Progressive eyeglass users?

[ErictheRed]

I’ve been incredibly fortunate with vision my entire life, and still have 20/15 vision EXCEPT I am losing my reading distance vision very rapidly. It’s making some aspects of my job difficult and I get tired of putting reading glasses (or looking for them) all the time.

For those of you who have gone to progressive lenses, what are the cons to doing so, if any? Do you wear them in the field while hunting? Do you wish you’d done it sooner or, or was it not as worthwhile as you thought it would be?

Thanks.

dont hike in them

 

[Wildabeest]

One additional thing I’ll mention is that getting an accurate pupil distance measurement is critical. If that’s off, then it will cause everything you look at close up to appear warped like those circus mirrors and drive you crazy.

I made the mistake of ordering a pair online, and unfortunately the pupil distance was not on the actual prescription that I got from the eye doctor. The online instructions had you put a ruler across your face and take a selfie, and they could determine pupil distance from that. Not so much. I had to send them back and have new lenses made once I was able to get the proper value from my eye doctor. It was only off by 1 or 2 mm, but it was enough to make them unbearable to wear unless I closed one eye.

 

[mxracer317]

@Big Fin had a great podcast where his optometrist covers a lot of good info on this stuff. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hunt-talk-radio/id1012713381?i=1000491274720

 

[JLS]

@Big Fin had a great podcast where his optometrist covers a lot of good info on this stuff. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hunt-talk-radio/id1012713381?i=1000491274720

Just downloaded it. I’ll listen tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[44hunter45]

Have 'em, Hate 'em. I am headed to get surgery in January.

 

[Id-Dave]

Thanks for starting this thread, I'm closely watching and in the same boat right now with my eyes. Both parents wear glasses so my time is soon.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Lasik isn't an option for this. Honestly, even if it were, it's deteriorating enough each year it probably would never justify the cost. I've gone from +1.25 to +1.75 in three years.

I also thought Lasik would be awesome until my doc told my that my eyes would still keep getting worse as I aged. I had thought that once you got Lasik it corrected your eyes forever. Sadly it does not. I have horrible vision, I could not function without my glasses.
One thing my sister told me was that after she got Lasik she sees a glowing around on-coming headlights at night. She also carries around a pair of reading glasses. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of getting Lasik done.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Thanks for starting this thread, I'm closely watching and in the same boat right now with my eyes. Both parents where glasses so my time is soon.

Get the right prescription so you don't have to sit so close to the screen.

 

[fmnjr]

I’ve been incredibly fortunate with vision my entire life, and still have 20/15 vision EXCEPT I am losing my reading distance vision very rapidly. It’s making some aspects of my job difficult and I get tired of putting reading glasses (or looking for them) all the time.

For those of you who have gone to progressive lenses, what are the cons to doing so, if any? Do you wear them in the field while hunting? Do you wish you’d done it sooner or, or was it not as worthwhile as you thought it would be?

Thanks.

Had 20/20 till I was in my late 30s. Started wearing progressives wore them for years but finally got fed up and went the IOL route. Got 20/20 vision at near distances works great with handguns and scoped rifles. Even open sights or shotguns work ok with mid ranges. No more glasses! This January I go back in for a one year lasik tuneup can’t wait if there’s the kind of improvement I expect it should be real nice.

 

[fmnjr]

I’ve worn progressives everyday for the last five year or so. They were very easy for me to get used to, but that isn’t the case with everyone. They gave my dad a vertigo sort of feeling and he went back to always wearing/carrying two sets of glasses.

As far as shooting and hunting, I don’t shoot a bow so can’t comment on that. But haven’t had any issues lining up correctly and comfortably through the scopes on my rifles. I will say though that I hate wearing glasses period. Especially in the field. They get fogged in cold weather, and smudged often—and I spend a lot of time cleaning them because I can’t stand the distraction of dirty lenses. I’d wear contacts, but can’t due to a condition that causes chronically dry eyes. Hoping for the laser treatment soon, if the dry eye thing doesn’t make that a no-go as well. Also, as I’m sure you know, wearing any kind of glasses while looking through optics sucks. I have to choose between wearing them and having a drastically reduced field of view, or not wearing them and losing clarity.

Since for now I do have to wear glasses, progressives are where it’s at for me, especially with as much time as I have to spend in front of a computer now. If you do get them, don’t skimp. Get the blue light blocking coating.

You just named all the reasons I did IOLs. Only one you left out is swimming, when you can see in the water you realize what you’ve been missing out on.

 

[Wildabeest]

I also thought Lasik would be awesome until my doc told my that my eyes would still keep getting worse as I aged. I had thought that once you got Lasik it corrected your eyes forever. Sadly it does not. I have horrible vision, I could not function without my glasses.
One thing my sister told me was that after she got Lasik she sees a glowing around on-coming headlights at night. She also carries around a pair of reading glasses. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of getting Lasik done.

Many people’s eyes will stabilize in their late teens or early 20’s. Until they stabilize, LASIK is not really recommended. Halo’s (as your sister has) and starbursts are some common post LASIK symptoms. I had some starbursting at first, but don’t really notice it much anymore.

 

[FranklinME]

I picked up my first pair this past Tuesday. My eyesight got screwed up from the Covid I got tired of switching between readers and regular glasses. So far I've shot my rifle and bow and no issues. I like them.

 

[mxracer317]

I picked up my first pair this past Tuesday. My eyesight got screwed up from the Covid I got tired of switching between readers and regular glasses. So far I've shot my rifle and bow and no issues. I like them.

Didn't know COVID messes up eyesite! Wowzers.

 

[mtmuley]

Notching an elk tag, now that's a much more difficult task....

So is seeing the turret for twisting. mtmuley

 

[JLS]

So is seeing the turret for twisting. mtmuley

I can well imagine.

 

[mtmuley]

I can well imagine.

Yeah. I keep a pair of cheaters on my hat. No need this year. 80 yards, no twisting. But, ya never know. mtmuley

 

[JLS]

Yeah. I keep a pair of cheaters on my hat. No need this year. 80 yards, no twisting. But, ya never know. mtmuley

Without cheaters, I can't read the elevation contour numbers or the text on OnX. It's amazing some of the little things that become virtually impossible without the cheaters. Heck, even reading the numbers on my watch is getting tough.

 

[mtmuley]

After magazines had to be held at arms length, I knew. mtmuley

 

[JLS]

Honestly, one of the most frustrating things is trying to work on vehicles. It's pretty tough to get the distance I need when I'm crawled underneath a Subaru, and at 8" the +1.50 cheaters don't do it. Might have to get a +2.0 set for the garage.

 

[Wildabeest]

Without cheaters, I can't read the elevation contour numbers or the text on OnX. It's amazing some of the little things that become virtually impossible without the cheaters. Heck, even reading the numbers on my watch is getting tough.

One trick I’ve used if I don’t have my glasses around is to capture the screen image and then zoom in on that. I do that with hard copy stuff as well. If I’m in a store and can’t read the tag on something, I take a picture of it with my phone and then zoom it.