The Best Progressive Lens Yet? The new Hoya MyStyle

 It’s been about two weeks since I got my brand-spanking new MyStyle lenses from Hoya. In my previous post, I talked about the unique way these lenses are ordered and made, and the lesson I learned from that process.

As a quick review, I chose six of the 15 lifestyle preferences to design my lenses: Business, outdoor activities, reading, photography, driving and computer use, and as I recall, rated each of them as a five out of five. If I had read the personalized printout once the online ordering process was completed, I might have noticed that it said my lenses have “a remarkably short transition from reading to far vision” – in other words, virtually NO intermediate area. It appears that since I rated four of the six distance weighted possibilities with the highest rating, it virtually eliminated the intermediate (computer) distance.

So, I am a bit disappointed in the usefulness of the intermediate area, but cannot fault the lens for that shortcoming. They have AMAZING distance clarity, incredibly sharp from one side of the lens to the other, so I love these while I’m driving and doing other far distance visual tasks. Adaption at distance was instantaneous.

Overall, I like the near vision as well, but have to wonder a bit if my choices skewed the performance a bit away from near. On a different note, I love the appearance of these lenses, as they are very flat and thin (attractive in eyeglass lenses!!). My only negative is that the lens is not available in Trivex at this time.

Overall, I am really excited about this lens, and all the possibilities it offers. I like the ability to totally personalize the prescription for the patient, and the fact that it DOES take a reasonable amount of skill to fit it well. It is a pretty impressive process to go through to design the lens, and showcases the difference between us and other eyewear providers; less qualified opticians will probably steer well clear of the learning curve necessary to obtain the desired results for patients.

RECOMMENDATION: For anyone who truly values well made products that perform at a level others can’t match, and for the person who wants the absolute perfect lens for their exact visual needs. Come in to any Hoya authorized dealer to check them out for yourself!

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Bill Gregory Patient - Ordering My Own Hoya’s MyStyle Lenses

If you have read my previous reviews, you already know that I personally test-wear every lens before I recommend it to my patients. Hoya recently introduced their newest lens, the MyStyle as a part of their push to become THE freeform lens company, and I was really curious as to how this lens would differ from their previous designs. You can check out their website for an explanation of this lens and for more technical details.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with one of my opticians to have her order my new lenses, and I’d like to pass on some of my observations. One of the VERY unique aspects of ordering this lens is that it is all done on a special website Hoya has dedicated for this purpose. The first interesting change is that it asks for the previous prescription, the brand and style of lens, and patient satisfaction with their previous glasses. Then, in addition to the normal items – Rx, pupilary distance and progressive height, frame style and size, more unique measurements such as vertex distance (from the front of the eye to the back of the lens), pantoscopic angle and face form angle are also required.OK, lots of techno-speak; what it means to you is that VERY sophisticated measurements are used to create the fully customized lens for you.

Once that has been entered, the patient is presented with an interview screen with 15 icons representing various ways we use our eyes – watching TV, driving, creative work, etc, and choose at least five of the 15 lifestyle choices, rating them between one and five stars as to how important that activity is. IMPORTANT!! Remember, this is a computer program, so it doesn’t necessarily think the way we do. If, like me, you use the computer several hours each day, and gave it a five star rating, if you also select two or more other lifestyle icons that are distance oriented, and also rate them at a five, the lenses will be tailored noticeably more for distance than for mid-range. This is where the skill of the optician is critical in helping the patient design lenses that will perform as expected.

Once that has been completed, their program designs a lens specifically for that patient in that frame for the activities they select. Pretty cool! These lenses are COMPLETELY customized – the only lens on the market I am aware of at this time that can make that claim. We'd love to help YOU find the perfect lenses for your lifestyle. 

COMING SOON: my test-wear review of the MyStyle lens!

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Have your eyes been recalled?

Recalls are very much front and center in the news today – major car manufacturers, well-know prescription drugs, tainted foods – the list just keeps getting longer every day. No wonder we associate recalls with bad news!

Here is one recall you should look forward to – a “recall” reminder from your eye care provider that it is time for your regularly scheduled eye examination. How often should you go in? A whole host of variables come in to play that the doctor uses to make his/her recommendations. School-age children should have annual eye exams, as should people who wear contact lenses. It is extremely important that people with diabetes have a yearly dilated exam. Those at risk of retinal detachment, or with elevated risk of glaucoma due to higher IOP (intra-ocular pressure) should also be seen once a year.

An optometrist told me about a friend in his Lions Club that used to always give him a hard time about how expensive eye exams were, which is why he never went in to have his eyes checked. Then one year his friend failed his driver’s license renewal; when he went in for an eye exam, he was found to have advanced glaucoma, had lost most of his vision, and he would never drive again.

