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Post by hikerjer on Jan 6, 2023 16:22:03 GMT -8
I am mystified by the wide variety of colored lenses for sunglasses. I’ve always gone with basic grayish or maybe, brown lenses. A friend recently extolled the virtues of a mirror like (on the outside) orange/yellow lense. I tried them and, frankly, didn’t see much difference in performance. And then there’s blue, red, and other colored lenses. So, pray tell me, what’s the difference? Does it matter beyond a fashion sense, or is all just hype?
Thanks.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jan 6, 2023 17:14:41 GMT -8
I like gray or brown / amber. The yellow were always touted for shooters and pilots, for some reason.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Jan 7, 2023 2:42:50 GMT -8
They're just gray lenses with a coating. Various color coatings are said to be better in certain conditions, reflecting/absorbing certain wavelengths. For instance, blue when there are a lot of specular highlights - water, snow, ice. I've found that they do help a bit in such situations, but not a ton. Every little bit helps, I suppose. www.sporteyes.com/cms/page/view/page_id/149But I'll say that we've reached "peak sunglasses" now that there's a golf lens. Sadly, nothing for pickleball, shuffleboard, tag, or hide and seek. Big Sunglasses is missing a marketing opportunity. (snark) www.tifosioptics.com/2019/09/12/a-guide-for-choosing-the-right-tint-for-your-sport-sunglasses/Like zeke, I've heard that shooters should use yellow lenses. I don't know why, but I haven't read it with caveats about indoors/outdoors, bright/cloudy conditions, etc. So maybe it's a lot of hooey. Any good gray lens, with or without coating, made of some sort of semi-shatterproof material such as polycarbonate, will work fine. The coating is just icing on the cake. It's more than just hype, but you have to be pretty discerning or in certain conditions to reap a substantial benefit. In general, it's a good idea to cut down on the UV rays hitting your eyeball, so that's a valid argument for wearing something rather than nothing. Pretty much any decent lens will block 99-100% of UVA/UVB. I sometimes wear normal gray or gray with blue tint when cycling, since I'm around water and this time of year the sun angle is pretty low all day. Then there's the polarization debate...
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jan 7, 2023 8:20:52 GMT -8
I was always taught that amber lenses made it easier to see through fog/haze—thus the popularity for skiers, who might be needing their sunglasses/goggles even in bad weather? It does seem to help some in those conditions, but I stick to grey/green. I also buy pretty cheap ones, even though I’ve heard some question of whether they stop all the harmful rays, because I destroy sunglasses. Give me a year, and they will be scratched or broken.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jan 7, 2023 9:52:34 GMT -8
At high elevation maybe plus snow sunglasses that don’t block UV are dangerous. The lower light from the tint opens the iris wide, then the unblocked UV streams in and damaged everything. Short term, snow blindness. Longer term Cataract city.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jan 7, 2023 12:21:56 GMT -8
I was always taught that amber lenses made it easier to see through fog/haze—thus the popularity for skiers, who might be needing their sunglasses/goggles even in bad weather? Yes, scattering is wavelength-dependent and blue (on the short end of the visible spectrum) scatters more. Filtering it out makes things clearer in most cases. I have a strong preference for dark, polarized grey lenses. The brain adapts to color filtering, so wearing sunglasses that aren't color-neutral for extended periods causes incorrect color vision for a period after removing due to brain compensation lag. I don't like that.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jan 7, 2023 15:19:04 GMT -8
I have a strong preference for dark, polarized grey lenses. +1 here for that I have blue eyes and they seem to be relatively sensitive to bright sun particularly glare off water or my car's hood. I have to have good polarized sunglasses to drive on sunny days otherwise it hurts and I squint a lot. Having your eyes open when driving is probably good. A good pair of yellow shooting glasses do seem to bring out more detail. Probably has something to do with the sensitivity curve of your retinas over frequencies.
I think also now there are lenses that filter the blue light of screens and elsewhere that are supposed to be bad. I don't know what color they make your world.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jan 8, 2023 11:05:36 GMT -8
I used to wear amber-colored lenses almost exclusively (now thoroughly ancient Serengetis from the 90s), though my old prescription glasses "transitioned" to a dark gray. I don't notice much difference in visual acuity or coloration. Lately, I've become a devotee of the blue lens, preferring reflective polarized ones (Tifosi). My new "cheap" prescription lenses don't "transition", so I paid for the "sunglass option" on a pair of them. These are gray, and, because of the thickness of my prescription lenses, quite dark. I look like a drug dealer from the 60s or 70s.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jan 8, 2023 13:04:44 GMT -8
I look like a drug dealer from the 60s or 70s. You mean your avatar picture?
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Post by hikerjer on Jan 9, 2023 19:23:00 GMT -8
You mean your avatar picture? Interesting. I had the exact same thought. God, I miss the 60s-70s.
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Post by leadbelly on Jan 11, 2023 10:52:27 GMT -8
I have 5 pair; four are quite old, one I purchased several years ago. I wear them for different purposes.
daily, I have an ancient pair of Vuarnet Cateyes - replaced the darker, gradient and heavily scratched skilynx lenses with neutral grey that's not as dark. I also wear a pair of polarized RayBan Wayfarers for general use, they're the 'new pair' one of our daughters picked out for me at the beach several years ago. A long time ago, I had a pair of Suncloud shades with red-tinted lenses that I ultimately found tiring to wear - though the resolution for skiing was quite good.
I have three pair that I wear for very bright sunlight, on the water, on snow, or altitude - pair of Julbo glacier glasses with side shields that block stray light from getting in, another pair of Vuarnet Cateyes, and a pair of Vuarnets with smaller lenses and a tighter frame. the Vuarnet glasses both have dark brown category 4 lenses that were designated PX 5000, i don't think they use that nomenclature today. the shades with the smaller lenses are good for sailboarding or doing something where I really don't want my shades to fall off. these last three pair are too dark for regular use, better for snow, altitude, bright sunlight.
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jan 11, 2023 14:10:15 GMT -8
pair of Julbo glacier glasses I had a pair of those a long time ago (35 yrs?) and loved them. The best part were the spring ear hooks. Very comfortable and wrapped around your ears in a way they really stayed on no matter what. I just looked them up and they still sell them but they are $160. Vermont Classic. They have they in all different color lenses as well. The nose guard is removable and they are a little less geeky then.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Jan 11, 2023 14:22:38 GMT -8
leadbelly, I sported a pair of Vuarnet Cateyes with standard gray lens and white frame in the... mid 80s, back in my racing days. I have a similar pair now, but sadly, not with the white frame.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Jan 11, 2023 14:57:12 GMT -8
I have two main pairs of sunglasses, both progressive bifocals. The ones I use for backpacking are Maui Jim, very dark grey semi wrap-around that really keep out the desert glare. My "dress" sunglasses are Vuarnet with incredibly heavy round lenses of real glass that are cousins of the Julbo glacier glasses, but don't look ridiculous with a suit.
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Post by hikinggods on Jan 11, 2023 20:18:29 GMT -8
I worked at a ski area in the mid-80's--it was Vuarnet cateyes, all the way, though I also had a pair of Bolle's that I liked, too.
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