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Thread: Newbie needs advice on lenses for strong myope

  1. #1
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    Confused Newbie needs advice on lenses for strong myope

    Please excuse my ignorance, but I'm seeking advice on a lens material choice. My wife has a very strong prescription (below). After visiting a few shops to ask about lenses and materials, I've been shocked at how little many of the salespeople know about what's out there. We've picked out a rather small frame.
    Seven or eight years ago she had some frames sent to Germany to have some sort of Zeiss lenses made, which came out very well (doing a bit of searching at Zeiss leads me to believe the material was Tital 1.7). I understand that there have been new developments in various plastics and glass materials that are probably better.
    From the few people that seem to know anything one said that the Hoya 1.7 is the only one to use, and another said the same about the Seiko 1.67. I imagine there are others...
    Can anyone give me a recommendation? I'm not really concerned about cost. We're interested in the best material (balance of optical quality and thinness).
    If I'm posting in the wrong area, I'll gladly take suggestions....

    OD -14.75 -075 X 035
    OS -12.00 -100 X 140

  2. #2
    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    I would use 1.67 index with AR coating. I can't see using 1.70 index, you won't be much thinner and the cost is much higher.

    P.S. I wish we could get 1.74 in the US for this type of Rx.

  3. #3
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Consider double concave lenses in 1.67.

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    Master OptiBoarder Jedi's Avatar
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    Take a scenic drive to Canada and have someone dispense her Zeiss Lantal 1.9. Now, keep in mind the Lantal 1.8 and 1.9 cannot be tempered so you run the risk of the lens shattering, so they are intended for dress use and passive recreation only. Alternately, Nikon 5 would be my choice of a plastic lens, a colleague of mine is a -13ish OU and in a 48 eye plastic frame they were about 5mm E.T.
    "It's not impossible. I used to bull's-eye womp rats in my T-16 back home."


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    Thanks for the advice....

    Thank you for the information. I appreciate hearing from people who know about these things.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jacqui
    I would use 1.67 index with AR coating. I can't see using 1.70 index, you won't be much thinner and the cost is much higher.

    P.S. I wish we could get 1.74 in the US for this type of Rx.
    Thanks for the info. An acquaintance had recommended checking into the Seiko 1.67, and after perusing this forum, this material seems to have a lot going for it. Thanks again.

  7. #7
    Manuf. Lens Surface Treatments
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    Don't change............................

    Quote Originally Posted by jkats
    .

    ......................Seven or eight years ago she had some frames sent to Germany to have some sort of Zeiss lenses made, which came out very well .........................I'll gladly take suggestions....

    OD -14.75 -075 X 035
    OS -12.00 -100 X 140
    Stay with what your wife is used to. High miopic people are very fussy and meticulous and you are the first one to know it.

    IOf she was happy with what she had let her continue on the same path and don't look for new improvements because she will take alot of time to adjust. High miops do not like change in their visual habits if they can get around it.

    Ignore all the good advice i have seen that goes from here to there. If she wants a new frame stick to the same type lenses she had.

  8. #8
    One eye sees, the other feels OptiBoard Silver Supporter
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    The lens material is secondary to a proper fit, although if she is wearing a standard plastic lens now, a switch to polycarbonate would be a show stopper. So step one is finding an optician who has experience fitting this type of Rx. Step two is specifying your visual and cosmetic priorities, including a detailed history of previous eyewear i.e. contacts, old Rx, old lens material etc. Step three is finding a frame that satisfies the above priorities, and is capable of positioning the lenses properly in front of the eyes.

    In general, as the index decreases, the vision off-axis improves, and the lens becomes thicker but not necessarily heavier.

    Hope this helps

    Robert

  9. #9
    since 1964 Homer's Avatar
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    Make a trip to Germany or her neighbors....

    .... there they do not have the parinoia the US has with thin, glass, high index lenses .... perhaps try Canada.

    You have chosen wisely in a small frame. The ideal is an oval, the geometric centers of which match the centers of your pupils.

    Then I would get 1.8 glass with a 1.0 mm center thickness. You will be amazed. Anti-reflection coating is always in order as it is will all good optical systems.

    e-mail me if you need a suggestion of a lab to make them and perhaps even an optician who will dispense them.

  10. #10
    since 1964 Homer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Martellaro
    .... although if she is wearing a standard plastic lens now, a switch to polycarbonate would be a show stopper.

    Robert
    Robert, Polycarbonate? really? Give me a break with the polycarbonate **** already!

  11. #11
    sub specie aeternitatis Pete Hanlin's Avatar
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    While I agree that poly probably wouldn't provide the required thinness (although in his defense, Robert did say "If the current material is plastic"), I seriously hope you aren't alluding to the optical properties of the material. If you are, I would be interested in knowing what property of poly you are concerned with. If its abbe, I'd remind you that the other high index materials mentioned all have abbes very similar to poly.
    Pete Hanlin, ABOM
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    http://linkedin.com/in/pete-hanlin-72a3a74

  12. #12
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    Homer has a good point...........................

