Drivewear

[OptiChick21]

Well I just got my new Drivewear lenses yesterday and tried them out. It was an overcast day, so I couldnt see how dark they'd truly get, (the drivewear seminar I attended said they actually get 10% darker than a grey 3 polarized lens)... so they stayed pretty light (kind of a yellow color). I put them in the UV tester and they did turn copper-y, but hard to say if dark enough.
They did cut the glare (not that there is much on a cloudy day anyway) but I hate the way they look when you can easily see your eyes through the lens. *This is something I would keep in mind for fashion conscious pt's and during frame selections. (Yellow lenses are sooo 80's.. j/k)
I did notice when I looked at a certain angle things appeared with a rainbow effect. (like looking at cars or looking down a street the pavement appeared to fade from blue - green - yellow - purple etc...) Is that just the lovely polarized axis? (mine are plano btw) I can live with that I guess.
Mainly I feel (like they told us already) they are a DRIVING LENS. I personally would never wear them anywhere else, too odd of a color. Some may like for sports/golf, etc. It's sunwear for sure, cannot be worn at night or inside.
Luckily mine were comped with a drivewear coupon, but for pts I will mention it, but feel hard up to push it on anyone except very rare circumstances (like delivery drivers maybe), as it's not an all day lens and the cost is not cheap. (*VSP has told me to charge BOTH the polarized copay and the transitions copay together!)
In conclusion, I will just keep mine in the car for those blindingly glare-y days when I need the extra help, specially with winter/snow coming soon. It's an awesome new scientific breakthrough, in that its a polarized / transition lens that changes with visual light, not just UV, but it's just not for everyone.

The end: of my review. (lol) :bbg:

[Grubendol]

Honestly I'm a bit surprised by the review and very different from my experience with them.

[MarcE]

Wasn't this already available in glass?

[OptiChick21]

Yeah i think so, cause I remember Serengeti had a lens that did this, except i am not sure if it changed in "Visual" light, as opposed to UV light ?

[Grubendol]

as far as I know the visible light change is a new thing.

[Samuel Jong]

I haven't tried it yet, will wait 2007 for PAL. But our customers did like the change of the color.

[OptiChick21]

Honestly I'm a bit surprised by the review and very different from my experience with them.

So what was your experience w/ Drivewear? Did you like them? Didnt you find it kind of light though?

I am thinking my tinted windows in my car hindered the ability for the lenses to get dark enough! Oh well...

**Oh, and I'm wondering what you guys charge for a VSP insurance copay on drivewear?? I have been told by VSP and younger that you charge BOTH the copay for polarized and transitions? Seems pricey. Has anyone filed it yet with VSP and found a different answer? Plse let me know!

[Grubendol]

I absolutely love'em.

Yes, they don't get really dark in the car, but I do have tinted windows all the way around. When I am driving into the sun they turn pretty dark though.

And I found their light setting to be tremendously wonderful for driving in foggy/overcast conditions.

They are incredible for golf as well.

[Scott R]

I had a long discussion with our Varilux rep last week about the driver lens. I am big on trying new things - remember splitz - sold mabey 4 pairs to pts. Own 1 in each color. Re did 3 of 4 prs to transitions shortly after. i dont think this lens will have a big enough following to make it profitable.

Opticians like new toys. Novelties come & go.

[AWTECH]

Scott R said:

I had a long discussion with our Varilux rep last week about the driver lens.

I bet the conclusion by the Varilux and you would have been much different about the Drivewear lens if it was an Essilor product and not a product of a competitor of theirs!

Scott R said in another thread:

A few monsterous optical power houses will control a tremendous presentage of the industry assets. Frames, lenses, worst of all US (Opticians, Optometrists and eventually Opthamoligists).

It is ironic that you aired this major complaint of the take over by the monsterous optical power houses, yet you are looking to their reps, (Varilux, a part of the largest lens MFG in the world), for guidance on products produced by very good smaller optical companies.

