glass lenses for eyeglasses for photography

[rumbliegeos]

I know there are threads on this issue, but my situation has some specific parameters I am trying to meet. I am an eyeglasses wearer and also have contacts. I also do work that involves outdoors jobsites with plenty of airborne grit, frequently salt spray and no running water available. I wear contacts in this work when I can, but sometimes it is impractical given the range of activities involved (near sight/far sight). For years I wore glasses with glass lenses because I also really dislike scratches on my glasses. Whenever the prescription changed the optometrist and in-house optician strongly discouraged me from staying with glass lenses. The glass lenses were also great for using the numerous old cameras I have that have metal eyepieces.

But the last time the lenses needed to be changed (pre-pandemic) I switched to plastic lenses with a non-scratch coating. This summer the non-scratch coating has begun to disintegrate, making for a poor view through the glasses. And today I discovered this collapse, which is probably because of a scratch, has happened several months after a two year replacement warranty expired. I also discovered that to have updated glass lenses put into old frames would cost $550, and you now have to sign a non-liability waiver for the opticians to order them.

I have some vision coverage from my health insurance, and a quick call to them said they would cover the cost of glass lenses given my work conditions. However, they also said my optometrist is not in their network and he is...I do not want to get stuck with a full $500+ bill on this project.

Have any of you recently bought glass lenses for your glasses? I am wondering if there are Canadian or European sources that might have them for lower prices. Or should I just assume I will need to shell out $250+ every few years for plastic lenses and wait to see if the coating disintegrates within two years? My prescription is changing very slowly. I use protective bumpers on my camera viewfinders when I can, but sometimes it is not practical.

I welcome any advice on this.

 

[presspass]

No advise, just commiseration. My much older glass lenses were very heavy but did not scratch. The plastic 'scratch free' lenses are misnamed. I use pre-war Leicas and they scratch the lenses. If you find a solution, please share it. There are others with similar issues. Thanks for bringing this up.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I hate plastic lenses. I've worn glasses for the last 30 years and glass lenses have always been the best. I've never had any problems with them and the opticians indemnifying themselves are only doing so in the very rare case of catastrophic damage. I got the same thing from my optician at the VA, who will NOT fill glass lens prescriptions. It's as if they are saying that there is a live grenade sitting 1/4 inch from your eye and at any time it will spontaneously detonate. I understand the risk, as do we all but if I want glass lenses, I want glass lenses.
That rant said, I have several pairs of extraordinary frames and won't put anything other than glass lenses in them. Extremely light and perfectly fitting, it's as if they are almost not there. My prescription isn't too advanced, but I do wear a bifocal, so they are more expensive. I have a local optician who grinds the lenses and fits them for me for a cost of about $175. Right now I'm wearing the plastic fantastic ones that the VA rx'ed me recently, which have a "boysenberry" tint to help with my work in which I'm always at a computer. They have "scratch resistant" coating but also have little cloudy spots where I've placed a camera near my eye...
I completely agree about the plastic and scratches. Only my Nikon F2 and FA with the rubber lined eyepieces don't scratch these lenses. Meanwhile, the glass lensed pairs are in perfect condition but are behind by two rx, so can cause a very small amount of eye strain.
What you may try is one of the online sites that will grind and fit your lenses for cheaper than a local optician. Hope this helps.

Phil Forrest

 

[zane0777]

Why not take your prescription to an in-network optometrist near you?

 

[KoNickon]

Gerry, I've worn glasses since I was 9 I think. I switched to plastic ("polycorbonate" is the fancier term the opticians use) a long time ago, like early 90s since my prescription resulted in glass lenses being too heavy. (And I was told that plastic lenses had a higher refractive index -- so didn't need to be as thick.) The coating on the first pair of coated lenses I had wore off over time, just from cleaning. But that was the only time that happened to me -- I've had no problems with the coating ever since. How long ago did you get that particular set of lenses? I seem to require new frames (and therefore, new lenses) every three years or so, since the frames tend to break down and weaken over time. So I've never worn a pair of glasses for much longer than that. Maybe there is a lifespan to the coatings also, but I've never approached it, at least since that first set of lenses.