    Quote Originally Posted by Homer

    .... there they do not have the parinoia the US has with thin, glass, high index lenses .... perhaps try Canada.
    There is no problem to get glass lenses in Canada, its not far and it can be done there.

  13. #13
    threadkiller? eromitlab's Avatar
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    I really don't understand why people still advocate the use of polycarbonate for anything over a -7.00, as it just becomes more distorted optically and more like a trainwreck cosmetically, even aspherics don't help after a certain point. This is one reason why there are higher index materials and newer, more efficient designs on the market, so people don't have to rely on polycarb as their only option for high myopic 'scrips. I just did a couple of pairs this week with a similar 'scrip and they were hideous, not to mention the pt. couldn't see at all out of 'em (turns out he was wearing HIP already, but since the retail people are told to sell poly at all costs... you get the idea).

    jkats, I could also make reccomendations as to what kinds of lenes your wife should look into, but, you'd be wise to stick with Chris' advice and ignore what reccomendations you've seen so far... have your wife stick with what she has now if that's what she's happy with.

  14. #14
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    Put the woman in a pair of well fitted, well maintained rigid contact lenses, she will love you forever.

    She will also see several times better than anything you can do in spectacles.

    Chip

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    Just An Optician jediron1's Avatar
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    Homer Said:.... there they do not have the parinoia the US has with thin, glass, high index lenses .... perhaps try Canada.



    Reason is because of a few "knuckle heads" suing there optician,lab and lens manufact. over the isssue of breakage and now there is not a lab I know that will put kids (especially kids) or adults in glass lenses without you signing at least fifty wavers and most people know wavers usually are use less. People are afraid of LAWSUITS! There was an optician I heard of in Western N.Y. who lost his house his job (he owned the business) because he was taken to court and sued because he said he was not properly informed of the ramifications of glass lenses and He (the claimant) said he was never told and the judge agreed. Took his house, business he has nothing now. That is why some opticians are paranoid over selling glass.:hammer:

    PS: I also read of one some years ago in either Wis. or Minn. can't remember
    which state it was. There too the Optician was sued along with the Lab and lens manufact.

  16. #16
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    jediron is right........................

    I have never even heard in over 40 years of anybody suing an optician or manufacturer neither in Europe nor in Canada about glass lens injuries.

    Glass lenses do break sometimes, but injuries to eyes is just about not happening.

    It is all a hype in the US were lawyers have a license to print money for everything and anything.

    Merry Christmas!

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    Just An Optician jediron1's Avatar
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    Chris nice way to put it. You summed up my whole argument, great job!

  18. #18
    Just An Optician jediron1's Avatar
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    I said in a previous post that it was the opticians who were being sued and that is why Opticians refuse to do lenses in glass. But is that the real question? Why are lawyers so anxious to take on these cases? Sounds like to me what used to happen and maybe still does, when the lawyers used to following ambulances to the hospitals to try to get some poor soul into suing the other party to make a few bucks. It is now big business! You don't just make a few bucks, now it's hundreds of thousands and millions in a lot of cases. I just heard where a person got a settlement of over a hundred thou and the lawyer walked away with over 30,000 thou for doing a few measly days of work! Not bad living if you can get the work. :drop:

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    Thanks everyone for the info....

    I really appreciate the time you've all taken to respond to my query. As for the question of contacts, my wife currently wears contacts most of the time. She only wears glasses at home, and even then, not all of the time. It seems that the only soft disposable (perhaps U.S approved!) contacts she can get are Precision UV. One eye's a -12.5 and the other's a -11.5.

  20. #20
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    My recommendation is GO TO GERMANY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    It's a beautiful country and the food is awesome and while you're at it put me in your suitecase, I'm coming along !!!

    Good luck

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    Put the woman in a pair of well fitted, well maintained rigid contact lenses, she will love you forever.

    She will also see several times better than anything you can do in spectacles.
    I'm with Chip on this one. Your wife will see better and feel much better about herself with this option. You can also combine contacts and a VERY THIN pair of eyewear to fine tune the rx if needed.

  22. #22
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    Put her in rigid lenses and you won't have to "fine tune" the eyewear, she will only need the eyeglasses to find the contacts with.

  23. #23
    What's up? drk's Avatar
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    Does anyone really use high index glass? Isn't it too heavy to be useful?

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    Underemployed Genius Jacqui's Avatar
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    I've sold some, but wouldn't want it for myself. It appears heavier and I don't think the optics are as good.

  25. #25
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    I had someone in -18.00 1.8 or 1.9 glass a couple of years ago. Could not get it in 1.74 as it was too high. Did what Chip suggested and she became a customer for life. Her vision improved from 20/40 to 20/25 and her periphal was clear. She was also told to get out of glass, because she developed a cist on her nose from the weight.

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