[Scott R]

I do feel the BIG companies have some tech. advantages over smaller companies. They have more money to buy the advantage with.
Shamir and Hoya have exellent quality products on the market. When I meet with those reps over the next few weeks I will ask for their input also. The opinion of the Varilux rep was very similar to that of the rep from one of the surfaceing labs we use.

In the 1940's Preston Tucker devloped the most advanced car the world had ever seen. The big three (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler) killed it befor it could see the light of day. Even if its better the "powerhouses" might not let it survive.

[AWTECH]

Scott R:

In the 1940's Preston Tucker devloped the most advanced car the world had ever seen. The big three (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler) killed it befor it could see the light of day. Even if its better the "powerhouses" might not let it survive.

I guess you just look at the glass as being half empty where I prefer to see it as half full.

Porsche is a small company selling cars and the most profitable auto company per unit sold.

It is so easy to find a negative. Ask a few of the Optiboard members who have tried the ICE-TECH products. We are probably the most advanced company in our niche. I do believe we can continue to be successful also.

[Scott R]

Porche is part of Volkswagon-Audi and has been since day one.
I am always happy to try new products. My company has been buying certin chemicals from Opitsource. Small company good products.
One of the best labs I ever used was a small operation in Long Island NY. Unfortunatly they faded away and went out of buisness.
I am the first to admit that I am cynical.

[CEO]

Just to give you all some inside information, Drivewear is going really well, especially for so late in the season. World-wide the interest has just been amazing. By far the biggest percent of feedback I get is really positive.

I admit that Drivewear due to it's characteristics and pricing is a market niche. My only goal is to serve the market niche of the automobile driver. I recently had a call from an OD asking me if they could prescribe the lens to someone even though they did not know how to drive. I asked him if the patient was at least a passenger sometimes, and they admitted they were. I told the OD it was fine to sell it to them.

Like all things in the optical industry, product introductions take time, but Drivewear is not only a winner, it is a triple crown winner.

But remember, I invented it, so I'm certainly not unbaised.

Hope to see many of you at OLA. Come by and say hello to me if you are there and introduce yourself to me as an Optiboard member.
Dave

[AWTECH]

Scott R said:

Porche is part of Volkswagon-Audi and has been since day one.

Scott don't take this the wrong way but you seem to have listened to people who had a little information but not total facts on subjects such as the one above. (In the US in the 70's a joint marketing venture was created by VW and Porsche. Porsche and Audi were marketed out of these dealerships.) Today the Porsche and VW share the an SUV platform as a JV, but VW-Audi does not own Porsche.

Porsche AG is a seperate company. The reverse of what you implied is actually true. Porsche is using their profits to purchase a larger stake in Volkswagen to prevent a hostile takeover.
SEE REPORT FROM BBC BELOW:

German luxury carmaker Porsche has seen its annual profits jump 8.9% boosted by ongoing strong sales across its range.
Reporting its initial results for the fiscal year to 31 July, 2005, its pre-tax profit increased to 1.24bn euros ($1.44bn; £844m).


"Automotive analyst Georg Stuerzer, said the profit figure was "certainly outstanding".
He added that Porsche appeared confident about the current year and the launch of its new Cayman S model and new editions of its classic 911.
Porsche announced back in September that it is to buy a 20% stake in Volkswagen to prevent any hostile takeovers that could threaten their business links.
Porsche owns about 5% of Europe's biggest carmaker already, and boosting its stake is set to cost more than $3bn. Porsche developed its 4X4 Cayenne vehicle with VW, and the firms are working together on a hybrid motor."

[chip anderson]

Acutally I thought all German Auto companies except Mercedes/Benz were part of a company called: "The Auto Union" and had been since the 1930's. I am positive I read many books describing the rivalry between "The Auto Union" consisting of Porche, VW, Meschersmidt, Audi competing against Mercedes and other European companies, like Buggati, etc.

Of course this "union" may not have survived the war.

Chip

[Scott R]

The original Porshe roadster in the 1950s (saw a special on it a few days ago on the speed chanel) was almost half volkswagon. Remember the vw karmengia. I had a late 80s audi 50 for a bit. it had all three markings, as did my brother-in laws 01 A6. When he went for new keys Audi was out of blanks & sent him to a VW dealer for faster service.

