I'm pretty sure at this point that it's just the same product rebranded. BUT I think they might have made new blanks, rather than using the really old ones which they were using for Vantage.
I was told the change in formula has something to do with the polarizing molecules being shrunk- though I can't remember why that was supposed to matter...
anyways- here's a thread y'all might be interested in revisiting that was quite helpful for me in distinguishing the differences between variable polarized lenses:
https://www.optiboard.com/forums/sho...+infinite+grey
Have I told you today how much I hate poly?
From a google search:
H.I. Bjelkhagen, in Encyclopedia of Modern Optics, 2005
Silver Halide Materials
A silver halide recording photographic material is based on one type, or a combination of silver halide crystals embedded in a gelatin layer. The emulsion is coated on a flexible or stable substrate material. Silver-halide grain sizes vary from about 10 nanometers for the ultra-fine-grain holographic emulsions to a few micrometers for highly sensitive photographic emulsions (Table 1).
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics...silver-halides
[Disclaimer- Essilor Employee] I've seen some samples of the Transitions XTRActive Polarized, and they are impressive (IMO). The lenses get very dark outdoors (I am somewhat light sensitive and I like my sunglasses dark- I could be quite happy wearing this product outdoors).
Transitions XTRActive Polarized will replace Transitions Vantage. The new chromophores improve on the fadeback speed, and are "clearer" indoors. Yes, the lens will have a bit of tint indoors (which I actually find quite nice- because our office building is way over-lighted to begin with). The new configuration also gets darker outside and maintains more of a tint behind a windshield. This is partially due to the fact that the new chromophores used in Transitions XTRActive Polarized lenses react to a broader spectrum of light (including some visible light- which is why they activate behind the windshield). So, they get darker- both outside and in your car, they fade back quicker, and the color is truer. There will still be just a bit of tint indoors, but when you go outside... they are dark. As a light-sensitive person who likes polarization when I'm wearing dark lenses, I give this one two thumbs-up!
The degree of polarization will depend on how dark the chromophores are (this is true for any polarized lens). My very first post on Optiboard (good lord, that had to be 20+ years ago now) pertained to the possibility of clear polarizers. Darryl Meister walked me through an explanation that went something like this... "Think of polarization as a window blind. If the blind was made of a clear material, even when it was closed it wouldn't have any effect on the amount of light coming through the window. As you tint the blind darker and darker, it has more of a filtering effect. The polarization filter in a lens blocks light traveling at a specific axis- but if the polarizing filter is clear, you will not notice any polarizing effect (because the light is still coming through the lens- even along the polarizing filter's axis). As the polarizing filter becomes darker, it filters more and more light perpendicular to its axis of polarization."
(Sorry that is my annotated version of a 20+ year old conversation... I'm sure Darryl put it much more precisely :^)
It IS possible to polarize light without tint- but the process involves a whole lot of parallel mirrors (not particularly suitable for ophthalmic applications).
Therefore, the amount of polarization will depend on how dark the chromophores are. In the car, if you have 50% filtering, you'll get 50% effect on the polarization. This is a product you should order and try for yourself- I think you'll be impressed.
Pete Hanlin, ABOM
Vice President Professional Services
Essilor of America
http://linkedin.com/in/pete-hanlin-72a3a74
I'm Andrew Hamm and I approve this message.
[Disclaimer- Essilor employee]
Hi Andrew,
Transitions XTRActive Polarized will be available in a 1.67 blank- at the very least in SFSV format (so you'll be able to make a SV or FBS formatted lens from the blank). We anticipate significant demand for the product, so Essilor is building inventory in preparation for our launch (if I were to make an unofficial guess, I would put money on sometime in Q4 of this year).
Best regards,
Pete
Pete Hanlin, ABOM
Vice President Professional Services
Essilor of America
http://linkedin.com/in/pete-hanlin-72a3a74
I'm going TRANS for the first time! A golfer wants variable tint and polarized lenses! I'll let you know how I feel afterwards....
