Any opticians on here

Has anyone had Laser surgery late 40s / 50? . Fed up with having to carry glasses everywhere for close up work. I'm ok long vision but looking at my phone without specs now just can't be done effectively. Didn't realise it would become so inconvenient

A friend is a consultant eye surgeon, he wears glasses , he’s had to fix to many Fcuked up private laser surgeries on the NHs . All surgery carries risk so if you don’t need it don’t take the risk
 
A friend is a consultant eye surgeon, he wears glasses , he’s had to fix to many Fcuked up private laser surgeries on the NHs . All surgery carries risk so if you don’t need it don’t take the risk
I've been reading up on this & it is a risky process so I'll be leaving it!!
 
I have varifocals for when I'm not wearing the lenses but am resisting reading glasses and currently have a 'halfway house' for my lenses so I get just about OK close and far vision. If it changes much more, I'll be stuffed, but that will probably mean wearing reading glasses all day as I sit at a PC all the time.

I'm now on the edge of the + correction applied to varifocal contact lenses and in low light (when he pupil dilates) they just don't work, so I wear a new set of varifocals most of the time and only put lenses in when I'm going out. The other option is lenses (for distance) plus reading glasses (close up) but as I use a PC all day that's pretty pointless.

Have reasonably high index (-13/-12) and have found them OK, but not noticing the benefits. Had to get them adjusted twice as I have little tolerance for PD being out or them sitting mm’s out.......

When you are that short sighted (I'm at -9 now) lens shape makes quite a difference. In my latest glasses, I chose a frame that wasn't as wide as my previous one, to keep the lenses smaller and therefore lighter (because I'm now wearing the glasses all the time). However that had the effect of making the 'sweet spot' on the first brand of lens so small they were unwearable. Anything 5 degrees off centre was blurred which made even walking around difficult and using a PC impossible. Got them changed to a different brand/type and it was way better.

They can also build the lenses to change the zone transitions vertically, depending on preference, setting them up for what you do most (mine is at a PC). Of course, the better glasses with coatings and custom zones cost a lot more money!

I would highly recommend finding a local non-chain optician so you can see the same person each time and they fully understand how varifocals work and can help you decide which type you need.
 
I have some incredible specs that cover me both close in and far out. Not matter where I look I am in focus. Fucking expensive lenses, circa 600 notes for the glass, but incredible how they work.

Old thread but still same.
 
I have some incredible specs that cover me both close in and far out. Not matter where I look I am in focus. Fucking expensive lenses, circa 600 notes for the glass, but incredible how they work.

Old thread but still same.
Did you have to go to a specialist optician to get these excellent lenses?
 
I have vari-focal thingies - Had absolutely bob-on-vision until I got to about 45 years of age - then my arms were no longer long enough for to to hold something far enough away so that I could read it.

Got my first specs and vari-focals when I was just over 50 I think. Now just coming up to 52 and very happy with mine.

Constantly cleaning the lenses though as I hate even the tiniest of smudges or dirt on them. Tis a chore.
 
I have some incredible specs that cover me both close in and far out. Not matter where I look I am in focus. Fucking expensive lenses, circa 600 notes for the glass, but incredible how they work.

Old thread but still same.

what are these amazing black magic (can you still say that?) things you talk about?
 
what are these amazing black magic (can you still say that?) things you talk about?
Hold on I need to zoom in.

Right

I have glasses with varifocals (or whatever they are called). I am at the age where I need long distance and short distance lenses that differ and to avoid having reading glasses and seeing glasses my optician specced me some high spec lenses. Nothing too clever but top of the range and they just work. Wherever I look sharp sight, amazing. Close in, far out, just right place right time.

Will dig out the details
 
I have vari-focal thingies - Had absolutely bob-on-vision until I got to about 45 years of age - then my arms were no longer long enough for to to hold something far enough away so that I could read it.

Got my first specs and vari-focals when I was just over 50 I think. Now just coming up to 52 and very happy with mine.

Constantly cleaning the lenses though as I hate even the tiniest of smudges or dirt on them. Tis a chore.

PERFECT for cleaning glasses. Forget all the lens wipes, they become shit in no time.

Buy these, thank me later.
 
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PERFECT for cleaning glasses. Forget all the lens wipes, they become shit in no time.

Buy these, thank me later.

Opticlear wipes are really good , sold in Sainsbury’s as below , available in boxes of up to 200 on tinternet , each wipe is a seperate sachet so just need a few in glasses case or the car

 
Getting fed up with reaching for specs so I'm going to give Contacts a try. Appt 22 Nov for eye test and then have some fitted the same day. Please don't tell me contacts are crap as I want them to work. Certainly won't be risking laser surgery
 
Varifocal glasses are great, but can be very expensive if you have high correction requirements. Avoid the cheapo lenses and pay for whatever premuim/custom option the optician offers as this increases the 'sweet spot' on the lens and makes things so much easier. Also, different manufacturers do them in different ways, so if you can't get them to work, ask the optician to get a set made by someone else - frame choice/lens shape also affects things.

However, varifocal contact lenses are very different to glasses. They work for some people and not for others as rather than look through a different part of the lens (consciously) your brain gets multiple images and has to figure out which one to use.

Also, when it is dark, and your pupils dilate it can mean that none of these images are sharply in focus, which often means it is impossible to read restaurant menus without resorting to a using a phone torch!

If you are short sighted, but need reading glasses then there's also a compromise/tradeoff between the negative power for distance and positive adjustment for reading.

I've had to take 0.75 off my distance to get acceptable reading in low light. That means I have a set of lenses for when I'm mostly out and about in the sun meaning I can see and read fine, but can't read indoors and another set with slightly worse distance vision where I can read in the evening.

Getting old sucks!
 
As an alternative to contact lenses and risky laser treatment, i had these made up at Vision Express, they are Oakley's with vision corrected lenses , pair for winter use and one for bright summer days, great for MTBing and driving.79AE4DCD-26EE-4BA2-B79B-22A732E07593.jpeg
 
But been looking at getting contacts again for cycling to make it easier to sort sunglasses out but then I am screwed for close up work , but came across multifocal contacts any one use them ?

Keith
I've had multifocal contacts now for around 6 years - my eyesight is well and truly stuffed but they work for me in near and far sighted situations. I just make sure I give my eyes a rest and take them out asap after work.
 
Mines been getting worse since late 30s. Can no longer read restaurant menus in dimmed lighting or food labels when small. Pretty annoying tbh as I do have glasses for computer work but don’t wear them generally so tend to forget them when going out. End up using iPhone with torch looking like a plonker.

need bionic implants ASAP. And not the shitty 2pixel by 2 pixel stuff they can do now. I want a massive fucking upgrade. Hubble eyesight!
 
I recall in the 90's walking along a street in Dhahran in Saudi and Indian opticians encouraging you in off the street to try their 'amazing eye surgery'....... fuck that.........
 
Mines been getting worse since late 30s. Can no longer read restaurant menus in dimmed lighting or food labels when small. Pretty annoying tbh as I do have glasses for computer work but don’t wear them generally so tend to forget them when going out. End up using iPhone with torch looking like a plonker.

need bionic implants ASAP. And not the shitty 2pixel by 2 pixel stuff they can do now. I want a massive fucking upgrade. Hubble eyesight!
This is me.... went to a restaurant last night & can't read the fcking menu they ask you to 'Scan" and read on your phone... because of bloody Covid. Forgot my glasses etc.
 
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