I often order essilor lenses with zeiss coatings.

[edKENdance]

Just to give you all some inside information, Drivewear is going really well, especially for so late in the season. World-wide the interest has just been amazing. By far the biggest percent of feedback I get is really positive.

I admit that Drivewear due to it's characteristics and pricing is a market niche. My only goal is to serve the market niche of the automobile driver. I recently had a call from an OD asking me if they could prescribe the lens to someone even though they did not know how to drive. I asked him if the patient was at least a passenger sometimes, and they admitted they were. I told the OD it was fine to sell it to them.

Like all things in the optical industry, product introductions take time, but Drivewear is not only a winner, it is a triple crown winner.

But remember, I invented it, so I'm certainly not unbaised.

Hope to see many of you at OLA. Come by and say hello to me if you are there and introduce yourself to me as an Optiboard member.
Dave

Why didn't you liscense it to Bushnell? Sounds like it would fit in perfectly with the Serengeti line of products.

[Chris Ryser]

The original Porshe roadster in the 1950s (saw a special on it a few days ago on the speed chanel) was almost half volkswagon.

Porsche

IntroductionNamed after the founder Ferdinand Porsche, Porsche is by far the largest sports car manufacturer in the world, with a production volume about 10 times of Ferrari. During its 68 years history, it has built many greatest sports cars : 356, 911, 924/944 series and 928. 356 is one of the most beloved classics, 924/944 series reinvented the idea of "affordable sports cars", 928 is the only sports car ever won European Car of The Year (COTY) title, but the most legendary still belongs to the mighty 911, which was in production for as long as 34 years.

http://www.autozine.org/Manufacturer/Germany.htm

[motelska]

So now that we've gotten WAAAY off topic, I'll bring it back. I had my (plano) Drivewear lenses in time for the Las Vegas Vision Expo and I loved them... I wear them everywhere during the day and find them a tad dark inside, but you can still manage if you don't feel like taking them off. Vegas wasn't the greatest place to try them cos even the night seems like the day in certain locations.

Just last weekend I took them on the ULTIMATE Road test. I drove from Los Angeles, to the Grand Canyon and was there all weekend. I proceeded to drive home Monday. Now driving with them, my eyes were just so comfortable and when I stepped out and looked into the canyon, yeah things were red. But it wasn't annoying. The color is just so comfortable that your eyes accept it. I've had people compliment me on them and when I explain it to them, they get extremely excited. As the technology gets better I'd love to see what they can come up with.

[Scott R]

This lens is activated by visual light as apposed to UV light. Where is the clear to sun version? I dispense a lot of transitions. The biggest turn off to transitions I hear is about it not being effective in a car.

[efsamuel]

I just dispensed a pair to a VSP Pt. He had transitions coverage so it was only the Polzd portion he had to pay for. He is on a road trip to Fl and will give me a review when he returns. As for me I need to order my pair, my rep came in with a pair in plano and our front office is so bright that they were very comfortable to wear in bright indoor light. My real questions are how well do you think these lenses would work for Mac Degen pts? Already yellow tinted lenses are recomended and these are also supposed to block blue light.

[OptiChick21]

This lens is activated by visual light as apposed to UV light. Where is the clear to sun version? I dispense a lot of transitions. The biggest turn off to transitions I hear is about it not being effective in a car.

Exactly, so these are not like transitions in that they never get clear, and therefore are not any EVERYday / ALLday lens. To me they are strictly a DRIVING lens. For me it was kind of a waste as I drive less than 10 mins to work everyday, but I will admit the technology is cool and hopefully it will continue to get better so eventually it will get clear. For now, I keep them in my car solely for those times when my dashboard reflections blind me, LoL... :o

[Grubendol]

I would argue it is not strictly a driving lens despite it being marketed it that way, but it is strictly a sunlens.

[keithbenjamin]

Absolutely! If you fish, play golf, anything where you are outdoors for a long period of time in a variety of lighting conditions, they are ideal.

-Keith