So far I've had very positive feedback on the polarized transitions. I wish it was available in more lens options (FTs and Trivex). I find that it doesn't really change people who don't like transitions to start with but people who have the regular transitions love it. My mom included. My mom likes the fact that they are polarized and change in the car. She no longer wears her polarized sunglasses and just wears these all the time.
My head spins some times with all the newer product offerings, and the dust in my brain has to settle.
But how would we summarize the product offerings?
Transitions (clear glasses that have a comfort tint)
Transitions Xtra active and Xtra active polar (sunglasses that lighten indoors)
How's that? Too overpromise-y and under-deliver-y?
Hmmm not sure. Yes, transitions is more comfort tint, but is more clear inside and doesn't change in the car. X-tra active trans always has a little color inside (turn off to some people) and changes in the car to a sunglass lens. I don't go so far as to call it a "sunglass" just because I personally feel like it doesn't 100% substitute for them. Usually frame is smaller so lens is smaller so coverage is smaller. IDK I am one of those weirdos that like giant sunglasses that envelope my head so it wouldn't be enough for me. I kinda feel like your phrasing is an oversimplification. I think samples are the best in this case. Also, they can see the change back time in real life. In addition where I am located there is a large parking lot right outside my door and the patient can see the glare on the cars and see how the polarization helps.
Yeah, you're right. It's oversimplified.
As far as your head spinning from all the offerings... In my office I have a lens menu that we have custom for the lenses we use. We have a section for Lens Types where we have progressives categorized into 3 groups (conventional, digital, enhanced) with layman's definitions for each. We have FT bifocal/trifocal/SV/ and computer. Then we have a section for lens materials and then another for lens treatments where we include tint/AR/photochromic/groove/Drill etc. I use this as a guide for patients and for those that are undecided, I send them home with it. You'd be surprised how helpful it is. People leave after hearing a whole lesson about digital and then don't remember what you told them. This way they can remember (and tell spouse ect) what they got. I also have a form that has generic drawings of FT lenses and the different channels of progressive lenses. 1 for conventional, 1 for digital, 1 showing camber front curves, 1 for near variable focus. That really helps patients understand what we are talking about. Then when talking about the transitions, pull out the samples! The best thing about those forms is that it is custom for your office! What do you want your patients to know? Maybe take a nod from Lenscrafters and check the ones you'd recommend to the patient while in the exam room and then the optician can take it from there. Just a thought.
That's a handy description of Transitions as a "comfort tint", I'll use that thanks!
For the XTRAs I very deliberately never call them sunglasses at all, and stress they are NOT sunglasses. Even if the lens darkness is satisfactory, no 50 eye-size 3-base frame is going to deliver the complete UV protection, light control, and sharp polarization of a 58 eye-size 6-base quality polarized lens. And then add a mirror on those sunglasses, which I will do as often as customers will let me, and we're in a whole different realm of performance.
Transitions are always a sacrifice of performance for convenience. If a customer currently does nothing for light control, then heck yeah Transitions are 100% better than zero. But anyone looking for a sunglass-type solution is going to be unwowed, while Rx sun does wow.
For me, putting a customer into Transitions for the first time represents a failure on my part to convey the exceptional performance of Rx suns.
Despite all that, I still run 24% Transitions, and those wearers are pretty impossible to budge. I'll likely never get them into suns, but they'll also never live without their Transitions. As long as they're doing something.
I think we sold less than 5 pairs of transitions vantage in the 10+ years I've been in optical. They never got as dark as regular transitions or the xtractive, so not a whole lot of value for the added cost, we just always steer people towards a dedicated pair of polarized sunglasses.
The new generation of xtractive is pretty nice now that it has less of a tint indoors.
We never did many Vantage lenses at all before, but the color of the xtra active polarized transitions has been much better received by patients and we have actually done quite a few. I do like the "comfort tint" description of the original transitions that Drk was using and have totally hijacked it. Used it yesterday in fact!
I need polarization in the car and Drivewear provides that along with allowing ipads, iphones and BMW dashboards to be seen easily without the polarization occluding your view.
You can turn your ipad or iphone 90 degress and still see it. (I don't recommend flipping the BMW)
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