Those of you with eyeglasses: Who still wears glass lenses?

[batterytypehah!]

Just back from my first eye doc appointment in about 15 years. (I checked out fine, with my prescription nearly unchanged.)

This being the glorious US of A, of course the practice is combined with an on-premises optician. So I was encouraged to shop for frames right there, dilated pupils and all. I was very surprised to learn that glass lenses are almost unheard of today. In fact I was told they're more expensive (which turned out to be wrong, my plan covers them) and, due to safety regulations, would come out thicker and heavier than my trusty old German-made pair.

I've had glass lenses for going on 35 years, haven't broken one in almost as long, I don't practice any team sports, wear safety goggles when I use tools--and I have dozens of old cameras that would scratch polycarbonate in no time flat. So I really, really would prefer glass. But I also liked one of the half-rim styles a lot, which must be done in polycarbonate, so in the end I went for that.

Still, I'm thinking about a second pair in glass, to wear when shooting. Anybody wearing a minus 4-ish prescription in glass? How bad are those nanny-state, I mean, safety lenses?

Alternatively, I could pay for a pair out of pocket next time I'm in Germany. Anybody over there, have things changed that much or can I still get a nice pair of Zeiss or Rodenstock glass lenses without breaking the bank?

Thanks.

 

[jwc57]

You'll put your eye out.


I thought about returning to glass, but then I managed to do something I've never done before...hit myself in the face with a heavy piece of metal. My glasses took the hit and had to be replaced, the right lens had a deep gouge. I've been wearing glasses since I was 12 years old and this was the first time something like that had happened. I was really lucky that I had stopped wearing contacts a couple of years ago.

By the way, I switched to contacts in my twenties when I found out that you lose about 12% of the viewfinder with glasses.

 

[crawdiddy]

Hello Battery,

I started using reading glasses about 6 years ago, but now I've gone to progressive reading glasses that I wear all the time. No correction for distance. The thing that drives me crazy is that the stupid polycarbonate lenses have some kind of coating (scratch-resistant, anti-glare, whatever), that makes it impossible to clean without cleaning solution and a microfiber cloth.

And when I've asked about real glass, they always say "oh you don't want those-- they're heavy, and glass can break, blah blah blah." They also say real glass takes longer at the lab. And some prescriptions can only be done with polycarbonate.

So far, I've always caved and gotten the plastic lenses. But I really want glass.

I've always bought real glass sunshades. I don't recall ever breaking them, althouth I've had them chip. And I wouldn't tolerate plastic camera lenses.

And real glass can be cleaned with soft cotton.

I'm really curious if others out there have insisted on glass eyeglasses. And how it turned out.

 

[benlees]

Modern plastic (polycarbonate?) lenses are fantastic. Their main feature is lightness (and ease of manufacture). With my prescription there is no way I would go back to glass!

 

[ChipMcD]

I've been wearing polycarbonate lenses for years, mainly for the inherent UV blocking ability of the material. I actually forget whether I ordered any sort of hardening coating, but I don't think that I did.

Anyway I've been using Nikons and Leicas for the entire time that I have been wearing the plastic lenses and have not had a problem. Recently, I bought a -3 diopter for the Leica Ms, so I tend to flip my glasses up to focus now, but I used both types of cameras for a long time without the diopters and looking through the viewfinder with my glasses probably 70% of the time without scratches.

 

[batterytypehah!]

Well fwiw the guy in the store was very frank about polycarbonate being much less scratch-resistant. They're good for about two years, he said. I did get the anti-glare coating which supposedly also hardens the surface.

I really don't want this thread to turn political but I could start a rant right there about millions of unnecessary frames/lenses every year (when they get scratched, just get new ones!) versus the rising cost of health care.

