House AR vs name brand

[john-atlanta]

Anyone have experience with the house AR from Nassau? How does it compare to a mid level AR like Synergy?

Thanks!

John

[obxeyeguy]

I have used some nassau stock lenses with triump AR. I don't use them for surface work. Have not had any problems.

[HarryChiling]

We use triumph and synergy, they're good coatings at a fair price.

[MarcE]

There was a post one here recently where somone talked about having some problems w/ Triumph. We have used Triumph and Synergy exclusively (except for 1.70 w/HV) for 6 months. As few or fewer problems as Crizal. I am talking the stock version. I have not used it on anything but factory-coated stock.

FWIW, I think most of the mid-level stock ARs are EVEN BETTER than the premium lab applied AR. The factory is cleaner and more consistant with tighter tolerances. In my opinion, that is what causes AR failure - inconsistancy during the process. Use factory-coated AR stock whenever available.

[john-atlanta]

When you have to go with lab applied do you lean toward Alize, Synergy or another coating?

John

[MarcE]

When you have to go with lab applied do you lean toward Alize, Synergy or another coating?

John

You called Synergy a "mid-level". It has a super-slick coating and a 2 yr warranty. Sounds like an upper mid-level or lower high-level to me. I consider the Triumph as a mid-level.

Anyway, I use Sharpview (Essilor) or ARx (Interstate Optical) as my lab applied. 1 Year unconditional warranty

Alize or ARxHP for 2-yr warranty w/ slick coat

[Happylady]

Maybe Trumiph as been improved in the last couple of years but I stopped using it because I had so many lenses craze and badly scratch. I don't think crazing or bad scratching is acceptable even in lenses that are over a year old.

[HarryChiling]

Maybe Trumiph as been improved in the last couple of years but I stopped using it because I had so many lenses craze and badly scratch. I don't think crazing or bad scratching is acceptable even in lenses that are over a year old.

Not really, Triuph hasn't improved much since I have been sing it, but it is what it is. A decent base coating, you want better scratch and dirt resistance go for the synergy. I get both for a heck of a lot less than I pay for any other AR I have been offered.

[chip anderson]

This question is for all the three O's.
We all see patients who have some complaint or another about ourselves, our office, the referring doctor's office,, the referring doctor, our prices, the other's in the food chain's prices, etc.

As independent opticians I know we feel that we shouldn't offend the referring doctor with any sort of complain for fear of being cut out of the food chain. Sometimes the doctor's office may feel he doesn't want to offend his friend, or it isn't his business and keeps some of such remarks to himself. The doctor may have no idea of what happens in his own office.

I know that what patient's say or said that we said or did has no resemblance to what actually was said or done. I also know that patients who owe money are more likely complain (some feel that as long as I have a complaint, I don't need to pay.)

But the main question is would you like to know? Should we ever comment to a referrer or compeditor?

Should we form a tread hear and now for generic comments that we or customers have? Those of you that use pseudonyms instead of names of course would be theoreticly less inhibited.

Before we launch into a diatribe on this I would like to hear from members of the each of the three O's on whether or not they would like to hear?

I probably should have put this first part up as a poll, but I don't really know how to do this.

Chip

[Happylady]

Does anyone know how good the AR is that Costco sells?

[Crazy-bout-Optics]

Costco and Good A/R Don't go together. I cannot tell you how many Costco patients would end up coming into our shop and buying form us after getting crap from Costco. The A/R would be peeling off the lens. All the good the money they saved did them when the coating peels and affects their vision.

They would begrudgingly pony up and pay for better product at our shop.

All I can say is "THANK YOU Costco for all the patients you've driven to our store"

[chip anderson]

Hard to believe that none of us want to know about complaints with our office.
Things like :
"The doctor didn't spend any time with me."
"Just Rushed me through."
"The office was dirty."
"The opticians had no selection on the shelves."
"They didn't ask me about that, they just made me have that feature."
"I had to finally stop the doctor (or technician) from trying to sell me refractive surgery to get the exam done."
"They didn't teach me how to get my contacts in and out, just gave them to me and sent me to payment window."
"When I called it took me 20 minites on the phone before I could convince someone I had a piece of steel in my eye and needed to be seen."
"When I go to the doctor I want to see the doctor, not just some assistant."
"They never told me there was something thinner and lighter."
"Nobody ever told me that my lenses would be thinner with a smaller frame."
"Nobody told me there were less expensive options."
"None told me polarized sunglasses were better for us fishermen."