 

[zuiko85]

At 72 my cataracts have gotten bad enough that they now want to cut open my eyes and squirt lenses into them. So, possibly no more glasses, except for readers. I’m nervous about it but if I go ahead it will be the distance lenses. Hopefully I’ll be able to go to a dark location and see the stars again.

 

[Darthfeeble]

The new plastic lenses are amazing in my opinion, I've got 5 or 6 years on this pair and haven't a mark on them. Wearing glasses necessitates pressing into the VF to see and moving around doing that so if there's a test, Photography is it. I've an oily nose so the weight is also a plus.

 

[agentlossing]

Are you talking polycarbonate lenses or plain acrylic/poly? I've had better luck with polycarbonate, although I think it's nearly as expensive as glass. It's nearly impossible around where I am to get glass lenses, which really irks me as a photographer.

 

[halfaninchawater]

I recently ordered a pair of glasses with plastic lenses online from Zenni in order to test a new prescription. The cost for frames and lenses was $35, shipping included. It may be worth that kind of money to give the plastic lenses a try. If they work for you and they get scratched it's a low cost replacement. If you don't like them it was not a lot of money for a pair of prescription glass.

 

[Retro-Grouch]

Last time I replaced my glass lenses was three years ago, and I got some puzzled looks from my optometrist. I had to insist strongly that glass be used, and it cost a premium.
I'm anticipating the worst next time with my new provider, who is a member of a huge corporate chain. However, I've had problems with cameras scratching even glass lenses. I've resorted to buying correction diopters for all the cameras for which any were made ($75.00 a pop for Leica!!!) and learned to live with the on-again, off-again routine while shooting. A neck lanyard is great help.
It seems there was something of an industry standard for eyepieces, used by Nikon, Cosina, Fuji, and others. I discovered this when I bought my big rangefinder Fujis; the manual states that the manufacturer did not make diopters, but that any "standard" eyepiece correction lens with 19 x .75 thread could be used. Turns out that these are available from the Head Bartender as Voigtlander eyepiece diopters.
If your camera wont accept any standard diopters, consider a last resort. I have used Pentax slip-on diopters (such as for the MX) backed with double-sided adhesive tape, trimmed to shape, to cover the camera's viewfinder window. Usually there is enough clearance between the lens and the eyepiece. Worked great on my Nikon S2 and on my Iskra. Not "classic" looking, but effective.

 

[DavidC]

Even though Leica Ms have a stellar reputation the company has never bothered to design a higher eye relief eyepieces to accommodate its legion of leica-shooting eyeglass wearers. They don't even bother to provide a wide range of diopter lenses for their users.
Why is that?

 

[Deleted member 65559]

Have any of you recently bought glass lenses for your glasses? I am wondering if there are Canadian or European sources that might have them for lower prices. Or should I just assume I will need to shell out $250+ every few years for plastic lenses and wait to see if the coating disintegrates within two years? My prescription is changing very slowly. I use protective bumpers on my camera viewfinders when I can, but sometimes it is not practical.

I welcome any advice on this.

RG, They certainly wouldn't be cheaper in Europe. I agree with you on the preference for glass lenses. As a professional mountain climbing guide I've used the prescription version of the French Vuarnet sunglasses for decades. The last pair purchased a year ago...were $1k. Maybe TArtisans or Cosina could take on the market 😉

 

[valdas]

I always buy glass lenses but can’t keep them scratch free. And yes, it’s equally or even more expensive in Europe.

 

[bob338]

You mentioned working on jobsites in your post. You might want to check to see if you're supposed to have ANSI or OSHA approved lenses if safety is a concern. I'm a picture framer, which is a fairly low risk light industrial job, but I have to have polycarbonate lenses in case something comes flying out of a saw. The last thing you need is an injury compounded by broken glass in your eye.

