questions about eyeglasses

Factual Questions
1

[I might as well post this one in the bbq pit, but I’m looking for information, rather than trying to vent. I hope it’s ok. ]

So I got my new prescription eyeglasses from a local store. Being my first pair, I didn’t know much about it. So I just went in and bought something expensive, figuring I’ll get what I’m paying for.

Well…

One of the things I wanted was a photochromic layer (Transitions) b/c I spend a lot of time outdoors. I also wanted an AR coating, and they said I don’t need it: transitions + AR would be redundant.

So I got the glasses, and spent a couple of days with them. Turns out I really need AR coating - at least on the inside of my lenses. My prescription is high and because of that I can see disturbing reflections of my own eyes. Apparenly it’s common knowledge that AR is actually *recommended * for thick lenses. It took me less than 5 mins to find out on the net. Not one of the [eye care] store employees knew that.
I took the glasses to the store for an additional coating and I was told that they’ll have to cut a new pair, since the coatings must be applied before cutting. (They were going to do that at their own expense. ) Since the new lenses could be cut in any shape, I also asked for a different frame (bigger lenses, better field of vision)

After a long waiting time, I got a call saying that my new glasses are ready. At the store, turns out they fitted the lenses in a frame of the right shape, but the wrong color. So the technician tells me to wait, he goes in the back, and after some 2 minutes of grinding noises he comes back with the lenses in a frame of the right color, but different shape!

I checked the SKU# on the frames in question, and it was OK - same number as the frame with the shape I wanted. However, they looked different . The technician tells me that the lenses are pre-cut at the lab according to an id# (to match the frame) and furthermore, the frame I tried on had thin, fake lenses that “do not apply tension on the frame”. Apparently, (he said) the frame bends to fit the lens. (he acknowledged himself that the shapes were different)

My main question is: what happened? is he right? and if yes, why do they put a particular frame/shape on display knowing it can/will change when fitted with lenses?

Furthermore, this second pair does not “feel” so right optically as the initial pair - why?

third question: how can I tell if the AR coating is there? I can still see reflections of my eyes in the lenses.

I would like to hear some objective opinions and ideally some competent info about the manufacturing process. Am I missing something here or am I right to be dissatisfied? Seeing how easily (and often) they make mistakes, I can’t help but being suspicious.

thanks

2

The whole shape thing sounds fishy to me, but I don’t really know enough to comment. As a long-time wearer of glasses, I can tell you that the reflections, while very distracting now, will soon cease to even register. While anti-reflective coatings are very nice, and I myself wouldn’t get glasses without AR, it’s not quite as big a deal as it may seem to you right now. AR coatings don’t eliminate reflections completely, either; they merely dim them.

3

This is the only part I can answer: hold your glasses and look at a light source reflected in the lens, ideally a white overhead light fixture. If the lens has AR coating, the reflection should have a green or purple hue. If it’s white and bright, there is most likely no coating.

4

I had problems with a pair of glasses once; I’m long-sighted and my prescription is moderately high, so I always get the high refractive index lenses, ground aspherically and with AR coatings.

Anyway, they phoned me to say that the new ones were ready and when I first tried them on, they seemed fine, but I thought they were a little heavy. On further examination, the lenses were really thick; the curvature was still quite slight but it turned out they had ground the lenses from the wrong sized blanks (too large), when they cut them down to fit them in the frames, they ended up with really thick edges all the way around (which is totally unnecessary for convex lenses).

IIRC, it took them four retries to get them right.

5

First teeny error - price is not always related to quality.

This is bogus information.

No matter what you do or don’t put on the lenses, from time to time you’ll get reflections of your own eyeballs, especially with a high prescription.

I thought it was recommended for everyone. Anyhow - have you considered finding an eyeglass store stocked with intelligent, informed employees?

You know, this has been one of my pet peeves recently. When I go in for new glasses the Fitting Lady keeps pushing small lenses - “They’re lighter!” “They’re not as obvious!” Lady, contact lenses for me would probably weigh a 1/2 pound a piece. Not as obvious? There is no way someone is going to overlook the honkin’ big chucks of optical aids perched on my nose so let’s forget all this “lighter” and “less obvious” crap and get me something affording a large field of view. When she didn’t get the “looking through the wrong end of binoculars” comment I moved up to “looking through two piss-holes in the snow”. Her final attempt was an appeal to fashion - well, honey, whichever “fashion designed” is making these things, they obviously don’t wear glasses. Hey, fashion… isn’t that the same crowd that wants to starve women and force their feet into deforming shoes? Oh, like I’d really want that crowd to design my glasses…

BOGUS!!! He screwed up (apparently not the first time) and is trying to cover his backside. BOGUS! I’ve been wearing glasses the better part of 30 years and this is the very first I’ve heard of this. If the lenses are applying “tension” to the frame enough to distort them it’s because they don’t fit the frame and have been forced into it.

Sometimes, they screw up the prescriptions. Happens to me about 1 time in 4.

But, also, the lenses have to be cut and ground so the correction provided by the lens lines up properly with your eye. When the technician did all that grinding and forcing for the new frames he might have knocked the lenses’ focusing off-center a touch - meaning they don’t correct as well.

I’m not suspicious, I’m certain - these guys don’t know what they’re doing. Go somewhere else.