Things like this should be of interest to someone. Are we all so convinced that we are so good the complaints only apply to "that other office?" My office is the way I want it and if they don't like it they can just go somewhere else?

[For-Life]

Hard to believe that none of us want to know about complaints with our office.
Things like :
"The doctor didn't spend any time with me."
"Just Rushed me through."
"The office was dirty."
"The opticians had no selection on the shelves."
"They didn't ask me about that, they just made me have that feature."
"I had to finally stop the doctor (or technician) from trying to sell me refractive surgery to get the exam done."
"They didn't teach me how to get my contacts in and out, just gave them to me and sent me to payment window."
"When I called it took me 20 minites on the phone before I could convince someone I had a piece of steel in my eye and needed to be seen."
"When I go to the doctor I want to see the doctor, not just some assistant."
"They never told me there was something thinner and lighter."
"Nobody ever told me that my lenses would be thinner with a smaller frame."
"Nobody told me there were less expensive options."
"None told me polarized sunglasses were better for us fishermen."


Things like this should be of interest to someone. Are we all so convinced that we are so good the complaints only apply to "that other office?" My office is the way I want it and if they don't like it they can just go somewhere else?

All great ones.

Do not forget "they said the AR got scratched because I used kleenex," or "they said that I wear my glasses in the sauna and that is why the coating is ruined. I do not even have a sauna," or "there is an easy to clean AR?"

Unfortunately, we are cheap and afraid, so we see these problems.

[Chris Ryser]

Anyone have experience with the house AR from Nassau? How does it compare to a mid level AR like Synergy?

Nassau is 100 percent Essilor.................so what should be the problem.???????

[For-Life]

Nassau is 100 percent Essilor.................so what should be the problem.???????

Probably not doing the process in the same way

[Chris Ryser]

Probably not doing the process in the same way

If Essilor claims to have the best premium AR coating........and you are one of their best supporters.............why then would they not use the same process in their fully owned laboratories across the country?

Does not make sense ...........within my little old brain...........to buy up all the labs they can and then make, as you call it second class private label AR's.

Have a merry Christmas For-Life

[john-atlanta]

My understanding is that the house AR from Nassau has no hydrophobic or oleiophobic, so it may be the same as an older AR process, but not the Crizal, Alize or Alize with clearguard, as far as I understand. The guy at Nassau said it was similar to 5 year old AR technology.

J

[MarcE]

Does not make sense ...........within my little old brain...........to buy up all the labs they can and then make, as you call it second class private label AR's.

Have a merry Christmas For-Life

Makes perfect sense. Essilors want to have a presence in any niche that will make money. Why buy a lab, pay to upgrade the AR process and equipment to offer a premium product when the customers may not want it? Keep the lower priced product for the price-sensitive consumers.

Triumph does not have any oleophobic properties, Synergy does. Therefore more expensive. Synergy doesn not have an "integrated" hard coat or a two-year warranty, therefore less expensive than Crizal. Even if Synergy were exactly the same as Crizal, the warranty on Crizal is better, so they can get a premium over Synergy.

[Chris Ryser]

The guy at Nassau said it was similar to 5 year old AR technology.

J

I happen to own 2 older LEICA Cameras , a IIIF which has a lens made by Leitz made in the late 1940s and a Leica Reflex with a similar Leitx lens dating back to the late 1960s and both have AR coated lenses that still provide super exscellent pictures. Looks like they had good AR coating technologies 40-50 years ago.

[DocInChina]

I happen to own 2 older LEICA Cameras , a IIIF which has a lens made by Leitz made in the late 1940s and a Leica Reflex with a similar Leitx lens dating back to the late 1960s and both have AR coated lenses that still provide super exscellent pictures. Looks like they had good AR coating technologies 40-50 years ago.

