Is there an optometrist in the house?

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heviarti

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I read an article on an optometrist that specialized in shooters. I've been wondering a little about this, and posted a semi-related topic but didn't get any decent answers.

It's been suggested that my glasses could possibly be distorting what I am seeing. A few things I have noticed may bear this out.

Let's start with my lens RX:
Prism R 5° out L 5° out
OD -8.00 -2.75X20
OS -8.75 -2.25X155

I bought the Zeiss lenses, because I've had trouble with cruddy lenses in the past. I noticed starting with my last pair I'm getting strange red and blue ghosts at the edge of my vision, red inside blue to the outside on either side. I also notice a bright blue ghost beneath vapor lights at night, if I alter my viewing angle the two will coincide.

I think this may be to blame for the fact I can't seem to hit anything except with a pistol. I've shot at static targets with my shotgun, carefully lining up the bead and contolling the trigger carefully, and my best average is a hit 50% of the time.

I don't have as bad a time with riflescopes, but binoculars cause me fits.

None of the local specialists seem to know anything, or at least can't explain anything. They don't know anyone with eyes as bad as mine that shoot as much as I do. Short of buying 12 and 20ga tracers for further experimentation, I'm kinda stuck and hoping somebody knows something.
 
I bought a pair of perscription "computer glasses". The doctor and I sort of guessed at what would work and it does help. I usually look at the computer screen at slightly further than arms length. They work for handguns as far as focusing on the front sight which I have a huge problem doing with regular perscription glasses.

If you use a computer a lot and wear perscription glasses, you don't know what you're missing. Big difference in clarity. There is the cost issue of course.
 
I am 61 and had cataract surgery in my dominant right eye in June of last year. During the surgery an interoccular implant lens of intermediate focus inserted in my right eye. Objects from 20-40 inches away are in sharp focus. I need a slight correction for distance and for precision close work. I can read the Wall Street Journal under good light, or work on my computer without corrective lenses. I no longer have a corrective lens restriction on my driver's license. The sights on my carry gun are sharp without glasses when I extend the gun normally in 2-handed Isoceles.

In December 2008, prior to cataract surgery I had laser surgery in the same eye to repair a detached retina. Before suffering the detached retina I competed in highpower rifle and indoor bullseye pistol shooting having shooting using glasses approximately -0.5 diopter less than my reading prescription. My shooting glasses were optimized for a focal length based upon the measured distance my cheek bone below the eye to the front sight, approximately 39 inches for me. This gave a sharp sight picture, but the target was fussy if I used only my right eye. The target would sharpen considerably if I also used a Merit adjustable iris with the corrective lenses, but this isn't always practical in dimly light indoor ranges. But it works great outdoors for pistol shooting in full sun.

When shooting a service rifle outdoors I could read the number boards OK with my left eye, but when down in position looking through the sights on the M1 it was necessary to count target frames to be sure I was on the right one, so that I wouldn't crossfire. I could hold 6:00 OK on the bull for standing, 200 and 300 rapid, but would frame the target at 600. Years ago I shot Master, but these days with my creaky bones I'm a low Expert.

I could use a scope if the eye lens was backed off to put the reticle in sharp focus without corrective lenses, and I could hunt with no trouble. Firing a shotgun or iron sighted rifle I shoot with both eyes open, as I have good distance vision in the left eye. The brain has no trouble merging the target image in the left with the sight image in the right.

In Dec. 2008 I suffered a detached retina. I had surgery the same day in which a gas bubble was injected into my eye to hold the retina in place, while its edges were tacked in place with a laser. The surgery was completely successful with full recovery of my sight. I was told by the retinal specialist that the surgery eye would eventually develop a cataract. This is because while the laser used for the retinal repair was focussed at the back of the eye, putting all that energy through the lens tissue is akin to inserting a hot wire through an eggwhite, so it causes a localized opacity. This was not a matter of "if" I would get a cataract in that eye, but rather of how soon it would become objectionable.

Within 6 months the focal distance in my right eye shortened to about half of normal and distance vision in that eye deteriorated to 20/200. I could no longer adjust a scopes to have the reticle sharp, and using the sights on a revolver became impossible. All I could do was impose a fuzzy gun over a fuzzy silhouette and instinctively point-shoot Applegate style. I got some extensive coaching from a retired FBI academy instructor and have since become a believer in point shooting, but that is another story... For those who want more on this read Applegate's book Bullseye's Don't Shoot back and follow it. It works.

