Zeiss kicks Luzerne Optical lab for Independants to the curb...

[Uncle Fester]

Zeiss corporate has dropped Luzerne beginning October 1st. I always liked Luzerne especially for its ability to access all major designs. Apparently not any more.

Over the years I've found some patients I just could not change designs with successfully from Zeiss to Big E. So now it's good luck to me time I guess.

They enclosed a list of recommended lenses to switch Zeiss to Essilor to and I notice the Physio W3+ and W3+ Fit are not listed.

Should I correctly assume the Auto 3 and Auto 3 fit is the lens to go to?

Can a lens design guru like Jason or Robert M weigh in?

Sigh and thanks...

[Lazarus]

Uncle Fester, I got the same notice.
But I did see Varilux W3+ on the suggested replacement list. Luzerne listed all of the VX lenses including the new X Design
It looks like they listed suggested replacements based on price and maybe min fitting heights. What specific zeiss design are you comparing?
I see many VX lenses listed all over that list along with Hoya, Shamir, Seiko , Unity and others.
I think some wise folks here can suggest several alternatives to zeiss product and be happy still using the lab they choose to use

[huskypaul]

What Zeiss lens are you trying to retro fit. With the Individual II I have had good success with the In Touch by Shamir. Another possible option you might want to look into is the Camber.

[merrymaker]

Just had my first, that I can recall, PAL switch from a Zeiss Ind 2 into a Auto 3 design (due to lens option needed) and the patient was thrilled with the result. I always recommend to my current Zeiss patients (we don't do much Zeiss) that they stay in the same family of designs but its great knowing that a positive outcome is possible!

[Chris Ryser]

Zeiss corporate has dropped Luzerne beginning October 1st. I always liked Luzerne especially for its ability to access all major designs. Apparently not any more.

This sounds more political than technical. No supplier company in the optical trade would drop a customer these days, that enjoys a good name and supplies a good quality service, and pays the bills in time.

This sounds more like a *deja vu* before ...............................

[Judy Canty]

before......??

[Chris Ryser]

before......??

...........business politics, takeovers ect..................................

[LENNY]

...........business politics, takeovers ect..................................

You mean sale to Essilor? :)

[Chris Ryser]

You mean sale to Essilor? :)

.............or Hoya, or anybody else that does not like Zeiss

[Michael I. Davis]

I have used Luzerne for a long time, and still will, but, if you need a Zeiss lens, why not just go to Zeiss? I have found their Va. lab to be good quality and easy to work with.

[LENNY]

I have used Luzerne for a long time, and still will, but, if you need a Zeiss lens, why not just go to Zeiss? I have found their Va. lab to be good quality and easy to work with.

People are lazy! They want to use one lab.
We use 3....

[Lab Insight]

People are lazy! They want to use one lab.
We use 3....

True, and hard to break old habits.

[Chris Ryser]

People are lazy! They want to use one lab.
We use 3....

...........................have you ever thought ..................

................that these days all 3 of them might have the same owner

[Jason H]

Uncle Fester,
Sorry it took so long to respond - some computer trouble. But it's fixed now. The guidelines sent following Zeiss' dissasociating themselves from Luzerne were meant to be suggestions rather than reccomendations. Physio W3+ is on the list and the Physio W3+ fit we had hoped would be implied - but both have been successful in my experience. No slight intended. If we put every lens we offer as substitutions it would look like the Manhattan phone directory. Instead we tried to give a good cross-section of what we offer in an effort to give our Zeiss heavy customers an alternative.


Personally, I like Zeiss and have reccomended their lenses for years. That they chose to end their relationship with Luzerne was a dissapointment. But still, there's a lot of great and even better product out there these days. Luzerne just wanted to provide a framework for accounts that will be switching out of the Zeiss product.

[Judy Canty]

Chris,
Your assumption is reasonable, but you're way off base here. Luzerne is family-owned and operated. They are fiercely independent and intend to stay that way.

[Bimbol]

I have used Luzerne for a long time, and still will, but, if you need a Zeiss lens, why not just go to Zeiss? I have found their Va. lab to be good quality and easy to work with.

We were able to get Zeiss lenses with Zeiss AR cheaper from Luzerne than from Zeiss.

[pknsbeans]

Sounds like when FEA had those wonderful Shamir prices and then lost Shamir.

[Judy Canty]

Rather than speculate, why not meet with a Luzerne rep? You will find our pricing for all vendors to be quite competitive.

[Chris Ryser]

We were able to get Zeiss lenses with Zeiss AR cheaper from Luzerne than from Zeiss.

That is like in the 1960s and 70s when I had my lab, I could get AOCO lenses cheaper from Imperial Optical than from American Optical which they did not like at all.

[Lab Insight]

That is like in the 1960s and 70s when I had my lab, I could get AOCO lenses cheaper from Imperial Optical than from American Optical which they did not like at all.

And the monopolization or at minimum oligopoly is about to return sadly if the giant merger ever gets the global green light.

[Don Gilman]

Complain, complain. complain....to put it nicely, but they continue to feed the MONSTER!

[Uncle Fester]

Complain, complain. complain....to put it nicely, but they continue to feed the MONSTER!

Retirements on the horizon. Don't need to be the fastest runner from the Monster just not the slowest!!!

[Chris Ryser]

And the monopolization or at minimum oligopoly is about to return sadly if the giant merger ever gets the global green light.

another one about the same company described in my last post, that when AO came out with a cheaper line of lenses called AMOPTIC than their top class, the Tillyer brand, I was visiting them in Southbridge and found out that the paper envelope was the only difference between the two brands.

When I asked them why it was so, I was told that it was cheaper to use the same lenses for the cheaper brand, than to make them in another base curve.

Just wondering how many lens names these days are also the same as others that claim to be better or newer or the latest invention.

[Chris Ryser]

Complain, complain. complain....to put it nicely, but they continue to feed the MONSTER!

........................a few hundred years ago they would have called it a monster, correct, these days where a few oil companies have built up a world wide retail sales net that dominates the field of fuel sales, our optical example in question is well oiled and greased high tech engine that works only in one gear = forward and without any re-fueling or breathing stops.

[bsst]

Retirements on the horizon. Don't need to be the fastest runner from the Monster just not the slowest!!!

+1