....

will post link to book shortly.

best regards,

Peter Stazione,

stazionephoto@hotmail.com,

www.peterstazione.com