While I could have gotten new corrective lenses and lived with my condition for a while longer, my doctor advised that the younger I was when I had the surgery the better the chance for a successful outcome, because the eye then is then more flexible and resilent that it would be if I waited a year or so longer. I would enjoy more years of good vision by having the surgery sooner, rather than later. Being active and still working full time working outdoors I decided not to wait on the surgery. I had it done and my outcome has been wonderful. My interoccular lens is an AcrySoft Natural by Alcon Laboratories which is light blue in color with UV filter. I can function fine without glasses, although due to the nature of my outdoor work I wear progressive Transitions lenses most of the time. My vision so equipped is like being 20-years old again.
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What you are experiencing is most likely chromatic aberration. Your eye place either needs to increase the focal length of your lens or change materials entirely. If you are in a polycarbonate lens, I would switch to a higher index material.
 
As far as I know I bought the highest index stuff I could. These Zeiss lenses were quite expensive, and the lenses are still a half an inch thick at their thickest point. In higschool I gave my glasses to an acquaintance that had been smoking weed during lunch. He put on my glasses and promptly lost his lunch. I laughed at his inability to control himself.

I've tried shooting with both eyes open, but I always get two front sights, or in the case of my .45 a front sight and a partial view of the left side of the slide and a front sight.

I also have a problem with contradictory light. Everybody asks what my eyesight number is without the glasses. I can't answer, nobody's ever thought to tell me. Never does occur to me the once every three to seven years I can afford an exam and a set of glasses.

I've considered laser surgery, but it's way out of my price range, and from what I've been able to gather I might still need glasses for prism, whatever the &#$@ that means.
 
Do you have polished edges on your lenses? With the thicker lenses the polished edges will act as a light pipe and introduce an astounding amount of chromatic aberrations into the lens. I had all kinds of pretty colors, but they were very distracting.

When I got my current glasses the lab polished the edges by mistake, and I couldn't stand them. I had my OD. reorder the lenses in non polished edges, and all was better. Also you may try getting the lenses coated. That will also reduce a lot of glare.

Good luck,
Joe
 
I have frosted edges and a lens coating. I'm really starting to dislike this coating, I've had it on my last two pair, and it flakes and crazes. I think the coating on this pair differs from the last one because it exhibited a gold color, where the last pair was almost blue.

The last pair was quite a mess by the time I retired them. This pair is starting to go, but I think I can get another year or two out of 'em.
 
Even better, blacken the edges with flat black paint, even magic marker works, this is a trick amateur telescope makers have used for years. I have been using drugstore reading glasses, +1.5 diopter for a few years now, would have taken back any pair that had color aberrations like that , this simply should not happen with prescription glasses. I have not blackened a pair of readers yet because being dirty is usually the only problem I have with them.
 
You know, I explained the colors to the optometrist when I got the new set, and he said he'd never heard of such a thing. Anything I'm not looking at straight on gets the bands of color, and they get wider the greater an angle at which I view something. My kitchen windows are at approximately 80 degrees to me, 25 feet away. The ghosts are about "four inches" wide that far out at that angle.

I have tried covering the edge of my lens, but that didn't change it.
 
Minus lenses are thicker on the edge than they are in the middle, so there's no getting around the thickness there unless you go to a very small frame.

Options like the High Index (1.74 is available but expensive, and must be Anti-Reflective coated) make the lens thinner, but have drawbacks of their own. Without having seen the lenses, you may be seeing the Hard Coating if you didn't get the AR. Hard Coatings tend to create a prismatic effect when you're looking across the surface of the lens.

There are several unintended consequences of a lens that thick, and in your case, would be difficult to avoid no matter the manufacturer.

You mentioned prism in the post, have you always had that? or is it new? "Prism" shifts the image presented to your eyes around UP, DOWN, OUT, IN, and even in combination thereof. That could be causing you problems, but I'm reaching a bit on that.
 
I know my last two pair have had it, but those are the only two I really know about. I've only had two pair since I was 18. Before that nobody really thought to tell me anything. I just know I really don't see that well

I really wish I could get away from these coatings. They really effect the longevity of my glasses badly.

I'm hoping someone comes along that can say for sure that there is or is not a possibility of distortion. I fear I may have to stop shooting starlings 'til fall when the leaves come off the trees so I can see the little buggers. They've learned not to land where I can see 'em.

50% hit rate increases their capacity to learn, and really ticks me off. I just don't know what else it could be. I make sure I have a rest, line up on my target and give close attention to trigger control and miss *with a shotgun on a non-moving target* I can't see missing like that unless when I'm looking down my receiver, straight to my bead, straight to the bird what I'm seeing in line is not really in line. I know my barrel is straight, so that leaves the only other possibility as the glasses.
 