I have a fairly easy prescription, like +1.25/+1.75 or similar, but it's still $600 every two years when I get a new script. I used to buy dime store readers in each eye's prescription and combine one lens from each pair into a single pair of glasses, but it's never good enough quality to last long enough. Not worth the effort if you can afford buying good glasses.

 

[madNbad]

I have a groove in the cartilage behind my right ear from years of wearing heavy glasses. Polycarbonate lenses weigh less than half of what the same prescription in glass would be.

 

[maigo]

glass lenses for eyeglasses for photography

My prescription is -3 (or is that +3?). I am near sighted.
Wearing eyeglasses for thirty years with poly lenses for past ten or fifteen.
Wear my glasses at all times when I am awake and clean them every morning with lukewarm tap water and dedicated soft terry cloth towel. Sometimes with Zeiss lens cleaner solution and Kimtech wipes.
Advantage is to poly based on weight.
First poly lenses were no-name and scratched to heck after general use in no short time at all. Icing on the cake was a gouge from the darn Fed 3b eyepiece.
Switched to Zeiss and Nikon lenses with excellent anti-reflective and anti-fatigue coatings and am very happy now. Also have a pair of prescription Ray-ban sunglasses with Nikon lenses.

No scratches on my eyeglasses from my cameras now but I never did use the Fed again because it has a hole in the shutter.

 

[benlees]

As a glasses wearer with thick lenses, getting rid of glass was the best! I would never go back. If you are over 40 then your eyes are probably changing more than you think. I'm cheap, non-wealthy, and don't currently have insurance, and I replace my glasses every few years as a matter of course. If a camera scratches my glasses I fix the problem with a ham fisted solution or get rid of it!

 

[Pál_K]

Even without Vision insurance, this worked for me:

I was told by my employer that if I needed glasses to do my job (essentially looking at a computer monitor), then per OSHA requirements they (the company) would pay for the glasses needed specifically for my job (which they did).

Although I already had glasses, the ones that I did have were not good for the distance between me at the desk and my monitor, so that’s why the company paid for glasses specific to my job.

This was in 2005.

 

[rumbliegeos]

Many thanks for the comments and suggestions. They have clarified my next steps in dealing with the dilemma. First, more context: my insurance service rep actually said they would cover glass lenses. But, I doubt they get a lot of inquiries about glass lenses, and may not know how much they can cost. I am going to call them again tomorrow and try to get a definitive read on the coverage issue.

Second, I don't know what the plastic used in the current lenses is, but it was the anti-scratch coating that failed, spectacularly - half of the right lens now looks like there is a fine spider's web plastered over it. I do not baby my glasses, but I try to take care of them. I don't know what triggered the coating failure, but it was not exposure to heavy mechanical or chemical stresses. It happened after a big landscaping project that involved much sunblock and sweat - $200-300 lenses should handle those challenges.

I have worn plastic lens glasses so I know they have many advantages. For many years I had a -6 prescription, and that required heavy glass lenses. I'm now down to -5.5, and the plastic lenses have been much more comfortable. But I just had my first checkup in two years today, with no recommended change in prescription. But I still have to buy new lenses because the plastic ones failed within three years. One reason I am not overly concerned with the glass lenses fracturing is that they would have to be hit with something like a ball pein hammer to break given their thickness and relatively small size.

From what I have heard about access to glass lenses at lower prices, and access to plastic lenses at lower prices, I think the next step is to do some research on alternative sources of both types. There also may be ways in which I can maximize use of my contact lenses and spare wear and tear on the more fragile plastic glasses. I know the new coatings can be incredibly resistant to damage, but I don't think I will bet any more on them standing up to contact with silica or steel, or whatever destabilized the coating on this recent pair.

Many thanks for the ideas. I know the members of this site are really into good optics.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

My optometrist quit pushing plastic lenses on me years ago. I always get photo grey glass regardless of how much extra it costs. Let's fact it - the "anti-scratch" coatings they use on plastic lenses is garbage!

Other than cost, unless your prescription requires very thick (and heavy) lenses, I see no advantage whatsoever to plastic. This being the case, simply compensate by getting smaller frames.