Wearing sunglasses (prescription) /transition lenses while shooting

<p>I wear eyeglasses pretty much all of my waking hours (could never get into wearing contact lenses) and I also have a pair of prescription sunglasses; however, when I am outside during the daylight hours shooting--at a time when I would usually wear the sunglasses, I find that I always want to shoot while wearing my regular glasses. I also seem more sensitive to this when I am using a polarizing filter as I don't want to see the odd combination of light patterns I sometimes get between sunglasses and polarizer. I have also had people suggest to me (in an effort to get to one pair of glasses) that I should consider those transition-type lenses that automatically darken in sunlight. However, it is precisely because of my photography that I don't want lenses like that.</p>

<p>I am curious as to what others who wear eyeglasses think about wearing sunglasses while shooting? Do you? Any visual interference between your eyeglass lenses and any filters you may use? Any issue with transition type lenses?</p>

<p>Always been a problem for me. So I take along a pair of regular glasses and switch to them when shooting with a SLR/DSLR...not an issue when I'm shooting with a rangefinder body.</p>

<p>I switch from transition lenses to clear when photographing in bright light. I was shoveling snow in bright light in the cold. The transitions get almost opaque in that glare and don't recover very swiftly until they warm up. They are a pain sometimes. </p>

<p>I can never get used to shooting anything regardless of whether it's my regular glasses or sunglasses. I resorted to contact lenses instead, and take the sunglasses off when shooting.</p>

<p>What Monika said. Moving from glasses to contacts made a big difference. Getting cataract surgery (one eye, so far) made an even bigger one...</p>

<p>I've worn glasses most of my life and have a pair of prescription (polarizing) sunglasses, but I always wear my normal glasses when shooting since it changes the light. I tired the transition lenses but they don't work very well in cars (when they're most useful) since the windshield blocks UV light which some brands of thoses glasses use to change. I'd love to wear contacts but my prescription is for myopia, astigmatism, and prism effect.</p>

<p>I have tons of problems with polarized sunglasses. If I rotate my smartphone 90 degrees it blacks out. I can't see the radio display in my car unless I turn my head 90 degrees. I see all kinds of strange dark artifacts using the electronic viewfinder of 2 cameras. They interfere with a polarizer on my lens. </p>

<p>I now have some NON polarized prescription sunglasses. Work great for everything. I had to explain it 5 times to 3 different people at the eye doctor that I did NOT want the lenses to be polarized but they finally did it. I'm very happy with them. Everything is darker but as I am near sighted I just look down at the camera without removing my glasses and check the rear LCD of the camera to make sure the last shot was okay.</p>

<p>I had the transition lenses. I didn't like them because they are activated by UV light. While driving your car windshield blocks UV light so they don't darken so I still needed sunglasses.</p>

<p>Back in the 70's, I felt strongly enough that glasses and cameras didn't mix that I bought a diopter attachment for my viewfinder. Then came diopter adjustments built right into the viewfinders. Woohoo!</p>

<p>Somewhere along the way, I switched to contacts, and then years later my eyes would no longer tolerate them. That's when I considered having Lasik surgery. That's lasted me until the reading-glasses stage of my life. But at least I don't have to wear glasses for most things. Reading my camera's LCDs and markings at night is a bit of a pain, but I can enthusiastically recommend the Lasik.</p>

<p>Oh, and polarized shades are awesome for road and water reflections. Every once in a blue moon, we'll see polarized shades on sale at the Dollar Store for a buck or two each, and we buy a bunch of them for ourselves and for guests we take out on the water. But I admit they don't work well with LCD screens! When out on the water with polarized shades, I'll tilt my head to one side to read the chart plotter and depth finder. (You would think someone would figure out to turn the polarization 90 deg on marine navigational instruments!)</p>

<p>I wear regular glasses and use clip-on sunglasses when I need them (one that match the shape and style of my glasses, not the dorky flip-up kind). I take the sunglasses off when shooting. <br /><br />I had the transition type glasses many years ago. When they were dark, they were too dark for looking through the camera. When coming inside, they were too slow to lighten up again even to see let alone shoot. And they had a slight color cast even when clear. <br /><br />At one point I had prescription sunglasses and loved them for regular use but it was too much hassle going back and forth between them and regular glasses while shooting. <br /><br />Never had any luck when I've tried contacts. They work fine in the eye doctor's office but I just can't get the hang of poking my finger in my eye when I get home with them.</p>

<p>Even before the lens replacements, etc., I found it easier to shoot with no glasses at all (adjusted the diopter). Now my old eyes are 'rehabbed'</p>

