Good quality glasses (lenses)

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Lizard1977

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#272634 7-Jul-2020 09:00

I bought my last pair of glasses from Specsavers about 3 years ago, and one of the lenses has become noticeably scratched, with the protective coating wearing off. It feels like the quality is really poor, which is probably unsurprising given Specsavers' pitch as an "affordable" option. So I want to get some new lenses, but I want better quality than what Specsavers seem able to provide. My prescription is quite strong, and so I've always opted for a "thinning" option to avoid having lenses that are massively thick and bulky. Unfortunately that means expensive (even with Specsavers).

So I'm looking for a new optometrist (in Palmerston North) who supplies good quality lenses. I've asked around a few places, but it's hard to know whether their suppliers are any better than Specsavers. Can anyone attest to an optometrist that uses good quality lenses?

timmmay

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#2518330 7-Jul-2020 09:45

Look for an optometrist that supplies Leica lenses. I find them good.

The anti scratch coating can only do so much. Be careful with cleaning (Google for the method around warm water and dishwashing liquid), never place them face down, keep them in a case with soft cloths around them when moving them. I think in 20 years of wearing glasses I got one scratch on a lens when I dropped them.

Lizard1977

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#2518346 7-Jul-2020 10:05

I've worn glasses for the last 30 years, and scratches are almost unavoidable. I've always been pretty good with them, and while I don't go to extreme lengths, after a while they usually get a little scratched. However, this latest pair is different. It's not so much scratching as the protective coating wearing off. It's noticeable and distracting, more so than the minor scratches elsewhere on the lenses. I spoke to Specsavers about it, but it's something they can plausibly deny and claim it's just wear and tear and poor care practices. I can't deny it completely, because I haven't been handling them like fine china. But I've never had glasses wear out like this, so I'm hoping it's down to a poor manufacturing process, and switching to a different supplier might help.

One of the optometrists here in PN mentioned Leica. I recognised that as a name of good quality lenses (for cameras at least), so that's helpful. Thanks.

Fred99

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#2518355 7-Jul-2020 10:18

My SO had issues with anti-reflective coating on glasses, they weren't from Spec Savers, but they could have been from the same supplier. There was a fault - they replaced the lenses for free. This was about a year ago - the glasses were about 18 months old.

IMO it may be a good discussion with an optometrist about cost of high RI lenses vs benefit relating to your specific prescription. The very high RI lenses are very expensive, but there may only be marginal benefit (weight/lens thickness) from the highest RI over slightly lower RI "glass", and there may be disadvantages. With optics, the higher the RI the higher the dispersion, the lower RI lenses might provide better vision (esp. off centre).
It's complicated and IMO well worth having the discussion - Spec Savers Optometrists have the expertise - and can explain it better than my attempt above.

Geektastic

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#2518357 7-Jul-2020 10:22

I have used Leica, Nikon and Hoya lenses and found them all very good.

The simplest way to reduce scratches is to have actual glass lenses rather than plastic, however. They are heavier but will pick up day to day scratching much less easily than plastic lenses.

dafman

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#2518419 7-Jul-2020 11:02

Maybe hit Specsavers up for free replacement under CGA - it is reasonable to expect glass lenses to last longer than 3 years. It's worth a try.

I had my lenses replaced by my optician for free unde CGA for same reason after two years - ie. anti reflective coating coming off.

My tip - I no longer use any detergent or cleaning solution on my lenses. I now only clean with water and soft clean cloth.

jonathan18

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#2518738 7-Jul-2020 20:00

A number in my family use and recommend Naylor Palmer (in Broadway) and find their glasses of good quality; personally I simply can't bring myself to pay their steep prices!

dejadeadnz

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#2518785 7-Jul-2020 21:54

I wear Oakley semi-rimless. The likes of OPSM typically want up to 500 bucks for my circa -3.5 (both eyes) script with 1.61 lenses. Dresden Optical did mine for less than $160 including a fitting fee. I think they use Zeiss lenses. They have been nothing short of outstanding for me.