Varilux S Series

[sharpstick777]

There's a grievous flaw in the design, fit, or the manufacturing. My guess is the latter since this has not been reported elsewhere.

Robert, ordered another pair just to make sure I didn't receive a bad lens, but I have the same problem. DVA has improved... but only very slightly. Still get headaches. My friend/partner/boss ordered a pair, he's a hyperope, and I did NOT tell him what my impressions were. He had the exact same experience except his reading was even worse than mine, he couldnt read J5 at all.

Either Essilor has a quality control issue, or a design issue.

Overall, in both myope and hyperopes there is a clarity issue in the 4S for the fine print, and a slight loss of DVA, with all 4 of the pairs we have tried. I experience eyestrain and headaches, the first of any lens for me. And I am now at about 51 progressives worn (I think, I haven't counted in a while).

I threw my DRx's on for fun, they are better than the 4S for DVA but I still get a slight amount of verticle unwanted cyl in those as well. Still not as clear as other brands or lenses. Less eyestrain though than the 4S.

[sharpstick777]

I ordered a second pair of S-4D yesterday in a different frame (slightly shorter B) and bumped the add a quarter for the extra small stuff on the phone that's getting harder and harder to see these days. :) Not expecting much difference of course, but will see if the 'redesign' of the new frame measures and add translate into any discernible visual difference between pair A and B here.

Uilleann, my reading in my 4S was very, veray small for the fine print. If you are not having reading issues in another lens, it may not be your RX thats the problem.

[Robert Martellaro]

Robert, ordered another pair just to make sure I didn't receive a bad lens, but I have the same problem. DVA has improved... but only very slightly. Still get headaches. My friend/partner/boss ordered a pair, he's a hyperope, and I did NOT tell him what my impressions were. He had the exact same experience except his reading was even worse than mine, he couldnt read J5 at all.

Either Essilor has a quality control issue, or a design issue.

Overall, in both myope and hyperopes there is a clarity issue in the 4S for the fine print, and a slight loss of DVA, with all 4 of the pairs we have tried. I experience eyestrain and headaches, the first of any lens for me. And I am now at about 51 progressives worn (I think, I haven't counted in a while).

I threw my DRx's on for fun, they are better than the 4S for DVA but I still get a slight amount of verticle unwanted cyl in those as well. Still not as clear as other brands or lenses. Less eyestrain though than the 4S.

1. Varilux
2. Varilux II
3. Varilux Infinity
4. Varilux Comfort
5. Varilux Panamac
6. Varilux Physio
7. Varilux 4S

Maybe it's like the Star Trek movies- even numbers good, odd numbers bad.

[Barry Santini]

1. Varilux
2. Varilux II
3. Varilux Infinity
4. Varilux Comfort
5. Varilux Panamac
6. Varilux Physio
7. Varilux 4S

Maybe it's like the Star Trek movies- even numbers good, odd numbers bad.

Ha ha! I used to draw out a sine wave, and pictured the same peak/trough relationship.

B

[Uilleann]

Uilleann, my reading in my 4S was very, veray small for the fine print. If you are not having reading issues in another lens, it may not be your RX thats the problem.

Got the second pair about a week back now. Vision is just as solid for me as the first pair in all zones. Frankly I have zero issues with this lens - either in personal wear or in any we've dispensed so far. We had two earlier this week: one was a high myope -9ish if I remember correctly and a +2.50 down below. Second pair was a light anisometrope (about a buck either way) with a +2.25. Both were happy at dispense, and got a wow from our myope. Now I know we're not looking at double blind study results here, but the short of it for us is a lens that has presented with zero issues to date. Sorry to hear your experiences haven't been as positive.

[Fezz]

How can you be old enough to wear a progressive?

I had you pegged for early 30's at most!

[sharpstick777]

Got the second pair about a week back now. Vision is just as solid for me as the first pair in all zones. Frankly I have zero issues with this lens - .

You had mentioned that you had to bump the add for the lens.