<p>With glasses I had trouble seeing the entire area.</p>

<p>Once, I thought my iPad had gone kaput because I couldn't see the little startup apple with my polarized sunglasses on.<br>

As a rule, I don't wear my glasses at all while shooting, I just suffer with the eye strain. Admittedly, not a very smart thing to do... I use the same method for focusing that the optometrist uses when checking my eyes "...how about now, better or worse?". Between the built in diopter, patience, and a little luck, I can usually manage a sharp image. I do find that, at least for me, EVF's are much harder on my uncorrected eye than traditional optical viewfinders--exactly the <em>opposite</em> of what I originally suspected. As a side note, my new favorite is the amazing Fuji hybrid viewfinder.</p>

<p>Wearing any kind of glasses is problematic. Polarized sunglasses pile on the problems.</p>

<p>Now, I love polarized sunglasses. Nothing beats them for boating, driving, or being out in the sun anytime. But there are issues, which are not always the fault of the glasses.</p>

<p>Any LCD display has a polarizing filter between the actual display and the glass. Without it, an LCD would simply appear blank (years ago, I had an LCD calculator that I could take the polarizing filter out of, flip it, and make the display invert the colors...). So, since you are seeing polarized light from an LCD panel, and you view it with polarized glasses, it is very possible to have a variety of problems, from blotches to complete darkness. BTW, this is how those "variable" ND filters work, by playing two polarizers off one another.</p>

<p>With modern cameras having LCD overlays in their viewfinders (Canon 7D, etc. many Nikons), you'll have these problems there. At best, you'll see fine through it in, say, landscape mode, but turn the camera for a portrait, and the LCD goes black.</p>

<p>I agree with the others about contacts. When I know I'm out shooting, I use them, and carry several pair of readers with me. If you haven't tried contacts in a long time, the new daily wear lenses are like a wisp of nothing on your eye compared to the older types. I only know they're there, because I can see so much more clearly. Since I'm usually out shooting only on weekends, a 90 day supply will last me more than a year.</p>

 

<p>I photography with Transitions lenses all the time. I like them well enough. Be aware that the Transitions coating will develop many micro cracks (like a faint crackle pattern) and start to develop a noticeable yellow color cast after about 2-3 years. In my experience after 3 years the lenses need to be replaced.</p>

<p>I just use regular prescription sunglasses when I shoot in sunny weather. No polarization going on, just plain neutral density. I don't have any problems with using them while photographing.</p>

<p>I use separate polarizing sunglasses complete with temples and a neck lanyard. They come in different shapes and sizes to fit over your regular glasses. People really can't see the regular glasses. When shooting, I take them off leaving them hang from the lanyard or move them up to sit on the top of my forehead.<br /> Here's a shot of me with them on my forehead. You can see the temples and lanyard. They're made by Johnathan Paul called Fitovers, about US$45. The blonde didn't come with the glasses though she was very interested in the camera, or something. <br /><a href=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">

<p>Here's their site <a href="https://www.fitovers.com/">https://www.fitovers.com/</a> Check out their movie there.</p>

 

<p>Wearing transitions lenses completely screwed my ability to guess exposures. Apart from that they were terrific to wear.</p>

<p>I wear transition lens glasses all of the time. There's no problem using the viewfinder, but it does effect how well I see the LCD screen. It also effects judging exposure, but I rely on the histogram more for that. I'd rather wear regular glasses, but my eyes have become sensitive to bright light, and the transition lenses help.</p>

<p>Every so often people will ask me to take their picture with their cell phone. I do it, but I tell them that with the transition lenses I can barely see the LCD screen. Last weekend a woman handed me her Sony RX100 to take her picture. It's a great camera but it doesn't have a viewfinder. I could barely see her on the LCD screen. It's hard enough to see the LCD screen in bright light, but with the transition lenses it's next to impossible to use it to compose.</p>

<p>Have you tried polarizing flip ups that attach to the glass frame when you need them. Then in the sun, you flip them down to protect your eyes. And when you need to look through the viewfinder, you flip them up out of the way.</p>

<p>Alan, thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it.</p>

I use transition lenses and love them, (mine are 4 years old and have no cracks or color casts btw, and are really fast from outdoor to indoor unless its -20C... depends on the ones you get i guess) never had a problem taking pics with them... My problem seeing the lcd is because of the sun reflection rather than the dark lenses...

<p>Sunglasses are more of fashion trend these days as these are available in all designs and prints with the Distributors Sunglasses online. Now even the prescription glasses do well with the fashion dressing up.</p>