eyeglass experiments.

[yeti]

I have been a contact lens wearer for years, but last year needed to go to a daily mono vision set up. Distance in the left eye and desktop screen distance in the right. Was a bit unsettling at first, yet I adjusted after 5-7 days. Works well.

Mono vision was untenable for any trap shooting, hunting or sporting clays. I tried...no good.
I have a second script/set of contacts for distance only.

Pistol events and 3Gun with iron sights were workable with mono vision. However, if running a red dot I'm good with my shooting lenses (distance corrected) but I need 1.5X full field shooting glasses for a front sight focus with irons when wearing both distance corrected lenses.
Kind of a PITA to match lenses to gear. Yes, I have showed up wearing the wrong lenses and it was less than ideal.

 

[johngalt]

Have you been checked for cateracts? That could very well be the problem.

As of a year ago my eyes are healthy, so I think I'm ok there. My prescription hasn't changed for probably at least 10 years, my far vision is still sharp, but as I age focusing close is becoming more difficult.

The compromise seems to be how much sharpness at distance I can trade for sharp vision up close.

What's interesting is how one adapts. I find that with my old glasses, the left is slightly weak, the right is weaker yet. Up close vision is good, far vision is not 100% but acceptable. What is really interesting is my distance vision is sharper with both eyes together than either eye alone, even with one a bit weak.

 

[LarryMNH]

I'm really liking this idea! My optometrist appointment is set for April. I'm going to ask about these.

Hey wagwan,

I thought I would give some additional details on my progressive glasses and how I got what I have now.

It took me quite a while to figure out that the optometrists want to have the maximum magnification on the progressive part set to where looking out of the bottom extreme of the progressive track lets me focus at 16".

That meant that the minimum magification was not enough and I had to really tip my head back as "WR Moore" mentioned to get the front sight in focus.

I argued with 2 different Optometrists to give me a prescription that allowed me to focus 6" from my nose. That was the key.

For some reason the people who make my glasses now "Replace a lens" an online vendor. Tried to talk me out of a +3.50 max magnification. After a few minutes of back and forth they agreed to make what I wanted.

This prescription is perfect for me. The minimum magnification that is slightly under the mid-point of the glasses allows me to focus on my handgun front sights with a minimal back tilt of my head.

And the max magnification allows me to see small items when I want to look inside a gun or whatever very small item I want to see accurately.

At 69 years old I can be an old fart sometimes. But I finally got what I wanted that works very well in almost any scenario I encounter.

Good luck wagwan. I would love to know how you make out.

Enjoy your day.

 

[Tom S.]

I'm nearsighted so I need glasses to see distance. I have also run into the problem that as I get older my close up vision is deteriorating. It's to the point that I either need readers or take off my glasses/contacts to see anything up close. It affects my shooting, as I can't focus on the front sight.

I made an important discovery - I stumbled across an old pair of glasses that are a little weaker than my current prescription. Distance vision isn't 100% but is good enough to drive. However, my close up vision is fantastic. I can read, work at my computer, and see my front sight without readers.

I'm tempted to try out a 'stereo' prescription. My dominant eye with a weaker prescription for doing close up stuff, and a normal prescription for the other.

Wondering if others have tried it and how well it worked.

A lot of cataract surgeons use a similar strategy. They will correct one patient's eye for distance and the other for close up vision. Over a relatively short span of time the brain compensates and will auto adjust so the person can see fairly well at both distances.

 

[raljr1]

A lot of cataract surgeons use a similar strategy. They will correct one patient's eye for distance and the other for close up vision. Over a relatively short span of time the brain compensates and will auto adjust so the person can see fairly well at both distances.

My doctor does not recommend repairing both eyes for distance. He says then you will have no near vision at all.

 

[johngalt]

My doctor does not recommend repairing both eyes for distance. He says then you will have no near vision at all.

I find my near vision to be far more valuable than distance. I've also read about the laser correction, decided not to. There is no guaranty that you will wind up with 20/20 vision, plus you sacrifice your near vision. You could easily end up worse than you started.

Plus the thought of someone messing with my eyes gives me the willies.

 

[LarryMNH]

I have had cataract surgery done in both eyes. I have a straight power for distance in both eyes.

I have been wearing glasses full time since my better than perfect 20/20 vision started to degrade. There was no way I was going to keep my near vision glasses in my pocket until I needed them for something small.

My view is that with distance in the fixed plastic lens in my eye. I can get a prescription for whatever I want.

I have a computer set of progressive glasses that has the close transition up higher than 1/2 way so I can look straight on and see my computer screen perfect. If I want to see far with these, I pull them down my nose and I look thru the upper section.

As I said previously, the glasses I have now are perfect for focusing on 6 feet or so distance to infinity with the top half. With the progressive lower I have now, can focus perfectly from 3 or 4 feet to 6 inches.

That kind of variety can not be done with a bifocal. Bifocals do an excellent job of the top from 5 or 6 feet to infinity. But the lower on a bifocal only focuses clearly at a fixed distance. Whether it be 14" for reading or about 24" for handgun shooting.

The best part about both cataract lenses is that they are a fixed lens. So I should be able to use these glasses until it is time to plant me in a casket.

I hope this helps someone.

 

[MT99]

I'm tempted to try out a 'stereo' prescription. My dominant eye with a weaker prescription for doing close up stuff, and a normal prescription for the other.

Wondering if others have tried it and how well it worked.

It works well when prescribing for one eye to see your front sight and the other for your normal distance vision. I prescribe these all the time.

It usually does not work well when prescribing a reading correction for one eye and full distance for the other. Part of the reason is it produces an image size disparity that your brain doesn't like. I still do it occasionally but I am not a big fan of this type of correction.