So, when you get a notice that your eyes have been recalled, be happy that your eye care provider cares enough to remind you to return!

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Test-wearing the Seiko Proceed Progressive Lens

I was given the opportunity to try this new digital lens from Seiko awhile back, and couldn’t wait to give it the old test-wear. I had used Seiko lenses very successfully a number of years ago, and was looking forward to seeing what they had been up to in the world of lens design.

On the plus side, overall it is a decent lens, with better than average sharp peripheral distance vision, and a very generous near area.

However, try as I might, and employing every trick I can, the intermediate distance viewing area appears to be MIA. I tried them for several days, in various locales and different task distances, and always ended up wishing I had my previous glasses back.

I understand that lots of opticians are doing very well with this lens, so like so many other things in life, beauty may well be in the eye of the beholder for this lens design. It may be a good lens for people who are looking to replace a lined bifocal and have no need for that in-between distance.

Recommendation: With so many other lens designs that instantly work well at all distances, and with intermediate viewing being an essential ingredient to successful progressive lens wear, I would only recommend this lens for someone who would find middle vision viewing objectionable. Need help in finding the exact right lens for you? Come on in to a Licensed Dispensing Optician to learn more!

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Fashion Frames: What I like about the Fendi F878 for Holidays and Beyond

Could this be THE perfect frame for the Holidays? Fendi has taken the classic pillowed rectangle, and changed it up a bit to create this winning style. The curve at the top will nicely match most eyebrows; they are “right-sized” – not too big, nor too small for the average face, and have loads of room for a progressive lens. The hint of a lift on the lower outside corner adds a flattering note, and the bit of length on the side is perfect to help provide the 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 symmetry we look for when styling glasses.

I love this light Bordeaux color, and the play of finish and texture. The wider hinge area on the front has a highly polished finish, which does a great job of playing off the fine satin finish on the temples. A very stylized Fendi logo (only the cognoscenti will recognize it) adds a bit of flair with a micro-engraved silver-toned box that looks almost jewel-like.

And the piece-de-resistance? The inside of the temple has a very subtle Fendi “F” repeating pattern done in very tiny glitter flakes. Very festive, and guaranteed to bring that “I’ve got a secret” smile to your face. And that’s what I like about the Fendi F878. Come on in and try on a pair at an authorized Fendi dealer.

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Review: Hoya LifeStyle CD iD Progressive Lenses

I have to admit, it was a bit of a shock when I put these lenses on. I’d been wearing the Summit ECP iQ lens for a few weeks so I could write a review of them, and now I was putting my favorite lenses back on again. Or were they?

Before I got my LifeStyle CD (LS/CD) lenses, I was always shifting between my standard progressive lenses and my close-distance Tact progressives (fabulous on the computer, at near, and to walk around the office, but another story). I put on my new LS/CD lenses … and about two weeks later, I noticed I hadn’t once changed into my computer glasses! And I’m on the computer for hours and hours every day. (I still use my Tact computer lenses when I know I will have several straight hours of computer use). In short, the intermediate viewing area on this lens is the best I have ever found in a general-purpose lens.

As with all the Hoya digital lenses, the atoric, aspheric back surface eliminates virtually all the peripheral swim caused by aberration. Even though the view from the extreme lower edges are still blurry, straight lines remain straight in every quadrant of the lens, which has been a major issue for years.

What threw me off when I put these lenses on after wearing the ECP iQ was the noticeable decrease in the overall size of the sharp distance viewing area. It took me a few moments to remember that I was comparing a standard corridor lens with a short corridor lens design, and that could explain much of the situation. Only a few hours later they totally felt like “mine” again. In fact, the only reason I am going to go back to the ECP iQ for now is that my wife likes the frames they are in better than the ones with the LS/CD lenses.

Recommendations: Highly recommended for people who have a great deal of intermediate vision needs, but don’t want the hassle of two pair of glasses. May be the best general purpose lens I have tried so far. Not highly recommended for commercial drivers. For more information, please post a comment below.

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Copyright © 2011 All Rights Reserved

Fashion Frames: What I like about the Gucci 1634

  

I wish you could hold this frame in your hands – the details are really sharp.  I tried several shots to capture the details, but the human eye is so much better at this than a camera! Of course, the contrasting but complimentary colors between the front and the temples immediately grab your attention. They are unusual for a men’s frame, but actually quite striking and good looking on the face.

Scribed lines (impossible to see in the photo), very tactile and cool, run the entire length of the temples. They add a subtle bit of dimensionality, and again, make a nice contrast to the highly polished metal temple hinge plaques. While this frame isn’t a gigantic fashion statement, it is a perfect blend of strong, masculine contemporary styling with very current colors and understated detail. A great classic tailored look for the modern man. Stop in soon to try it on!

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