[sharpstick777]

3. Varilux Infinity

I don't even remember the Infinity... what was it like? I can see the tag line though "To Infinity and Beyond!"

[jefe]

Got the second pair about a week back now. Vision is just as solid for me as the first pair in all zones. Frankly I have zero issues with this lens - either in personal wear or in any we've dispensed so far. We had two earlier this week: one was a high myope -9ish if I remember correctly and a +2.50 down below. Second pair was a light anisometrope (about a buck either way) with a +2.25. Both were happy at dispense, and got a wow from our myope. Now I know we're not looking at double blind study results here, but the short of it for us is a lens that has presented with zero issues to date. Sorry to hear your experiences haven't been as positive.

Made in polycarbonate?

[optical24/7]

I too am a little surprised by your experience sharp. Though not revolutionary, my dispensing and personal experience with the 4D has all been positive. We must have very different visual systems. I've tried every Seiko and others total backside PAL's and find them all inferior to either Hoya or Essilor split designs (for me personally).

[Robert Martellaro]

Ha ha! I used to draw out a sine wave, and pictured the same peak/trough relationship.

I only steal from the best! You were the first to spell out their successes and failures chronologically. I just threw in the Star Trek analogy.

I don't even remember the Infinity... what was it like? I can see the tag line though "To Infinity and Beyond!"

Softer, long corridor. Good for emerging prebyopes, bad for most folks who were wearing the V2.

I too am a little surprised by your experience sharp. Though not revolutionary, my dispensing and personal experience with the 4D has all been positive. We must have very different visual systems. I've tried every Seiko and others total backside PAL's and find them all inferior to either Hoya or Essilor split designs (for me personally).

I would suggest that everyone try to evaluate the lens by using identical frames so that you don't know which lens design you're wearing. I would also recommend a fitting height of 20mm, which for most designs, rules out software manipulation of the corridor length.

[optical24/7]

That's exactly how I evaluate a lens Robert. Exact same Rx/frame/PD/SH/panto/ect. (SH 24 by the way) I always try to wear them for a 48 hr. min. (Some I can't get through the 1st hour though!)

[Uilleann]

How can you be old enough to wear a progressive?

I had you pegged for early 30's at most!

Yeah, Mikey was kind enough to give me a full buck and a half. Guess it's his slave driving tendencies at the computer all day long. And I make this early 30's thing look GOOD! (I WISH!...both the looking good and the early thirties bit!)

You had mentioned that you had to bump the add for the lens.

No, I actually decreased my full prescribed add on the first pair by a quarter, but after the initial positive experience, decided to go ahead with the full 1.50 the second round. No visual difference to my eyes between either pair concerning swim, distortion, or sharpness. Who knows...maybe I just have overly easy going eyes?? *shrug*

Made in polycarbonate?

Myope pair was 1.67, Aniso was Airwear.

[AngeHamm]

Maybe it's like the Star Trek movies- even numbers good, odd numbers bad.

I protest. Star Trek III is excellent.

[Uilleann]

I forget if a link to the white papers on the 'S' were listed before. Just in case: http://sseries.variluxusa.com/Techni...itePapers.aspx

[lcgordon]

you are right judy, it's the drill less frames from Avantek (makers of flexon) that hoya is marketing as distortion free optics b/c the frame connects on the tabs cut into the lens therefore you are not compromising the material by drilling through it. It makes the optics better b/c of the lack of stress on the lens. They are also the lightest frame/lens that I've ever worn.
Watch out Silhouette!!

[Fezz]

you are right judy, it's the drill less frames from Avantek (makers of flexon) that hoya is marketing as distortion free optics b/c the frame connects on the tabs cut into the lens therefore you are not compromising the material by drilling through it. It makes the optics better b/c of the lack of stress on the lens. They are also the lightest frame/lens that I've ever worn.
Watch out Silhouette!!

You wouldn't happen to work for Hoya would you?

