[Vertigo-1]

Soooo...I just got a brand spanking new Oakley Spoke 2.0 eyeglass frame in the mail today. It's absolutely beautiful, it takes the lightness of the Thread 2.0 and combines some of the sculpting elements from the Chop Top 2.0 for one wicked little frame. It's more or less like a little version of the Chop Top 2.0. Totally blows me away seeing it in person, I wasn't expecting this much details in the frame.

Anyways, I'm dying to get these prescriptioned...but I'm kinda confused on what lenses to go with. I definitely want quality instead of just Walmart generics for these particular frames, and I think I'm interested in getting the best optics possible instead of just going with the thinnest and lightest possible. Given that, should I be considering CR39? I had intended to go with Crizal Alizees (and I'm confused if it's only an premium AR or a full AR/lens package), but I'm under the impression Crizal only works with polycarbonates. My RX is: OD: -3.25-0.25x60 , OS: -3.25 sph, pd 66. Any tips from our in-house eyeglass experts in terms of weight to optics clarity in the lens materials? I do question the clarity of polycarbs since I had hi index generics from Walmart put into my Chop Top 2.0s, and always felt the lenses were slightly distorted whenever I looked around, enough to cause a headache.

 

[aerius]

I always insist on Nikon lenses for my glasses, but I don't know if they make tinted ones for sunglasses. I have the previous generation Nikon hi-index lenses right now with the anti-reflection and anti-scratch coatings on them, they've held up to almost 5 years of wear & tear without a scratch, and between mountain biking and being an unco-ordinated clutz in the morning I've dropped them more times than I can count.

Sharpness and freedom from distortion is the best I've seen. Wal-mart generics are awful, hell, they can't even get the prescription tolerances down to an acceptable level. My optician has found that they're usually off by more than a .25 diopters, quality control on them is just crap.

Had Esillor lenses a while back, it was over 10 years ago. A lot better than the department store generics but I still had some trouble making out low contrast lettering and depth perception was a bit iffy at times. It made reading street signs at night a real pain in the butt.

Then I got Nikons, and all was right again. The entire field of view is razor sharp, no headaches or blurriness, and the prescription tolerances are dead on. Only downside is they seem to be grime magnets, and I have to wipe crud off them at least once a day.

 

[nikongod]

why not get oakley lenses?

after oakleys, cr-39 has very good clarity, as does the kaenon sr-91 lens material (if you want a polarized/sunglass lens, maybe available clear to0 - i dunno.)
just about anything shoud be available in the perscription you mentioned.

whatever you get, AR coatings BOTH SIDES if available. if none are available, get something else.

i would like to recomend that you do not get generic polycarbonates... that is all.

 

[ilikemonkeys]

No question...Pentax.

 

[raymondlin]

I would nominate oakleys lenese too.

Exhibit A

My Oakleys Why 4.0

except i had to get advanced Pinnacle® lenses instead to get them as thin as possible.

 

[saturnine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikongod why not get oakley lenses?

QFT. They really are not too much more expensive than some of the others mentioned here, and they will be guaranteed to fit the frame & have great clarity.

Very nice Why raymondlin!

 

[nikongod]

qft=?

oakley chisel 2.0 with oakley clear lenses. both sides anti-reflective.
ooh, there are k-1000's in that photo too.

BTW, these glasses/lenses have gotten me off of the "oakley disbeliever" boat. not in the "oakley only" boat yet, but its a step... oakely lenses roxor like the omega2's housed the stax gamas.

 

[saturnine]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikongod qft=?

Quoted For Truth

 

[Vertigo-1]

Well in my pathetic little town of Hilo, it looks like the only choice I pretty much had anyways was Crizal Alizee's, so I just went with that. As far as Oakley lenses go...they're certainly the bee's knees for sunglass lenses, my prescriptioned Juliets are ridiculously sharp and clear at all angles. But to me their prescriptioned clear lenses weren't particularly better than a Walmart generic, and they felt quite heavy. I actually got Oakley lenses (forgot to ask for AR though) at first for my Chop Tops but had the distortion problem...and then went and tried the Walmart lenses with AR as a last resort and had the same distortion problem. That frame's just sitting in my drawer now, a huge shame given it's such a nice frame and after dropping so much money on lenses for it. If Oakley's light transmission ratings are to be believed at industry standard ratings, 97% total light transmission is actually pretty bad. The Crizal Alizee's do 99.6% at least, and it seems they actually have a unique process for applying the AR coating, making whatever they cost somewhat worth it.

