It has been observed by those infinitely more intelligent than me that you don't look at the mantelpiece when you're poking the fire. But would they be of assistance for knobbing birds? I'm assuming you (as a circumspect and far-sighted individual) chose them with this purpose at least partly in mind?
Well, that's what you're paying the big money for. My (lay) understanding is that optical design for varifocals is difficult and that cheaper varifocals are likely to end up with smaller areas of clear vision. Still, I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who's tried the 'free' Specsavers varifocals and an expensive brand.
My first varifocals were Essilor lenses from Boots. They were good quality but when my prescription had changed enough to need new lenses the price had gone up substantially to the level you found. It was £100 cheaper for me to go to an independent opticians and get varifocal lenses from Zeiss (normally regarded as the Rolls-Royce of lenses, with matching prices).
Note that different varifocal brands have different optical designs for the variable focus, so near to moderate distances focus at somewhat different angles. If you change brand you'll need another adjustment period to get used to the new design. I've kept my old Essilor glasses as spares but they feel odd as soon as I put them on. So it's fine to change brand permanently but constantly swapping between brands is unlikely to work well.
Also, I found my large branch of Boots had one qualified, competent dispensing optician who was good at fitting varifocals, as well as a bunch of generic sales staff... Other large, high-street opticians can also be reluctant to employ qualified dispensing opticians as minimally-trained sales people are cheaper. However, varifocals need proper fitting otherwise you'll get a crick in your neck from walking round with your head at an odd angle to focus properly.
Dispensing opticians fit glasses from a prescription written by an optometrist. It's the optometrists who carry out eye tests. (It's been decades since I went to an opticians where the same person did both jobs.)
and here's someone else who got endless headaches with Specsavers' varifocals. Present ones come from Boots.
They are rather different jobs. And you also have to remember neither actually makes the lenses. Which is a precision and expensive job.
Thanks. As well as hopefully not giving you headaches do the Boots' glasses give you larger areas of clear vision?
Yes; Boots offered me 3 options, each with a different field of view. I picked the widest (and most expensive). My main optical problem is astigmatism, so I wear my glasses all the time.
I am short sighted;-)
Now one thing I have noticed with the varifocals and this hot weather.
That is that when talking to the nice female admin staff when looking directly at their face (and pretending to be interested in what they are saying) you can then look down with your eyes without moving your head and the cleavage on show is in perfect vision.
As I do. Thanks again.
But you would still need the varifocals because the laser treatment would only correct you sight for one of the three zones - distance, probably - but you would still need correction for close and intermediate distances.
As I said earlier, after my two cataract operations, I no longer need glases for distance vision but opted for the varifocals anyway as the alternative would be bifocals for intermediate and close vision.
Driving would be a hoot - popping the bifocals on everytime I want to glance at the speedo or satnav then whipping them off again so I can see the road!
I paid a little extra - not much - for my superior SpecSavers' varifocals and have undistorted vision from extreme left to extreme right.
they never offered me that kind - there was just one type, with a very narrow field of view.
Having paid an extortionate price to a small independent for bifocals, I went to Specsavers for the next pair (which might have been the first pair of varifocals - I can't remember now) and prices were much lower. They also offer a 25% discount if you are over 60.
As I said in a previous post, the fhe first frame I chose took fairly small lenses and I did have distortion at the sides, so I'd go gor the frames which take the largest lenses which will, of course, depend on your face, and pay extra for their superior lenses.
I don't know if these are exactly the same as my current frames but are close enough not to make any difference:
My lenses are also light reactive and have a non-scratch finish. With the 25% siscount, I think I paid under £200 and have been very satisfied with them (no distortion!)
My sight test has been put off by our move and is well overdue, so I think I should be paying the Lincoln branch of Specsavers a visit in the near future!
I've just come back from specsavers and they had four ranges of varifocal lenses (standard, premium, elite and tailor-made)
I declined them all and have decided to have two single vision pairs, one for computer use, the other for general use and driving.
Not viable for everyone. I now find that the ones that give me the best view of street signs etc don?t allow me to read the instrument panel digital displays like the clock and the odo well enough and I do use the odo when on long distance trips. The previous ones that allow me to read the digital instrument panel displays well don?t work well for the street signs when going at 100Kmph+. they come into focus too late and flash past, particularly at night. Not so bad in the daytime.
Same for me. The special bifocals work really well, though.
The dashboard is beyond arm's length, so not really a problem for me (either with the old varifocals that I never particularly got on with, or the even older single vision lenses)
Something very odd if you can't read the instruments with normal distance vision - even at an age like mine where your accommodation is near zero. And I don't mean just seeing where the pointer is on a speedo. My car has things like distance before needing petrol etc in about 5mm high typeface. I have no problems reading that without reading specs.
I suppose it might depend on how close you sit to the wheel. I'm about 6ft tall, so tend to be some way from the dash.
I am puzzled by that. It may be I have misunderstood. But I am fairly sure the instruments are generally at an "intermediate" distance where very many people (me included) need a substantial addition to their distance prescription (albeit less than their reading addition).
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