OT: New Spectacles

[PeterC]

It's a fiddle. With modern lens-making equipment, bifocal or varifocal is as quick and cheap to make as single vision. Tap in the figures and press Go.

[The Medway Handyman]

Just normal varifocals, never noticed any lack of overhead vision.

Maybe it depends on where the focus changes?

[PeterC]

Too far :-( - I'm near Northampton. No idea if there's any such facility here.

[PeterC]

Thanks Dave, I'll have a look at that site. I do have some sites bookmarked that were mentioned in this group. A lot of the '2-for-1' are around £50; Tesco mentioned £60 so I might just get the first ones from there as then it's easy to take 'em back. Once sorted, then on-line is the way to go.

[Ophelia]

Well, if you can manage most of the time with 'readers', the varifocals can take care of the rest:)

Not a worry for you then:) I am not asking, but if you are over a 'certain' age, you get 25% off if the ads on tv are to be trusted:)

Good luck with your choices!

[Tim Streater]

I find I'm having to look through the long-distance bit.

[Huge]

Me too. I've considered getting some fixed focus ones for DIY. Ceiling roses are a particular pain.

[PeterC]

In that case I might qualify (bus pass but not yet pension - don't use the pass much as I cycle almost everywhere).

Thank you.

[PeterC]

My last GF had a new pair of specs. with circular lenses - one lens was 180 deg. out! That was a v. complex prescription, but would the same 'trick' work for varifocals or would the L-R aspect or Axis on each lens be a problem?

BTW, a couple of sites that I found whilst trying to learn a bit:

On laser surgery of various types (not for the squeamish):

terms: form of explanation of prescription; enter the figures and it shows diagrams of the defects and a brief explanation. Needs Cookies; best to delete cookies on exit so that your profile doen't affect subsequent runs: site that seems to be only clinical; has forums:

[Pete Zahut]

May be worth giving Rick a call to see if there's any trade organisation or body that you could then use to find a guy local to you.

[PeterC]

Good point - thanks.

[Geo]

Have a look round for Occupational Lenses or Double-D e.g:-

[geoff]

In message , tim.... writes

I bet Fairplay Optical would do them for you

[geoff]

Then there's fairplay optical just down the road here in Watford

[tim....]

I solved the problem in the past by getting prescription single vision specs just for computer use.

----------------------------------------------------------- I don't actually need the glasses for the computer.

The problem is that when I wear my corrected glasses they over focus on near things and I have to take them off. This means that when I am at my computer I can't recognise people across an office.

tim

[Mike Barnes]

tim.... :

Get a webcam. :-)

[PeterC]

mmm, just done a search on that and get dead ends and loads of 'business' leaching sites and links to Glasses On Spec but nothing else. Do you have a link, please?

[peteshew]

I am on my third set of varifocals which I took to straight away. But agree totally with comments about computer screens and overhead DIY. I still prefer no glasses for reading and close work - more relaxing as another poster wrote. Don't forget the eye protectors when necessary though. For fine soldering I sometimes add a pair of clip on magnifying lenses to my specs.

Another totally different approach that I use when orienteering - particularly in the rain - is to wear one contact lens for distance vision and use the naked eye for map and compass reading. Slightly odd but tolerable, even acceptable, for a few hours but after that I revert to the varifocals. I hear that there are people who do that all the time - maybe if I persevered rather than do it sporadically it would become natural.

Pete

[Bruce]

I don't know what on earth you searched for, nor what search engine you used, but a Google search on "fairplay optical" returned that company's web site as its first result.

[Bruce]

To be more precise, it was that company'e entry in a trade directory that might be useful for searching for similar firms in other parts of the UK. It gives full address and telepohone details:

Optical also trades online as Glassesonspec.co.uk: