I am not happy with current technologies for correcting my eyesight. I've tried most of them, and they come up short for me. I am probably fussier than most.
I am near-sighted (about -7.0 diopters), slightly astigmatic, and need some prism correction. I do a lot of computer work, a lot of reading, and some important close-up work. I also like to star-gaze. And the lenses are getting old and stiff.
I have tried bifocals and continuous lenses (Varilux). The latter have a fairly
small sweet spot, and a lot of distortion over the rest of the lens. I have
tried standard bifocals, and my current pair, with the magnification section
moved up a non-standard distance. I had to convince the optician that I could
still drive safely. The bifocals leave me with my head leaning back too much for
at some computer terminals. Half the lens is fine for long distance, and half
OK for reading, with the head leaned back some.
Contacts have the same problem as laser correction: I still need some correction
for close work. But I may revisit this decision if the following doesn't
pan out.
Flip-ups should in principle be a cheap addition to regular glasses. Once the
main glasses correct for my weird eyes, the adjustment to closer distances ought
to be a pretty standard (read cheaper) lens.
I took this problem to my local Guild Optician (Rizzo) in Bernardsville. Apparently
flip-ups used to be common, many years ago. It was a challenge for him to find
a solution, but there was one possibility right in stock in the store;
flip-up sunglasses:
My optician has ground reading lenses (+1.5) and installed them.
One could actually have a range of powers, I suppose.
They certainly look geeky, but I don't care. I love having the full lens
for distance or reading. There are two extra surfaces to keep clean, so I
have to keep an eye on cleanliness, so to speak. There have been incidents
were the reading lenses have be knocked off. I had to learn to be careful putting
on a coat or shirt, and high winds are a bit of a problem. I am sure I will
lose the reading part sooner or later. I will probably buy a spare.
Total cost: about $550.
Secondly, I was on-call for strike duty this year. My assignment involved working
with wiring, while wearing safety glasses. This works fine with no glasses,
if the wiring is close enough, and that's what I do when wiring at home.
But I can see things greater than six inches away, and there's plenty of
need to do that on a telephone CO wiring frame.
I am using bifocals at the moment, and am not happy about it.
The plan: flip-ups
I really want distance correction, for driving and general outdoor use, and
an easy switch to either intermediate or reading distance, or something in
between. This gives me a full lens at the setting I need, not the half-glassed
solution my current bifocals. The flip-ups are always there, ready for the
shorter distance. They may look a little weird, but I don't care if I look good,
I care if I see well.
Magna Flip
glasses from Japan, by the Charmant Group.
The flip-up device is not the hinge I was
expecting, but a couple of powerful magnets. The flip-up part is polarized
sunglasses, and comes right off the frame. They seem to be gone now.
So how are they?
I like them. The experiment is working pretty well.
The extra lenses make the assemblage a bit heavy, and I will take the reading
frames off when in extended non-reading mode, such as driving, when the
sunglasses should be more useful.
Update, November 2009
I am not wearing glassesses these days. There are two problems: first,
the magnetic flip-ups are no longer available. Did I have to buy a lifetime
supply? They certainly worked well enough, except when the wind blew the
flip-ups off my face.