 

[Edwood]

I really like Crizal lenses. Way more durable than AR coatings. The AR is bonded to the lenses and is not a coating.

And they don't have a greenish or purpleish reflection.

Crizal lenses have their logo watermarked in which you can only see if you fog up the lenses or put water on them. They ain't cheap, but they are worth every penny for how clear they are and how thin they can be with super high index.

-Ed

 

[Vertigo-1]

Well I finally got my Spoke 2.0s back with the Crizal Alize lenses. It is most definitely clearer and after using it a few days, it's impossible to go back to the Walmart lenses...everything looks slightly dulled with those compared to the Crizals. At first I was afraid that I had gotten ripped off as I didn't see any watermarks after fogging them up, but it looks like Crizal stopped doing that some time ago after owners started complaining about the watermark appearing when the lenses fogged up. It's when you go to wipe them down though that you really feel a difference...the cloth just effortlessly glides over the lenses with almost no drag. Hell after washing them all you practically have to do is just give it a few blows and the water just slides right off.

It's awesome.

My only problem though is that the lenses are very heavy, to the point where it's unbearable for a full day of wearing. I think they're polycarbs right now. I unfortunately didn't think to ask for hi-index lenses and the optician didn't offer me it as an option, so I'm thinking of going back and seeing if I could exchange up to hi-index lenses. Thank goodness I didn't ask for CR-39s after all!

 

[Uncle Erik]

Two years ago I got Crizal lenses with my new prescription. I could not be happier with them; these are the best glasses I've had.

They really are scratch resistant, too. In fact, I regularly use paper towels to clean them. I know you're not supposed to, but it's so convenient. I wash them with soap and water and grab a paper towel to dry them off. No scratches whatsoever. I've scrubbed paint and other muck off them, too, and they're as good as new.

Speaking of which, my insurance will let me pick up another pair next month, so I've got to make an appointment and head in. I intend to get another pair of Crizal lenses, since these have been so good. They're not cheap (and I have a co-payment), but I believe in dropping as much as you can on stuff you use every day. Like glasses. And headphones, for that matter. If only I spent as much on headphones as I did on glasses....

 

[bahamaman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik They really are scratch resistant, too. In fact, I regularly use paper towels to clean them. I know you're not supposed to, but it's so convenient. I wash them with soap and water and grab a paper towel to dry them off. No scratches whatsoever. I've scrubbed paint and other muck off them, too, and they're as good as new.

I use Crizal as well, and love them. But my experience shows that, though I baby them, even Crizals will scratch.

 

[Mr.PD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bahamaman I use Crizal as well, and love them. But my experience shows that, though I baby them, even Crizals will scratch.

Even though this is late as Vertigo-1 already has the lenses.
My polycarbonate Crizal lenses scratched rather easily. My new specatcles are plastic with Crizal Alize. I'm shocked how much heavier plastic is over polycarb.

Can one get these Oakleys set up with bifocals??? Heck I didn't even know I could get Oakley and prescription together.

 

[oneeyedhobbit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edwood I really like Crizal lenses. Way more durable than AR coatings. The AR is bonded to the lenses and is not a coating. And they don't have a greenish or purpleish reflection. Crizal lenses have their logo watermarked in which you can only see if you fog up the lenses or put water on them. They ain't cheap, but they are worth every penny for how clear they are and how thin they can be with super high index. -Ed

This gives me pause, because when I fog my lenses I don't see any Crizal watermark (and I certainly paid for those lenses and was assured by my optometrist I was getting them). To be fair, they are also older, around the time Crizal first came out.