The Transitions NG Challenge

[Di]

:)
I have been dispensing the new Transitions NG in both SV bifocal, and the new Panamic's all with great success. I also advise our clients to have the Cizal 2 AR coating which also enhances the lenses and sharper clearer vision for the clients. Here in NZ the old Trans 3 lenses fatigued very quickly within 2 years. Plus the Trans NG are more clearer in doors and go darker outdoors. We still have the complaint that they do not go dark enough when they are driving as the windscreen blocks out a % of the rays.

But all in all the Ormex, and Polycarbonate SV and the Panamics Trans NG are a great lens to dispense. We have had great feedback from our clients who are wearing these lenses.

[Pete Hanlin]

We get a lot of good input from dispensers selling the NG product as well... However, a call we fielded a couple of days ago from a consumer who had an old TIII product was, well, interesting!

His complaint was that his lenses no longer changed. They were three years old, and his address was in Southern California... He offered to send the lenses in (to prove that they no longer change). When I explained that wouldn't be necessary, that I had absolute confidence in his claim that the lens had lost its ability to change, he asked when he could expect his new lenses.

I explained that the nature of Transitions III was such that it ceased to change after 2-3 years, and he accused us of having "engineered them" that way to "make sure people kept buying new lenses." I assured him that Transitions NG is projected to last 4-6 years, and he exclaimed "Great, so then I'll have to spend money to buy them again in 5 years or so!"

:rolleyes:

Oh well...

[Di]

:) Hi Pete, thanks for your reply.

That is an interesting case. I have not heard of them completely not working. Would the sun and conditions of where he lived have some sort of fast reaction to speed up that process of them not being able to activate and de-activate?

Generally our clients will be back within 3 yrs and the Trans 3's are "stuffed", and hence dispensing them into Trans NG's.

[Jim Schafer]

Hello Di and Pete,
I have been on the Transitions®Lens "project" since the product inception at PPG Chemicals Group Tech Center in Barberton Ohio in 1986. The life cycle of the lens has always been one of the areas we work on to improve with each iteration. As Pete and others have commented, each generation has improved, either with longer lifetime or better cosmetics that come with aging plastic lenses.

Over the years, I have seen a hand full of actual "dead" lenses that had no performance activity at all. These lenses came from people who wore them as sunlenses and spent the majority of their time outside. Last winter we had a man show up in our lobby with Transitions Plus lenses in an old aviator frame. He bought them back in 1994. He was complaining that the hardcoat had started to peel. So was the plating on the frames. He was oblivious to the yellow/orange of the plastic. Besides him, most of these customers had no problem with the life cycle, they had very strong Rx's and appreciated the light weight material over glass. This is what we refer to as part of the "balance of properties" one attribute may not be as strong as you like it to be but another attribute meant more value to that person in particular and is why they chose the lens.
The goal has always been to have a 100% UVA and UVB protected clear lens that performs the fastest activation, darkest with true color (no chameleon effect) in all temperatures, Fastest return to clear with an eternal performance life.

Pre NG and Transitions Quantum products (Transitions III and Transitions Plus) lost about 22% of activity in 2.5 to 3 years of normal usage. The vast majority people do not notice a change of activity until you hit 20% loss of performance. The current products lose about 7% to 15% in the same time cycle. Transitions Lenses employ the purest forms of photochromic materials, allowing for this improved life cycle and the clearest indoor transmissions. This purity also keeps the lenses from discoloring with age.

AR Coatings provide another benefit besides the obvious intent, by creating an oxygen barrier and sealing the lens (protects the dyes and plastic from photo-oxidation reactions). This barrier can virtually double the life of the product.
I hope this helps,
regards,
Jim

[Steve Machol]

Jim Schafer said:
AR Coatings provide another benefit besides the obvious intent, by creating an oxygen barrier and sealing the lens (protects the dyes and plastic from photo-oxidation reactions). This barrier can virtually double the life of the product.
This is an extremely important benefit Jim. Thanks for sharing! :)

[harry a saake]

:cheers: Jim, just wanted to say how immensley pleased i have been with this product. I rcvd the free pair of lenses after attending the seminar at vision east, a zeiss gradal top ng , of which i added Ar. Wore them all the time when i was out at vision west in vegas. They work fantastic and i am now walking out the door at least once a day showing a patient how quick and well they work. Now if you,ll just make a pair polarized, ill really be happy.

[JRS]

When recently visiting Jasper Park in Canada, I had the opportunity to walk on a glacier.

Between the reflected light on the ice and the mid-day sun, my lenses were a good grey3 in a short period of time. Darkest they have ever gotten. And certainly darker than previous generations.

[Jim Schafer]

Hi Harry and JRS,

Thanks for the feed back. The free fits program has worked very well for us, especially once the weather turned hot. We have heard many reports on high heat performance (like when it is 110° in Arizona and the lens is holding true)

As far as a polarized Transitions, it is only a matter of time.

ECP's who want this product need to tell the reps that call on them how popular this lens could be, give them estimates on how many pairs may be sold. The reps report back to their labs and manufacturers this type of fee back. Marketing and Manufacturing groups for lens companies need good feedback, especially on numbers before they will release an innovative product.

Thanks again and it was good to see you at VEW.
best regards,
Jim

[Texas Ranger]

Jim, Just want to express appreciation for having such a great product to offer our clients. I never like photosensitive lens much, photogray or transitions, but the TNG lenses are awesome! I wear them in Panamics with Crizal. I talk to folks about them for a bit, then I say, well, I'm wearing them, they don't believe me at first(they're so clear), so I say, let's step outside for a sec', they take less than a minute to change, we go out on the sidewalk, hey they stand there and watch how fast they turn, with their mouths hanging open, sign them up! of course they are NOT sunglasses, but they are great for everything but driving. they really love them, thanks so much. we don't sell them without the TD2 or Crizal, to give them scratch protection and seal them from breakdown. Al.