An open letter to Optics companies

[Mojave]

I was standing on a hill the other day and fighting a pair of 8x42's into submission. I am myopic 20-450. I know I am not alone. So a 50 year old hunter (no shortage of those) that used to be able to do about anything with glasses on really struggles to use 8x42s with 20mm of eye relief. BLUF 22mm would be amazing!

I have 9 pairs of binoculars, and I buy them and sell them (at a loss of course) trying to figure out what works.

If possible a 10x50 or 10x42 with 22mm of usable eye relief, with detents every couple mm on the eye cups so they are moderately adjustable would be amazing.

I love what 8x56 and to a lesser extent 10x56 binoculars do. But who wants to carry that when you an aged hunter? Not this guy.

 

[Reed104R]

10x50 SLC's have fantastic eye relief, but like you said, they are big and heavy. Most 8x42 & 10x42 binoculars are marginal at best. I think Leica is worse than Swarovski or Zeiss. Conquest 10x42's work pretty well for me.

 

[Mojave]

I think the old model SLC used to have 20 mm of eye relie, the current model only has 17 so that’s not a good choice for an old man with poor vision either

 

[Reed104R]

I think the old model SLC used to have 20 mm of eye relie, the current model only has 17 so that’s not a good choice for an old man with poor vision either

Good point, I had two pairs of SLC 10x50's, but both were pre 2006 models.

 

[pacoalcracker]

maybe make an appt with a good eye doctor would be helpful.

 

[01Foreman400]

You can’t wear contacts?

 

[Mojave]

No, I have tried them many times. Because of my prescription, they are uncomfortable, and huge!

20-450 means that when I take my glasses off the poster with 6 inch letters 8 feet from me has no letters. It means that I can only tell my spouse from other women by the shape of her body at 30 feet.

A movie theater screen looks like a big light with color dancing across it from half way back in the movie theater.

My glasses look like coke bottles. Seriously they are that thick. For you Millenials and Z Gens Coke used to come in glass bottles.

 

[Billogna]

No, I have tried them many times. Because of my prescription, they are uncomfortable, and huge!

20-450 means that when I take my glasses off the poster with 6 inch letters 8 feet from me has no letters. It means that I can only tell my spouse from other women by the shape of her body at 30 feet.

A movie theater screen looks like a big light with color dancing across it from half way back in the movie theater.

My glasses look like coke bottles. Seriously they are that thick. For you Millenials and Z Gens Coke used to come in glass bottles.

Glasses so thick you can look at a map and see people?? lol Sorry... I couldn't resist...

 

[5MilesBack]

No, I have tried them many times. Because of my prescription, they are uncomfortable, and huge!

20/450 approximates to a prescription of somewhere around a -5 or -6 diopters. I wear a -5.25 contact in my right eye, and just looking at it.....it's no different in size than a -1.00 contact. For reference I'm 58. Ya, I'd look hard at trying good contacts again or getting Lasik or PRK. I absolutely hate glasses......to the point that I don't even have any.

 

[Mojave]

Glasses so thick you can look at a map and see people?? lol Sorry... I couldn't resist...

I mean yes, you probably could. I can barely see the towns and roads.

 

[mstei4]

20/450 approximates to a prescription of somewhere around a -5 or -6 diopters. I wear a -5.25 contact in my right eye, and just looking at it.....it's no different in size than a -1.00 contact. For reference I'm 58. Ya, I'd look hard at trying good contacts again or getting Lasik or PRK. I absolutely hate glasses......to the point that I don't even have any.

You dirty bugger, -8.50 at 26 sure does suck

Maybe it’s because I’ve been wearing contacts since I was like 11, but I don’t feel like the ones I wear are even remotely uncomfortable. Some of the newer ones breathe incredibly well, might be worth giving them a shot again.

 

[5MilesBack]

You dirty bugger, -8.50 at 26 sure does suck

I was a -11.50 when I had Lasik in 1999.

 

[mstei4]

I was a -11.50 when I had Lasik in 1999.

So you know exactly what it’s like to be blind as a bat really young haha

Did you find Lasik worth it for you? Seems like it wasn’t a complete permanent fix but my eyes have been stable for a few years so I’ve been starting to n look into it a bit more.

 

[mxgust]

You can absolutely correct higher prescriptions with contacts. After a certain point people will see better with contact lenses than they will in glasses because the prescription power will actually minimize the image you are looking at when you’re myopic. Move your glasses a bit away from your eye and watch what happens to something across the room. That’s an exaggerated example but that happens with the distance between your eye and the back of your glasses too. The higher the RX, the more this happens. The closer you can physically move the prescription to the eye the more this effect is minimized. You folks above -6, 7,8 etc will usually start to notice that, and over 10 it can mean almost a full line of acuity or more in some cases. Not everyone is comfortable in contacts, and some people can’t wear them for various reasons. Contacts tend to make your eyes dry and this can be much worse for some people than others but the newer lenses are pretty good and keep getting better. In the absence of pathology (and sometimes even with) there is definitely a solution out there for you. Even high index lenses in glasses can reduce the thickness to a point that’s a fairly normal thickness. Some of the lenses are more expensive but it can be done where they aren’t crazy thick

 

[letrbuck]

No, I have tried them many times. Because of my prescription, they are uncomfortable, and huge!

20-450 means that when I take my glasses off the poster with 6 inch letters 8 feet from me has no letters. It means that I can only tell my spouse from other women by the shape of her body at 30 feet.

A movie theater screen looks like a big light with color dancing across it from half way back in the movie theater.

My glasses look like coke bottles. Seriously they are that thick. For you Millenials and Z Gens Coke used to come in glass bottles.

Have you looked into PRK or Lasix? Believe it or not my vision was worse than yours and so bad that I didn't have enough tissue in my eyes to be a Lasix candidate, so I got PRK. This was 10 years ago and I'm in my 30s now. Procedure is quick, and worth every penny. Changed my life

 

[Montana Slim]

No useful input on the binos - just wanted to commiserate...

Right with you coke-bottle fellas - been around -9.0 since 1st grade. I got contacts in junior high and it was life changing. I've had great luck with contacts for about 30yrs now, and almost never wear glasses. I have been told that I'm not a candidate for lasik/laser, whatever. Every few years I ask about it, and it sounds like the tech just keeps getting better and better... might be time to start seriously doing my research.

Using binos with glasses in any kind of inclement weather is a drag.