 

[Tom A]

I have had glasses for 65 years!!!! Got my first pair when I was 3. I am extremely nearsighted - and true to form, took up a profession that is "eye dependant" - i.e photography.
With a prescription at the moment running to -10.5 and -11 diopters, only way I have been able to get multifocal lenses has been in glass (Zeiss high index).My M's and Nikon's do scratch them - but only the left lens (left eye shooter) - and unless they happen to get smashed up - I replace it every 4-5 years (costs more than a M2!!!!!!).
I have broken or cracked lenses - does happen. Twice in the last 8 years, both time taking a stumble and fall on a sidewalk. Once with a Nikon SP with a 21 mm VC lens and finder. Busted the glass, broke the finder foot and added some scratches to the SP. Second time was this spring, went slam dunk into the sidewalk with a M2, broke the lenses on the glasses and twisted the frames bad enough to force a replacement, the M2 survived (Ok, some more dings and scratches) as did the lens.
I tried the polycarbonate lenses but could not get the correct prescription made in it. They are lighter - but the still can scratch and, yes, they can break too.
According to an eye doctor in Sweden (when I was 12) I should have improved eyesight with old age (at that time my glasses were -13 and 13.5!!). he did admit that I probably would have to live to a ripe old age (200 years+) to get 20/20 vision.
I once tried a pair of lenses that went darker in sunlight - truly scrambled my "Sunny f16" guesswork!
Never really been bothered about wearing glasses - except that in Sweden you could not get a pilot's license if your prescription was to complex. Always regretted that.

 

[Brian Puccio]

I've got 20/900 vision and a pretty decent astigmatism (as well as some other eye problems that glasses cannot correct, one of which I've had surgery for) and have had plastic lenses since I was around 3. I did ask about glass lenses once and my eye guy at the time had a pair waiting to be picked up. They easily weighed four times as much. Plus, he said with the not so normal prescription I had, that they wouldn't be able to correct me to 20/20 if I opted for glass.

I wear my glasses for 2 years, keeps the frames just as long. By then, my eyes have shifted slightly and I'm down to 20/40 or 20/50. Order new frames and new lenses. If I have the money, I get sunglasses made for the old frames.

 

[zauhar]

I wear glass lenses. I am very hard on my glasses, and plastic lenses in my hands always got scuffed in no time. Glass lenses scratch, but seem to hold up better over time.

I have not had plastic lenses for quite a few years, maybe modern plastics are better.

Randy

 

[batterytypehah!]

Well the weight has never bothered me in the least, in fact the pair I wore back in the 80s when large lenses were stylish must have been a good deal heavier still.

Contacts IMO are an unholy nuisance I have no patience for, besides I have yet to meet somebody who can get along with contacts exclusively. Everybody seems to have a pair of glasses as well, for days when they can't tolerate their contacts or need to rush out the door in the morning.

 

[sykotec]

I've worn glasses as long as I can remember, and to this day I'm uncomfortable without them other than bedtime - I'm the used to having something protective in front of my eyes! Used to have glass lenses, switched to the plastic stuff along with most everyone else when they more or less took over the consumer market. They've gotten a lot better than they were 20 years ago. They don't clean as well as glass, tho whatever t-shirt I'm wearing, and anything from breathing on them (only when REALLY needed right away) to Windex (oddly enough, my standard cleaning solution for tons of things, especially glass) works. They do need a proper fluid (or said Windex) to clean perfectly on my more recent lenses with any of the various coatings, but otherwise, they've been fine optically. Yes, they're easier to scratch than glass, but at the rate I tend to destroy frames, the replacement cycle seems to work out.

That said, I can all too easily get into trouble whenever it's time to shop for glasses! My wife used to work in one of those shops you mention, and is....alot more (nonzero) fashion conscious than me. It's always an interesting experience to pick out something that works for her fashion sense (I'd rather she be willing to be seem with me!), my general comfort, and the eye thickness that comes with my prescription, which includes a fairly hefty astigmatism correction at 90 degrees. Just to make it more fun, styles seem to change too quickly for "I'd like some just like what I'm wearing now" to ever work out.

Sorry for the long story.... but call me a semi-willing convert to polycarbonate lenses, happy with occasional slight hesitation.

Given your comment about half-rim styles tho - I've been a big fan or half-rim or just wider but vertically-short glasses for years now. The lack of corrected vertical field doesn't make as much difference(to me at least) as does the horizontal equivalent, and I plan to cheat the bifocal issue by having frames I can easily look over or under for many more years. This was much more of a deal maker/breaker than glass lenses.