[sharpstick777]

Do you have any data that shows improved Visual Accuity in those frames, over a Shilhoutte? You can drill and mount without stress on the lens.

you are right judy, it's the drill less frames from Avantek (makers of flexon) that hoya is marketing as distortion free optics b/c the frame connects on the tabs cut into the lens therefore you are not compromising the material by drilling through it. It makes the optics better b/c of the lack of stress on the lens. They are also the lightest frame/lens that I've ever worn.
Watch out Silhouette!!

[sharpstick777]

We have shipped about 20 so far for customers, 5 have come back as non-adapts and into another lens (not counting our inhouse testing). 8 love them, 7 can't see the difference, good or bad. I am a type A person so personality makes a difference, I am also very aware of ANY loss of clarity. It may depend on someones priorities, I like sharp vision and thus harder designs over softer designs and less spacial distortion. I don't do as well in most soft designs even in free-form. I also do best in "lightly" compensated lenses, for example, I see better in the Spectrum than the Auto II based on DVA.

Just for fun I tried on my Physio DRx's, and I get higher DVA through those than the 4S Fit and Design (I have not tried the 4D). But the DRx's are not clear edge to edge. They also have a small amount of unwanted astigmatism, and took me much longer to adapt to than most other progressives.

Wearing the Shamir InTouch today, that is a good lens in low adds. I wouldn't want to fit a 2.50 add in it though, the reading is narrow.

I too am a little surprised by your experience sharp. Though not revolutionary, my dispensing and personal experience with the 4D has all been positive. We must have very different visual systems. I've tried every Seiko and others total backside PAL's and find them all inferior to either Hoya or Essilor split designs (for me personally).

[Golfnorth]

you are right judy, it's the drill less frames from Avantek (makers of flexon) that hoya is marketing as distortion free optics b/c the frame connects on the tabs cut into the lens therefore you are not compromising the material by drilling through it. It makes the optics better b/c of the lack of stress on the lens. They are also the lightest frame/lens that I've ever worn.
Watch out Silhouette!!

lol@ Watch out Silhouette!

[eyehunt2]

I am wearing the S series fit, and dislike the reading area, much smaller than my superceeds.
My 2 cents.

[SoopaTroopa]

I've fit and dispensed at least 5 of the S series thus far and haven't had a single complaint. Patients seem to have wider ranges and sharper vision. I'm usually not one to buy into the marketing hype but these lenses seem to do the trick for the people I've fit.

[mahmoud.hamza]

The only way to reduce the swim effect is by reducing the prism thinning value and with a double aspheric lens design.
Sure E is using a lot of marketing Pressure, and this pressure will make the Professionnal with no many choices.

on the other hand, i think that progressive wearer feeling depends at 20% on his psychological situation, if he is well prepared (by marketing aproche) he will accept easier the lens, what ever it is very good lens or just normal lens, but he will reconnise the real defference between one lens and another only by testing OBJECTIVELY lenses, then he will be able to juge well if the lens is Ok or not.

I tryed one time to fit a bad quality lens to a wearer, an say that the lens is XYZ Brand.... I was really surprised, because the man told me that the lens is good and that he feels conftible with it, but it was a bad lens quality if you compare its Cylinder Map to another one........

Sorry for my english I tried my best :)

[kentmitchell1961]

We use visioffice to measure and still have a 60% remake with the S4D. We actually are not activly using it at the moment.

[sharpstick777]

We use visioffice to measure and still have a 60% remake with the S4D. We actually are not activly using it at the moment.

Yikes. That is the highest we have heard of, I have few accounts with a 30% redo rate on the S and thought that was bad. Will Essilor refund the Visioffice?

Just for fun, I have redo numbers on the all the lenses we sell (everything but Hoya) and the Seiko Surmount has the lowest non-adapt rate, at 1%. Succeed, Shamir Spectrum and InTouch are less than 2%. Interestingly, the Auto II has the second highest. The Comfort is the 3rd worse. The "S" series is the only Free-form that beats all the grinders for non-adapts, its the worst lens (in terms of redos) we have ever sold.