ROFL this thread has made it to my favorites list.
How about the 'Crying Indian' from the 70s anti-pollution ad? ("...Some people have an abiding respect for the best possible optics of prescription lenses. Some people don't...." [tear])
ROFL this thread has made it to my favorites list.
How about the 'Crying Indian' from the 70s anti-pollution ad? ("...Some people have an abiding respect for the best possible optics of prescription lenses. Some people don't...." [tear])
this is all gold.
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Prognatus ex Alchemy ad Diligo
Eliza Joy Martius VIII MMVIII
So the time has come: I'm sure everyone has heard that both the Trans Colors and Xtra Active Mirrors are now available in the US (I'm assuming North America in general.)
Personally, I'm excited to have these options. I think the more the lens companies offer for lenses to be as unique as the frames, the more people will actually care about what they are looking through opposed to just how their frame looks. This will also be a good way to push sun protection. The lack of motivation to invest in sun protection drives me crazy! Though neither of these options are polarized, I think it will be good for people to want some sort of coverage.
I also find it interesting that within the same week of our lab rep notifying us of this release, Hoya announced they were coming out with Sensity Shine, which is also a mirrored photo lens that works in the car.
I'm still waiting on sample availability, but I thought I'd revive this thread to further discuss the increased global availability of such lenses and get some opinions.
Have I told you today how much I hate poly?
I've talked to HOYA, last I heard they were still waiting on VSP approval for their new shine lens, although you could do it with out insurance. I'm still waiting for them to send me some samples. They told me there is a grey, brown and green sample. If anyone gets a lens like this, I'd be interested to see how you like it.
It is an interesting product. They can only be processed at Hoya labs currently, Thailand, I believe. I would love to process them in house when they become available outside of the Hoya network.
I just recently saw an ad from July's issue of Eyecare Business and it advertised that Transitions is now available in four style colors - Emerald, Sapphire, Amethyst, and Amber. From the looks of it, it starts out clear and transtions to the color preferred. Not sure if it's for sale to the public yet. I'll have to ask my Essilor Rep.
There is going to be an advertisement push to try and shake the geriatric "I don't care what I look like, just how I feel" stigma some have on transitions. I haven't seen it started yet.
They want young people to think photochromics are cool.
So the new colors and flash mirrors have made it here! From what I understand the XTRActive with flash mirrors are bein positioned more as a second pair. I imagine that without AR on the front and with the mirror they would have a lot of reflections.
Has anyone gotten samples?
So far Essilor has been unabashed in the fact that they are targeting young adults and teens specifically. Got get 'em hooked young!
To be fair... I think they are cool
I'd say let's see how they preform, but considering these are not new technology, only newly available to our region, I guess they preform just fine.
Have I told you today how much I hate poly?
So the new Style mirror colors come in a silver shadow, gold, blue, green, red and pink. As of right now only available in poly and 1.67. Have to be order with the XTRActive brown/grey lens. The Essilor lab is going to try and get me samples, since no-one even knows who our Essilor rep is. Our last contact with an Essilor rep was like in February of 2017. The lab is even having trouble getting samples. She did tell me that as of right now the lens are outsourced to somewhere else. Anyways, hope some of this is helpful.
I sell Extraactives with flash mirrors for more then a year.... Nothing new! Good luck selling it without back side AR! Patients will find and kill you for that!
(Disclaimer- Essilor Employee)
- AR penetration in the US is 40% (Canada is higher- I don't have the specific number for that market, but it's definitely not 80%).
- I've been wearing two pair of Transitions Style Mirrors for about 5 months now (one blue and one gold, picture below), and I'd say they are definitely primarily for outdoor wear. Although the lenses come with AR on the back surface, the mirror on the front does tend to create reflections of just about any overhead light in the room. I wear the lenses while presenting CE hours, and the response I've gotten from opticians has been overwhelmingly positive. As in "where can I get a pair of those, and can we step outside to see them activate!?!" Outside they look really cool (although stepping outside in Minnesota in late February to demonstrate them was not fun). Personally, at best they are "tolerable" indoors- although I wouldn't want them to be my only pair for indoor use. We're really hoping younger eyeglass wearers will select the Transitions Style Mirror product as their free pair in offices participating in the Ultimate Offer promotion (which has done wonders for Transitions penetration).
- The Style Colors are not really similar to the Splitz product from years ago. Each of the four new colors is practically indistinguishable from a clear lens indoors, and then turns color outside. I was still actively dispensing back when the Splitz made their debut, because I'm old.
- bta89, I may be able to help with identifying the Essilor rep in your area. Just send me a PM with your zip code, and I'll make some inquiries.
Here's a (very amateur) picture I took of my pairs with one lens activated and one inactivated. The blue pair is in a D&G frame that is itself blue-mirrored (when activated, the thing looks like a solid shield- I love em). The gold pair is a Modo.
Pete Hanlin, ABOM
Vice President Professional Services
Essilor of America
http://linkedin.com/in/pete-hanlin-72a3a74
Thank you Pete! I always love your honest opinions and experiences.
I've been noticing with the influx of mirrors, there has also been an increase in poor plano sunglass lens quality. We have been seeing more and more designer suns that come with a lens that is literally mirrored on the backside. They are completely blinding when you put them on! It is good to know the Xtra Active Mirrors do have a regular backside AR.
On a side note- I have that D&G in the rounder version. No one would even look at it, so we put some polarized planos in it and plan on selling it as a sunglass. It looks pretty boss now, but I bet yours are even cooler
Have I told you today how much I hate poly?
Thanks for weighing in, Pete. How do they do in a car? Do they darken and what does the mirror look like in a car?I have some Xtractive lenses and they get reasonably dark in my car.
Also, how do they do in the heat? I tested my Transition 7s and Xtractive lenses last week when it was 108 out and they didn't get very dark- especially the Trans 7. Of course, most people aren't hanging out outside when its that hot. But what about at 90ish degrees? How do they look?
In the heat (and this past week in Dallas has certainly been hot- wore the blue ones outside in 109F weather on Saturday) they work very well. My experience has been the latest generation of Transitions products (both Signature and XTRActive) has really figured out the issue with heat. The Style Mirror lenses get dark quickly regardless of how hot it is outside- just like lenses without the mirror would.
Regarding behind the windshield activation, the Transitions XTRActive Style Mirrors have pretty close to the same performance as my non-mirrored XTRActive lenses. My experience with XTRActive behind the windshield is if I wear the lenses outside first (and let them activate fully) and THEN get in my car, I'm really pleased with the level of activation I get behind the windshield. Alternatively, if I have them in a case and put them on IN the car, they don't activate strongly enough for me.
Pete Hanlin, ABOM
Vice President Professional Services
Essilor of America
http://linkedin.com/in/pete-hanlin-72a3a74
Thanks for the insight pete. I agree 100% with the XtraActive inside car activation pointers, I've had the same experience.
Interesting about letting the XTRActive darken outside first is interesting. I’ve never compared- will have to try. I’ve ordered my free kit but I’m not sure if it actually contains lens samples.
I know the mirrored Transitions have been selling in Europe for a couple of years- are they popular over there?
Xtra-active is definitely the 7th generation molecule. But Shortly after Transitions was purchased from PPG, about 2 years? Maybe three. I am 99% sure that something changed, Trivex or a trivex like substrate was the new embedded material on all transition poly lenses.
Transitions 7.5 (hallelujah the lack of a name change) I forsee less name changes on the Varilux line of lenses in the future. At least publicly.
On another note, how about them photochromics!
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