Heviarti, sorry to hear you are having these problems seeing and shooting. I used to get the non-glare coating on my perscription glasses until I noticed (it two two pairs to convince me) that the problem on longevity was the coating not the perscription or my handling. I'd scratch them up in 3 months and do everything right with lens cleaner and correct tissues. Glasses are expensive and your glasses are probably extremely expensive. I feel for you.

I hope you find something that works well.
 
I wish I could recall where I read that article. I know it was an early to mid 90s shooting magazine with a very heavy cover, but the spine wasn't square. (strange the details you remember)

Yeah, glasses are expensive for me. That's why I don't get a new set every year or two. I think this set cost about $700.

I do just fine with my pistol, but it's for bigger stuff (not that I don't shoot SCADS of starlings in the head with my .22 pistol, but that's generally at closer range or in the dairy barn)

Depending on the rifle, rifle sights can be difficult for me. I tend to like peep sights, but the notch on my Mosin is great... it's like a pistol sight. The barleycorn front is difficult for me to see however. I need to go buy some nasty hooker color nail polish. That'll look great at Albertson's... Hillbilly nerd with coke-bottles and a .45 on his belt perusing the nail polish for a good color. *sigh*. I have to say the nasty hooker metal flake pearlescent pink-orange on my 1911 works wonders. I just didn't get the bottle with the pistol :)
 
Well, I looked that over. It doesn't say what their extra strength charge is, but I'm 100% sure that's me. They also say they don't produce lenses with prism. I may need the prism. I know I have it, and can see. I'd hate to buy something without it and have it not work.
 
I may have found a person that knows something. Referred him to the thread. Bumping it so it's easy to find.

Update: may have found two. Hopefully they can tell me something... I can't just drive to their offices... one's in Colorado, the other in Canada. Rubber on the pickup's a little threadbare for that kinda run.
 
I am not an optometrist, but I believe that's a pretty highly myopic prescription with a moderate astigmatism. Have you considered wearing contacts instead of glasses to avoid the aberrations? There are toric lenses available which may be able to correct your astigmatism.

Ask your eye care professional...
 
Last I heard I couldn't get 'em, but it's been some time since I've asked. I do weld occasionally and am fairly active. Heard horror stories about contacts fusing to the cornea, and can't be looking for a contact dropped in the cow doody with an angry bovi-critter wanting to eat my shorts. It'd be nice to wear sunglasses, though. Or shave with my straight razor without having my glasses in the way, or not catch my hair in the hinges, or about a billion things many people take for granted. I don't dare look straight up, or they'll land a plane on these things... and I don't dare go without them or I'll be talking to furniture.

As thick as my lenses are, if I got contacts I probably wouldn't be able to blink ;)

You think contacts would solve the problem?

Kinda ticked off about even having this problem anymore. I had a long time friend as a roomate, and he got this big settlement... Promised to buy me surgery. He bought everybody a few guns, bought a recent acquaintance $70000 worth of truck and trailer, blew the most of the cash at strip joints all within two and a half months. Then he went to carrying on with the gal I was seeing. Needless to say, I kicked him out. He's lucky he got home when he did. If I had completed removing his gear before he returned, I was bringing out the can of diesel and it was all going including the Barrett. (Sorry Ronnie!) Sucker still owes me $500, and I'm still nearsighted.
 
My eyes are in about the same shape as yours. I wear contacts or glasses and they worked pretty good until I developed "dry eyes". I don't produce enough tears to keep them lubricated, but then I'm an old fart. I now wear them sporadically, and I'm seriously considering Lasik surgery.

You might ask your OD. to get you a sample set of contacts to try them out. I know that the contact manufacturers distribute samples to the OD's so they can hopefully get new customers. Different brands have different attributes to correct certain issues, so there may only be a couple of brands that are suitable for you. They will have to be special ordered, but it still shouldn't cost you any more than the fitting fee. Give them at least a month to see if they are suitable for you, unless they cause you discomfort. Contacts can correct a lot of problems, but they can also create new issues too.
 
Yes, I think contacts would solve your problems with aberrations, etc. And don't worry about how thick they are - because they're so much closer to your eye you won't notice the thickness. They make contacts out to -20 diopters, so -8 isn't really that severe.

With a high prescription like that you might not be a good candidate for Lasik - they'd need to remove a lot of corneal tissue and there might not be enough left.

Ask an eye doctor about these options...
 
There should be a new member here with some further info soon, one of the two folk I mentioned. I spoke to him on the phone, and he'll be here this weekend. I'll have to switch browsers to post a pic of my glasses, which he was interested in.
 
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