# progressive glasses and the camera



## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

i was hoping to get two step progressive glasses but it turns out i need three step, closeup, computer and distance. i got measured up for them yesterday and will have them in a couple of weeks.

does anyone else here have three step progressive glasses? have you had any hassles with using your camera whilst wearing the glasses? 

rosesm


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## Gator_Nutz (Sep 27, 2006)

I tried those a few months ago when I needed to have a new prescription. I just could not get used to them so I went back to the regular "two step" bifocals. I cannot even use the progressive lenses in that either. For whatever reason my brain just will not accept them. I use the regular old lined bifocals again now and have no problems. I have a different pair of a single prescription, sort of like readers, that I use on my computer. 
No matter what kind they are, glasses are a real pain in the behind for me. I am seriously considering the Lasic surgery to see if I can get rid of them completely. I am just a bit nervous about that procedure though and as of yet, have not convinced myself to do it.
I HATE HAVING TO WEAR GLASSES. I can actually see better through my camera's viewfinder without any glasses. Then however, after taking a shot, I still have to put my glasses back on to see the LCD. Did I mention how much I hate glasses? I had absolutely perfect, stunning, and remarkable eyesight right up until I turned 40. Almost overnight I started going blind and it has gotten worse every year since.
I know that's probably not what yuou wanted to hear but you did ask Best of luck with yours.
James


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## Third Wave (May 24, 2004)

You'll just have to figure out which area to look through in your glasses to get the clearest result from your view finder. The opticians in my office said that your really should not find it difficult as long as you can get used to the glasses for every day use. 
Good luck


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

James, i want to hear the pros and cons. i loathe having to wear glasses too but have an astigmatism which means i can't wear contacts and laser surgery is out for me.

my optician told me it will take me a month to get used to the glasses - i'm not really looking forward to that month but will give it a shot, especially as it means i won't have to carry yet another pair of glasses around with me. if i have to go back to that then so be it.

i was going to ask you what setting you have your viewfinder at but looked at mine and realised i just have a simple plus and minus sign with a double-ended arrow between. no readable measurement.


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## fishphoto (Mar 3, 2005)

I had lasik 7 years ago and I love it!


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

Third Wave said:


> You'll just have to figure out which area to look through in your glasses to get the clearest result from your view finder. The opticians in my office said that your really should not find it difficult as long as you can get used to the glasses for every day use.
> Good luck


oh! so that sounds like if i want to look at distance for a shot, then i use that part of the glasses in the viewfinder and if i want a closeup shot then i use the closeup area... well, that makes sense.

i just need a neck brace and bigger eyeballs lol   this is going to be a fun learning curve. 

rosesm


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## grayfish (Jul 31, 2005)

Karen, I wore progressive lenses for a long long time. I never heard of two step or three step progressive. Defeats the whole idea of progressive. There are no steps. Although there is a definite power change from the distant vision to near. Once in the near the focal distance depends on which part of the lens you are looking through. The lower you go the more power is added up to the max power of the lens. I may be wrong but two step progressive sounds like another name for bifocal. Possibly line-less bifocals. Steps to me indicates you have one power or the other. 

I am sure I must be mistaken. Can you elaborate a little further. I am not up to date on glasses since I have had cataract surgery on both eyes and now use none or reading glasses.(I really need glasses. That is on my list)


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

grayfish said:


> Karen, I wore progressive lenses for a long long time. I never heard of two step or three step progressive. Defeats the whole idea of progressive. There are no steps. Although there is a definite power change from the distant vision to near. Once in the near the focal distance depends on which part of the lens you are looking through. The lower you go the more power is added up to the max power of the lens. I may be wrong but two step progressive sounds like another name for bifocal. Possibly line-less bifocals. Steps to me indicates you have one power or the other.
> 
> I am sure I must be mistaken. Can you elaborate a little further. I am not up to date on glasses since I have had cataract surgery on both eyes and now use none or reading glasses.(I really need glasses. That is on my list)


i think i shouldn't have used the word 'step'.

bi-focals are two areas of different focus, right?

and progressive are where the lens has different areas of focus but there's no line showing between each.

well i guess mine will be called progressive but will have three different focus points - distance, computer and reading.


