Branded spectacle lenses

Tachyon

Tachyon

Tachyon

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Joined
26 Dec 2003
Posts
2,154
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Same oul' town
I was going to get a set of frames re-glazed and one of the options was to upgrade the lens from a standard one to the likes of Zeiss lens. Now I know Zeiss do great optics when it comes to the the likes of photography but is there going to be any noticeable difference in a pair of glasses. It's an extra £25 for the upgrade which isn't a bank breaker but I'm wondering if any of you folks have had any experience with this.

I emailed the company asking them what the benefits were and I got a round about answer not really telling me what I wanted to hear.
 
HI Tach,
I'm an optometrist and have my own shop. In terms of lenses optics of branded lenses are better - although dependent on which lenses you have. The difference is small in sinvle vision e.g. distance and reading but vast in varifocals. I've got a pair of zeiss custom lenses myself and the differnce to my other unbranded pair is under 10%.
However saying that - the biggest difference you will get with a branded lens is the quality of the coatings (anti-reflection and scratch resistant). e.g. Essilor has recently launched OPTIFOG - to help stop fogging of lenses. A lot of branded lens coating will also give you a no quibble 2 year scratch resistant guarantee.
Hope this helps.
Hansil
 
Thanks, that helps me considerably. It's single vision that I need (distance) so it may not be worth my while going for the branded lenses. Essilor was another brand they offered for £20 or so. Think it was Zeiss, Essilor and Kodak with Zeiss being the most expensive at £25 and the others £20.

All of the lenses on offer claimed to come with anti-scratch and anti-reflective coatings as part of the package.

Appreciate your helpful reply.
 
save the £25, absoulely zero point at all in that prescription, especially for a minus prescription. Just make sure the leses have an anti-reflective coating and that is it.
 
essilor lenses are pretty good. their standard anti-refelction coating is called Crizal Alize and their top one is Crizal Forte. the Crizal Forte gives you a 2 year scratch resistant guarantee on your lenses. Basically if you are worried that you may not look after your specs properly then I'd advise you to go branded and get the Crizal Forte coating (ask your optician about guarantees etc). if you look after your specs and don't mind the smeariness/smudges showing up a bit more on lenses and if you change specs relatively regularly then go unbranded
 
Well Carl Zeiss has been dead for well over 100 years so i'd steer clear of his stuff ;)

Also, -1, -0.75? Pft, that's nothing, come back when you're +3, +6 :D
 
With a prescription like that I wouldn't really bother going for a branded lens to be honest. Better off with standard lenses and an anti-reflective coating. Most if not all lenses these days I believe come with some sort of scratch treatment on them as well.
 
SpeedFreak said:
Made a pair of -20 a few years back, yours in nothing lol
Click to expand...

Yeah, I work as a lab technician and quite reguarly glaze lenses upto around +8/9 and -12/14.00. Came across quite a few high cyls and prisms as well. Can be a right pain to glaze if dispensed in a poor frame!!!
 
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