Through the lens...

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Through the lens...

Postby Enzo » Fri Jul 07, 2017 7:26 am

I have worn eye glasses for over 60 years. I started out super near-sighted. My better eye was 20/700, the other something like 20/750. As I aged, over time I got less nearsighted, and many of us do. I could take off my glasses and look at real close things, but to read or anything farther, needed the glasses.

As I aged, my lenses got thinner and my vision "improved". But I lost the ability to accommodate near and far, so I went to bifocals. At some point I tried trifocals, but rarely used the middle so went back to bi. One time they convinced me to try the variable lens - the "progressive" lens. The prescription is for distance at the top, and smoothly gets stronger the farther down you look. You nod your head up or down for the best focus at a particular distance.

Unfortunately, in progressive lenses, to accommodate the variable magnification, the focus is mostly in a narrow slice down the center, so off to the sides, the focus is poorer. You have to aim your face at something to see it clearly. I tend to drive down the highway facing forward, and a eye shift to the side to read a road sign. This made me have to turn my head to see things. Never did those again.

STayed with bifocals.

As a kid my lenses were really thick. The weight of them never bothered me, but every glasses tech was always real concerned over it. But as an adult I was a wielder or tools, I soldered, meaning bits of molten lead occasionally fly at my face. Glass won't melt, you can just peel the lead splash off the glass. And on stage, the metal ends of cables can fly around and smack you. I paid a little extra for hardened glass.

They tried to sell me on plastic lenses - polycarbonate or something, I think. "They are so much lighter" (I don;t care) One solder splash and there would be a big melted patch in the lens. I stuck with sturdy glass.

Maybe ten years ago, my nearsightedness had abated to the point my right eye, the good one was in fact now 20/20. I had some correctable astigmatism, but otherwise no correction, the bad eye was up to something under 20/30. Glass lenses had slimmed down.

Then after about a five year break in regular eye care, I realized my Medicare coverage allowed me a new pair of glasses every two years. And there was an optometrist two blocks down the street, I could walk. They have fancy new gear that shines lasers in my eyes to do the metrics. And... they want to get me into plastic lenses.

I am a bit of a Luddite, certainly not an early adopter, but I thought: I no longer solder things, I wield no tools, I stay off the stage. I guess I could try the things.

Glass bifocals have the bifocal part within the glass. I THINK the way it works is the bifocal has some additive magnification, while the overall grind of the lens sets the range... or something. I also always declined to have my edges polished. POlished edges turn into little strips of mirror, and lights around the periphery reflect into my eyes.

SO I got the plastic lenses. Yes, they are thin and light. Too thin. It seems the bifocal area sits on the front of the lens, so there is a ridge along its top I can catch with my fingernail. And that top edge, it's reflective, like a polished edge. And I forgot to specify non-polished edges, so my edges are a constant distraction in lights.

I don't know what kind of plastic it is, but you even look at them, and they take fingerprints. I use the fancy wiping cloth they gave me all the time. Of course when wiping the lenses, I run into the little curb (kerb) along the top of the bi part.

I just hate them.

And I have another year or so before they will buy me a new pair. I really only need them for reading or computer work. I take them off to watch TV.
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Enzo
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