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## Gator_Nutz (Sep 27, 2006)

That's right. My progressives were just line free bifocals. There are also tri-focals and that is, I think, what you are getting. I could never get used to the tri-focals or the bi-focals that were line free. I had to go back to the old fashioned bifocals.


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## dicklaxt (Jun 2, 2005)

If I remember correctly the eye guy told me that a pair of progressive lens I had had 11 different .............I had a little trouble with stairs initially but you learn quickly when a possible tumble is involved.

dick


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## Don Smith (Nov 24, 2007)

I've been wearing Varilux progressive lenses for about 10 years and they work well for me. The only thing about progressives is that you lose part of your peripheral vision. That's sometimes a pain in the pratt, but otherwise you get focus at any distance, near to far. Once you start wearing progressives, it's very difficult to go back to regular glasses.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

tri-focals, now why didn't i think of that? gee whizz, i think my brain must be clogging up or something. thanks James. 

dick, i don't have stairs to deal with but i do have uneven surfaces. i trip over them all the time anyway and i walk into door frames. i'm a klutz. i do have the occasional day where i don't walk into things though. 

Doc, thanks for your comments. i found that when i moved from big lens glasses to the modern day smaller lens that i lost a lot of peripheral vision. hopefully i won't loose more. it usually takes me a week or two to adjust to new glasses, so i'll see how i go. 

rosesm


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

I have Varilux progressives, but they don't have steps. They are seamless. You do use the bottom of the lens for close work, the middle for middle, and top for distance. When using the camera, I use the center of my eyeglass lens and adjust the camera diopter for a clear in focus viewfinder. They don't cause me any problems at all, and are very easy to get used to after about a week of wearing them.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

I went through all of this, also, with my eye doctor. I wear line-less progressive lenses. I asked..clearly..for a "larger middle distance area" to assist with my computer use. He agreed. He wrote it up. 

However, when the glasses came back, they had the "regular" middle area. We tried again, at their expense...I think the present pair that I own has a larger middle than before,..but..my eyesight has gone from good to poor since the torn retina some months ago..so I can't really tell. 

Most people can get used to progressive lens...but some can't ... those people often are the ones who get motion sickness easily. rich


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

thanks Pocketfisherman. i'm hoping they'll be wonderful to use and will save me the hassle of lifting my glasses to read, and also will save me the hefty eye strain i have two thirds through my working day of being on a computer.



richg99 said:


> I went through all of this, also, with my eye doctor. I wear line-less progressive lenses. I asked..clearly..for a "larger middle distance area" to assist with my computer use. He agreed. He wrote it up.
> 
> However, when the glasses came back, they had the "regular" middle area. We tried again, at their expense...I think the present pair that I own has a larger middle than before,..but..my eyesight has gone from good to poor since the torn retina some months ago..so I can't really tell.
> 
> Most people can get used to progressive lens...but some can't ... those people often are the ones who get motion sickness easily. rich


i get motion sickness. hmm might be an idea to keep my current glasses handy and just slowly 'wear in' the new pair when i get them.

thanks for the idea about the larger middle area Rich. i never thought of that. i'll keep it in mind and if need be i'll ask about it (before my 30 days return thing is finished  ).

rosesm


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## kayakcaptain (Dec 8, 2007)

My wife works for a eye doctor or at least till 5:00pm today when she retires after 25 years. She put me in the no line progressives when they first came out many years ago and I would not wear anything else. Only problem I have found is if I am trying to look at a fuse box under the dash and turn my head sideways I can not read the labels. Wierd but true.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

kayakcaptain said:


> My wife works for a eye doctor or at least till 5:00pm today when she retires after 25 years. She put me in the no line progressives when they first came out many years ago and I would not wear anything else. Only problem I have found is if I am trying to look at a fuse box under the dash and turn my head sideways I can not read the labels. Wierd but true.


are they in English?

sorry, but i couldn't help that.  i don't tend to do too much sideways reading --- well, not that i'm aware of at least. time will tell 

congratulations on your wife's retirement 

rosesm


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

kayakcaptain said:


> My wife works for a eye doctor or at least till 5:00pm today when she retires after 25 years. She put me in the no line progressives when they first came out many years ago and I would not wear anything else. Only problem I have found is if I am trying to look at a fuse box under the dash and turn my head sideways I can not read the labels. Wierd but true.


I've noticed that too. The close reading lens is narrow and in the center only. You have to move your head versus your eyes to read a newspaper for instance to keep the "read" section in the center of the lens. Easy to get used to though. Now I only get motion sickness when I go back to my single vision reading glasses.


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## RustyBrown (May 29, 2004)

So all the photography people here have defective vision (including me)? Wow, I'm going to have to soften my critiques a bit. 

I have the seamless bifocals as well. I hate to us them when I shoot. Even on the nice screen the D300 has its nearly impossible for me to tell if a shot is a little soft. I also have knocked over a tea glass or two do to the maginfication factor when I look through the bottom of them.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

I never wear my glasses when I shoot. I've adjusted the diopter to fit my uncorrected "natural" vision. 

Hmmm ..that might be another reason why I rarely look at the LCD after shooting anything..I'd have to put my glasses on to see it! regards, Rich


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

guess what arrived today. i haven't walked into anything or tipped anything over, yet. but then i've stayed safely sitting most of the time. 

i've only had them on a few hours but already realise that i can't just flick my eyes to the left or right to look at something without moving my whole head.

i've only tripped over the tripod leg once and have managed to have two cups of tea. 

rosesm


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Good Luck...Just think...millions of people adapt to them...so will you ( I hope ) ...regards, rich


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## Pocketfisherman (May 30, 2005)

It's kind of hard to stick with them the first few days, but it will pay off. You will get used to those new glasses in a week or so, and then wonder how you did without them.


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

well i wore them for most of yesterday and didn't fall over once - wore them whilst driving too and that was okay. but this morning, i cooked breakfast for my husband and suffice it to say i need a little more practice. hmm. reading is kinda tricky too, i can't get that quite right yet but i aint givin' up 

i do like how much clearer the monitor on my camera is. it's bliss to look at that now - so i know reading will improve, just gotta train the eyes.  (and get my tummy used to the whacky movement that seems to go with the computer/reading areas  ).


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## Gator_Nutz (Sep 27, 2006)

Great to hear it's working out. I just purchased a magnifying eyepiece for my D3 and really like it. It makes everything, bigger, clearer, and much more readable when looking through the viewfinder. With or without my glasses. Hang in there Karen. It will all work out in a few more days.


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## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

K...You may have to adjust your camera's diopter to fit the new eyeglasses...if you shoot with the glasses on. I presume your Nikon has a little wheel near the eyepiece to make such an adjustment? Rich


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

richg99 said:


> K...You may have to adjust your camera's diopter to fit the new eyeglasses...if you shoot with the glasses on. I presume your Nikon has a little wheel near the eyepiece to make such an adjustment? Rich


yes it does Rich. i haven't adjusted it as yet. just getting used to the odd feeling of the different focus areas. i thought i might just let myself settle in with the glasses before i go tweaking the camera.

i made a batch of scones this morning that turned out perfect. things are improving. 

took some photos too (in RAW nonetheless!) and will have a look at them over the next few days.

rosesm


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## Koru (Sep 25, 2006)

i found this awesome explanation of how progressive lenses work if anyone is interested:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Progressive-Lenses-For-You&id=491481


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