The number of layers applied to a lens 70 years ago and the method of that application today are different. Additionally, eyeglasses are used daily and cleaned multiple times per day by non-optical people. Most serious photographers treat their equipment much more carefully than eyeglass wearers treat their glasses and lenses.

Doc

[john-atlanta]

The number of layers applied to a lens 70 years ago and the method of that application today are different. Additionally, eyeglasses are used daily and cleaned multiple times per day by non-optical people. Most serious photographers treat their equipment much more carefully than eyeglass wearers treat their glasses and lenses.

Doc

Exactly! Good AR performance is almost least about the AR itself and more about scratch resistance, ease of cleaning and reduced "smudging" from fingerprints, etc.


Having said that the color free AR from Resolution that just came out is amazing

John

[Chris Ryser]

Exactly! Good AR performance is almost least about the AR itself and more about scratch resistance, ease of cleaning and reduced "smudging" from fingerprints, etc.

I am always wondering that AR coating in the optical trade is treated as the crown of optical technology.

If any of you guy;s would put a little time into surfing the net to find out that AR coating in the optical industry is only a small niche of this procedure to treat a surface.

There are hundreds maybe thousands of other industrial applications of AR coatings which are pracrically used in our daily lives without you or your patients knowing about.

Furthermore these same applications are made for mass use and are manufactured at prices that are affordable to be used in industrial application and would put the optical jewel, AR coated optical lenses, to shame in the way of pricing right from the manufacturer to the retail end.

Here is a list of applications that have nothing to to with optical glasses:

Markets Served and Common Applications

Electronic Products

• ATM Screen Windows
• Anti-Glare Display Screens & Filters
• Cellular Phone Display Windows
• Contrast Enhancement Filters (LCD/LED/EL/VF)
• CRT Anti-glare Screen Guards
• Moving Electronic Message Signs
• Optoelectronic Display Filters
• POS Terminal Read Out Windows
• Projection TV Screen Covers
• Scale and Balance Read Out Windows

Bar Code Scanner/Data Collection

• GPS Windows
• Laser Scanner Windows
• Lottery/Gaming/Wagering Terminal Windows
• POS Terminal Readout Windows
• Retail Checkout Counter Windows/Covers

Instruments & Gauges

• Battery & PS Test Screens
• Fuel Dispensing System Windows
• Gauges/Measurement Indication
• Heads Up Display Windows
• Industrial Process Control Windows
• Laboratory Gauge Covers
• Marine Instruments
• Medical Analysis Equipment Covers
• Trailer Refrigeration Control Panel Covers
• Telecommunication Windows
• Utility Meter Covers

Safety & Recreation

• Firefighter Face Shields
• Hockey Rink Barrier Glazing
• Police Riot & Helmet Faceshields
• SCBA Lens
• Sports Goggles

Military & Security

• Armored Personnel Carrier Windows
• Bank Security Glazing
• Civilian Armored Vehicles
• Detention/Prison Glazing
• Military Vehicle Glazing
• Night Vision Goggle Lens
• Periscope Windows
• Safety/Security Glazing

Transportation Products

• Aerospace Display Screens
• Aircraft Exterior Lighting Lenses
• Bus Shelters & Kiosks
• Bus/Truck/School Bus Marker Lights
• Golf Cart Windows
• Heads-up Display Windows
• Helicopter Canopies
• Instrument Cluster Panels
• Monorail Car Windows
• Pleasure Boat & Yacht Glazing
• RV/Motor Home Windows/Mirrors
• Van Conversion Windows

Miscellaneous Products

• Arcade Game/Playfield Windows
• Anti-shoplifting Exit Sensors
• Appliance Panel Fronts
• Architectural Glazing
• Architectural Skylights
• Convenience Store Glazing
• Dairy Equipment Windows
• Graphic Signage
• Machine Guards
• Menu Board Covers
• Retail/Store Display Fixtures
• Refrigerated Display Cases
• Shower Mirrors

Here is the web addresse of one of many companies that cater AR and other protective coatings to many other applications: http://www.tspinc.com/index.html