 

[zauhar]

Well the weight has never bothered me in the least, in fact the pair I wore back in the 80s when large lenses were stylish must have been a good deal heavier still.

Contacts IMO are an unholy nuisance I have no patience for, besides I have yet to meet somebody who can get along with contacts exclusively. Everybody seems to have a pair of glasses as well, for days when they can't tolerate their contacts or need to rush out the door in the morning.

Agreed; my daughter has the modern soft/disposable variety, and even these seem to be a real irritant. She does indeed need to switch to glasses sometimes, and the doc even suggested that up front.

I have considered getting contacts again now that I am taking photos all the time, but at the moment I am consigning myself to jamming my lens against the VF.

Randy

 

[sevo]

In my experience, glass and plastics scratch in different situations, but one isn't really more scratch resistant than the other - glass is ahead when it comes to pointy hard objects like a grain of sand, but on the other hand it is more easily scratched by blunt metal surfaces, and will shatter in many situations where plastics will only scratch.

There still are some eye conditions where you will want high refraction index glass, but usually there are very few points in favour of glass.

 

[zauhar]

In my experience, glass and plastics scratch in different situations, but one isn't really more scratch resistant than the other - glass is ahead when it comes to pointy hard objects like a grain of sand, but on the other hand it is more easily scratched by blunt metal surfaces, and will shatter in many situations where plastics will only scratch.

There still are some eye conditions where you will want high refraction index glass, but usually there are very few points in favour of glass.

To be explicit, I tend to rub my eyeglass lens with whatever is at hand, not necessarily a soft cloth, and it seems that glass handles this abuse better than plastic. Again, I have not had plastic lenses for a while, may the current stuff on the market has a tougher coating.

One benefit I have from my university is that I get a discount for eyeglasses with safety glass, so they also afford some measure of protection.

Randy

 

[sanmich]

I once, very shortly thought of glass, and bought polycarbonate for safety reasons.
I change my right lens much more often than the left one, but it's a small price to pay for the added safety. I'm not playing any team game, but Murphy is just waiting...
You never know when one of these air bags are going to jump on you.
You can use some tricks to limit the damages on your lenses from cameras:
DAG and Aki make some custom covers, and I've even been using rubber gaskets.
I've heard of liquid electric tape, but never used it.
But no matter what, I'm not ready to take any chances on my eyes.

 

[250swb]

I have glass varifocals on the basis that they are harder wearing. Of course I could hit myself in the face with a hammer, but I guess in that case I would only get a sliver of glass in my eye rather than an entire plastic lens forced into the eye socket. Really, its time to calm down, accidents are accidents and who would drive if they took any notice of accident statistic's?

Steve

 

[1750Shooter]

I was lucky - hit the steering wwheel & crushed my glasses into my face. Took 77 stitches, some INSIDE my eyesocket (AARGH!), but didn't damage my eye. I, too, replace my right plastic lens about every 2 years. NEVER will wear glass again!

 

[batterytypehah!]

I'm surprised and encouraged to see so many of you come out in favor of plastic (pro-poly-posters? 🙂). For a while on RFF it seemed as if just about every week someone would ask about O-rings and what-have-you to protect their glasses.

And I must admit I hadn't thought about serious car accidents and airbags deploying. Point taken.

At any rate, since my prescription hardly changed, my current (glass) pair should still serve me well for a while when I need to jam the Contax etc. in my face, and I'll see how the new (poly) pair holds up.

Thanks all.

 

[Dan]

In a similar vein, I'm curious if you eyeglass wearers have any issues with chromatic aberrations coming from your glasses? My glasses give me fits when making software adjustments for CA as they themselves produce CAs when looking at the monitor slightly askew.:bang:

 

[bwcolor]

Polycarbonate are the best protection, but the worst optics.

I wear heavy, prone to shatter, but by far the best vision..glass.. Always with anti-reflective coating. I wear them for the same reason that I use camera lenses that use glass optics.