I've been wearing progressive lenses for decades, and have been mostly satisfied with all of them until taking up archery. I found I could not get a clear focus at 15-30 yards, so I thought maybe I needed new glasses.
When I got an eye exam it turned out my vision hadn't deteriorated, but the doc said the slightly angled view you get when shooting a bow can be distorted by some lenses. He said what I want is a lens that gives a wider view in the intermediate area.
I've been researching all the options for the last few months and found out quite a few interesting things from reading posts at optometrist websites. I didn't realize it but the lenses I have now are "high index" and though the lightest lenses, are not the clearest. I found out Trivex material is very clear, the most durable lens, and lighter than everything but high index.
I also decided on "free form" high definition lenses (free form is: all progresssive power generated on the back surface of the lens), as discussed in
this article. All that was left was to decide which brand; with Zeiss, Varilux Physio (my current brand), Shamir, Kodak, Essilor . . . available there were many options. I'd all but decided on Shamir Auto II because of all the great reviews when I saw in several posts at a few websites doctors raving about Seiko (I didn't even know they made lenses, but it turns out they invented free form lenses). Here's one such post:
I would agree that the Auto II is great lens, but out west we have a ton of heavy computer users and the Auto II is very narrow in the Intermediate. The Seiko Surmount is about 4-5X wider in minus power, and about 6-7x wider in plus than the Auto II intermediate. The Shamir Spectrum is about 30% wider than the Auto II in the intermediate, so we making more Spectrums than Auto II's now.
There are also wide reports of Auto II's not working as well for Hyeropes.
Its not a matter of one lens being the "best", its a matter of matching your patients lifestyle and needs to the qualities of the lens. Auto II is the best for short corridors with high adds, high cyls and great for reducing spacial distortion. Its great for prev. non-adaps as its very very smooth.
But its also very very soft, which is not the best for wider near zones.
Just for reference, Seiko invented free-form in 1993 and holds the key patents that most other manufactures license, so there are not late to the game as it may seem in the US.
In another post, which I cannot find, one very experienced optometrist who buys every top lens for himself to try (kind of like a Buejeger equivalent) said that of all the best FF/HD lenses the Seiko Surmount was clearest overall and in the periphery (though he said Shamir was best intermediate-straight ahead). After finding a dozen or so professionals recommending the Seiko, I'm going to try them.
The other issue is cost. A lens like Seiko Surmount or Shamir Auto II are very expensive in progressives (and with transitions, which I really like). Dispensers around here charge over $700 with tax! The last time I went with
this online lab that does lenses for about half the cost, and they did a great job. This time I'm going with
Eyeglass Lens Direct because they do Seiko Surmont Trivex progressives in their lab (the other company has to send out to do Seiko), and they also have a great reputation.
