quote from Royce Howland
Since my name was invoked
I'll reiterate what I already posted in the my first response in this thread. There are in fact progressive computer lenses, and I'm wearing them as I type this. Mine are made by Zeiss and they are fantastic. I wouldn't be without them... When I'm working, I need to see more than just at a fixed 24" distance ... going from reading or evaluating handheld material, to the computer screen ... to people and things around the shop or office. Fixed focal length would be a tremendous frustration. My Zeiss progressive computer (or "office") lenses are ideal for my purposes.
Lemme' see... we now have: Reading glasses, Computer glasses, Office glasses, Sunglasses, Transition glasses, Sports glasses, bi-focals, tri-focals and more! Enough to make anyone cross-eyed and confused!
Royce, your choice of "office" glasses is spot-on correct; variable viewing distances throughout the day at your print shop. Lenses fix-focused at 26" would be unworkable.
The key use of a "Prime" single-vision lens with 26" focus distance for monitor viewing: sharpest possible viewing and quality-corrections, plus, because of eye-comfort, it affords extended viewing time while working at a monitor post-processing images. Same applies when using other software, text-clarity.
Single-vision is effectively a "Prime" lens, the same as acknowledged best with cameras. A wide-screen 32" monitor basically demands more than average peripheral (side) vision. Single-vision lenses are correctable for the widest field of view, better at controlling chromatic aberrations. Anti-glare coating is also part of the quality-secret, Four or five coating choices are typical. It's money well spent.
Progressives with their built-in variable focus distance is very practical. High-quality Zeiss Progressives may well be the secret to Royce's success, either indicative of his wisdom, or luck with selecting a knowledgeable optician. An experienced craftsperson fitting glasses is vital to the success story. A nice way of saying: never mail-order glasses. Don't expect to find high-end technicians at most franchise stores, or at box-stores... probability is not in your favor.
Progressives, by their very nature are a comprise. They compare directly to a zoom lens on a camera, convenience is the trade off, with a modest to moderate loss in quality. Prime lenses are honed closer to perfection. Same applies to a single-vision eyeglass lens.
Assumption: if the lenses are properly fitted by a skilled optician.
Royce's success with Progressive lenses undoubtedly stems from getting a very high quality lens.
Brand names are troublesome and confusing. Zeiss, Nikon, Canon, Sigma make some of the very best camera lenses. All makers also produce lower quality lenses. Why spend $2,000 for a Nikon whatever... when I can get a great deal on a Nikon lens costing only $400? Deceptively, they look virtually the same. For a perceptive user the difference is Night & Day!
Case in point: Nikon is the supplier of eyeglass lenses at Walmart. (Yes, you read that correct! Who-da-thunk?) What could be better? Cheaper price and Nikon brand name.
Reality check: Walmart, Costco, Best Buy, et al, demand ultra-low prices from their suppliers. Supplier faces a rock and a hard place - a huge boost in business, ship trainloads of products... or say "No." There's only one way the supplier can survive: Produce a cheaper product, less quality control.
Zeiss apparently sustains itself at a higher price-point and quality level. None exist near where I live, quality I can't verify or lend first-hand experience.
Brand names in the eyeglass industry, so many corporate "buyouts" in the past decade that who owns whom, is a dart-toss. Example, Kodak went out of business, bankrupt years ago. Yet, quality Kodak eyeglass lenses are readily available!
Essilor (brand name) owns Signet Armorlite, the originator of quality lenses reaching back to 1947. Headquarters, U.S. distribution center and lens technology center, Signetek, are located in California. Glass lenses and molds are designed and produced at Crossbows Optical, a wholly owned subsidiary located in Northern Ireland. Signet Armorlite holds worldwide distribution for KODAK Lenses and is an Authorized Distributor for 3M Optical Supplies in the United States. In 1993 before Kodak went belly-up, Eastman Kodak Company issued a licensing agreement to Signet Armorlite for the exclusive right to use the KODAK brand name for premium ophthalmic lenses.
Is "price" the answer toward lens quality? I am convinced there is a direct correlation.
Where total price gets vastly distorted... frames, often sold at exorbitant prices. All are much the same, relatively inexpensive to make. Yet, add a "designer" fashion name and kiss your wallet goodbye.
Fundamentally: The lens itself is a worthy investment. Same applies to lens coatings. "You get what you pay for." A skilled technician worth his or her weight in gold.
Royce paired with Zeiss, it's a match perfectly suited to his ultra-high quality inkjet photo printing business.
Do note: Zeiss produces FOUR different product levels. By itself, "Zeiss" isn't a magic bullet.
[quotes from the Zeiss website]
Quality class 3: Point-by-point optimization with freeform technology
Clarity that will astound you! Single-vision lenses in this performance tier are produced with cutting-edge ZEISS freeform technology, achieving even greater visual comfort across the entire surface of the lens and virtually eliminating the distortions at the lens periphery that are found in conventional single-vision lenses. Single-vision lenses in this quality class take more aspects of the individual wearer’s prescription into account in the production process including sphere, cylinder, axis, prism and prism base. The lens design is extremely thin and flat, and everything appears clearer and more natural.
Quality class 4: As unique as a fingerprint – the top of the range
If you are looking for the very best, then this performance tier is for you! Single-vision lenses in quality class 4 offer the ultimate experience for your eyes. Incorporating all the data measured by your eye care professional and using cutting-edge production methods, these lenses offer superb visual clarity in all directions right to the edge of the lens – even with strong prescriptions. At the same time, these highly individualized lenses ensure extraordinarily high wearer tolerance, even with high cylinders and prismatic prescriptions. This quality class offers the ultimate in lens individualization.
The above descriptions represent the latest technology and manufacturing techniques, a.k.a., High-Definition lenses. It primarily determines the quality of peripheral vision (side-vision, beyond the narrow center zone of sharpness).
Without exception: high-def lenses require specialized fitment, a skilled optician - not the average Joe. Eyeglasses bought by mail... don't even think about! A fitment optician isn't even part of the process.
I highly suspect Royce may well have High-def Progressive lenses (plus superb coatings).
Are you a candidate for high-definition lenses?
Virtually anyone who wears eyeglasses is a good candidate for high-definition eyeglass lenses, but individuals with higher eyeglass prescriptions may notice greater benefits than people with only mild prescriptions. Perhaps one of the best indicators that high-definition eyeglass lenses might be a good choice is if your optometrist or ophthalmologist says you have healthy eyes and 20/20 vision, but you are bothered by glare or your vision seems indistinct. Astigmatism correction is likewise a critical aspect, even a few degrees off spells trouble.
Cost of high-definition lenses
Because of the sophisticated technology used to design and fabricate free-form and wavefront lenses and the added time and equipment required to fit them, expect to pay up to 25 to 30 percent more for high-definition eyeglass lenses, compared with conventional lenses of the same material and design. Many people who try them particularly wearers who've been frustrated by a lack of crisp vision with glasses in the past find free-form and wavefront lenses produce a noticeable improvement in clarity and comfort.
Ed Okie, Central Florida